Ncuti Gatwa Has Already Missed Out On A Doctor Who Tradition (& It’s Not His Regeneration Scene)

Doctor Who boasts many traditions due to its 60-year history, and Ncuti Gatwa has bypassed one of the oldest established franchise trends. Doctor Who‘s shocking bi-generation twist was certainly a new addition to the show, but this entry into the show’s canon was just a new take on a pre-existing milestone for every actor to play the Doctor. As such, there’s a much more glaring absence from Gatwa’s Doctor Who entrance.

Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who debut was a little more action-packed than most. While most regeneration scenes happen near the end of an episode, Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor didn’t just appear in the heart of the action but also worked alongside his predecessor to save the day. There is no denying that the concept of bi-generation is a change from the norm, but there’s a Doctor Who tradition on which Ncuti Gatwa has completely missed out so far.

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Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor Didn’t Get A New Title Sequence For His First Full Episode

Doctor Who repurposed its new intro from the 60th anniversary special for Gatwa’s Christmas episode

Even as far back as the classic era, Doctor Who has welcomed its new lead actor with a revamped title sequence. It’s not just the visual aspect of the sequence that receives an update, but the theme music is also often reworked. However, Gatwa’s first full appearance in the Doctor Who 2023 Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road,” didn’t receive this treatment. Instead, the new title sequence from the 60th-anniversary specials was repurposed. The anniversary specials were led by David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor, so it was actually Tennant’s Doctor Who return that was marked by the refreshed opening titles.

Although Nucti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor isn’t the first version of the time lord to miss out on a bespoke title sequence, it has been a long while since it last happened. The last time was David Tennant’s full debut as the Tenth Doctor back on Christmas Day in 2005. For the entirety of Tennant’s first spell as the Doctor, his title sequence remained unchanged from the sole season where Christopher Eccelston led the show as the Ninth Doctor.

There has also been another instance where the incoming Doctor had to use his predecessor’s opening titles. When William Hartnell quit as the First Doctor in 1966, Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor didn’t have his title sequence updated until several stories into the run of his first season. So, while the Second Doctor also didn’t have his opening changed immediately, he boasts the achievement of being the first Doctor Who actor to have this accommodation made.

Why A New Title Sequence Is So Important For New Doctors

The Doctor Who trend represents regeneration

Updating a show’s opening title might seem incidental to other shows, but the act has much more meaning in Doctor Who. The entire premise of the long-running British sci-fi is built on change and transformation, so the show’s introduction plays a big part in that. Whenever a new actor takes over as the Doctor in the wake of a regeneration sequence, new titles contribute heavily to the feeling of a new beginning. In other words, it’s almost as if the entire show regenerates along with the Doctor.

Doctor Who doesn’t just swap out its lead actor and title sequence on a regular basis. Regeneration often comes with many other updates and changes for the show’s new era. For instance, the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver has gone through many different designs and functions. The Doctor’s iconic ship, the TARDIS, also undergoes a radical interior transformation, even if the outside does remain largely the same. In addition, although certain Doctor Who companions do cross over between Doctors, regeneration can also mean a companion being replaced.

Doctor Who Season 14 Will Likely Fix Gatwa’s Borrowed Title Sequence

Troughton and Tennant both eventually got their new title sequences

Although Troughton and Tennant didn’t receive their new title sequences immediately, they did eventually arrive – although Tennant did have to wait much longer than Troughton. As such, the lack of a new Doctor Who opening for Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor so far will probably be rectified at some point. That being said, the show’s current opening sequence has only just started being used, so it’s understandable it hasn’t been disposed of just yet.

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There’s also the argument that “The Church on Ruby Road” borrowed the title sequence from the 60th-anniversary specials due to the fact that Gatwa’s first season hasn’t yet started. Therefore, it’s possible that Doctor Who season 14 could open up with a new opening that has been put together with Gatwa in mind. So, the Doctor Who opening sequence trend could be rectified, even if the fix isn’t immediate.

Doctor Who

Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.

Release Date

November 23, 1963

Seasons

26