The Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration may be the strangest and most controversial of the series so far. What does it mean for the future of the Whoniverse?
For a time, it looked as if the Fourteenth Doctor’s era was going to be the shortest in Doctor Who history, at least on TV, with only three 60 minute specials to his name. The last of these, ‘The Giggle,’ aired in December 2023 and saw the Fourteenth Doctor perish at the hands of his old enemy the Celestial Toymaker.
As you probably know, the events leading up to the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration were far from straightforward. When the Thirteenth Doctor regenerated, she emerged with one of her former faces – that of the Tenth Doctor. This was something which had never happened before and, mysteriously, the Doctor’s clothes had changed along with her body. Clearly, something bigger was going on.
As it turned out, the explanation for this turn of events was rooted more in character than plot. It wasn’t part of some elaborate trick by one of his old enemies, but rather a subconscious act on the part of the regenerating Doctor. She chose one of her old faces in order to bring her back ‘home’ to Donna Noble, and rest.
And as the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration approached, viewers were bracing themselves for more unexpected revelations. The showrunner Russell T Davies had already teased “controversial events” that were set to take place in ‘The Giggle,’ telling Doctor Who Magazine that, “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 added: “It’s a whole new way of looking at the history of Doctor Who and I can’t wait to see the reaction.”
Understandably, many fans were nervous about how the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration was going to play out. The last rewriting of the Doctor Who mythology involved the Timeless Child in 2020, and divided fandom. Whatever was due to take place in ‘The Giggle,’ one thing was certain: fans were going to have an opinion on it.
And the result was certainly surprising. The Fourteenth Doctor was blasted by the Celestial Toymaker, who had taken control of a piece of UNIT technology known as a galvanic beam. The Time Lord began to regenerate, held in each hand by his companions Donna and Mel.
But as the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration began, it was clear that something was wrong. The regeneration energy faded away, and a confused Doctor quietly remarked that “it feels different this time,” echoing the words uttered by his fifth incarnation in ‘The Caves of Androzani.’ He instructed his friends to pull, and a new man in the shape of Ncuti Gatwa broke away from his body. There were suddenly two Doctors.
As it turned out, the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration was in fact a “bi-generation” – something which had never happened before, and was supposed to be a myth. Rather than change his whole body, the Time Lord had actually spawned another.
And according to Russell T Davies, the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration created a “Doctorverse” of new storytelling possibilities. “I think all of the Doctors came back to life with their individual TARDISes, the gift of the Toymaker, and they’re all out there travelling round in what I’m calling a Doctorverse,” he said on the episode’s official commentary. “Sylvester McCoy woke up in a drawer, in a morgue, in San Francisco… and Jon Pertwee woke up on the floor of the laboratory.”
And if anybody was confused when they saw the 60th anniversary’s Tales of the TARDIS (which featured older versions of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors) then hopefully Davies’ explanation has provided some clarity. Apparently, all of them experienced a bi-generation and continued to live without changing, allowing them to carry on into old age – hence why they were able to meet their companions as much older men in Tales of the TARDIS.
Presumably, the same will be true after the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration. By the end of the episode, he and the Fifteenth Doctor both have their own TARDISes. The Fourteenth is spending time with Mel and the Noble family, taking time to recuperate, whilst the Fifteenth is travelling the universe in search of adventure. In theory, the Fourteenth could continue into old age. Certainly, the implication at the end of ‘The Giggle’ is that he will resume his TARDIS travels at some point. After all, he has already visited Mars, and taken Mel Bush to New York.
In short, the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration has set up the possibility of further adventures, or even spin-off series. And this must surely be in Russell T Davies’ mind, if he’s contemplating a timeline where Sylvester McCoy woke up in a morgue, with access to his own TARDIS. Can we expect a roster of new TV content in the not-so-distant future, with more adventures starring older versions of classic Doctors? It’s certainly possible. Indeed, the way things were left in ‘The Giggle’ would seem to leave the door open to this possibility.
In the meantime, viewers were left with a brand new Doctor in the shape of Ncuti Gatwa to look forward to. By the end of ‘The Giggle,’ he has his own TARDIS and is ready to set off in search of adventure. And fans wouldn’t have long to wait to see where his space-time machine would take him, with the upcoming Christmas special ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ set to air a few weeks later.
The Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration may have been controversial, but there’s no denying that it opened up a range of exciting new possibilities for the Whoniverse. It remains to be seen how this new mythology will play out, and what Russell T Davies intends to do with it.
How did you feel about the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration? And which past Doctors would you like to see back on TV? Let us know in the comments below.
It was a bit like we saw 14 giving birth! Also, he wasn’t long regenerated from 13 himself, so maybe that contributed to the twins situation 🙂
The “Doctorverse” can also explain why the Second Doctor got older and went on missions for the Time Lords, and knew of Jamie and Zoe’s fate in the Five Doctors
I don’t like it. There is no tension about the Doctor’s life being in danger ever. It’s like those old fairy tales being redone so everyone including the Wolf lives happily ever after. I could go on but I will leave that to other viewers.
If this theory is true, then the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th doctors would have all shown up in the Tardis. Because that is where they died.
Paul McGann bi-generated into Paul McGann and Rowan Atkinson. Paul McGann later regenerated into John Hurt. The Master also bi-generated, but his villainous competence was not evenly distributed.
I would actually love to see that 😛
I read some theory many of the Docotr’s past lifes got bi-generaded thanks to this event.
I wish the War Doctor return…. younger as a side effect of the bigeneradion. And living a nice life after the Time War.