The second season of Doctor Who premiered with an action-packed episode titled “The Robot Revolution.” The episode introduces Belinda, played by Varada Sethu, as the Doctor’s new companion. Belinda, an ICU nurse, is taken by bubble-shaped robots to a planet named after her. The Doctor, portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa, rushes to save her.
On the planet, Belinda learns that the inhabitants serve robot overlords and is horrified to discover she is to marry a robot-human hybrid called the A.I. Generator. A dramatic battle ensues, orchestrated by the Doctor. Tragically, a character named Sasha 55 dies during the chaos.
The climax reveals Belinda’s ex-boyfriend Alan as the true villain, transformed into a half-human, half-robot monstrosity. Belinda’s sarcastic wit shines through even in the direst circumstances. The Doctor and Belinda’s daring escape sets up high expectations for the rest of the season.
EastEnders legend Anita Dobson plays a major recurring role throughout the new series of Doctor Who. Dobson, who starred as pub landlady Angie Watts in the early days of the BBC soap, plays the mysterious character Mrs Flood in Ncuti Gatwa’s first two seasons as The Doctor. Dobson shared her excitement about joining the iconic sci-fi series, saying, “I’ve absolutely loved it.
It’s been fantastic. It was very exciting to come back and know that there’s going to be some kind of climax, and it was good fun.
Gatwa and Sethu: dramatic new adventures
I was absolutely blown away the first time I actually went on set and saw the TARDIS. I was amazed. It is stunning, I tell you, the sets are magnificent.”
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies elaborated on the mysterious role, saying, “Mrs Flood keeps popping up.
She lives next to Belinda. She pops up in Miami in 1952. She is 500,000 years in the future.
How can this be? We can’t say. But there is an answer coming.”
The BBC has been producing “Doctor Who” since the 1960s, and in recent years, it had been shown in the United States on BBC America and HBO Max.
When Disney+ joined as a distribution partner and co-producer in 2023, it increased the show’s budget significantly, whose special effects had become painfully outdated. This partnership also brought “Doctor Who” to a wider audience in the U.S.
The revamped “Doctor Who” returns for a new season on Friday, with Gatwa once more playing a modern kind of Doctor who is in touch with his feelings. Welsh screenwriter Russell T Davies, who also led an earlier revamp in 2005, has returned as the showrunner.
Like last season, the episodes will be available simultaneously for British viewers on the BBC’s streaming service, iPlayer, and on Disney+ for the rest of the world. This time, the release has been pushed back by eight hours so that new episodes land at 3 a.m. Eastern time, perhaps in response to complaints from British fans who had to stay up until midnight last season to watch it online. The involvement of Disney+ has clearly modernized and expanded the reach of “Doctor Who.” Fans from the U.S. and U.K. alike are closely watching to see how the increased budget and global distribution impact the beloved series.
