The sands of time might be running out for Ncuti Gatwa’s turn in the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor since rumors circulated this year that he’ll exit for creative endeavors in Los Angeles after this run.
But if so, there’s still some gas in the tank for one more trip around the universe as this whirlwind “Doctor Who” Season 2 trailer plainly reveals.
Last season saw a significant viewer drop-off and longtime fans’ underwhelming response to the show’s direction, but that’s not dampening the spirits of ever-ebullient showrunner Russell T. Davies one drop as the veteran “Doctor Who” ringmaster prepares to launch eight new chapters of the classic sci-fi fantasy series April 12, 2025.
Disney+ and BBC Television have just shared details of the first three installments. This fresh season introduces Varada Sethu’s new companion character of Belinda Chandra and kicks off with the premiere episode, “The Robot Revolution.” This far-out tale revolves around a star Belinda’s ex-partner named after her. 17 years later, robots in that system unexpectedly arrive in London to recover their ruler and head back home.
“They really think she’s their queen,” Davies told Doctor Who Magazine. “Which is so mad, you have to make the robots mad, too! And the maddest thing of all is the AI Generator, who wants to marry her! Poor Belinda. We’re all discussing AI, whether it works, how it might help or harm us. This is a moment for ‘Doctor Who’ to reflect that.”
This rowdy robo-centric story will be proceeded by the Miami-set animated period piece, “Lux,” revealing a guest cameo by Alan Cumming’s Mr. Ring-a-Ding.
“I hope kids will love Mr. Ring-a-Ding while also finding him scary,” Davies added. “In some ways, it’s a thing you kind of dread: that person on screen turning round and looking at you, and realising you’re watching them. There’s a real thrill to that.”
The third episode, “The Well,” is a supernatural horror yarn presenting guest star Rose Ayling-Ellis as Aliss Fenly, where the Doctor and Belinda are stuck on a hostile planet while investigating a mining operation, when they start to sense something is wrong.
Anyone confused about the season numbering system must remember that Disney purchased international distribution rights to “Doctor Who” in 2022 and a reset was required to make it more attractive for new audiences and to usher in the Disney+ era.
“Doctor Who” Season 2 arrives weekly on Disney+ and BBC beginning April 12, 2025, showcasing returning stars Anita Dobson (Mrs. Flood) and Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday).
