DOCTOR WHO's Final Special Will Set Up A "Controversial" New Mythology According To Russell T Davies

DOCTOR WHO's Final Special Will Set Up A "Controversial" New Mythology According To Russell T Davies

Following rumours that big changes are coming for The Doctor after this Saturday's "The Giggle," showrunner Russell T Davies has now suggested the franchise's mythology will soon be turned on its head...

By JoshWilding - Dec 08, 2023 05:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Doctor Who
Source: SFFGazette.com

Tomorrow, BBC and Disney+ will air the third and final Doctor Who 60th anniversary special. "The Giggle" is set to introduce Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker, while we'll also see the Fourteenth Doctor's regeneration as Ncuti Gatwa steps in to replace the returning David Tennant. 

Talking to Doctor Who Magazine (via SFFGazette.com), Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies reiterated that he has bold plans for the long-running sci-fi series...and not everyone is likely to be on board with them! 

"There will be controversial events in ['The Giggle']. If you listen and watch the commentary on the iPlayer, I unroll a whole new Doctor Who mythology for you, based around the events taking place," he said. "And I’m explaining this to David Tennant and his mind is exploding."

"That commentary will have absolutely exclusive information that will rock the world. I hope you’ll all find it fascinating," Davies continued. "It’s a whole new way of looking at the history of Doctor Who and I can’t wait to see the reaction."

If that recent rumour is any indication, then yes, "The Giggle" will indeed feature a game-changing twist which turns Doctor Who as we know it on its head. How longtime fans will respond to that is hard to say, though this new era - which includes a cash injection from Disney+ - is clearly meant to be accessible to a much larger fanbase than ever before. 

In a separate interview with Total Film, Millie Gibson - who will play the Fifteenth Doctor's new companion, Ruby Sunday - shared new insights into what sounds like a vastly different dynamic between the show's leads.

"She is very cool [laughs]. I’ve said this before, but I think her dynamic with the Doctor is very much like two girls at school gossiping," the actress teases. "They’re very cliquey. I think the Doctor’s not had that sort of dynamic before. It’s really beautiful to see come alive when you do watch it."

"She’s a cool chick, you know? I’m not sure how much I can say, but I’m very, very excited for people to see her. She’s very different to my character in Coronation Street, which was so much fun to play. And I love her clothes. I love what she wears. And obviously the episodes where we go back to different eras, which is super fun. But, yeah. I don’t want to say too much."

Gibson will make her Doctor Who debut on Christmas Day in "The Church on Ruby Road," so we don't have too long to wait before seeing these two in action! Below, you can get a new look at Gatwa's Doctor along with the latest stills from "The Giggle."

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Reginator
Reginator - 12/8/2023, 5:40 AM
Stopped watching this years ago. Sounds like it’s really gone to crap now.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 7:36 AM
@Reginator - it isn't. It had lows with Jodie but overall its very good, you should watch to get a personal conclusion
Reginator
Reginator - 12/8/2023, 7:48 AM
@braunermegda - have not seen anything written about it that makes me want to spend time watching it again.
Ginley
Ginley - 12/8/2023, 9:00 AM
@Reginator -

Either watch it or don't.

But how arrogant is it that you must insist on sharing your opinion on someone else's opinion that's probably based on someone else's opinion.

Who cares?
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/8/2023, 9:04 AM
@Reginator - Should be renamed Doctor WTF or Doctor Woke.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:08 AM
@marvel72 - it definitely shouldn't, because it is no different than it was 18 years ago. Remember: in 2005 we had a character that flirted with the Doctor and the companion at the same time, and two years later his final appearance was soon to have sex with a man. Doctor Who always spoke about what speaks now, calling woke ou calling an agenda makes absolutely no sense if you really watch the show.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:09 AM
@Reginator - it's a shame, I genuinely believe you'd like some stories like The Fugitive of Judoon or the Rosa Parks episode. Apart from Capaldi seasons, which, to me, are the bests from new who. Maybe someday you'll watch again, I hope.
Reginator
Reginator - 12/8/2023, 9:35 AM
@Ginley - the comment section is people posting their opinions. How arrogant is it that you dont think everyone should state their opinion?
Reginator
Reginator - 12/8/2023, 9:37 AM
@braunermegda - I tried to watch during the capaldi seasons and couldnt make it through an entire episode.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:49 AM
@Reginator - did you try by the first? Because until the Robin Hood episode it was kinda lame, I believe two episodes until that. If you're willing to give another shot I recommend this episode and on
Reginator
Reginator - 12/8/2023, 11:55 AM
@braunermegda - no thanks, my interest in DW drained away. I fondly remember watching DW in the 1980's on PBS and the start of this reboot. Has become too different for me. Not everything is for everyone.
CLTMAN29
CLTMAN29 - 12/8/2023, 5:45 AM
The rumour is the regeneration actually splits him into two, resulting in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth existing simultaneously. Which RTD has near enough done before. Lame.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 7:36 AM
@CLTMAN29 - yeah I don't understand why people are going on this, we've had multiple doctors coexisting before, is not that big deal
Ginley
Ginley - 12/8/2023, 9:01 AM
@braunermegda -

We haven't had multiple Doctors simultaneously fronting shows at the same time.

That's a huge difference.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 9:09 AM
@Ginley - We don't know if there will be an ongoing 14th Doctor show on TV after the specials, and this could be setting up one of them turning into the Valeyard that has been canon as a seperate co-existing Doctor since the 6th that was stated as coming into being somewhere after the 12th (and the repeated thing in comics, books and audio plays being the emergence of whom could be delayed but not prevented).
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:11 AM
@Ginley - I mean, we had one doctor and then another in Sarah Jane, during the same event, meaning they co-exist... plus we've had that special with the tenth doctor and the 5th when the tardis crashed, all the stories with multiple doctors kinda put them together in the same existence... remember, it's a time travel show, there's literally nothing preventing them from stepping on a planet during a date where another version of him might be. That's the premises of the five doctors, actually, in the 80s
Ginley
Ginley - 12/8/2023, 9:20 AM
@Apophis71 -

You instantly lost me with Valeyard.

Not every mystery is the Valeyard or Susan.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 9:20 AM
@braunermegda - Yup, had the three Doctors with the 3rd one, five Doctors during the 5th, five surviving actors together after the 7th's run had ended where they saved (using stock footage) the first two Doctors etc... The Watcther, the Curator and the Valeyard plus the one heart male Tennant version of the 10th and the one heart female clone that was created (literaly the Doctors daughter, played by a Doctor actors daughter, who later married the Doctor she appeared alongside in the episode)...
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 12/8/2023, 9:22 AM
@Apophis71 - "this could be setting up one of them turning into the Valeyard that has been canon as a seperate co-existing Doctor since the 6th"

I think they stopped caring about canon a while ago
Ginley
Ginley - 12/8/2023, 9:24 AM
@braunermegda -

I am well aware of your examples.

Not even remotely the same. Not even close.

The fundamental difference is that those are guest appearances, not multiple Doctors competing with each other with respective shows.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 9:32 AM
@Ginley - Being lost with the Valeyard is fair, like the Toymaker only been one story on the show about the character decades ago (bar the odd reference) and may not be where they are going anyway. However if well written it could be easy to get it, just that if that is what they are doing it does not go against canon just adds details to what was always vague at best as to how the Valeyard came to be even if the comics, books and audio plays.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 9:35 AM
@TheFinestSmack - They've always played loose with canon, however RTD has brought back the Toymaker not seen since the first one so not like he is ignorant of characters and concepts previously setup and/or never resolved.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:46 AM
@Apophis71 - yessss I totally forgot about all those. Exactly, shouldn't be weird at this point if that is the big surprise.

By the way, have you ever seen that video where someone at comic con asks Peter Davidson what is the strangest gift a fan ever gave him and another one shouts "a grandson"? Hahahaha
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 9:51 AM
@braunermegda - Yup, clasic response from Peter, never gets old :D
Polaris
Polaris - 12/8/2023, 2:41 PM
@braunermegda - But that's different. It's like meeting a younger version of himself. In this case the two become different people. Doctor 15 won't have the experiences Doctor 14 will live and 14 won't become 15. They have the same memories up to a point and then don't, more like a clone.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 3:30 PM
@Polaris - yes but it's Canon already as reminded by some folks here, it's been said since the sixth doctor that after 12 he would eventually do that
ZomZom
ZomZom - 12/8/2023, 6:35 AM
Everyone here loses their mind about what is essentially a kids/family show. Yes it can be dark and has always had enough to make it enjoyable for the parents too but it's ultimately for 6-12 year olds. Like so many of the threads here, it's full of 'adults' imposing their adult sensibilities on programmes they loved from their childhoods. Relax, it's not being made for you anymore so either take whatever nostalgia you can from it or jog on.
MartianManHuntr
MartianManHuntr - 12/8/2023, 8:39 AM
@ZomZom - Exactly. I have never watched this show and have no interest in watching this. No need to waste your energy if don't like it, just move on, stop watching it.

TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 12/8/2023, 6:39 AM
Oh boy , I guess the leak might be true then…

I’m still not sure how I feel about it on paper but I’m reserving judgement to see how it’s executed , it also seems like it might be setup for a larger story aswell.

Anyway , can’t wait to see the third & final special especially after seeing these clips…

?si=LJvMesJZjem_ALVH

https://twitter.com/TimelessOwen/status/1733068811916521666/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1733068811916521666¤tTweetUser=TimelessOwen

Also , Ncuti might be the sexiest Doctor haha and I like we seem to be getting a companion who is just best friends with the Doctor again (no romantic interest please!).
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 7:38 AM
@TheVisionary25 - but that rumour has been done before, not only on new who but before, I don't understand why people are worried. About ncuti I love his 70s style outfit, I'm eager to see him tomorrow
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 12/8/2023, 9:11 AM
@braunermegda - I guess it is similar to the meta crisis but I did not know it had aa patently happened before in Classic.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 9:12 AM
@braunermegda - Been setup to occur at some point since the 6th Doctor, that summut weird goes on resulting in an entirely seperate version of the character somewhere after the 12th.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:14 AM
@Apophis71 - [frick] yeah, I forgot about that. So it is canon after all since the 80s
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 9:15 AM
@TheVisionary25 - I think it's similar to the meta crisis too, also similar to doctor Donna or even in the last season doctor Ruth, when they coexistence together during different periods of time
DenvertheDino
DenvertheDino - 12/8/2023, 7:11 AM
Let me guess, it has something to do with either being gay or trans.
Wow. So brave. So strong.
It's good to see the writers aren't trying to push an agenda.
braunermegda
braunermegda - 12/8/2023, 7:39 AM
@DenvertheDino - they aren't because the doctor is a [frick]ing alien, and his species is way beyond what we understand as sexuality. It has been said since the 70s, when there was no "agenda" as you're calling. Try watching instead of just go with it, if you're into fantasy and sci-fi you'll like it.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 4:23 PM
@DenvertheDino - The show that when launched was one of the first show at the BBC to have a female producer and also probably the fist to have a director from India who was gay back when it first ever aired in 1963...

...the show has pushed boundaries since LONG before the term woke got warped from being a term eclusively meaning being aware of social justice issues (particularly in relation to race).

For one thing the Doctor being an alien and ancient from a race where it is questionable at best if human sex, gender and sexuality terms apply...

...maybe wait to see what the stories are and how the characters are presented cos can have excellent stories and writing regardless the sex, gender or sexuality of any of the characters in the show esp in one for family viewing thus will not have much if any intamacy bar maybe the odd hug, the occasional kiss on rare occasions (normaly when they have occured were platonic only) and shock horror maybe hand holding.
Ojeet78
Ojeet78 - 12/8/2023, 9:07 AM
Im a bit torn on the split regeneration rumor. A part of me is excited for the opportunities this would bring but I also know RTD has done stuff like this with the metacrisis which I never liked. My speculation is that if the split does happen we could see Tennant's Doctor go on to have future incarnations such as the Curator or the Valeyard. Maybe they could close the loop with the extra Doctor running about by making this Doctor go backwards in time as the Watcher and then have that lead into the Fourth Doctor's regeneration. Maybe even go further back and have one of the future incarnations be the timeless child thereby setting up the doctor's origin as a predestination loop of sorts. My only hope is that there is good reason for doing this split cause if done badly it could sort of question the legitimacy of the 15th Doctor.
dracula
dracula - 12/8/2023, 11:45 AM
Wonder if they will ever bring back the Rani or the Meddling Monk or the war chief
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/8/2023, 2:40 PM
@dracula - With RTD bringing back anything is always possible, I mean he started new Who with the autons not seen since 1971 and for this special dredged up the celestial Toymaker from 1966
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