Doctor Who wonât kick off its newest episodes with its newest star (Sex Educationâs Ncuti Gatwa) until November of this year, but it looks like the long-running British sci-fi series is finally getting the proper reboot it deserves. Considering the showâs importance in British pop culture and beyond, a strong season is exactly what it needsâbecause the last few have been, uh, rough.
And if the recently circulating set photos are any indication, it could be the most stylish and, dare I say, sexiest season yet.
the vibes are impeccable pic.twitter.com/QzLAoRjvoD
â jean-luc (@thatotherharry) June 26, 2023
Doctor Who follows a time-and-space-traveling alien known as The Doctor (and their human companions) on wild, wacky trips through the universe. It first aired on the BBC way back in 1963, but a few years after the series debut, then-lead William Hartnell grew ill. In an attempt to keep the series going, showrunners figured out the most essential piece of The Doctorâs lore: The Doctor canât die, but regenerates into a different person. Hartnell was replaced by Patrick Troughton, and the rest is history.
Since then, there have been 14 different Doctors at the helm, from Good Omensâ David Tennant to Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragonâs Matt Smith, and even a single woman thrown into the mix (Broadchurchâs Jodie Whittaker). Barbieâs Ncuti Gatwa will be the 15th Doctor, and the first-ever man of color to take on the role (he is Rwandan-Scottish). Black actor Jo Martin was revealed to be a different version of the Doctor during Whittakerâs tenure.
Iâve been a fan since the series rebooted in 2005 after a 16-year absence (aside from a TV movie in 1996), though I fell off hard during the tenure of Peter Capaldi (The Suicide Squad). Even Whittaker as the first and only woman Doctor couldnât pull me back in. But Gatwaâs season looks like itâs going to be a good oneâand itâs not just because beloved former showrunner Russell T. Davies is back. Itâs because Doctor Who is bringing sexy back.
New Doctor Who, new look
Unofficial and official set photos of the upcoming Doctor Who series 14 show off an impressive wardrobe the likes of which weâve never seen in the franchise. In pictures, Gatwa and his companions (Coronation Streetâs Millie Gibson and The Matrix Resurrectionsâ Jonathan Groff) don slick â60s-era fits and Regency-style gowns and suits. And someone at the BBC upped the wig budget, as Gatwa has an amazing afro in one look and long sideburns in another.
Outside of period-specific attire, Gatwaâs Doctor seems to have a rather extensive collection of looks, from a gorgeous camel-colored leather trench to a black biker jacket. Traditionally, every Doctor gets their own uniformâan outfit that he or she wears in almost every episode with very little deviation. David Tennant had a brown pin-striped suit and Converse All-Stars, Christopher Eccleston wore all black and and a leather jacket, Jodie Whittaker had royal blue cropped suspenders and a t-shirt. Even when traveling through time, the Doctors have stuck to their uniforms, so itâs great to see the 15th Doctor changing it up.
It always bothered me that the Doctor hasnât made more use of the canonically extensive wardrobe on the TARDIS (their signature police-box shaped, time-traveling spaceship) during their travels. Why wouldnât you don some petticoats in the 18th century, or a pair of denim flares at Woodstock? And why, if you have such a big closet, wouldnât you change your outfit every day?
Historically, the Doctorâs looks are goofy or camp or stuffily British, but they are not sexy (Ecclestonâs leather jacket is the closest we gotâMatt Smith wears a fez for fuckâs sake). Whittakerâs Doctor dressed like a kid who picked out their own clothes, likely an attempt to prevent traditional (read: older) Doctor Who fans from endlessly complaining about her gender. But thereâs a fresh, youthful style and sexiness to Gatwaâs looks that Iâve never seen before in Doctor Who, and itâs a welcome addition.
One paparazzi photo of Gatwa on-set in the leather trench shows him wearing a collared zip-up shirt underneath it, with the zipper daringly unzipped to bare a nice portion of his chest. Another one has him on the back of a scooter in a leather jacket, white tee, and blue jeans. This Doctor is hot, and not in the funny, rubbery British way that made me have an irrational crush on David Tennant, but in a properly sexy manner.
Gatwaâs Doctor looks set to be a breath of fresh air for a series that struggles to avoid staleness. I canât wait to get back into Doctor Who. The 60th anniversary special featuring David Tennant reprising his role airs this November, and Gatwaâs season starts in 2024.
Update 06/27/2023 at 2:10 p.m. ET: Updated the title of The Suicide Squad and clarified the start of Doctor Who series 14.
Update 06/27/2023 at 4:10 p.m. ET: Updated to include Jo Martinâs stint as the Doctor.
