Doctor Who promises to be very different in 2023 - and much more exciting. The last few years have been difficult ones for Doctor Who. Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker is a tremendous actress, but she seems to have struggled to define her character. The Thirteenth Doctor era is unfortunately largely defined by the Timeless Child retcon, which revealed the Doctor is not a Time Lord at all but rather a being who potentially predates the universe itself and who became the base genetic code for every Gallifreyan who lived within the Citadel. This controversial retcon continues to divide the fanbase.
Matters haven't been helped by lackluster marketing. There have been flashes of brilliance - such as a tremendous "Find the Doctor" viral campaign ahead of Doctor Who: Flux - but it's been clear the marketing team has lacked any real budget. Current showrunner Chris Chibnall has had a very tight-lipped approach to spoilers, and as a result online discussion has fizzled out for lack of basic information. When Doctor Who: Flux introduced a new companion named Dan, both his surname and his occupation were treated as though they were major spoilers. Even now viewers don't have a title for the upcoming Doctor Who Centenary Special, in which Whittaker will regenerate.
The radio silence from the current team is leading attention to move to 2023, when Russell T. Davies will return as once and future showrunner. Filming has already begun for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary, which features the unexpected return of fan-favorites David Tennant and Catherine Tate. Meanwhile, Davies has already cast Ncuti Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor, while Yasmin Finney is joining the TARDIS as well - as a character named "Rose," who's believed to be the daughter of Tate's former companion Donna. In contrast with Chibnall, Davies is welcoming Whovians to visit shooting, allowing countless Doctor Who set photos to circulate online - well aware they're simply building up the sense of excitement. He's occasionally asking people not to share what they overhear, and for the most part they're doing as he's asked.
Davies understands that engagement is an important part of marketing, and he's allowing the fanbase to feel involved in the production itself. He's even promised to resume his old Production Notes column in Doctor Who Magazine, giving viewers an inside account of the creation of the 60th anniversary special and season 14. Meanwhile, there are signs BBC promotion will be ramped up, with the broadcaster advertising for a new brand manager - the role having been unwisely discontinued during the Chibnall era.
Chibnall's tenure as showrunner has been disappointing, in part because of story decisions but also because of a flawed approach to marketing - one that actually limited excitement and inhibited discussion, preventing Doctor Who building up the kind of buzz it deserves. But all the signs so far suggest Russell T. Davies' return will herald a very different approach to Doctor Who, one that will make the world's longest-running science-fiction TV series engaging and exciting once again. It's great to see the future seem so secure.