Doctor Who season two coming ‘sooner than you think’, reveals Russell T Davies

Russell T Davies has revealed that the second season of his revamped Doctor Who series will be coming to screens “sooner than you think”.

Appearing on BBC One’s The One Show last night (10 December), the gay TV writing legend teased some of the plot points fans can expect in season two, and promised that it’s going to be “sensational”.

In response to a fan question about what to expect from season two, Davies revealed: “It’s coming. It’s sensational. There’s a lot of scares, there’s a planet in the far future that’s absolutely terrifying. There’s a trip to Miami. It’s very, very, very good, and it’s coming sooner than you think.”

Both Gatwa and his companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, will return for season two.

Before season two lands next year, Doctor Who fanatics have this year’s Christmas special “Joy to the World” to look forward to, which stars Bridgerton favourite and staunch LGBTQ+ ally, Nicola Coughlan.

The former Derry Girls actress will star as the titular Joy, a traveller who gets wrapped up in the Doctor’s (Ncuti Gatwa) time-jumping escapades.

Explaining more about the special’s storyline, Davies shared: “It’s a time hotel. You can book a room there and the door goes through to anywhere in history. So it was called Christmas everywhere, all at once. You can go to the Blitz in World War II, you can go to Pompeii… you could go to anywhere.

“Obviously, it’s Doctor Who, there’s a secret plan going on with a mysterious briefcase being smuggled upstairs, people are about to end the world. It’s very exciting,” he continued.

Referring to Coughlan as the Doctor’s “Christmas companion”, the writer went on to tease her and Gatwa’s on screen chemistry as “gorgeous”.

“They’re gorgeous together. Absolutely gorgeous. It’s a delight. We just stood back and let them do it. They both sizzle together,” he shared.

Recently released trailers show the pair zooming from the modern day back to the 1950s, and then to pre-historic times, followed by a trip into outer space. It’s nothing if not varied. 

The first season of Russell T Davies’ new Doctor Who series aired on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and Disney+ earlier this year, and heralded in the queerest ever era of the classic sci-fi show.

While Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa became the first Black, out queer actor to play the Doctor, episode six, entitled “Rogue”, saw the Doctor share his first romantic gay kiss in the show’s sixty year history.

He stole a kiss with enigmatic bounty hunter Rogue (played by A Nice Indian Boy’s Jonathan Groff).

The season also saw guest appearances from queer stars including two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon, trans actor Pete McHale, How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris, and Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney.

“Joy to the World” airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day at 5:10pm GMT.

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