Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, Preview, TV | Tagged: bbc, disney plus, doctor who, jonathan groff, Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa, preview

Doctor Who: A Quick Thought About Russell T Davies' Potato (Seriously)

Because in the wonderful world of Russell T. Davies' Doctor Who, even something as simple as a potato emoji can take on a whole new meaning.

Published Wed, 10 May 2023 19:34:12 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Earlier today, we got a look at new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, new companion Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday), and guest star Jonathan Groff (Glee, Mindhunter) dressed to impress for an upcoming episode of the BBC, Disney+ & showrunner Russell T. Davies' Doctor Who. But are the real details of the episode hidden in RTD's Instagram post? They might be, with "Jonathan Groff as… No! Really? But. Whaaat?!?" already getting our eyebrows arching with speculation. But it was the two red heart emojis and the potato emoji that hit our "feels" with live battery cables. Because as much as we don't want to get our fanboy hopes up & running, we can't shake this feeling that RTD could be teasing the return of the Paternoster Gang – Neve McIntosh's Silurian "Sherlock Holmes," Madame Vastra; Catrin Stewart's Jenny Flint, Vastra's investigative assistant & wife; and Dan Starkey's Sontaran nurse/beloved badass Strax.

Here's a look at RTD's Instagram post, with his comments serving as the caption to the image shared:

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A post shared by Russell T Davies (@russelltdavies63)

"I am so thrilled to jump into the extraordinary mind of Russell T Davies and watch the incredible Ncuti Gatwa soar in this iconic role!" shared Groff when the news of his casting was first announced. Davies added, "This is an incredible coup, and a great honour, to get such a huge star striding onto our set. So strap on your space boots; this is going to be a blast!" Now, here's a look back at the images that were released earlier today:

Davies congratulated Gatwa on the honor of leading the RadioTimes.com's TV 100 2022 list and used his time to make sure Doctor Who fans know just how much they're going to love what Gatwa's bringing to the long-running franchise. "Sometimes you know you've got a secret. And you hold it close to your chest and let it burn because secrets are so delicious," Davies shared with RadioTimes while addressing Gatwa's win. "I've got that right now because my secret is seeing Ncuti with Millie Gibson on the rushes of 'Doctor Who' every single day, and oh my God, this is so good!" As for what Gatwa is bringing specifically to the iconic role, Davies teased that viewers should expect something old & something new. "I can promise you a completely new Doctor, and yet a Doctor utterly faithful to the 60 years that came before. Soon, the secret will be out, and we'll all be dancing!" Along with Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart), Aneurin Barnard (Roger ap Gwilliam), and Jack Forsyth-Noble (Will), Doctor Who Magazine #589 also confirmed that Bhav Joshi (Wedding Season), Eilidh Loan (Traces), Pete MacHale (Gangs of London), Miles Yekinni (Slow Horses), and Hemi Yeroham (Mamma Mia!) had joined the cast. And then, last month, Jinkx Monsoon (RuPaul's Drag Race) was also confirmed to have joined the cast – followed by Jonathan Groff (Glee, Mindhunter) in May of this year.