Ncuti Gatwa’s upcoming adventures are being referred to as Doctor Who Series 1 on Disney+. But after 60 years of travelling through time and space, why has the numbering been reset?
As you’ve probably gathered, this isn’t the first Doctor Who Series 1 we’ve ever had. Technically, the series that started it all back in 1963 was Doctor Who Series 1, so our apologies if you were expecting to watch ‘An Unearthly Child‘ on Disney’s streaming platform.
Although, to get even more technical, these initial adventures were actually Season 1, rather than Series 1. This distinction was made when Doctor Who returned in 2005 to help people distinguish between the classic series and the new adventures; the original show would have ‘seasons,’ whilst New Who would have ‘series.’
So we got a second Doctor Who Series 1 in 2005 when Christopher Eccleston took custody of the TARDIS keys. And this made perfect sense; it was a distinct ‘jumping-on point’ – a fresh start for new viewers. A large number of people watching Christopher Eccleston’s series would never have seen Doctor Who before, and so for them it really was the beginning of a brand new show.
In reality, of course, this Doctor Who Series 1 was in fact Doctor Who Season 27, and it still is, even if it has never officially been referred to as such. But it might have looked a bit strange on the DVD releases, especially for new viewers.
And speaking of strange, there was another Doctor Who Series 1 looming on the horizon. When Steven Moffat took over as showrunner in 2009, it was confirmed in Doctor Who Magazine that his first batch of adventures would be produced and marketed as Doctor Who Series 1, as it marked the beginning of a new era. Although technically, of course, this was also Doctor Who Series 5, as well as Doctor Who Season 31.
Again, this numbering would have made more sense for new viewers, particularly in the United States. Doctor Who Series 5 (or “Series Fnarg” as Moffat later jokingly referred to it) was going to be many people’s first experience of Doctor Who, and to this day ‘The Eleventh Hour‘ remains the true beginning for many a Doctor Who fan. This was because, for the first time, Series Fnarg was being shown on BBC America. In previous years, the series had been broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel, with BBC America just showing repeats.
But, interestingly, when it came down to it, Doctor Who Series 5 was never listed or marketed as Doctor Who Series 1. BBC iPlayer and the DVD releases labelled it Doctor Who Series 5, and it never seems to have been referred to as Doctor Who Series 1 beyond the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, and the internal production codes.
And so then we come to Ncuti Gatwa’s first series, which is technically Doctor Who Season 40, or Doctor Who Series 14. But as far as the BBC and Disney+ are concerned, this is unequivocally Doctor Who Series 1. The distinction was made in the Whoniverse on BBC iPlayer where the show was broken down into three categories: the Classic series (1963-1996) the New series (2005 – 2022) and the new New Series (2023 – ?)
And for the international audience (i.e. those tuning in on Disney+) this is a helpful distinction. Doctor Who‘s back catalogue won’t be appearing on its platform (apart from the 60th anniversary specials) so it would look a little odd if the first batch of episodes was referred to as Doctor Who Series 14 or even Doctor Who Season 40. People might be reluctant to tune in if they felt they were joining a show midway through.
Moreover, this really is the start of a new era. We have a new production team, a new Doctor in the form of Ncuti Gatwa, a new companion in the form of Millie Gibson, a new TARDIS, and new adventures on the horizon, seemingly unconnected from the stories which came before. For those who drifted away from the show over the years, they have a fresh jumping-on point; they don’t need to know any of what happened since they last tuned in. And neither do the new viewers on Disney+.
To call it Doctor Who Series 1, therefore, is a logical move, even if it does bewilder those long-term fans who have been avidly waiting for Doctor Who Series 14 or even Doctor Who Season 40 to materialise. It remains to be seen what will be done with the DVD and Blu-ray numbering. Will the releases follow in Disney’s footsteps and stick to Doctor Who Series 1? Or will they show mercy on people’s DVD shelves?
Time will tell. Until then, tell us: how will you be referring to Ncuti Gatwa’s first season of adventures? Are you one of those viewers who will be watching Doctor Who for the very first time? Let us know in the comments below.
I’ve abandoned ship. Any programme that purports to be a family show whilst suggesting that the Doctor spent a “long, hot summer with Harry Houdini” (bondage sex) and using the phrase Snowmanned (fingers up the backside) is not deserving of the name Doctor Who. That Christmas “special” was a shoddy mess and after those 60th Anniversary “specials” celebrated nothing but Russell’s own history and agenda, I’m done.