Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, doctor who, Jinxx Monsoon, jonathan groff, Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa, russell t davies

Doctor Who: Random Thoughts on New Season 1 Trailer, Episode Titles

It's time for some random insights into (and wildly ridiculous speculations about) the Doctor Who Season 1 trailer and episode titles.

Lo, it was Easter Sunday, and we were blessed, I tell you, blessed with a new Doctor Who trailer ahead of the season premiere in May. Hey, easter eggs are easy to come by; new Doctor Who trailers are rare! This trailer, the third after a 12-second teaser they called a trailer and the previous one from a few weeks ago, is more exciting than those. It doesn't just flash a bunch of images and moments but also shows more about the heart of The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and what drives them. It had a lot of 2005 vibes when the show was relaunched, and the marketing had to draw in kids and people who had never seen the classic version before. This is like 2005 Remastered. A show for new viewers with the coolest Doctor they could get.

And of course, Russell T. Davies would approve the release of the episode titles with mini-videos for clues and vibes, knowing the whole of Doctor Who fandom will be picking over every frame of the trailer and the videos for wild speculation, so here are some of my own:

"Space Babies" – only Davies would finally have an episode of Doctor Who called "Space Babies!" It's so giggle-inducing it could only come in this era of the series. No producer or writer in the classic era would do this title or story since they were always trying to sound terribly serious. So "space babies" means a space nursery, right? And space nurseries need space nannies. What if the space babies are the monsters here? Taking something cute and making them monsters is totally Russell T. Davies' jam. He did it with Beep the Meep (though that was already a comic book story from  Doctor Who Magazine in the 1980s), and every adult would totally relate to the idea that babies are really monsters. No, that's not an idea; it's already reality!

"The Devil's Chord" sounds like it's going to involve music. Abbey Road, the Beatles, the Swinging Sixties and cool clothes and bright lights. Every new first season of Doctor Who needs one of these, and every new Doctor feels like a new series for a lot of people.

"Boom" – Steven Moffat is back! Space lasers and a futuristic metal door, so it looks like one of those futuristic war episodes where The Doctor is going to deal with war and be pissed off enough to do something really bad to whoever they decide is the bad side. Moffat has said as much that this is what makes The Doctor terrifying, a god who decides who's good and bad in a war and destroys the bad side. This means Moffat has written two episodes for the new season, this one and the Christmas special. He's all in again like he was in 2005 and 2006 before he took over as showrunner.

"73 Yards" – with its Olde Worlde pub sign suggests an episode with a gothic horror vibe that might recall "The Horror of Fang Rock," though by the end of that story, literally everyone died by the end except The Doctor and companion. Wouldn't that be fun?

"Dot and Bubble" – looks like it's going to be a commentary on technology and clicking on screens. It's almost going to be something bad since Doctor Who and TV Science Fiction always go for the "too much technology is bad for us!" vibe.

"Rogue" – Our Bridgerton-style episode set in the Regency era. Jonathan Groff might be the rogue of the title. A ball! Frocks! Wigs! Duels! Dancing! You don't cast Jonathan Groff and make him a wuss. Some fans think he's the new Captain Jack. But some fans think The Rani or the Meddling Monk might be coming back though no clues have been dropped. The sociology of what Doctor Who fans of different eras are most obsessed with bringing back is interesting enough to publish a whole paper on. Not by me, though.

"The Legend of Ruby Sunday" – looks like it's going to be about TV shows and fame, seemingly involving Ruby. This could be one of those episodes that traipses through the life of a companion and jumps to their futures and possible futures. Because that's totally a trope on Doctor Who now. Some people think Ruby's going to die. This is totally what Davies wants you to worry about. This is a show on Disney+, remember? Do you seriously think they're going to kill off the heroine?

"Empire of Death" – the most archetypal Doctor Who title ever. It could easily come from any era of the show. It's portentous and epic. Could it be the first payoff from the Toymaker saying his legions of god-tier baddies are coming? Or are they going to pop up throughout the season already, like Jinxx Monsoon's character might be? If a major classic series villain is going to return, it would need to be major stunt casting, and Davies has already punched that ticket for this season with Jinx Monsoon.

Doctor Who "Season One" will be streaming on Disney+.

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