Posted in: BBC, Disney+, Doctor Who, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: ', doctor who, Ncuti Gatwa, russell t davies, The Beatles

Doctor Who: How Copyright Law Inspired This Season's Beatles Episode

Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies & star Ncuti Gatwa preview this season's Beatles episode - including how "copyright law" inspired it.

With only about a month to go until Showrunner Russell T. Davies and series stars Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor) & Millie Gibson's (Ruby Sunday) first series of new Doctor Who adventures starts hitting our screens, we're getting some insight into one the more highly-anticipated episodes. Of course,  we're talking about the Doctor & Ruby's upcoming one-on-one with The Beatles. In a profile interview with Empire, Davies and Gatwa discuss why a Beatles episode has been challenging in the past – and how that made it more attractive to Davies, who also wanted to show that the Beatles still matter to younger generations. For Gatwa, the episode works because of Davies's ability to stay true to core themes no matter when they take place.

"I knew instantly you can never play Beatles songs on screen because the copyright is too expensive. So I'm thinking, 'How would you do a Beatles episode without Beatles music?' And that becomes the entire plot. That's where the idea came from – copyright law!" Davies shared, revealing the workaround that allowed the episode to happen. As for the importance of the band and its music, Davies noted an exchange he had with a younger director that convinced him to tell the tale. "

"There's a young director called Sam Arbor who I've kind of been mentoring for a while, and when I told him I was going back to 'Doctor Who,' he was just 21 and said, 'Oh my God, if I had a TARDIS, I'd go back and watch the Beatles recording their first album.' And I thought for a 21-year-old to say that must mean there's something to that idea," Davies said.

But no matter if it's The Beatles, the Roman Empire, or any other time period, Gatwa credits Davies's ability to tap into the core aspects of humanity that link them all. "I would say Russell's very good at humanity and the duality of it. He captures the complexity and simplicity of the human condition and the light and the dark of it. He puts the normal on the page and shows how it's really special. He's rooted in the present," Gatwa shared about the showrunner/writer. "He's like, 'Don't be busy looking up there to the clouds. You're gonna miss all this special beauty in the flowers that are there in front of you.'"

"SPACE BABIES" (Writer: Russell T Davies; Director: Julie Anne Robinson)

"THE DEVIL'S CHORD" (Writer: Russell T Davies; Director: Ben Chessell)

"BOOM" (Writer: Steven Moffat; Director: Julie Anne Robinson)

"73 YARDS" (Writer: Russell T Davies; Director: Dylan Holmes Williams)

"DOT AND BUBBLE" (Writer: Russell T Davies; Director: Dylan Holmes Williams)

"ROGUE" (Writer: Kate Herron and Briony Redman; Director: Ben Chessell)

"THE LEGEND OF RUBY SUNDAY" (Writer: Russell T Davies; Director: Jamie Donoughue)

"EMPIRE OF DEATH" (Writer: Russell T Davies; Director: Jamie Donoughue)

On Friday, May 10th, Disney+ subscribers can check out the first two episodes beginning at 7 pm ET. Following that, two episodes will premiere on BBC iPlayer at 00:00 on Saturday, May 11th – with the first two episodes airing on BBC One later that day (right before the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final). Now, here's a look back at the teaser trailer that was released on Christmas Day & the date announcement teaser released for Season 1:

We've got an upcoming season that runs from the groovy '60s and the Regency era in England to war-torn futures – and a whole lot more! Along with a first look at Indira Varma's (Game of Thrones) The Duchess and the news that Callie Cooke (Henpocalypse!) is making an appearance, we were also treated to looks at Anita Dobson, Yasmin Finney, Michelle Greenidge, Bonnie Langford, Jinkx Monsoon, Jemma Redgrave, Lenny Rush, Golda Rosheuvel, and Angela Wynter.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!