Written By Kieran Bugg
The upcoming fourteenth season of Doctor Who will more than likely be the most overtly queer one yet.
Since it’s first episode premiered almost sixty years ago, Doctor Who has always embraced diversity in it’s storytelling. Even more so in recent years when the show was revived for the 21st century by writer Russell T. Davies.
It’s well known that Davies is a vocal supporter and also a member of the LGBTQIA community. Moreover he always makes sure to incorporate queer characters and plots into his work.
Doctor Who is no exception.
Doctor Who’s Next Season Likely To Be Overtly Queer
Image: BBC One
In the revival’s first season that was originally broadcast in 2005, fans were introduced to John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness. He was the iconic sci-fi series’ first openly queer companion of the Doctor and was famous for his flirtatious personality.
The cheeky captain became an instant fan favourite and even received his own spin-off series, Torchwood. Torchwood was the first Doctor Who spin-off created by Russell T. Davies.
In addition it was more aimed towards adult viewers due to it’s graphic violence and explicit sex scenes. As the show progressed, Jack began a relationship with teammate Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd).
Furthermore there were plans to make classic companion Sarah Jane Smith’s son Luke Smith (Tommy Knight) come out as queer. The Sarah Jane Adventures was the second spin-off created by Davies and was primarily aimed towards younger audiences.
Unfortunately this never happened due actress Elisabeth Sladen’s tragic death which resulted in the show ending prematurely. Apart from his work on Doctor Who, Davies is also known for other critically acclaimed shows such as:
Queer As Folk and It’s A Sin.
Both of which were created by him.
They both focused on a group of queer men navigating their sex lives in gay bars. Nonetheless they were still vastly different from one another.
The former was considered a comedy while the latter was a serious drama about the impact of the AIDS crisis. It’s A Sin would go on to receive strong praise for Davies’ stellar writing and impactful performances from the cast.
Last year, it was announced that Ncuti Gatwa would be the next actor to play the Doctor. Gatwa is best known for his role on Netflix’s smash-hit comedy series, Sex Education.
He portrays as the openly queer and flamboyant Eric Effiong. Many viewers considered his character to be their favourite.
Doctor Who’s Next Season Likely To Be Overtly Queer
Image: BBC One
It’s looking likely that Gatwa will bring that same charm of his to Doctor Who with him. This’ll would make him the first outwardly queer version of the ancient time traveler.
Who’s to say regeneration can’t effect the Doctor’s sexual orientation as well as their gender?
With the next era of Doctor Who under Davies fast approaching, it’s looking likely that it’ll be worth the wait.