Doctor Who season 14 sets premiere date with two episodes launching in May

Ncuti Gatwa will reprise his role as The Doctor

Doctor Who is set to make its explosive return this May, welcoming back Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, alongside Millie Gibson as his companion Ruby Sunday.

For the first time ever, the hit sci-fi series will premiere with two new episodes debuting at midnight on 11 May.

Both instalments will be available to watch on BBC One later that day, right before the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest. US viewers can watch the episodes on Disney+.

Gatwa and Gibson’s season 14 return comes after they made their highly acclaimed debut in the show’s Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road”.

“Within the upcoming series, audiences will see the Doctor and Ruby travel through time and space on adventures to unknown lands, to the Regency era in England, to outer space worlds and the sixties,” reads an official press release.

The new season will also see the return of Michelle Greenidge as Carla Sunday, Angela Wynter as Cherry Sunday and Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood.

It will also feature an array of special guest stars including Jinkx Monsoon, Aneurin Barnard, Yasmin Finney, Jonathan Groff, Bonnie Langford, Jemma Redgrave, Lenny Rush, and Game of Thrones star Indira Varma with more to be announced soon.

Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson (James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC Studio)

“At last, it’s my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby’s adventures together. Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that’s been spanning time and space for decades. Don’t miss a second!” returning showrunner Russell T Davies said in a statement.

Davies, a lifelong fan of the BBC show, previously helmed Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010, presiding over its revival following a 16-year hiatus. In 2022, it was announced that he would be taking over showrunner duties from Chris Chibnall in time for its 60th anniversary the next year.

Meanwhile, Gatwa became the show’s first Black Doctor Who in a surprising twist that few were expecting. He took over the role of the Time Lord from David Tennant, who portrayed the 10th and 14th Doctor.

Last month, Matt Smith, who starred as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor, revealed his reaction to Gatwa’s performance.

“I always keep my eye on Doctor Who. I think [Ncuti’s] great, he’s totally made for it,” Smith said on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme.

“I dropped him a line and said ‘well done’,” the Crown star added.