Disney and the BBC have jointly announced the new season of the time-twisting sci-fi phenomenon, Doctor Who, is coming this spring.
Today, Disney Branded Television and the BBC jointly announced that season two of Doctor Who will premiere on Saturday, April 12 (12:00 a.m. PDT / 3:00 a.m. EDT) on Disney+. New episodes from the eight-part season will premiere weekly. The new season stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, Varada Sethu as Belinda Chandra and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday. Previously announced guest cast includes Rose Ayling-Ellis, Christopher Chung, Anita Dobson, Michelle Greenidge, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruth Madeley, Jemma Redgrave and Susan Twist.
Emmy Award winner Alan Cumming (The Traitors) will guest star in the second episode as Mr Ring-a-Ding, a happy, funny, singalong cartoon, who lives in Sunny Town with his friend Sunshine Sally. However, in 1952, after years of repeats in cinemas across the land, Mr Ring-a-Ding suddenly looks beyond the screen and sees the real world outside — and the consequences are terrifying. Cumming is returning to the Whoniverse after previously playing King James I in the 2018 episode “The Witchfinders.” Showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies said, “Only Alan Cumming could give a runaway cartoon so much wit, malice, danger and fun. He makes the whole universe of Doctor Who wilder and madder than ever, and it’s an absolute honour to welcome him on board the TARDIS.”
The official synopsis of season 2 reads,
“The Doctor meets Belinda Chandra and begins an epic quest to get her back to Earth. But a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-traveling TARDIS team must face great dangers, bigger enemies and wider terrors than ever before.”
In addition to Davies, executive producers are Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. Doctor Who is produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Quintessentially British, Doctor Who is one of the longest running action-adventure television series in the world with legions of fans across the globe since it was launched by the BBC in 1963. Ncuti Gatwa took on the role of the Fifteenth Doctor in The Church On Ruby Road. Doctor Who remains one of the most watched programmes on iPlayer and was a top 5 series on Disney+ globally every week it aired, as well as being the BBC’s top drama for under 35’s this year making it one of the biggest programmes for the demographic across all streamers and broadcasters.
Doctor Who has a variety of licensees and partnerships spanning comics and collectibles, audiobooks, podcasts and magazines. Since 2012, over 17 million Sonic Screwdrivers and action figures, 19 million DVDs and over one million tickets for Doctor Who live events have sold globally. In 2023, BBC iPlayer launched the Whoniverse, a dedicated area where UK viewers can see more than 800 shows within the orbit of Doctor Who. Produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for BBC and Disney Branded Television.
Doctor Who is available now on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ in the rest of the world, where available. www.doctorwho.tv
