Latest news with #JodieWhittaker
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dr Who: Finale shocks fans and here's why
WARNING: This article contains Doctor Who Gatwa has said goodbye to the Tardis as it's revealed he is stepping down as The Doctor after 18 months in the the series finale, the Doctor regenerated into a familiar face after making the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of a little the episode, the Doctor seemed to regenerate into Rose Tyler - an old companion to the ninth and tenth Doctors 20 years ago, who is played by actor Billie credit at the end of the programme said: "Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper".It's left the series on a cliffhanger as fans wonder how and why she's did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments below! Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the 15th Doctor in May first appeared on our screens as part of the show's 60th anniversary celebrations in November was the first bi-generation which saw him split from the 14th Doctor, played by David said: "You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it. "This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever. "There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe."I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have. "I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor." It's still unclear whether Billie Piper will be playing the 16th Doctor and become the third woman to play the role. In a statement she said: "It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see."She first appeared on the show back in 2005 alongside Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant as companion Rose Tyler. Doctor Who showrunner and head writer Russell T Davies said: "Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she's done it again!"It's an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the Tardis, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told."After 62 years, the Doctor's adventures are only just beginning!"
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Doctor Who: The Reality War – season two finale and Ncuti Gatwa era recap
And just like that, he was gone, and the Ncuti Gatwa era is over. It was the shortest tenure in the role since Christopher Eccleston did just one series in 2005, and even within his brief run there was more than one episode where Gatwa barely featured. But without doubt the first Black actor to lead the show left his mark on the role – an incarnation with a winning smile, the catchphrase 'babes', relentless enthusiasm, and without the emotional baggage that was increasingly weighing down his predecessors. He departed with joy. With episodes like this, it is very much about enjoying the ride as it rushes from scene to scene, without worrying too much about whether the actual plot makes sense. That may not be the kind of Doctor Who everybody wants. The scene between Gatwa and the returning Jodie Whittaker was beautifully played. The lines about the 13th Doctor never telling Yaz she loved her were perfectly pitched by Russell T Davies to give closure to the awkward non-committal scenes we saw between Whittaker and Mandip Gill in The Power of the Doctor from the pen of Chris Chibnall. Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday again shone in scenes where she was the protagonist rather than the sidekick. Her decision, after everything he had done, to choose the kindness of wishing Conrad (Jonah Hauer-King) happiness, rather than vengeance, was one of the most Doctor Who things ever. Archie Panjabi's take on the Rani, unhinged by the destruction of Gallifrey and the sterility of the Time Lords and unrequited in her feelings for the Doctor was exquisite, and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood was always a tremendous presence on screen. But if we are talking about unrequited feelings, the surprise return of Steph de Whalley as Anita quickly turned from happiness to see her to experiencing her sadness as we saw her watch the Doctor and Rogue (Jonathan Groff) dancing in the past, and realise that Gatwa was never going to be her man. And so, at the end, a season that gave us both Dugga Doo and Mr Ring-a-Ding finished with Billie Piper saying 'Oh, hello!'. What a wild nonsensical ride it has been. What if Doctor Who did the weirdest thing it could possibly do and appear to cast a former companion as the lead? Belinda (Varada Sethu) was thankfully back to the spikier version of her that we first met in The Robot Revolution and Lux, rather than the bland version that appeared in the mid-season episodes, but it appears she has departed the show along with Gatwa. It would have been nice to have more of her. The battle scene which pitted the Avengers tower from Marvel against bone dinosaurs pretending to be At-Ats from Star Wars was hilarious, but in this episode it was really only the brief CGI appearance of Omega that was an alien big bad. If the fear last week was the fear of otherness in a dystopian world, the fear here was that of losing a child – or wanting one but never getting the chance. A very human fear that might hit very differently depending on your own personal circumstances. Probably the biggest mystery is that having introduced a cameo of Carole Ann Ford as the Doctor's granddaughter Susan two episodes ago, and this episode revolving around whether Poppy was the Doctor's daughter, that the two were not tied together. It was also surely deliberate that the end credits very clearly said 'Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. And introducing Billie Piper' but did not specify who it was introducing her as. And Anita mentioned 'the boss', a reference back to a set-up by the Meep way back in 2023's 60th anniversary special The Star Beast, a story that now appears to be two Doctors ago. Gatwa's decision to pronounce Omega differently to everybody around him will surely go down in Doctor Who lore along with Matt Smith's mispronounced Metebelis III during Hide. Anita opening time doors left, right and centre looking for the Doctor in his past suggests that perhaps in every episode since 1974 some combination of her, Clara's impossible girl, and Sutekh clinging to the Tardis have all been present. It is getting a bit crowded in the past. I forgot to mention last week that the inclusion of a clip of Kate O'Mara playing the Rani in a flashback sequence lifted from 1993 Comic Relief EastEnders crossover episode Dimensions in Time finally makes it officially canon. The War Between the Land and the Sea – featuring Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave and Ruth Madeley among others – sees Unit face off against the sea devils, and is expected to be broadcast later this year. With no confirmed news on the future of Doctor Who, there was a chance this may be the last episode-by-episode recap for some time, or possibly ever? But Billie Piper's appearance didn't feel like the end of the series, did it? Either way, I'd like to sign off by thanking all the production staff and comment moderation team that help the recaps happen, the people at the BBC who arrange early access to the episodes and invitations to screenings, you below the line for all your incisive and entertaining comments over the years, and of course, thanks to the much-loved and much-missed Dan Martin, who got the ball rolling 15 years ago with his recap blog of Matt Smith debut The Eleventh Hour. As Gatwa said as he departed the show, this has been an absolute joy. See you … soon? Season 2 Episode 1: The Robot Revolution Episode 2: Lux Episode 3: The Well Episode 4: Lucky Day Episode 5: The Story and the Engine Episode 6: The Interstellar Song Contest Episode 7: Wish World Episode 8: The Reality War Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2: Space Babies / The Devil's Chord Episode 3: Boom Episode 4: 73 Yards Episode 5: Dot and Bubble Episode 6: Rogue Episode 7: The Legend of Ruby Sunday Episode 8: Empire of Death Christmas special: Joy to the World 60th anniversary specials Special 1: The Star BeastSpecial 2: Wild Blue YonderSpecial 3: The GiggleChristmas special: The Church on Ruby Road Flux / Series 13 Chapter one: The Halloween ApocalypseChapter two: War of the SontaransChapter three: Once, Upon TimeChapter four: Village of the AngelsChapter five: Survivors of the FluxChapter six: The VanquishersNew Year's Special: Eve of the DaleksSpring special: Legend of the Sea DevilsBBC centenary special: The Power of the Doctor Series 12 Episode 1: Spyfall part oneEpisode 2: Spyfall part twoEpisode 3: Orphan 55Episode 4: Nikola Tesla's Night of TerrorEpisode 5: Fugitive of the JudoonEpisode 6: PraxeusEpisode 7: Can You Hear Me?Episode 8: The Haunting of Villa DiodatiEpisode 9: Ascension of the CybermenEpisode 10: The Timeless ChildrenNew Year's special: Revolution of the Daleks Series 11 Episode 1: The Woman Who Fell to EarthEpisode 2: The Ghost MonumentEpisode 3: RosaEpisode 4: Arachnids in the UKEpisode 5: The Tsuangra CondundrumEpisode 6: Demons of the PunjabEpisode 7: Kerblam!Episode 8: The WitchfindersEpisode 9: It Takes You AwayEpisode 10: The Battle of Ranskoor Av KolosNew Year's special: Resolution Series 10 Episode 1: The PilotEpisode 2: SmileEpisode 3: Thin IceEpisode 4: Knock KnockEpisode 5: OxygenEpisode 6: ExtremisEpisode 7: The Pyramid at the End of the WorldEpisode 8: The Lie of the LandEpisode 9: Empress of MarsEpisode 10: The Eaters of LightEpisode 11: World Enough and TimeEpisode 12: The Doctor Falls2017 Christmas special: Twice Upon A Time Series 9 Episode 1: The Magician's ApprenticeEpisode 2: The Witch's FamiliarEpisode 3: Under The LakeEpisode 4: Before The FloodEpisode 5: The Girl Who DiedEpisode 6: The Woman Who LivedEpisode 7: The Zygon InvasionEpisode 8: The Zygon InversionEpisode 9: Sleep No MoreEpisode 10: Face The RavenEpisode 11: Heaven SentEpisode 12: Hell Bent2015 Christmas special: The Husbands of River Song2016 Christmas special: The Return of Doctor Mysterio Series 8 Episode 1: Deep BreathEpisode 2: Into The DalekEpisode 3: Robot of SherwoodEpisode 4: ListenEpisode 5: Time HeistEpisode 6: The CaretakerEpisode 7: Kill The MoonEpisode 8: Mummy on the Orient ExpressEpisode 9: FlatlineEpisode 10: In the Forest of the NightEpisode 11: Dark WaterEpisode 12: Death In Heaven2014 Christmas special: Last Christmas Series 7 Episode 1: Asylum of the DaleksEpisode 2: Dinosaurs on a SpaceshipEpisode 3: A Town Called MercyEpisode 4: The Power of ThreeEpisode 5: The Angels Take Manhatten2012 Christmas special: The SnowmenEpisode 6: The Bells of Saint JohnEpisode 7: The Rings of AkhatenEpisode 8: Cold WarEpisode 9: HideEpisode 10: Journey to the Centre of the TardisEpisode 11: The Crimson HorrorEpisode 12: Nightmare in SilverEpisode 13: The Name of the Doctor50th Anniversary special: The Day of the Doctor2013 Christmas special: The Time of the Doctor Series 6 Episode 1: The Impossible AstronautEpisode 2: Day of the MoonEpisode 3: The Curse of the Black SpotEpisode 4: The Doctor's WifeEpisode 5: The Rebel FleshEpisode 6: The Almost PeopleEpisode 7: A Good Man Goes To WarEpisode 8: Let's Kill HitlerEpisode 9: Night TerrorsEpisode 10: The Girl Who WaitedEpisode 11: The God ComplexEpisode 12: Closing TimeEpisode 13: The Wedding of River Song2011 Christmas special: The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe Series 5 Episode 1: The Eleventh HourEpisode 2: The Beast BelowEpisode 3: Victory of the DaleksEpisode 4: The Time of AngelsEpisode 5: Flesh and StoneEpisode 6: The Vampires of VeniceEpisode 7: Amy's ChoiceEpisode 8: The Hungry EarthEpisode 9: Cold BloodEpisode 10: Vincent and the DoctorEpisode 11: The LodgerEpisode 12: The Pandorica OpensEpisode 13: The Big Bang2010 Christmas special: A Christmas Carol
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Doctor Who' Season Finale Surprises Fans with an Exit and a Familiar Face
A familiar face to 'Doctor Who' fans is rejoining the long-running British sci-fi series as Ncuti Gatwa exits the lead role after two seasons. In Saturday's season finale, Gatwa's Time Lord regenerated and fans got a glimpse of Billie Piper, who played the character Rose Tyler for 35 episodes between 2005 and 2013. Tyler was a companion to versions of the doctor played by Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. Producers are keeping Piper's new role secret for now. 'Just how and why she is back remains to be seen,' the BBC said in a statement after the finale aired. 'It's an honor and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told,' showrunner Russell T Davies said in a statement. Piper said 'Doctor Who' has provided some of her best memories and she couldn't pass up the opportunity to come back. 'It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return ... but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see,' she said. If Piper does indeed become the Doctor, she would be the third woman to fill the famous shoes. The Rwanda-born, Scotland-raised Gatwa, 29, was the first Black actor to helm the show, but he wasn't the first Black Doctor — Jo Martin played 'Fugitive Doctor' in several episodes. Gatwa took over the role from Jodie Whittaker in 2023. Whittaker was the 13th Doctor and the first woman to play the central galaxy-hopping, extraterrestrial Time Lord who regenerates into new bodies, taking over from Peter Capaldi in 2017. Martin was the second woman. 'Doctor Who' first aired from 1963 to 1989 and returned in 2005. In the US, new episodes air on Disney+.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Doctor Who fans left 'speechless' over return of Billie Piper and Jodie Whittaker
Doctor Who fans have hailed the appearances of Billie Piper and Jodie Whittaker in the season finale. However, one viewer condemned Saturday's episode as 'EastEnders in space', criticising the plot and writing. In the finale, Ncuti Gatwa leaves Doctor Who and is seen regenerating into Piper, who first appeared in the series as the companion to the ninth Time Lord in 2005. Retired teacher Steve Hatcher, 66, of Ashbourne in Derbyshire, who runs Whoovers – a Doctor Who fan club – told the PA news agency: 'The question in the mind was, is it going to be a regeneration to a new Doctor, which it was, or is it just going to be a regeneration to black and an uncertain future? READ MORE: Clarkson's Farm's Harriet Cowan issues plea to viewers as new episodes release today READ MORE: MASH icon Loretta Swit dies at 84 as suspected cause of death revealed 'So I'm very relieved that they've found a new Doctor and she's a brilliant actor and I'm sure that'll be terrific, so Doctor Who continues, I would say, on the basis of that, it was a terrific episode. 'I think it gave us everything that we wanted to see from it, there was nothing left unexplained at the end of it apart from those things that don't need explaining because there's an inherent mystery to it all, but it was terrific, I enjoyed it a lot.' Mr Hatcher, who watched the episode with other fans at the Derby Quad cinema, said the regeneration was 'handled really nicely' and the overwhelming mood was positive. He went on: 'What a lovely surprise to see Jodie Whittaker come back as well tonight.' James Ashway, 27, from Bristol, who helps run the Doctor Who Appreciation Society's magazine, said: 'It was an episode which threw the kitchen sink in terms of returning characters, Jodie Whittaker and obviously now Billie Piper as well, as the new Doctor. 'I'm a bit speechless, to be honest, there's quite a lot of stuff to take in, but I think it was an interesting episode which pivoted in the middle to tell two different stories, one wrapping up the end of that season and obviously telling Ncuti Gatwa's regeneration as well, so very enjoyable.' However, Brendan Noble, 57, of Middlesbrough, a former English teacher who runs the Sense Sphere YouTube channel, said: 'I think we've just had what I would have called EastEnders in space. I am absolutely shocked, irritated, frustrated, people are contacting me now in absolute shock and horror at what's just happened. 'It's lazy writing, hodgepodge of exposition, escapism, nonsense, (Russell T Davies) was throwing every toy from the Doctor Who box at the telly, hoping that some of it would make sense in the way of entertaining you.' Mr Noble told PA it was a 'shame' that Gatwa 'never had any decent stories', calling it an 'absolute waste of a Doctor'.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Doctor Who fans left reeling after season finale full of surprises
Ncuti Gatwa has left Doctor Who after two seasons, with Billie Piper seemingly replacing him in the season finale, drawing mixed reactions from fans. Billie Piper, who originally played Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, expressed her excitement about returning to the Whoniverse. The season finale featured the Doctor facing The Rani and saving a little girl, with a cameo from Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor appeared to travel through alternate universes. Fans had mixed reactions to the finale, with some praising the appearances of Piper and Whittaker, while others criticised the plot and writing, calling it "EastEnders in space." Russell T Davies, Doctor Who showrunner, thanked Ncuti Gatwa and welcomed Billie Piper back, hinting at a new story to be told, while Millie Gibson, who plays Ruby Sunday, praised Gatwa's portrayal of the Doctor.
