It's hard to imagine that 20 years have passed since Doctor Who returned from years off the air, but it was on March 26, 2005 that what fans call "New Who" arrived on the BBC with the airing of "Rose." In this landmark episode, Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor gleefully told a shopgirl named Rose to "Run for [her] life" and it seems as though every cast member has been running full-tilt since then. Not that we're complaining, but there has been so much to take in over the last twenty years that it's sometimes a challenge to keep any of it straight. Now, the long-time Doctor Who showrunner has now announced that they will be marking this milestone
What do we know about the documentary?
Doctor Who is definitely associated with commemorations. In 2013, Matt Smith and David Tennant teamed up with John Hurt to save Gallifrey from the Daleks for the 50th anniversary in "The Day of the Doctor." 2023 saw Catherine Tate, everyone's favorite temp from Chiswick, return to the Doctor Who universe for a series of 60th anniversary specials. According to an article on Gizmodo. "Russell T Davies exclusively confirmed there are plans for an hour-long episode of Doctor Who Unleashed, the series' behind-the-scenes companion show, that will explore and celebrate the making of Doctor Who's revival era."
If you're wondering why the Unleashed episode didn't air in late March, Davies understands the curiosity. As the second season of Ncuti Gatwa's run as the 15th Doctor airs on April 12, a March 26 feature would have been great timing to build excitement. Says Davies, "I'm very much aware how on Disney+ worldwide, going to some territories that have never had Doctor Who before...There are some people watching this to who Ncuti is the Doctor - the number one, their Doctor, and so you've got bear that in mind."
He points out that the worldwide expansion of the audience "was always the case, for many years, to look for that new audience." The anticipation of the new content has let him know that "everyone seems to be full of joy about it!" And it's what "ultimately spurred Davies into realizing the series should also celebrate in some way...with the new documentary." He admits that "It's coming out late, because I was the one saying 'let's not do anything!'"
Doctor Who returns to Disney+ on April 12, 2025. Episode 1: "The Robot Revolution" is first, with weekly releases. We look forward to seeing where this series' episodes take us.