DOCTOR WHO SET FOR THIRD SERIES ON BBC, WITH GREENLIGHT EXPECTED NEXT YEAR

Doctor Who will commence filming on its third series next year, star Ncuti Gatwa has confirmed. Whilst the renewal from the BBC's side was never in doubt, Disney+ are not expected to make a final decision until next year.

Whilst the third series will - according to Russell T. Davies - not get the official greenlight from either broadcast until the transmission of Season 2 next year, showrunner Russell T. Davies has confirmed that scripts are being written and developed.

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show tonight (Friday 11 October), Gatwa commented: "It is all going well. We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year."

At the Edinburgh Television Festival this Summer, TV Zone asked Senior Vice President, Liam Keelan about his thoughts: "[Doctor Who] is a fabulous series. Obviously, in the UK it's fully BBC, rightly so. We take rest of world rights. But really, really happy to have it. I think just, you know, the quirkiness of it, the fact that it's in that sci-fi world and when you think about what Disney offers in other regards, I think it feels like a really good fit to me. I mean, you know, it's great to have it."

Until then, Doctor Who will return on Christmas Day with Joy To The World, written by Steven Moffat. It guest stars Nicola Coughlan opposite The Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa. Season 2 will see Gatwa return alongside Millie Gibson and new addition to the TARDIS Varada Sethu.

Joining the Christmas special, alongside Couglan, are Peter Benedict and Julia Watson as Basil and Hilda. Niamh Marie Smith will play Sylvia, Phil Baxter is Edmund Hillary, Samuel Sherpa-Moore is Tenzing Norgay, Steph de Whalley is Anita and Jonathan Aris played Melnak the Silurian.

Galway born actress, Couglan, has made a huge impact in film and television having starred in standout roles such as the hilarious Clare Devlin in award-winning drama comedy series Derry Girls, Penelope Featherington in the regency-era international sensation Bridgerton, and not to forget one of the Barbies in mega-blockbuster Barbie, alongside the Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa.

Doctor Who will then return in 2025 with Season 2, which will see The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) reunite alongside new companion played by Varada Sethu. Sethu made a surprise appearence in Season 1 as part of the cast of Boom.

Varada joins the Whoniverse from a galaxy far, far away after starring in the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor. Now she straps in for another journey through time and space alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday.

On joining Doctor Who, Nicola Coughlan says: “I’m excited to join the Whoniverse under the leadership of the inimitable Russell T Davies. I’ve been a fan of Ncuti Gatwa for some time and getting to share the screen with him as the Doctor has been an absolute joy”.

Doctor Who Season 1 is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ worldwide where available. Doctor Who is produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC and Disney Branded Television.