Did the BBC just leak the Doctor Who season 14 start date?

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor for Doctor Who season 14
Ncuti could be taking over control of the TARDIS sooner than we thought! (Image credit: BBC/Bad Wolf)

Ncuti Gatwa's first full series of Doctor Who might be on our screens sooner than we first thought, going by a now-deleted announcement shared on the Culture section of the BBC website

Whilst we're eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials later this year — David Tennant's back in the driving seat and Russell T. Davies has returned as Doctor Who showrunner — we can't help but look forward to Doctor Who season 14, which will see Ncuti Gatwa taking on the mantle of the 15th Doctor (after his first adventure in the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023). By the sounds of things, we might have a shorter wait than we first thought!

In the BBC Culture article (linked above) published on August 22, a statement about the release date read: "Three hour-long special episodes of Doctor Who will be available from November 2023 with a Christmas special dropping in December and a new season in Spring 2024".

That last part about the new season has subsequently been deleted from the site, though fans and other outlets have screenshots showing the original statement (we've shared one below!)

Whilst we obviously can't guarantee this is the season 14 start date, it seems pretty suspicious that the article has been edited after the news picked up traction across the web. Plus, since filming on the series wrapped back in July, there's every chance that the team will have had enough time to put the new eight-episode series together by next Spring!

Most of the news that we've been treated to about the next full series has been carefully teased throughout the year (often on Russell T. Davies' Instagram page!), so we don't think it's a stretch to assume this could well have been a slip-up in the show's marketing campaign. 

Plot details about Doctor Who season 14 have been kept tightly under wraps so far. Most of the major teases about the series have been casting announcements or costume sneak peeks, including the very stylish 60s-inspired looks sported by our new Doctor and new companion, Ruby Sunday (Coronation Street's Millie Gibson).

In addition, the series will feature Hamilton star Jonathan Groff, RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon, Lenny Rush as the 'mysterious' character, Morris, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, and returning companion Melanie Bush (once again played by Bonnie Langford).

Doctor Who is next on our screens for the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary miniseries in November 2023 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and in Doctor Who's new home of Disney Plus elsewhere. And if you're planning to rewatch the Doctor's travels across space and time, check out our guide explaining how to watch Doctor Who online for free.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.