Happy New Year from everyone at the Doctor Who Companion!
A new year, a new Doctor, a new companion, a new TARDIS… The world of Doctor Who — or The Whoniverse as it’s now called — is certainly expanding, as the show and the franchise bounds over its 60th anniversary and heads forward into an uncertain but nonetheless exciting future.
So what does 2024 hold for Doctor Who? We know at least that we have Series 14 coming up, comprised of 8 episodes, followed by a festive special, likely on Christmas Day 2024. Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will continue to unravel the mysteries of his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), not to mention her neighbour, Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson). Their first adventure together, The Church on Ruby Road, is even being turned into a Target novelisation, as are the three 60th anniversary stories, The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle, which featured David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.
We expect more Target adaptations to be forthcoming — perhaps even of Series 14 soon after broadcast, though that is pure speculation at this stage.
Big Finish and BBC Audio have many titles lined up for 2024, with audio stories for all the Doctors. Similarly, expect lots of new books from the likes of Candy Jar and Obverse Books. And there’ll be conventions galore, including the Bedford Who Charity Con, organised by our very own Simon!
We’ll likely see more episodes of behind-the-scenes show, Doctor Who Unleashed, accompanying each installment of Series 14. And are we going to start calling it “Doctor Who Series 1″? Don’t hold your breath…
So how are you feeling about the new year, DWC readers? Got any special plans? And what are you most looking forward to in 2024?
Personally speaking, I’m in an odd place with Doctor Who. After loving it for so long, I feel quite distanced from it, and while I’d hoped Tennant and Tate’s return, with showrunner Russell T Davies, would pull me back in, that hasn’t happened. Instead, I’ve found myself annoyed at decisions made seemingly just to annoy fans and casual viewers alike. It seems a bit pointless. I remain hopeful that things will change; certainly Ncuti and Millie are magnetic enough. So we shall see.
As ever, the DWC will be here every step of the way, with all the latest news, plus reviews, features, fiction, and more. So do stay tuned, won’t you?
