'Doctor Who' Diversifies Its Writers Room for Ncuti Gatwa's Second Season
Ncuti Gatwa in "Doctor Who"
(Photo: Disney+)
Change is the name of the game in the world of Doctor Who, and that’s as true behind the scenes as it is in front of the camera. Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa’s second season in the TARDIS will arrive later this year, and Varada Sethu (Mrs. Sidhu Investigates) will debut as the new companion, Belinda Chandra. But Season 2 (or Season 15 or Season 42, depending on how you’re counting) will also add some new voices to the show’s roster through its writer’s room. The BBC has announced that four new writers will join the next season: Juno Dawson, Inua Ellams, Pete McTighe, and Sharma Angel-Walfall. This is a bigger deal than it might seem at first glance.
Davies predominantly penned Gatwa’s first season with assistance from former showrunner Steven Moffat (“Boom,” “Joy to the World”) and the writing duo of Kate Herron and Briony Redman (“Rogue”). With the addition of these new faces, at least four episodes of his second will be written by fresh voices, including the first people of color and the first trans woman to write for his Fifteenth Doctor. Since Gatwa himself is a queer Black man (and seems to be playing his Doctor as one, too), this feels especially important and necessary.
“Doctor Who takes its talent from a glittering galaxy of names, and these extraordinary writers span the skies,” Davies said in a statement. “We’ve got old hands, new stars, voices from theater, radio, and literature, the whole works! It’s the most wild and exciting season of Doctor Who yet, and I can’t wait to unleash their brilliant work.”
Varada Sethu in "Doctor Who"
(Photo: Disney+)
The quartet of additions for the new season are as follows.
- Juno Dawson: The best-selling author of the (excellent!) Her Majesty's Royal Coven series and the writer of the official scripted podcast Doctor Who: Redacted.
- Inua Ellams: A poet, playwright, and self-described lifelong Doctor Who fan, his first play, The 14th Tale, was awarded a Fringe First at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival, and his Barber Shop Chronicles played at the National Theatre.
- Pete McTighe: A writer and executive producer on the forthcoming spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, he also wrote the fan-favorite Thirteenth Doctor episode "Kerblam!"
- Sharma Angel-Walfall. The winner of the inaugural Channel 4 New Writing Award, her recent credits include Supacell and Renegade Nell.
We don't know much about what to expect from the show's upcoming season beyond the fact that Sethu's Belinda somehow becomes involved with the Doctor and Millie Gibson's companion Ruby Sunday will still have a part to play in Fifteen's adventures. The Season 2 teaser trailer also revealed that Jemma Redgrave (The War Between the Land and the Sea) would be returning as UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge Stewart, along with Ruth Madeley (Nightsleeper) as scientific advisor Shirley Anne Bingham and Anita Dobson (Curfew) as the mysterious Mrs. Flood.
Davies serves as showrunner and is an executive producer alongside Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter. The series is produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Doctor Who Season 2 will premiere in 2025 on BBC and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. and Disney+ everywhere else.
