Doctor Who

Despite an abundance of distractions, Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill remain the throbbing heart of the story.

[Mel (Bonnie Langford), Jo (Katy Manning) and Ian (William Russell)](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-classic-companions-return-newsupdate) return to the programme for the first time in (respectively) 35, 49 and a staggering 57 years – representing 1980s, '70s and even '60s Doctor Who. [Jo Martin’s refreshingly strident turn from recent years](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-fugitive-doctor-twist-newsupdate) and David Bradley’s endearing take on the "original" Doctor, but now [Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-classic-doctors-centenary-newsupdate). [subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. [The Power of Three](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-guide/the-power-of-three/). A further fleeting but incandescent blast from the past comes near the end at the inaugural gathering of a kind of Companions Anonymous. [terms and conditions](https://www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/) and [privacy policy](https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/). Sure, he’s an obsessive weirdo and loves dressing up, but now in the middle of a blithering "Master’s Dalek Plan", he has time spare to robe himself in a mishmash of former Doctors’ garb, with accoutrements such as Doctor Two’s recorder and Doctor Five’s lapel celery. Is Sacha Dhawan playing a new Doctor, or the Master inside the Doctor’s body and mind? More significantly, Chibnall reintroduces 1980s companions [Tegan and Ace](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-ace-tegan-return-interview/) after many decades’ absence. Halfway into the tale, [Graham (Bradley Walsh)](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/bradley-walsh-graham-doctor-who-return-newsupdate) pops up inexplicably in a volcano, and Vinder (Jacob Anderson) crashes through a wormhole conveniently close to the seat of the action but sadly has little to contribute. I enjoyed how Steven Moffat developed the Master, and showed Missy (brilliant Michelle Gomez) seeking redemption, but under Chibnall, the Master has reverted to the ridiculous; his motivation unclear, his disguises daft. And let it be noted, The Power of the Doctor is the 300th story since Doctor Who began in 1963.

First female lead bows out with an unexpected end in a cameo-laden special as part of BBC centenary celebrations.

Tennant, Tate and Cribbins had been seen filming on locations in London and Bristol, [with Yasmin Finney](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/17/yasmin-finney-rose-tyler-trans-doctor-who-russell-t-davies-david-tennant-pass-notes) and Neil Patrick Harris joining the cast. [Tennant has been announced to feature](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/15/david-tennant-catherine-tate-return-doctor-who-2023) in three episodes alongside returning companions Catherine Tate and the late Bernard Cribbins for Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary next year. Russell starred in the very first episode of Doctor Who in 1963 as Ian Chesterton, one of the teachers whisked away into the Tardis for a life of adventures in time and space as a companion to Hartnell’s Doctor. He cited casting the first woman in the role and “the team of writers and directors who came onboard from all sorts of different heritages and backgrounds and then told their stories. Doctor Who is set to return next year with the creator of critically acclaimed It’s a Sin, Russell T Davies, back at the helm. [The Curse of Fatal Death](https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Curse_of_Fatal_Death_(TV_story)), Whittaker was the first woman to play the role full-time. Davies had led the revival of Doctor Who from 2005 to 2009. She said that she has kept her sonic screwdriver, and used to take her costume home with her after filming. Now we get to sit back and enjoy it as the fans that we can be, knowing whatever is to come, we were once a part of that.” Speaking of her position in the history of the show, she said: “You are a tiny drop in the ocean of Doctor Who, and you’ve got to tread lightly and earn your place. During the course of her time on the show, episodes have focused on the [US civil rights activist Rosa Parks](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/21/doctor-who-recap-series-37-episode-3-rosa), the [partition of India](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/nov/11/doctor-who-recap-series-37-episode-six-demons-of-the-punjab), the [treatment of women in English witch trials](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/nov/25/doctor-who-recap-series-37-episode-8-the-witchfinders) and have explored [mental health issues](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/feb/09/doctor-who-recap-series-38-episode-seven-can-you-hear-me), as well as providing a steady diet of alien threats for the Doctor to battle. Ncuti will be extraordinary, and he will bring an audience that we haven’t reached, and his performance will be so magical.

Let's delve into the many, many nods back to Doctor Who's past in Jodie Whittaker's final episode. Spoilers!

(Conversely, in “The End of Time,” the Master decided to copy himself into the bodies of more-or-less everyone who wasn’t the Doctor…) - While the other aspects of the Doctor are content to appear in Time Lord robes, the Eighth Doctor insists on retaining a less formal outfit. It suited him so well when it made its debut in “The Night of the Doctor.” As Potter put it when discussing the blooming tree outside his window, “I see it is the whitest, frothiest, blossomest blossom that there ever could be, and I can see it. Melanie Bush apparently made her way back to 21st century Earth somehow after departing the TARDIS in the company of mercenary Sabalom Glitz. In fact, Ace infamously set about one with a baseball bat (much like the one she wields here) in “Remembrance of the Daleks” after it made the fatal mistake of describing her as “small.” - Goatees and beards in general have been a key look for many of the Master’s regenerations. Having run out of lives, a decayed Master (Peter Pratt/Geoffrey Beevers) was forever seeking a way to steal - Upon arriving at UNIT, the Master reels off a litany of jibes that double as easter eggs. - Before we even see the Master’s face, a big clue as to his identity can be heard when the royal messenger knocks four times. Her debut appearance in “Logopolis” marked what should have been her first day on the job, leading to a running gag about the Doctor’s inability to reach Heathrow Airport. - Ace and Graham make liberal use of upgraded Nitro-9, a homemade explosive Ace created when younger.

With David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprising their roles for the 60th anniversary, it has been confirmed that they will appear in three special episodes, ...

We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!” With David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprising their roles for the 60th anniversary, it has been confirmed that they will appear in three special episodes, set to air in November 2023. And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble?

Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann joined the 13th Doctor for her final battle with the Master, played by Sacha Dhawan. Jo Martin also ...

To see those people back on the set was an incredible thing.” “I didn’t tell anyone we were going to be doing it, I just put it in the script. “I wanted it to be classic Doctors and there’s not a huge amount of those.

The feature-length programme, titled The Power Of The Doctor, will air on BBC One at 7.30pm on Sunday.

The Power Of The Doctor will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.30pm on Sunday. Her final episode is the last of three specials to air this year and will see the Doctor fight for her existence against some of her deadliest enemies: The Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen. Jodie Whittaker will face her final battles as the Time Lord in one last special episode of Doctor Who to mark the BBC’s centenary.

Ncuti Gatwa will take control of the Tardis as the NEXT Doctor, with his first episode due to air over the festive period in 2023.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?" The power of the Master!— Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor 🔥 (@bbcdoctorwho) “And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose.” SPOILERS 🚨 Watch the regeneration of the Thirteenth Doctor... 🔥— Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor 🔥 (@bbcdoctorwho)

Doctor Who fans were surprised with a familiar face as Jodie Whittaker's 13th Time Lord regenerated into David Tennant in the dramatic conclusion of the ...

“And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? As this occurs, the Doctor appears to land in a limbo world where she is confronted with former incarnations of the Doctor who offer her advice. We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose.” The Doctor’s companions are left to defend in her place with a group of them including Yasmin, Dan, Ace, Tegan and Graham O’Brien played by Bradley Walsh, creating a plan to save her from the grasps of The Master. As he launches his master plan, which unites his forces with the Cybermen and the Daleks, the Doctor becomes overwhelmed and is forced to regenerate into The Master. Whittaker’s last venture as the Doctor was loaded with drama as it saw her fight for her existence against some of her deadliest enemies: The Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen.

Old friends and foes collide to orchestrate the Thirteenth Doctor's farewell adventure – spoilers abound in this year's final Doctor Who Review…

But then, you could argue that’s not the approach a celebration of the show’s “past, present, and future” should take, and that there was never going to be a better time for any showrunner to look back upon their work, and the work of their predecessors, and indulge in a bit of a victory lap. Volcanoes are now going off all over Earth, so the Doctor and her chums pay another visit to the Master’s cyberplanet, shifting it forward to 2022 and using the power of cyber-conversion to zap all the flowing lava with cyber…ness, transforming it into metal. Yaz braves the blasts to carry her back into the TARDIS, and the Doctor murmurs “Extended fam…” before passing out. Next, they pour all of the ensuing regeneration energy back into the Master, restoring the Doctor to her old self. Underneath Bolivia, Yaz and the Doctor realise that the Daleks are planning to set off all of Earth’s volcanoes — and, too late, also realise that the Daleks know they’re here. Underneath the volcano, Ace runs into none other than Graham and his psychic paper (a welcome return for Bradley Walsh) and unleashes a stash of Nitro-9 to deal with the Daleks. After a couple of slightly weird scenes (including the Doctor insisting that Yaz be given a gun to wave around), the Master is taken to UNIT and locked up. Petersburg and goad all of the Cybermasters into shooting one another thanks again to the holo-Doctor (now resembling Jo Martin, not that that makes a lick of sense since the Doctor doesn’t have those memories). Not just any Cyberman, but a clone of Ashad, who demonstrates all of the brutality he exhibited in “Ascension of the Cybermen” as he bats aside soldiers and smashes the Master out of his cell so that he can teleport to safety. Ashad was already inside UNIT thanks to Tegan, and the Cybermen are largely left to their own devices for the rest of the story. Here, the audience are reunited with both Dorothy “Ace” McShane and Tegan Jovanka, last seen in “Survival” and “Remembrance of the Daleks,” respectively. Thirteen is everywhere and nowhere; the “real” Doctor is literally erased halfway through by the Master’s scheme, but a holographic duplicate means that Whittaker still gets to be a meaningful presence in multiple plot-threads at once, bouncing off companions old and new.

Jodie's Whittaker reign as Doctor has been quite the tumultuous ride, to say the least. The episode begins with Cybermen on the attack.

The ending with Tennant revealed as the actual Doctor is a huge coup and with Russel T. However, he uses a contraption to move the laser from the Qurunx to obliterate the Doctor and knock her down. As for the Doctor, she heads out the Tardis and takes in one last sunrise. the Doctor is knocked out and and in that time, Yaz brings everyone back home again. Anyway, he teams up with Ace and the pair work to try and stop the Daleks. As the Master appears as the Doctor instead, Yaz shows up with the Tardis to find her Doctor gone. However, Yaz manages to save her and bring the Doctor back inside the Tardis. Yaz pushes the Master out of the Tardis and shuts the door, heading off. The Master intends to completely tarnish the name of the Doctor. Now, the Master intends to use this to regenerate the Doctor into the Master… When armed guards show up with guns, the Doctor encourages Yaz to pick up a gun of her own and aim it at the Master. In Bolivia, the renegade Dalek confirms all the data is inside its casing and needs to be extracted.

Doctor Who has given fans a first look at Ncuti Gatwa's version of the Doctor as Jodie Whittaker's character reincarnated into David Tennant during ...

I’M ABOUT TO CRY [#DoctorWho](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Doctorwho?src=hashtag_click)." Her generation into David Tennant wow what a mind blowing episode And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? "The path to Ncuti’s Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! The BBC have now given fans a first look at Ncuti as the Doctor as they released a special trailer to show how his Time Lord will arrive.

Unpacking the Centenary special, from classic Doctors to Yaz's bittersweet farewell and the Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration.

[subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. Was it a perfect end to the Thirteenth Doctor's era? [Sci-Fi](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/) coverage or visit our [TV Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/) to see what's on tonight. [terms and conditions](https://www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/) and [privacy policy](https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/). or more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the [Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast](https://www.radiotimes.com/audio/podcasts/). but did it live up to our lofty expectations? [Dan (John Bishop)](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-dan-exit-john-bishop-newsupdate/) given satisfying send-offs? [classic Doctors](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-classic-doctors-centenary-newsupdate/) (Morgan was particularly excited by the return of Paul McGann, as you'll see) to the [revisiting of old companions](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-classic-companions-return-newsupdate/) beyond just [Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred)](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-ace-tegan-return-interview/). But beyond the festivities to mark 100 years of the BBC, how did this feature-length episode fare as a capper to Chris Chibnall's tenure as showrunner? [RadioTimes.com](http://RadioTimes.com)) and Huw Fullerton (Commissioning Editor, Radio Times magazine) unpack all – well, not quite all – 90 minutes of [The Power of the Doctor](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-power-of-the-doctor-review/). [learn more](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/commercial-links-on-radiotimes-com/)) [Doctor Who](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-60th-anniversary-special-release-date/)'s centenary special – the final episode to feature Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor – is finally out there...

Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa has been named as the next Doctor Who, the BBC announced on Sunday, making him the first Black actor to play the role.

[Ncuti Gatwa](https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/ncuti-gatwa-sex-education-season-2.html), breakout star of Netflix’s [Sex Education](https://www.vulture.com/news/sex-education/), has been chosen to play the next Doctor, replacing Jodie Whittaker, the BBC [announced on Sunday](https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/1523263950661775360?s=21&t=z9NmLHykSujLg2GY2s88HQ). Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds.” Whittaker, [the first woman to play Doctor Who](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/jodie-whittaker-doctor-who-season-11.html), announced [her departure from the series](https://www.vulture.com/2021/07/jodie-whittaker-and-chris-chibnall-leaving-doctor-who.html) last July, and no date has been set yet for her final episode. The BBC just announced that Gatwa will actually be the fifteenth Doctor, and that the fourteenth will be…David Tennant. Update October 23: Ncuti Gatwa is still set to be the first Black Doctor, but he won’t technically be replacing the first female Doctor. Davies](https://www.vulture.com/article/russell-t-davies-queer-canon-streaming-guide.html) noted in the press release, “Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars. [back in May](https://www.vulture.com/2022/05/david-tennant-and-catherine-tate-coming-back-to-doctor-who.html), but we now know Tennant won’t be meeting his future self through some timey wimey nonsense.

Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker made her final appearance as the Doctor tonight in a special feature length episode titled The Power of the Doctor.

He added: The production team had done a great job in scheduling the final scenes of that Doctor as the final scenes we were going to film which isn’t always the case and it felt very appropriate, very right, very lovely. "There was a real sort of party atmosphere on the final day, and then we ended with these incredibly emotional final scenes. It was a very special and very fun-filled day, there was a lot of music being played, Jodie put on playlists," he said. And she took responsibility for the Doctor being a woman, she took it on her shoulders and represented and that was not a given, that was her strength and decision and power. "She’s running from pillar to post to try and sort all of these things out. In the special episode, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann joined the 13th Doctor for her final battle with the Master.

[The following contains spoilers for Doctor Who.] Jodie Whittaker's final episode of Doctor Who aired today, and as is tradition when the lead actor leaves ...

We also see Neil Patrick Harris as a scary looking man in a tuxedo and Sex Education star [Ncuti Gatwa as the new Doctor himself.](https://www.avclub.com/ncuti-gatwa-doctor-who-1848897079) And that’s all there is to it! Jodie Whittaker’s final episode of Doctor Who aired today, and as is tradition when the lead actor leaves the show, her episode ended with her regenerating into a new Doctor…

It has been confirmed Tennant will become the 14th incarnation with Catherine Tate reprising her role as his former companion Donna Noble for three special ...

"And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? We're giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose." Following Sunday's 90-minute special, the BBC confirmed Tennant will become the 14th incarnation with Catherine Tate reprising her role as his former companion Donna Noble for three special episodes set to air in November 2023.

Doctor Who fans were surprised by the sight of a familiar face as Jodie Whittaker's 13th Time Lord regenerated into David Tennant in the dramatic conclusion ...

"And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose." Whittaker’s last venture as the Doctor was loaded with drama as it saw her fight for her existence against some of her deadliest enemies: The Master, the Daleks and the Cybermen.

Doctor Who's final Jodie Whittaker episode fails #Thasmin by brushing past the Doctor and Yaz's queer romance.

Classic Doctor Who streams exclusively on [BritBox](https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=127X991730&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwatch.britbox.co.uk%2F&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Ftv%2Fa41721143%2Fdoctor-who-final-episode-lgbtq-thasmin%2F) in the UK. To do anything less is a disservice to both of these characters and also the show's considerable LGBTQ+ fanbase. Doctor Who will return to BBC One next year in the UK. "You can’t keep it going for that long because there's always planets to save or monsters to deal with, and all of that kind of stuff." That's all well and good, but the problem here is that there isn't really much of a love story whatsoever. That's something the Doctor usually has in spades, but here, we needed more time to develop #Thasmin's relationship and to finally centre queerness fully in what's long been a queer show. And this stings, even more, when you consider how long it took for #Thasmin to even be acknowledged in the first place. It's the kind of wave you might give to a mate before you go off for the summer holidays. [Doctor Who](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a38438023/doctor-who-season-14-release-date-bbc/): The Power of the Doctor spoilers follow. [Doctor Who](https://www.digitalspy.com/doctor-who/) is intrinsically queer, and that was true long before John Barrowman's Jack Harkness or [Pearl Mackie's Bill Potts](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a38131466/pearl-mackie-doctor-who-the-long-call/) arrived on the scene. Then afterwards, the Doctor simply drops Yaz off and waves at her from a distance as she enters the TARDIS, ready to start her new life as someone else. [an impressive flip on the 'Bury Your Gays' trope in season twelve's Praxeus](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a30727549/doctor-who-praxeus-writers-gay-lgbtq-queer/).

Season 5, which saw Matt Smith take over from David Tennant in the TARDIS, came in second place with 12 per cent, while the very first season of the revival era ...

[subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. The series is available to stream on For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the [Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast](https://www.radiotimes.com/audio/podcasts/). [Sci-Fi](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/) coverage or visit our [TV Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/) to see what's on tonight. [Jodie Whittaker says "rage" over Doctor Who casting was "terrifying"](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-jodie-whittaker-terrifying-newsupdate/) [Doctor Who "would not exist" outside of the BBC, says Chris Chibnall](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-not-exist-outside-bbc-chris-chibnall-newsupdate/) [Billie Piper: 'I'll treasure my time on Doctor Who for rest of my life'](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-billie-piper-rose-camille-coduri-newsupdate/) [Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker says Ncuti Gatwa will be "extraordinary"](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-jodie-whittaker-ncuti-gatwa-newsupdate/) [Doctor Who showrunner promises "very different" regeneration scene](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-chris-chibnall-different-regeneration-newsupdate/) [BBC iPlayer](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006q2x0/doctor-who) with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a [7-day free trial here](https://britbox.sjv.io/c/1236178/1303835/15931?subId1=radiotimes-1724971&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwatch.britbox.co.uk%2F). [terms and conditions](https://www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/) and [privacy policy](https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/). [Doctor Who](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-2022-specials-release/) revival era in an exclusive [RadioTimes.com](https://www.radiotimes.com/) poll. Season 5, which saw Matt Smith take over from David Tennant in the TARDIS, came in second place with 12 per cent, while the very first season of the revival era – with Christopher Eccleston as the Time Lord – rounded out the top 3 with 11 per cent. The season – which was David Tennant's last as the Doctor – was the comfortable winner, earning 24 per cent of the vote after almost 9,000 Whovians participated in the poll. [Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get 12 issues for £1](https://www.buysubscriptions.com/print/radio-times-magazine-subscription?promo=RTBPL22&utm_medium=brandsite&utm_source=radiotimes.com&utm_campaign=fixed-article_rtbpl22&utm_content=promotional-link&utm_style=brand) Each participant was allowed to vote for three different seasons, and more than half of them opted for season 4 as one of their choices – with the winner attracting 5,042 votes in total.

The real Rasputin, also known as “the mad monk”, was a mystic and holy man who befriended the family of Tsar Nicholas II, gaining a great deal of influence over ...

There was even a brief window of time when “The Power of the Doctor” might not have been Rasputin’s first Doctor Who appearance on screen- and as we’ve already mentioned, this story would have seen Rasputin revealed to be a rogue Time Lord in disguise. The Third Doctor encounters Rasputin a good deal later down the timestream in the novel, The Wages of Sin, by David A. [“The Time Meddler”](https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/The_Time_Meddler_(TV_story))). (To be clear, this joke was written before the author had actually seen “The Power of the Doctor” – that’s how obvious it is that he’s One priest, named Iliodor, was part of a group of figures who tried to drive a wedge between Rasputin and the royal family. In this story, the Doctor’s companion Jo Grant meets Rasputin and finds him to be a pretty sound bloke, but to protect the time stream Liz Shaw still gives him Prince Felix’s dinner invitation anyway. Only a few years after that, one of his followers waited outside Rasputin’s home and stabbed him in the stomach. He was accused of spreading heresy, and was denounced by the local clergy. [The Power of the Doctor](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-the-power-of-the-doctor-review/)”, you can’t accuse it of not having enough ideas. It’s the kind of reputation that gets a person enemies, and the intrigue around Rasputin soon grew dangerous. Here's who the real-life Rasputin was, and his previous adventures in the Whoniverse. Others suspected he was a con-man who’d talked himself into the highest halls of power.

The special episode saw Whittaker battle some of the Doctor's deadliest enemies and reunite with Time Lords and companions from the ages.

“And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose.” — Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor 🔥 (@bbcdoctorwho) The power of the Master! [@jfmouthonlegs]) and Ace ( [@sophie_aldred]) to the Doctor Who universe!

Reviews of Sunday's finale were broadly positive, although some said too much was packed into the episode.

He added: "Despite an abundance of distractions, Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill remain the throbbing heart of the story, as the Doctor and Yaz breeze through a rollicking adventure but must prepare for a sorrowful parting... This was frightening fun in the show's best traditions." "It is a great send-off for Whittaker, focused and full of feeling, which makes this an apt welcome for Gatwa, too." but the scripts have often let her down a little," she said. "Considering this is a super-long episode, it trots along at a decent speed and the pace rarely dips. It confuses. "Moments where what's happening, however intergalactic, however epoch-hopping, however sassy, has time to register. It confounds. It surprises. Only the 'present' part of the equation suffered. "[The episode] reminded us that actually you need one or two dull bits for drama to be dramatic," he said. The frenetic story threw in so many playful bells and fan-pleasing whistles, it became nonsensical, as if Chibnall painted himself into a plotting corner and didn't know how to escape."

At the end of its 39th season, it's become clear the Time Lord's world, despite always regenerating, has become static and small.

In the past 17 years, the mythology of Who has become, if anything, even more arcane and far more self-referential and confusing. If Doctor Who wants to keep people engaged enough to make it to its 70th anniversary, it needs to remind people why they should care. [lined up](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61371123) Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa to play the Time Lord (after David Tennant [returns to the role](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/10/surprise-doctor-who-reveals-two-history-making-leads-for-2023) for a brief stint). With ratings on the slide and online buzz seemingly at an all-time low, it’s clear that the new generation of fans who discovered the show during its revival are getting bored of what was once fresh and exciting. The show’s next series—its 14th since the revival and 40th overall—is slated to have Russell T. This isn’t to say Whittaker wasn’t a compelling Doctor but rather that in the nearly two decades since the show was rebooted in 2005, its tricks have gotten old.

Reviews of Sunday's finale were broadly positive, although some said too much was packed into the episode.

He added: "Despite an abundance of distractions, Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill remain the throbbing heart of the story, as the Doctor and Yaz breeze through a rollicking adventure but must prepare for a sorrowful parting... This was frightening fun in the show's best traditions." "It is a great send-off for Whittaker, focused and full of feeling, which makes this an apt welcome for Gatwa, too." but the scripts have often let her down a little," she said. "Considering this is a super-long episode, it trots along at a decent speed and the pace rarely dips. It confuses. "Moments where what's happening, however intergalactic, however epoch-hopping, however sassy, has time to register. It confounds. It surprises. Only the 'present' part of the equation suffered. "[The episode] reminded us that actually you need one or two dull bits for drama to be dramatic," he said. The frenetic story threw in so many playful bells and fan-pleasing whistles, it became nonsensical, as if Chibnall painted himself into a plotting corner and didn't know how to escape."