Posted in: BBC, Disney+, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: doctor who, Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa, preview, russell t davies, timeless child

Doctor Who: "Timeless Child" Factors Into Doctor/Ruby Dynamic: RTD

Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies on how the "Timeless Child" influences Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor & Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday.

It was back in November 2023 when Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies addressed the matter of the "Timeless Child." Written by then-Showrunner Chris Chibnall and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone, 2020's Series 12 Episode 10: "The Timeless Children" proved to be a game-changer on a number of levels – leaving fans questioning what they thought they knew about the Doctor's origin story. It's the storyline that introduces Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor, one of the original regenerations that was wiped from the Doctor's (the "Timeless Child") mind – leaving the Doctor believing that their origin was the one that viewers had come to know (and painting the Time Lords in an even worse light). Chibnall's new take on the Doctor's origin wasn't exactly embraced by a decent chunk of the fandom out there – with many considering the move a bridge too far that should be "un-retconned" once Davies returned.

Except Davies made it clear that wasn't going to happen during an interview with SFX Magazine that went live last fall. "Let's stare that question right in the eye. I'm not going to unwrite my good friend Chris Chibnall's work on 'The Timeless Children," Davies offered matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to deny what he wrote. I'm going with it. It's absolutely fine." In fact, the BBC Scripts Library uploaded the Davies-penned eight-page "The Fifteenth Doctor Audition Piece" from two years prior that included this line of dialogue (proof that Davies was already planning to work off of Chibnall's plan): "I came from another universe- but the Time Lords adopted me – and that's my heritage now; the very last Time Lord in existence." Now, thanks to an interview with EW that went live earlier today, Davies is sharing how the "Timeless Child" storyline is factoring into the dynamic between Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday. "That story's going to be the spine of the whole show," Davies teased, referencing how the Doctor's & Ruby's respective backstories of being abandoned and then found will create a bond between them.

"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. And don't forget that Andor star Varada Sethu joins Gatwa & Gibson during the second season of adventures.

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