“Casting Ncuti meant casting him before he’d finished on Sex Education – that was a risk that we took.”
With the 14th season of Doctor Who now having concluded, Russell T Davies has revealed how hard it was to work alongside the busy acting schedule of new series lead Ncuti Gatwa.
Of course, Gatwa rose to fame in Netflix’s Sex Education as Eric Effiong before leading the beloved long-running sci-fi under the direction of Davies.
But it turns out that if Gatwa hadn’t been as busy filming the final season of Sex Education, an episode like 73 Yards may have not happened in his first season.
Speaking in this week’s issue of Doctor Who magazine, Davies said: “I love a Doctor-lite episode. But, let’s face it, if Ncuti had been available, we would never have done a Doctor-lite episode in season 1.”
Davies continued: “Casting Ncuti meant casting him before he’d finished on Sex Education. That was a risk that we took, but it was absolutely the right risk, because it meant we got the best possible Doctor in 2024 that we could wish for.
“And the marvellous thing was, I’d had this idea kicking around for ages, of the Doctor and his companion stepping outside the TARDIS and seeing someone in the distance.
“But I could never make it work with two people. So when it became Doctor-lite – when it was just Ruby, and we were able to follow her whole life – it sort of freed itself.”
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Davies added: “Also, I thought there was a nice balance, pairing it with Boom, which is such a character piece for the Doctor. That ended up dictating the shape of the series: a Doctor-heavy episode, followed by a Ruby-heavy episode.
“And I have to say, Millie is absolutely sensational. She walked in, from Coronation Street, onto leading this. No offence to Coronation Street, but that’s a big old runaway train, where you’re part of a cast of 70 or more. And suddenly, you’re in a cast of one, practically.
“There was a tremendous weight on her shoulders. And it’s the best performance. It’s absolutely stunning.”
Read more:
- Doctor Who fans name best episode of season 14
- Doctor Who’s 7-day consolidated ratings confirmed for The Legend of Ruby Sunday
Despite the lack of Gatwa in 73 Yards, which was the fourth episode of the new season, the Welsh folk horror tale went down a storm with fans – especially in RadioTimes.com‘s recent poll.
When posed with the question of which season 14 episode was the best, a staggering amount of votes crowned 73 Yards the winner of the poll. The episode saw Ruby (Millie Gibson) faced with the strangest journey of her life when she’s confronted with a woman watching her in the distance.
Of course, the recently released finale revisited the storyline, but it’s safe to say that the risk of not having Gatwa front and centre in the episode was one that most certainly paid off.
You can order the most recent issue of Doctor Who magazine now. Doctor Who season 14 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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