This latest restart of Doctor Who on Disney+ is a perfect jumping-on point for new fans. You don’t need to be familiar with the show’s entire 60-year history. However, here are some things that might make the show easier to follow:
The need to know Doctor Who Basics
Doctor Who is a British science fiction series that has been running since 1963. The title character is an alien known as a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. And they go by the name “The Doctor” (though sometimes referred to as “Doctor Who”).
- Regeneration: The Doctor possesses the unique ability to regenerate after death, taking on a new body and face (played by 16 different actors in the past 60 years). While retaining all their memories, it is only the Doctor’s personality and appearance that changes with each new incarnation. He is technically the same person.
- The TARDIS: The Doctor travels through time and space in a spaceship called the TARDIS, which stands for “Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.” The TARDIS is much bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside. As for its peculiar appearance – a 1960s British Police Box – lore explains that a TARDIS can camouflage itself to blend in with its surroundings. However, during an incident in London in 1963, the Chameleon Circuit malfunctioned, leaving the TARDIS permanently stuck in its current form.
- Companions: The Doctor has a particular fondness for Earth, especially London. They often travel with Human companions from Earth, embarking on adventures throughout all of time and space. Together, they save the galaxy from monsters and villains from across the universe.
- Doctor Who Eras: The long-running BBC series Doctor Who has two eras: the “Classic Who” (1963-1989, with a mid-90s TV movie) and the ongoing “NuWho” (rebooted in 2005). Disney+ recently acquired streaming rights to the new seasons, starting with the 2023 60th Anniversary Special. This latest season featuring Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson is listed as Season 1 on their platform. This arguably marks a new era, the “Disney+ Who” era.
The New Season, a.k.a, Season One on Disney+
The newest Doctor is played by Ncuti Gatwa, and their companion Ruby is played by Millie Gibson. You can catch their first episode together, a Christmas special called “The Church on Ruby Road,” streaming now on Disney+.
The next two episodes of Doctor Who will debut on Friday, May 10 at 7:00 PM ET on Disney+. And it will air simultaneously on May 11 at midnight on BBC iPlayer in the UK. New episodes will debut weekly.
This season, the Doctor and Ruby travel across time and space, encountering adventures ranging from the Regency era in England to war-torn future worlds. Throughout their journeys in the TARDIS, they encounter incredible friends and dangerous foes, including a terrifying bogeyman and the Doctor’s most powerful enemy yet.
