Posted in: BBC, Disney+, TV | Tagged: doctor who, Ncuti Gatwa
Doctor Who: We Just Learned Something New About Gallifreyan Language
BBC's Doctor Who released a Gallifreyan Translator - and we've already found one word that doesn't seem to work in The Doctor's language.
With a Christmas Special coming later this year, Season 2 arriving sometime in 2025, and a whole ton of confusion surrounding whether or not Season 3 has gotten a green light (more on that in a minute), it's a very interesting time for Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies and the Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor), Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday), and Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra)-starring series. So, how about a fun little distraction to help ease the stress? Earlier today, the BBC released the Gallifreyan Translator – a quick and easy way to turn your words into the language of Gallifrey. The one you see below signifies "Bleeding Cool" – though not nearly our first choice. Side note? Apparently, there isn't a proper translation for "f**k" (at least that's what we were told…). Just putting that out there for no reason…
Here's a look at how the news was shared earlier today – and make sure to test the boundaries of the Gallifreyan Translator when you get a chance:
Doctor Who & Season 3: What's Going On?
Okay, so it's time for a brief history lesson. In an interview with SFX Magazine at the end of August, Davies had this to share about the future of the series: "It's an industry decision; it's like any business – these things take time. I think the decision will come after the transmission of season two. That's what we're expecting, that's what we've always been heading towards." Davies' comments were in response to rumblings on social media during the weeks prior, speculating that somehow Disney wasn't happy with its deal with the BBC and Bad Wolf. With us so far? Great!
That brings us to last week's edition of The Graham Norton Show, with reports from the taping that Gatwa had revealed that the team would begin filming Season 3/Season 16 in 2025. Joining Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez), Miranda Hart (I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You), Kevin Kline (Disclaimer), and Rag 'n' Bone Man in support of his run in the National Theatre's production of The Importance of Being Earnest, Gatwa had this to say: "It is all going well. We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year."
Except… that wasn't what ended up airing. Instead, Gatwa is shown saying, "We finished the second season earlier this year, we've got the Christmas episode coming out … at Christmas … But it's been amazing." Well, you can imagine how that got the rumors and gossip going on social media and pop culture news sites, with many wondering if the edit was done at the request of the BBC. Earlier today, Deadline Hollywood reported that the popular talk show "made the edit to liven up Gatwa's answer and was not obeying a 'sinister' request from BBC bosses" (DH's wording). Reportedly, the Doctor Who team wasn't involved in arranging Gatwa's "Graham Norton" visit, and the BBC is standing by its previous comments that a decision on a third season won't happen until after Season 2 debuts (with Spring 2025 being eyed). "As we've said previously, the decision on season three will be made after season two transmits, and as always, we don't comment on speculation," shared a BBC spokesperson.