Ncuti Gatwa's time as Doctor Who's leading man was incredibly short. After just two seasons, he stepped aside in 2025 as the show's Disney era also came to an end. While there are those who didn't think the Fifteenth Doctor's adventures were up to scratch, there was more good than bad during Gatwa's run as the iconic Time Lord.
Although the confusing twist that saw Gatwa leave Doctor Who has been met with an almost universally negative response (Billie Piper apparently playing the Doctor), showrunner Russell T Davies did at least make sure to give Fifteen all the tools he needed to thrive at once. First appearing in 2023's "The Giggle" alongside David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor, Gatwa wouldn't get his true debut until the following episode. With Tennant sidelined, the Gatwa era had a rare advantage.
Ncuti Gatwa's first full Doctor Who episode was entirely his
There is a Doctor Who tradition, especially since the 2005 revival, that the show's new star has to spend their first full episode shaking off the residue of their predecessor. For example, David Tennant spent a lot of his 2005 debut as the Tenth Doctor in a post-regeneration coma. Similarly, Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor wore the ragged remains of Ten's costume his first time out. Eleven even still had Ten's old screwdriver before it finally broke.
Most of the Doctors that followed experienced something similar, and they didn't emerge as their true selves until the end of their first full episode. A new costume, TARDIS makeover, and even an upgraded Sonic Screwdriver needed to be seen as being handed to them on-screen. None of this was the case for Ncuti Gatwa in his full Doctor Who debut, "The Church on Ruby Road."
Instead, Fifteen's transition from a freshly-spawned Doctor into the full-formed version we saw in the 2023 Christmas special happened toward the end of "The Giggle," and any missing components were added off-screen ahead of his true debut in "The Church on Ruby Road." Granted, Tennant received a similar treatment. The cut between Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor and Tennant's return was incredibly sudden, including the transformation of their garments during the regeneration process.
However, this made perfect sense. Dedicating an entire episode to Fourteen tracking down all his various hallmarks would have eaten massively into Tennant's three-episode run. Furthermore, Fourteen's debut was essentially just the return of Ten. So, we already knew what to expect. What his new Screwdriver and TARDIS looked like was secondary to the shocking twist that saw the Doctor regain such a familiar face.
Why letting Nucti Gatwa hit the ground running worked so well (at first)
Doctor Who's Disney era actually began with "The Star Beast," but because it starred David Tennant as the Doctor, the start of the 60th-anniversary trilogy understandably felt like a nostalgic celebration of the franchise as a whole. When Gatwa took over in "The Church on Ruby Road," that all changed. Although the episode didn't serve as a hard reboot, it did allow new fans to jump on board. The visual upgrade the Disney money provided already made Doctor Who feel fresh and new, but allowing Gatwa to get started as a fully-ready Fifteenth Doctor meant there was no immediate history to try and explain.
Although every new Doctor's debut is arguably a good time for new fans to start watching the show, the new lead actor being dressed in their predecessor's clothes can often result in a sense of alienation. "The Church on Ruby Road" avoided the problem by doubling down on Disney's soft reset and having Fifteen already boasting all his own resources and personal style when the episode began. He didn't need to run around finding a new Screwdriver or allow his TARDIS to regenerate.
Russell T Davies eventually undid this helpful Doctor Who writing choice
Davies did a great job giving new fans a point to start watching from with "The Church on Ruby Road." Everything that a fresh audience needed to know was provided in the episode, allowing it to serve far more as a pilot episode than usual. The showrunner even focused largely on new villains, avoiding bad guys like the Daleks entirely. This also prevented newcomers from feeling left out, as many of the Pantheon gods were completely original to the Disney era.
With the reveal that the first overarching villain of Gatwa's reign was Sutekh, a Doctor Who character who hadn't been relevant for almost half a century, the accessible writing choices then felt pointless. The moment was treated like it should have landed hard, but it left less experienced fans (and even some of the more experienced ones) scratching their heads, wondering who the massive dog attached to the TARDIS was.
The return of other villains from throughout the show's 60-year history during the Gatwa era gave it a very uncertain feel. It felt like a blend of the episodes being made for diehard fans, but also somehow for those who had only just started watching. While I think this was probably a side effect of the BBC's collaboration with Disney, it's still frustrating. With any luck, Davies will pen a script for the upcoming Christmas Doctor Who special that's not quite so uncertain when it comes to who it's for.
Doctor Who returns with a 2026 Christmas special, and a new season shortly after.