There’s a reason that Doctor Who has persevered on our screens for over 60 years, and it boils down to the show’s concept of regeneration. The ability for the protagonist to change their faces, gender, or personalities every few years means the show always finds a way of pulling back in ratings. But it’s not just the concept of regeneration that has maintained Doctor Who’s longevity, it is in who they cast to take over the role. This means that the first episode of a new actor’s tenure as The Doctor is incredibly important in selling the next few seasons of the show. After the new-fangled ‘bi-regeneration’ that occurs at the end of The Giggle, David Tennant’s second occurrence (third, if you account for the wibbly-wobbliness of the canon) as The Doctor came to an ajar close, with Ncuti Gatwa taking over as the famous time lord in Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road.
There’s a lot to be said about the return of Tennant’s incarnation as a buffer between the first female Doctor – Jodie Whittaker – and the first canonically numbered black incarnation of The Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies seemingly has future plans for Tennant’s Doctor, who doesn’t vanish like previous regenerations. Miraculously, Gatwa’s first episode as The Doctor, Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road, is not overshadowed by the bi-regeneration because of the sheer star power emanating from the young Scottish actor.
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road also debuts Millie Gibson as a new companion
2023’s Doctor Who Christmas special, The Church On Ruby Road, also marks the debut of a new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). The episode begins with baby Ruby being carried towards a church by a mysterious cloaked figure (no, they’re not a Traitor), and Gatwa’s voiceover indicates a reveal to come surrounding Ruby and her foundling identity. It’s typical plotting by Russell T Davies, whose style of Doctor Who has always been mystery-baiting, whether it’s set up for spin-off Torchwood or the blink-and-you-miss-it reappearance of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in Series Four. It creates intrigue for upcoming series of the show, but it’s uncommon to see it this forthright, especially with this episode being a Christmas special, which is usually kept apart as whimsical entries into the show.
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road continues introducing Ruby as an adult trying to find her parents on a Who Do You Think You Are? type TV show hosted by celebrity guest star Davina McCall. Unbeknownst to Ruby, she has attracted the attention of time-riding Goblins, who are causing her numerous instances of clumsiness and bad luck that Ruby shrugs off. But the Doctor, following the sharp-toothed goblins who have a taste for baby flesh, explains to her with a magnetic charm and disarming smile that all of this coincidence is what these goblin creatures thrive on and have weaved her into the story. Hence, the foster baby she’s temporarily in charge of will be all that much tastier.
Doctor Who has always been a hybrid of magic and science
At first glance, coincidence making a baby taste good is a ludicrous idea that makes no scientific sense. But this type of ludicrous plotting is what makes Doctor Who so gloriously silly and entertaining to watch. The entire show is based on a thousand-year-old alien riding around in his police box-shaped spaceship that’s bigger on the inside. The show has always been a hybrid of magic and science. While it has always held science lovingly close to its heart, the show often solves problems with elaborate scientific jargon; it’s willing to betray it for entertainment purposes.
Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road adds an interesting layer to this by introducing the goblins’ own version of science. With a charismatic glint in his eye, the Doctor describes it as the language of luck and knots, a different type of physics. The show has always had an issue with the Doctor having the knowledge to get out of situations so quickly that dramatic tension is lost, often with a click of their sonic screwdriver. In this, the intelligent alien must adapt and learn a whole new language to save the day. For a show that has spent over 60 years on screen, it’s never not welcome to see the protagonist struggle, even briefly.
Doctor Who’s Christmas Special introduces the time-riding Goblins
The goblins themselves are quite fascinating, themselves a hybrid of practical puppetry and CGI. Their existence as the mischievous gremlins who have potentially caused every accident in time helps audiences place themselves in the story since each of us has a tale of coincidence or accident. They’re very indebted to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, with their own Goblin King who is more of a brutish carnivore than the bedazzled deity of David Bowie’s Jareth. The similarities to the 1986 favorite don’t stop at Goblin puppets, but that the episode evolves into having musical numbers. The episode finds time to let Ruby and the Doctor improvise an ear-worm-friendly musical number to get out of trouble. It’s all very farcical and camp that manages to be held together on the pure, jocular vibe the show has found itself missing in recent years of over-serious drama.
Former showrunner Chris Chibnall’s input to the show’s canon – the ‘timeless child’ plot line – also looks like it will be continued. Whether Davies will dive into the minutia of the Doctor’s now mysterious past incarnations remains to be seen. Still, with the plot line seemingly revolving around Ruby’s parents – which looks like it will juxtapose quite neatly with the timeless child storyline if done right – it appears so, what with the Doctor briefly mentioning his adoption.
Gatwa has perfectly pitched charm in the Doctor Who Christmas Special
The episode, and Gatwa’s perfectly pitched charm, is the blast of fresh air the show has needed, shaking away the cobwebs that have unfortunately spread across the Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker eras of the show, through no fault of the actors playing the character. Much like Gatwa’s Doctor, The Church On Ruby Road is an irresistible charmer. Hopefully, the episode embodies what kind of era Gatwa will have in his tenure as the episode is such fun without ever feeling patronizing to the younger audiences that the show has always aimed to include.
This Christmas special marks a sparkling start to a new era of the iconic science fiction show. With The Church on Ruby Road and Gatwa, Doctor Who has never felt better situated to continue its long-standing legacy than it does now.
Kindly requesting more of Ncuti Gatwa dancing in a kilt please and thank you.
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road is now streaming.
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road is now streaming on Disney+. Check it out if you haven’t already.
Doctor Who Series 14, the next Whoniverse title, will stream in May of 2024.
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