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The Show Proper
- Hell, just the news that there would be a revival was enough to send fans into a frenzy. And then they confirmed it was an official continuation.
- The news that Christopher Eccleston, a high-profile "serious" actor, had been cast as the Doctor for the new Doctor Who series — prior to this it was worried that the new series would merely be a campy, slightly snide over-parody, and previous casting rumours hadn't helped matters. So much so that when it was announced that he was quitting after one season, many fans didn't take it at all well.
- And then cue his successor, David Tennant, to much the same effect. Including the fans not taking his departure at all well.
- And HIS successor, Matt Smith, won over most of the western hemisphere with his wiggly hand movements in an interview.
- Seven Words: Malcolm Motherfucking Tucker is the Twelfth Doctor. The Daleks, Weeping Angels, The Silence, the Beast, the Midnight Entity and every bad guy from the Master to Davros to Lumic to Sutekh just simultaneously shat themselves in fear.
- In an even bigger bombshell than usual, the Thirteenth Doctor is Jodie Whittaker.
- Elisabeth Sladen is returning to play fan-favourite companion Sarah Jane Smith!
- And now she's received a spinoff!
- Look, even Jack Harkness is receiving a spinoff too!
- And now she's received a spinoff!
- Four words in Sir Derek's Jacobi's voice: "I...am...the Master."
- The return of John Simm's fan-favourite version in "The End of Time" was met with similar hoopla.
- Preceding the announcement of Smith as the new Doctor was the absolute shitstorm of win kicked up by Steven Moffat accepting the job of showrunner. There will be much awesome and subsequent hiding behind couches.
- This trailer
seems to be swinging quite a few of the unconvinced into Eleven's corner. The WEEPING MOTHERFUCKING ANGEL probably didn't hurt. Is it possible to be both a moment of fandom celebration and collective pants-wetting at the same time? Many seemed to be sold by Matt Smith saying 'Trust Me, I'm the Doctor.' And if that didn't work, "Basically... run." did. - And now the 2011 season has a Fandom Rejoice moment: Neil Gaiman has confirmed having written an episode for said season. AND HE'S WRITING ANOTHER ONE! With revamped Cybermen no less and they look great!
- Mark freaking Sheppard is guest-starring. Mark. Sheppard.
- A survey of fanzines from 1988 show great rejoicing when the by-then-hated producer of the series, John Nathan-Turner, was reported as having left the series; this ended up being a premature report and Nathan-Turner ended up staying in charge for the show's final year in 1989, which no doubt led to the polar opposite of fan rejoicing in some quarters.
- There was rejoicing in fandom when it was announced Rose Tyler would return in Series 4. A lot of them changed their tune after her return.
- Season 7: The trailer. Rupert Graves. Mark Williams A.K.A. Arthur Weasley is playing Rory's dad? Ben Browder of Farscape is showing up in Season 7 as well. Niiiiiice. Fan favourites Madam Vastra and Jenny will be returning.
- The 2012 Christmas Special was already hyped up due to Clara, Vastra and Jenny and Strax; but yet another announcement had the fandom rejoice: Ian McKellen voicing the titular snowmen/the Great Intelligence.
- The Zygons were mentioned. Steven Moffat always knows how to tempt us with old monsters!
- And it's been confirmed that the Zygons are in fact returning for the 50th Anniversary!
- And it's been confirmed that the Zygons are in fact returning for the 50th Anniversary!
- Each discovery of a Missing Episode sends shivers of excitement up the spines of Classic Who fans, who rush to check if it's Episode 4 of The Tenth Planet (the first ever regeneration). They are invariably disappointed, but one day we shall get it back. Yes, one day...
- And while we wait for that day to come, in the meantime they have announced that The Tenth Planet will be the third story to have its missing episode animated for the DVD-release. Sure, it's not as good as actually getting the original episode back, but pretty awesome none the less.
- And now The Power of the Daleks is getting an animated remake!
- Although each new rediscovery brings joy to the fandom, it's going to be very difficult to top the announcement in 2013 that not one, not two, but NINE previously missing episodes had been found, completely restoring one story and leaving another with only one episode missing. And just in time for the fiftieth anniversary no less!
- Whenever a country outside of Britain decides to air Who within the day of the British broadcast, there's generally much celebration.
- David Tennant is coming back for the 50th Anniversary!
- The Ice Warriors' return in Series 7 made the fans really happy. It helps that their comeback episode features David Warner as well.
- "The Name of the Doctor" did this and raised anticipation for the 50th anniversary with just six words:
- Wait, in "The Day of the Doctor" we get to see ACTUAL FOOTAGE of the Last Great Time War? OH MY GOD! WE FINALLY GET TO SEE ALL OF IT!
- And just in case, here are the reactions from some of fandom. A dawning realization followed by intense screaming/geeking out and staring with absolute joy at the sheer awesomeness that is that scene.
- And just in case, here are the reactions from some of fandom.
- Maisie Williams is going to be in Series 9!
- In three episodes rather than just two!
- UNIT is still going strong with Kate Stewart not being in two, but four episodes in Series 9! And now OSGOOD IS COMING BACK!
- The Series 9 finale is three parts, not two! The BBC actually decided to spoil most of the following points to drive up hype, when they were intended as major surprises.
- Part One: Ashildr/Me returns! Clara's fate revealed!
- Part Two: The Twelfth Doctor is virtually the only character! Even more exciting in the wake of Peter Capaldi's awesome extended dialogues/monologues in this season.
- Part Three: The Doctor returns to Gallifrey at last! And though fans already had reason to suspect it, Clara's TRUE fate revealed!
- And more for the River Song fans: She's returning to the TV series for the 2015 Christmas special and meeting the Twelfth Doctor for the first time!
- The reveal that Series 10 will introduce the first non-Caucasian companion since Martha, Bill (Pearl Mackie), made fans bemoaning the longstanding lack of diversity among the show's leads quite happy. The teaser short suggesting that she'll be a snarky, curious lass along the lines of Donna, which was confirmed by Steven Moffat afterward, also cheered up fans who were of the hotly disputed opinion that the Twelfth Doctor deserves an (allegedly) more interesting and relatable companion than Clara, his only companion in his first two seasons.
- And to add to the excitement, it's also been announced that Bill will be the show's first openly gay full-time companion.
- Series 10 villain announcements:
- The Ice Warriors are back for the first time since Series 7 — and a new "type" is being introduced.
- Missy is returning for both the mid-season episode "Extremis" and the two-part finale. But she's not the biggest news about that finale...
- ...because the original Mondasian Cybermen from "The Tenth Planet" are coming back for the first time in 50+ years! For bonus points, this also counts as "And the Doctor's actor rejoiced", as these are a special favourite of Peter Capaldi.
- For the very first time in the revival, a writer for the original series is contributing a script: Rona Munro, the author of the final classic serial "Survival", is penning "The Eaters of Light".
- Series 10 shall feature both Missy, the female incarnation of The Master...and John Simm returning as the Master, making his first appearance since "The End of Time".
- Alpha Centauri in The Empress of Mars! And it's still voiced by 92-year-old Yssane Churchman!
- The 2017 Christmas Special shall feature both the Twelfth Doctor and the First Doctor, the latter being played by David Bradley.
- It will also be the debut of the Thirteenth Doctor and the first female Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker.
- A teaser trailer for the 2017 Christmas Special was released at Comic-Con 2017, and it appears that Pearl Mackie will be returning as Bill, and Mark Gatiss has a substantial part as well!
- Prior to Thirteen's first season, the crew revealed that the BBC had eased up on their restriction that every episode feature some kind of science fiction action elements, allowing for some episodes where the Doctor simply goes to a historical period and hangs around a while like the show was originally intended to have.
- In July 2018, the BBC began releasing full season box sets of Classic Who. Previously, only the season-long arcs "The Key to Time" and "The Trial of a Time Lord" had gotten this treatment, with every other serial getting either standalone releases or grouped with one or two other serials. Oh, and did I mention these box sets had their episodes upscaled for Blu-ray instead of just DVD?
- After his surprise appearance in "Fugitive of the Judoon", Captain Jack is coming back in the New Years Special "Revolution of the Daleks". The fandom rejoiced is an understatement!
- In a massive surprise, the next showrunner has been revealed as… Russell T Davies, returning to the show after an absence of twelve years! Looks like the Trip of a Lifetime is back on…
- Kate Stewart is returning in Episode 5 of Flux! It's about freakin' time! Hopefully, she's bringing UNIT with her! (Basically, anytime it's announced that Kate Stewart is coming back, expect ear-splitting levels of joyous shrieking from the fandom. It's Kate Stewart!!)
- The trailer for the Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration episode reveals that TEGAN JOVANKA and ACE MCSHANE will both be returning!
- In May 2022, the next Doctor was confirmed to be Ncuti Gatwa, BAFTA-winning star of Sex Education. Not only is he an acclaimed actor, he is the first black lead for the show! (There were black incarnations of the Doctor in Series 12, but none of them led the show)
- David Tennant is coming back AGAIN for the 60th… And he’s bringing Catherine Tate along!!!
- Neil Patrick Harris is in Doctor Who. The Fandom promptly lost their minds!
- And after many rumours and much speculation, the September trailer for the sixtieth was accompanied by a press release confirming that he'll be playing The Celestial Toymaker, a character who has not been seen on the show for fifty-seven years!
- We know these teeth. Not only is David Tennant officially back on Doctor Who, He’s The Fourteenth Doctor!!
- As for who is composing the show from the 2023 specials onwards after Segun Akinola's departure? Murray Gold. That's right: the man who created fantastic musical symphonies from the Ninth Doctor to Twelfth Doctor's era has returned! (Maybe now we’ll get the Series 10 Soundtrack, too!)
Expanded Universe
- And for you Big Finish fans, guess who's back?
- It's confirmed - Jo Grant's going to be back in the Whoniverse.
- There is absolutely no description for the amount of this created by the announcement that Elisabeth Sladen would be returning to Who proper as beloved Classic companion Sarah Jane Smith. And then the cries got louder when she got her own show - a show that would see the return of the above-mentioned Jo Grant and Nicholas Courtney as The Brigadier.
- Books have been part of Doctor Who since the show started, and if you couldn't watch the series a lot or couldn't watch it at all, you could just read the novels in your bookshop and still experience the Doctor's adventures. Unfortunately, before the 50th Anniversary, New Who bookworms interested in the Classic Doctors could not get their hands on Classic Who novels, as they were out of print. Then this was announced.
- It didn't stop there-next year, this arrived. Even more rejoicing ensued.
- And then a book about the War Doctor was released. As in a proper chronicle of the vaguely spoken about Time War. Finally, someone took a stab in the dark and a piece of the war has been bridged!
- It didn't stop there-next year, this
- A minor one, but on the 2nd October 2014, the BBC released a mini-trailer promoting the fact that the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff will be reopened later in the month, it having be closed to change footage from Matt Smith to Peter Capaldi. But it wasn't just any old mini-trailer... the fans were presented with this...
- For those who can't watch the trailer for whatever reason, the under-30 second long trailer simply shows the Seal of Rassilon within a black void, as a voice narrates that they are speaking from the 'final days of Gallifrey' as they ask for the Doctor's help, before pre-filmed footage is shown of the Twelfth Doctor in the original, Nine and Ten's and the Eleventh Doctor's console rooms! But it isn't just any old Time Lord asking for the Doctor's help... it's Romana!
- Big Finish has done a regeneration story for the Sixth Doctor!!◊ Now the ultimate wrong has been righted after 28 freakin' years and we can take the piss out of the fans who have bashed his regeneration scene all this time!
- New Who is coming to Big Finish! After The Night of the Doctor made Big Finish canon, BBC Worldwide finally gave them permission to use characters from the Revival Series, and so Kate Stewart is getting her own UNIT based spinoff. This also means that there will be no more Writing Around Trademarks and they can address the Time War head on, and hopefully the New Doctors and their Companions will join their predecesors in many more adventures for years to come!
- The announcement that Osgood would be joining Kate made the fans very happy!
- Made even better when Big Finish announced that they were making a Torchwood series too!
- The announcement that Osgood would be joining Kate
- This story. River Song in two stories alongside Paul McGann, The Churchill Adventures, and Doctors 5-8 meeting monsters from New Who!
- On a smaller scale- Tumblr (and Twitter, on a smaller scale) had been freaking out for weeks after a tweet from Lisa Bowerman hinted that Bernice Summerfield was returning in a book with the Twelfth Doctor. A few weeks later- it was confirmed. Cue everyone freaking with joy.
- For those who desired more from John Hurt and the War Doctor, then Big Finish have you covered! 4 boxsets, each composed of three hour long stories chronicling the hidden actions of the Last Great Time War! And that's not all; Big Finish are also producing a prequel boxset to the War Doctor adventures - depicting the 8th Doctor (Paul McGann) in the beginnings of the Time War! Talk about spoiling us!
- Thought Big Finish couldn't go further? The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble return in full-cast audio stories!
- Big Finish has now uploaded several of their audio dramas to Spotify!
- Torchwood is officially back in audio drama form! And it's not just some spin-off stories this time; the new series, Aliens Among Us, is explicitly billed as the Series 5 we never got and will continue the plot from where Miracle Day left off.
- Derek Jacobi is reprising his role as the Master in "The War Master"!
- Jenny from "The Doctor's Daughter" will be getting her own Big Finish series!
- In her fifth boxset, instead of teaming up with another Doctor, River Song will contend with four Masters: Not only Geoffrey Beavers' Crispy Master and Derek Jacobi's War Master but Eric Roberts' TV Movie Master and Michelle Gomez's Missy in their characters' Big Finish debut!
- The return of David Banks and Mark Hardy as the Cybermen in "Hour of the Cybermen" made a lot of people very happy.
- Big Finish has done it again and is scheduling a release for Janurary 2021 - celebrating the 50th anniversary of Terror of the Autons - containing not one, not two... but eight Masters! And the best part is not only is it the usual actors note but for the first time ever, John Simm is finally joining them all in Big Finish! Read about it here.
- They've also gotten in another actor named Milo Parker, who's presumably playing a younger version of the Master.
- For the first time in 15 years, Christopher Eccleston is finally returning to the role for twelve new audio stories from Big Finish!
