TV & Movies

Doctor Who Season 14: Release date, reviews, cast & more

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, promoting the Doctor Who Season 14 release dateBBC

Ncuti Gatwa’s Time Lord has arrived. Here’s what we know about the Doctor Who Season 14 release date, cast details, and plot.

Yes, Doctor Who has a new star, and the latest Doctor is bringing all the flair and energy you could want from an intergalactic, time-traveling hero.

Gatwa first appeared as part of a unique and exciting Bigeneration, as part of the 60th anniversary of the show back in December 2023. Then, Gatwa reprised his role for the 2023 Christmas special, ‘The Church on Ruby Road,’ which also introduced the Doctor’s new companion, Ruby Sunday (Mille Gibson).

Since it aired, it’s become just one of the most-anticipated and talked-about TV shows of 2024. As a roundup, we’ve got everything you need to know about Doctor Who Season 14.

Doctor Who Season 14 release date

Doctor Who Season 14 premiered with two episodes on Saturday May 11, 2024.

Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson in Doctor Who Series 14 / Season 1.BBC

There were eight episodes in total, with new episodes dropping simultaneously on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ everywhere else. The Season 14 finale, Empire of Death, aired on June 22.

Here are all the Doctor Who Season 14 episodes and when they aired:

  • Space Babies – May 11
  • The Devil’s Chord – May 11
  • Boom – May 18
  • 73 Yards – May 25
  • Dot and Bubble – June 1
  • Rogue – June 8
  • The Legend of Ruby Sunday – June 15
  • Empire of Death – June 22

Filming for Doctor Who Season 14 kicked off on December 5, 2022, and wrapped on July 14, 2023.

Doctor Who Season 15 wrapped filming in May 2024, meaning it should be just about a year before we get new episodes back on screens.

Showrunner Russell T Davies recently confirmed he’s already mapping out new Doctor Who episodes for Seasons 16 and 17, too. Given Davies’ promise of “annual Doctor Who, no gap years,” we should therefore expect Seasons 16 and 17 to drop in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

How to watch Doctor Who Season 14

You can watch Doctor Who Season 14 on Disney+ if you’re in the US, while UK audiences will be able to catch the show on the BBC iPlayer as usual.

If you’re outside the UK, you’ll need to be signed up to Disney+ and you can do that by clicking the link below. For more details about where you can watch the new series (and the entire show to date), take a look at our guide to how to watch Doctor Who Season 14.

Join Disney+

Who’s in the Doctor Who Season 14 cast?

Ncuti Gatwa led Doctor Who Season 14 cast as the Doctor, with support from Millie Gibson as his new companion, Ruby Sunday.

Ruby Sunday in the Doctor Who Christmas specialBBC

Doctor Who Season 14’s full cast includes:

  • Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor
  • Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday
  • Varada Sethu as Mundy Flynn
  • Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
  • Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble
  • Aneurin Barnard as Roger ap Gwilliam
  • Michelle Greenidge as Carla Sunday
  • Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood
  • Hemi Yeroham as Abdul
  • Jack Forsyth-Noble as Will
  • Indira Varma as the Duchess
  • Bonnie Langford as Mel Bush
  • Lenny Rush as Morris
  • Alexander Devrient as Colonel Christopher Ibrahim
  • Jinkx Monsoon as an Maestro
  • Jonathan Groff as Rogue
  • Bhav Joshi in an unknown role
  • Eilidh Loan in an unknown role
  • Pete MacHale in an unknown role
  • Miles Yekinni in an unknown role
  • Susan Twist as multiple characters

In response to his casting, Gatwa said: “There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honored, beyond excited, and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself,” he continued.

“And each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavor my utmost to do the same.”

What was Doctor Who Season 14 about?

Doctor Who Season 14 covered a lot of ground, with the Doctor and Ruby tackling talking babies, Bridgerton-style adventures, and battling one of the Doctor’s oldest enemies, Sutekh.

Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor WhoBBC

The season kicked off with Space Babies, wherein the Doctor and Ruby landed on an abandoned baby farm, occupied by talking babies who had been left behind. Here, they battle the Boogeyman, a creation of the children’s own fear.

In The Devil’s Chord, the Doctor and Ruby went back to the ’60s to watch The Beatles record their album at Abbey Road. But they run into trouble when they encounter Maestro, a music-stealing member of the Pantheon of Discord, who wants to erase music from the universe.

Next was Boom, which saw the Doctor step on a motion-activated landmine on a war-torn planet. The majority of the episode had him standing in place, while he and Ruby tried to work out why the planet’s ambulance systems were killing people without reason.

73 Yards then had the Ruby on her own after the Doctor mysteriously disappears from her side. She’s alone in Wales, constantly followed by a strange woman who always remains 73 Yards away. As the decades pass, Ruby has to work out who’s following her, and how she can stop a power-hungry politician from rising the ranks.

Then came Dot and Bubble, which had the Doctor and Ruby infiltrate the “dot and bubble” system of a futuristic planet. When it’s wealthy and young residents start being eaten by giant slug-like creatures, they have to help Lindy, an air-headed dot and bubble user, to get to safety.

Rogue took the duo to Regency-era England, where they took on a Bridgerton adventure wherein innocent people were being killed and taken over by the Chulder. It’s here that the Doctor meets Rogue, a handsome bounty hunter who steals his heart and changes his life.

Things finished out with the two-part finale, The Legend of Ruby Sunday and Empire of Death. In this two-parter, it was revealed that the problems with the TARDIS and Susan Twists’ mysterious reappearances were all because of Sutekh, an ancient deity who the Doctor battled back in Pyramids of Death.

They also finally revealed who Ruby’s mother was, as well as taking us back to UNIT where the Doctor was reunited with Mel, Rose, and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.

Doctor Who Season 14 trailer

The trailer for Doctor Who Season 14 was released in April, 2024, and you can watch it below.

Doctor Who Season 14 soundtrack: Who is the composer?

Composer Murray Gold and the National Orchestra of Wales supplied Doctor Who Season 14’s soundtrack.

Gold previously collaborated with Davies on the 2005 Doctor Who revival, remaining in post until Davies’ immediate successor, Steven Moffat, exited the franchise in 2017. He also scored all three Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials and The Church on Ruby Road, as well.

Commenting on his return, Gold said: “I’m so happy to be invited back for another joyful ride in the TARDIS. I didn’t think twice. Working with Russell and his team is just a pleasure.”

Doctor Who Season 14 reviews

Doctor Who Season 14 received mixed reviews during its run, with critics seeming to like this series more than hardcore fans.

At the time of writing, the season is sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 27% Audience Score. That’s quite a difference. If you’re looking for episodic scores, we’ve got you covered with the below reviews:

That’s all there is to know about Doctor Who Season 14. If you need more from the TARDIS, check out how to dress like the new Doctor, why The Fifteenth Doctor’s costume is secretly brilliant, and most Doctor Who fans missed why, and find out how many episodes of Doctor Who there actually are.

We’ve also got a list of all the upcoming releases on Disney Plus if you want more from the House of Mouse.

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