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Doctor Who boss confirms Ncuti Gatwa still has "the old TARDIS"

"I think, if I’m any judge of fandom, people will worry that that is a new TARDIS and not the old TARDIS."

Ncuti Gatwa as The Fifteenth Doctor in the TARDIS for Doctor Who.

BBC

Published: Sunday, 10 December 2023 at 11:12 am

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There were so many twists, turns and major revelations in the third Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, The Giggle, but one of the biggest has to be the emergence of a new, second TARDIS.

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This came after the Doctor 'bi-generated', meaning rather than changing his body during the healing process, he instead split, meaning David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor continued to exist alongside Ncuti Gatwa's new Fifteenth Doctor.

After defeating the Toymaker, the Fifteenth Doctor convinced the Fourteenth that he needed to slow down and rest on Earth, taking time to process all that had happened to him over his long life.

However, there was one sticking point - the Fourteenth said he couldn't possibly leave the TARDIS behind and let Fifteen take it off on adventures.

Thankfully, Fifteen had an idea - he realised that the Toymaker's domain was still lingering while they were in a state of play, and that therefore meant that, having won the game, they got a prize, creating a second, identical TARDIS (with added jukebox).

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Some fans may have wondered after this moment with the Fifteenth Doctor's TARDIS would therefore somehow not be the same one as we've seen on the show for the past 60 years. However, Russell T Davies has now dispelled this notion, in a commentary for the episode.

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Speaking in the commentary, Davies said: "I think, if I’m any judge of fandom, people will worry that that is a new TARDIS and not the old TARDIS, Ncuti’s TARDIS, and I’m here to say, in a story to come there is proof that it’s still the old TARDIS."

The next time we see Gatwa's Doctor will be in this year's Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, which will air on Christmas Day, the first episode of the show to do so since 2017's Twice Upon a Time.

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The special will introduce new companion Ruby Sunday, while also featuring goblins and a surprise role for Davina McCall.

Doctor Who will return for The Church on Ruby Road on BBC One at 5:55pm on Christmas Day.

Previous episodes are available on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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