May 7th 2024.
According to Russell T. Davies, the departure of Ncuti Gatwa from Sex Education caused quite a frenzy in the entertainment industry. It has been a while since Christmas, when fans of Doctor Who were finally able to witness the Fifteenth Doctor's (played by Ncuti) grand entrance with his new companion, Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson, known for her role in Coronation Street). As the BBC show joins forces with Disney+ to bring us the most ambitious version of the beloved sci-fi series, what better way to kick off the new era than with a spaceship manned by actual babies fighting against a new monster?
In an interview with The Agency, writer Russell T. Davies shared his thoughts on this bold move. "I knew it would be a challenge," he says. "It's a new era, a new show, and it definitely has a new budget. I was aware that we could push the boundaries and do something bigger. In the old days, we could only afford a space station, a monster, and a chase. But in this episode, we have all of that and more. It's classic Doctor Who thrills, but the real show-stoppers are the babies. They are only one-year-olds and yet they carry the whole scene. They are credited as Poppy and Eric, and they gave such heart-melting performances."
Russell goes on to explain that the babies' moms played a crucial role in the success of this scene. "We often forget that when we have 20 babies on set, there are 20 moms behind the scenes. The mothers had some juicy gossip going on during filming, and no one was spared. It was all in good fun, and we had a blast."
It's clear that Russell is thrilled to be back at the helm of Doctor Who. In fact, he takes great pride in the latest series. After a slight decline in the show's popularity during the previous era with showrunner Chris Chibnall and 14th Doctor Jodie Whittaker, the series regained its spark when Davies returned for the three 60th anniversary episodes, which also introduced Ncuti Gatwa. In 2023, it was the second most popular drama after Happy Valley.
Ncuti Gatwa, who rose to fame with his breakout role in Sex Education and later joined Ryan Gosling on stage at the Oscars, has been praised for his portrayal of the Fifteenth Doctor. According to the producers, he was the last actor they saw for the role, but they knew immediately that he was the perfect fit. However, there was a nerve-wracking week when Davies feared that another major franchise might snatch him away.
"When you're casting and auditioning actors, you never know what else they're up for," explains Russell. "Everyone in the industry knew that Ncuti was leaving Sex Education, so we could only imagine the frenzy in the industry to get him. There were probably people lining up at his door. Thankfully, most of the roles offered to him were similar to his character in Sex Education. He was looking for something different, and we were different. But I am surprised that the James Bond producers didn't try to get him, and I have a feeling they will in the next five years."
Russell believes that both Ncuti and Millie are on the brink of superstardom. He compares their casting to the time when Billie Piper was cast as Rose in Doctor Who. "It was one of my greatest joys to shoot the first season before it aired, while everyone was mocking us for casting a pop star. We knew better. We saw Billie's talent every day during filming, and she was nothing short of sensational. She has since proven to have a successful career not just in television, but also on stage, winning Olivier Awards. And now, I feel the same way about Ncuti and Millie. I can't wait for the audience to see them in this series."
Recently, there was some confusion in the media about Millie Gibson's return to the show. However, it has been revealed that there will be a second companion on board the Tardis in series two. Varada Sethu, known for her role in Andor, will join Millie in this new adventure. The second series has already been filmed at Wolf Studios in Cardiff, and fans can't wait to see what's in store for the Doctor and his companions.
According to Russell T. Davies, the departure of Ncuti Gatwa from Sex Education caused quite a stir in the industry. As the year began, fans of Doctor Who were finally treated to the Fifteenth Doctor's grand entrance as he sang and danced his way into action with his new companion, Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, popularly known for her role in Coronation Street. With the BBC show partnering with Disney+ for its most ambitious version yet, what better way to kick off the new era than with a spaceship run by actual babies facing off against a new monster?
In an interview with The Agency, Davies shares that he knew this would be a challenge, considering that it was a new show with a new budget. However, he was confident that they could stretch the budget and deliver the same old-fashioned thrills that make Doctor Who so beloved. In the past, they could only afford to have a space station, a monster, and a chase scene, which are all essential elements of the episode. But this time, they also had the babies, credited as Poppy and Eric, who were only one-year-old during filming. Davies has nothing but praise for the babies' performances, which he believes will be cherished memories for them in the future.
He also reveals that the key to the babies' success on set was the presence of their mothers. With 20 babies on set, there were also 20 mothers, and Davies shares that there was never a dull moment with them around. In fact, there was a lot of gossip among the mothers, and no one was spared from their conversations. It was all in good fun, and Davies describes it as "enormous fun."
For Davies, returning to steer the Tardis once again is a source of pride. He acknowledges that the show's ratings declined towards the end of the previous era, but with his return for the three 60th anniversary episodes, which featured David Tennant and Catherine Tate, and the introduction of Ncuti Gatwa, Doctor Who regained its mojo. In fact, it was the second biggest drama in 2023, behind only Happy Valley.
Gatwa, who became a breakout star with his role in Sex Education, was also one of Barbie's Kens who joined Ryan Gosling for his Oscars stage performance. He proved to be an inspired choice for the role of the Fifteenth Doctor, despite being the last actor that the producers saw during auditions. They all knew immediately that they had found their Time Lord, but there was a week of agonizing wait for Davies, who feared that another franchise might snatch Gatwa away from them.
However, Davies believes that both Ncuti and Millie are on the brink of superstardom, and he is astonished that the James Bond people did not try to recruit them. He predicts that in five years' time, they will be knocking on their doors. Davies compares their potential to that of Billie Piper, who was also a pop star before joining Doctor Who. Despite initial doubts, Piper proved to be a phenomenal actress, winning Olivier Awards for her performances on stage. Davies believes that the same will happen with Gatwa and Gibson, and he can't wait for viewers to see their talents in this new series.
There was some confusion in the press about Millie Gibson's return for the second series, but it turns out that she will be joined by Andor regular Varada Sethu, who will play a second companion on board the Tardis. The second series has already completed filming at Wolf Studios in Cardiff, and fans can look forward to more adventures with the Fifteenth Doctor and his companions.
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