The new season of Doctor Who, which is officially being called season 1, is now just around the corner, and it is already receiving rave reviews. And not just from us, as the show has earned a rare perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, before you join Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor for adventures in time and space, for what is his debut season, there's plenty to get up to speed with. Below you will therefore find our guide to the latest Doctor Who trailer, the episode titles, release date, streaming plans, as well as exclusive quotes from showrunner Russell T Davies alongside the cast about what we can expect from this season.
Doctor Who season 1 release date
Doctor Who season 11 will be releasing on May 10 in the US and May 11 in the UK – suitably for the beloved sci-fi show the varying dates all come down to time zones!
The BBC recently revealed that the new season will be kicking off with a double episode premiere, before airing new instalments weekly. And not only that, but it's landing on streaming before live television for the first time in the UK, with the initial two episodes arriving on BBC iPlayer at midnight on May 11, before airing later that night on BBC One before the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final. Meanwhile, outside of the UK, it will land on streaming service Disney Plus on May 10 at 7pm ET.
Stay up to date with when these episodes are airing with our release schedule (which includes everything you need to know about the double bill premiere too).
Doctor Who season 1 trailer
The most recent Doctor Who season 1 trailer previews the upcoming adventures for the Doctor and companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). If this teaser is anything to go by, expect them to come across a creepy gaggle of babies in space, Abbey Road in the 1960s, Regency-era Britain, and even dinosaurs.
Doctor Who season 1 plot
Not much is known about the plot of the new Doctor Who season just yet as they are holding their cards close to their chests. The Christmas Special saw Ruby and the Doctor on a goblin-battling adventure that ended with Ruby as the next companion, setting the stage for the new episodes to come.
Speaking to our sister publication SFX magazine, showrunner Russell T. Davies teased an "odyssey" for Ruby, and Gatwa mentioned a "terrifying" villain called the Bogeyman.
Producer Joel Collins also told SFX that the new episodes will feature Easter eggs and come to an impressive conclusion. "What can I say? It's an amazing ending. Every episode of season 1 is like a roller coaster ride," he revealed. He also added that each episode is "individually brilliant" and was "amazing to make."
We also know from the trailer that the duo will be going back to the Regency era, witnessing the Beatles record at Abbey Road Studios, and much more besides. Then there's those mysterious villains to contend with, including Jinkx Monsoon's character.
Davies has also teased an emotional finale in a recent interview with SFX magazine. He said: "Literally, the biggest finale ever. There’s some shots of that in the trailers coming up. Oh my god, you’re gonna die."
Another thing we know is that the upcoming second season will introduce a new companion played by Andor's Varada Sethu, which the cast have teased will only make the show "bigger, better, and hotter".
Doctor Who season 1 cast
Here's a rundown of who's appearing in the new season of Doctor Who, and who they'll be playing:
- Ncuti Gatwa – the Doctor
- Millie Gibson – Ruby Sunday
- Angela Wynter – Cherry Sunday
- Michelle Greenidge – Carla Sunday
- Jemma Redgrave – Kate Stewart
- Anita Dobson – Ms Flood
- Jonathan Groff – unknown
- Jinkx Monsoon – unknown villain
- Indira Varma – The Duchess
- Bonnie Langford – Mel Bush
- Lenny Rush – Morris
- Yasmin Finney – Rose Noble
- Alexander Debrient – Colonel Christopher Ibrahim
- Aneurin Barnard – Roger ap Gwilliam
Doctor Who season 1 episode count and episode titles
But, wait, there's more! The official Doctor Who Twitter account has revealed the titles for all eight episodes of season 1. They are as follows:
- Space Babies
- The Devil’s Chord
- Boom
- 73 Yards
- Dot and Bubble
- Rogue
- The Legend of Ruby Sunday
- Empire of Death
Davies will be writing six of the eight episodes in the upcoming run. Steven Moffat, also a former showrunner, has penned the third episode ‘Boom’; writing duo Kate Herron and Briony Redman are taking on the sixth episode ‘Rogue’.
While you wait for more Doctor Who, check out our guide to all the new TV shows headed our way.
