Doctor Who episode titles for Ncuti Gatwa’s first season have been announced, so let the theories commence

Doctor Who
(Image credit: BBC)

The episode titles for Doctor Who season 14 (or Doctor Who season 1, as the BBC insists on calling it) have been revealed alongside the writers and directors jumping on board Ncuti Gatwa’s debut season in the TARDIS.

Doctor Who’s official Twitter account announced the episode details in dripfeed fashion, first revealing that the premiere episode on May 10 (May 11 in the UK) would be the intriguingly titled ‘Space Babies’, written by Russell T Davies and directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

In fact, Davies – back as showrunner – will be writing six of the eight episodes in the upcoming run. Steven Moffat, also back on script duties, has penned the third episode ‘Boom’; writing duo Kate Herron and Briony Redman are taking on the sixth episode ‘Rogue’.

The full list of Doctor Who episode titles are below:

  • Space Babies
  • The Devil’s Chord
  • Boom
  • 73 Yards
  • Dot and Bubble
  • Rogue
  • The Legend of Ruby Sunday
  • Empire of Death

Right now, all we have to go on are the very brief animations that accompanied each title reveal and the new Doctor Who trailer to point us in the right direction of where the Time Lord might be heading this year. 

Space Babies, for example, is horror-tinged and probably deals with the literal babies in space that the Doctor encounters in the two-minute teaser.

The Devil’s Chord appears to be linked to the Doctor and companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson)’s trip to Abbey Road, while Dot and Bubble, as well as Rogue, could take cues from Black Mirror and Bridgerton respectively.

Either way, we don’t have long to wait to find out. Doctor Who returns on May 10 on Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer, before airing on BBC One on May 11. For more on the upcoming season, read SFX's interview with Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, and Russell T Davies.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.