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Doctor Who has always been a pacifist, though the BBC really wants us to think they're an action hero. But is that really necessary?
Posted in: BBC, Disney+, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, disney, doctor who, Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa, russell t davies
Doctor Who Season 1 Trailer Thoughts: Ncuti Gatwa, Disney Money & More
The Doctor Who trailer is leaning into new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa's charisma and new companion Millie Gibson - it's the same show, only bigger
Article Summary
- Doctor Who's trailer dazzles with big-budget Disney money and striking visuals.
- Ncuti Gatwa shines brilliantly, bringing charisma to the new Doctor.
- Trailers suggest fantasy elements intertwine with sci-fi in the latest season.
- Millie Gibson is spotlighted, echoing the importance of The Doctor's companions.
And lo, we have a full trailer for the new season of Doctor Who, and of course every fan is going to pour over every frame of it looking for clues. So Disney+ premiered the trailer first before the BBC did. That's what happens when The Mouse pays extra for the privilege. But hey, we're getting more Doctor Who, and not adulterated by Disney, so why complain? We're not going to pick over the details of the trailer like everyone else is – there will be more than enough time for that. Let's just go with the vibes instead…
That's How You Spend That Sweet Disney Money…
Many people seemed surprised that the series looked like it has a bigger budget. Everything looks bigger and brighter now. Gone are the days when monster costumes were quickly taped together from spare cellophane, and sets looked like they cost £5. You get makeup and masks that look organic, practical effects with well-built models, and only cleaned up with CGI. The costumes are cooler. Otherwise, this is still the same series from its revival in 2005, only faster, more frenetic, more unapologetic, and slicker. And a lot more expensive. Doctor Who has always spent every penny in its budget, and extra millions from Disney only help make the show look better and more convincing. And word is each episode still doesn't cost as much as one episode of House of The Dragons, which reportedly costs $20 million per episode. Previous entire seasons of Doctor Who didn't cost that much. Now it looks like it does.
Here Comes Fantasy and The Supernatural
The trailer comes out and says it through the voice of Kate Stewart (Gemma Redgrave), head of UNIT. Things are getting more supernatural. Fantasy can slip into Doctor Who, and we're about to see it in all its glory. A whole genre gets to be part of Doctor Who now. Meanwhile, there's still lots of Science Fiction and time travel. It's still the same show after all, just with added labels.
Ncuti Gatwa is a Charisma Cannon
This season, Doctor Who is going all in the new star's charisma, and who can blame them? The camera loves Ncuti Gatwa and his irrepressible charm. The trailer is all about his infectious smile, his energy, and his sense of humour. They still have The Doctor's deep loneliness and guilt. Promising a companion's parent they would keep them safe is never going to end well. That's just Screenwriting 101 now.
Millie Gibson Is Front and Centre… Like Rose Was
The trailer spends a lot of time emphasizing Millie Gibson's place in the show as the Doctor's companion. It would be banal to say she's "Rose 2.0". She has a different story and personality than Rose. She and The Doctor are drawn to each other because they're both orphans and foundlings. That's part of his loneliness that Russell T. Davies can use from "The Timeless Child" instead of falling back on being the last survivor of the Time War, and once again, they are the last Time Lord. Everything that came before on TV is canon, and Davies isn't rebooting the continuity. He'll use that to reflect Ruby's own quest for identity, and that looks like her arc for this season, after which she won't be a regular companion anymore. Her arc of being an adopted child searching for her origins has a built-in ending, and Davies is not going to draw it out. Doctor Who is really the story of the companion anyway, and how The Doctor changes their life.
The TARDIS Is Still The Show's Real Hero
How else do you explain the iconic shot of the TARDIS overlooking an epic landscape the way Batman stands over a city? The TARDIS is publishing her tell-all celebrity memoir in time for the series' return. That's celebrity timing for you.
It's Doctor Who! What else do you want?
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