Is the Tardis a ticking TV time bomb just one bad news cycle away from outright cancellation? Such are the rumours pinging around the cosmos – and the ongoing speculation that the BBC is considering pulling the plug on Doctor Who unless ratings improve has understandably cast a shadow over the show as it returns for its latest season. Still, there is no need for embattled Whovians to get their sonic screwdrivers in a twist quite yet. Any suspicion that the venerable franchise is on its last legs is immediately exorcised by this fun and freewheeling series opener.
“The Robot Revolution” is another impressive outing for the charming Ncuti Gatwa, his 15th Doctor having settled into his stride as a mash-up of David Tennant’s dashing eccentric and Jodie Whittaker’s more grounded Time Lord. He also brings his own touches by giving the Doctor a faint yet discernible anxiousness. Gatwa’s Doctor wants, above all, to be liked. When, for instance, new companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) objects to his good-natured bossiness (“I am not one of your adventures!”), the sting of rejection knocks him back. It’s great acting from Gatwa, whose Doctor is both charismatic and vulnerable.
