Doctor Who Series 14 Episode Guide

“No job. No boss. Just fun.” That was the offer the Fifteenth Doctor made to Ruby Sunday in the Doctor Who series 14 trailer. ‘And’, he should probably have added, ‘quite a lot of mortal peril,’ – but when has the Doctor ever been upfront with companions about the not-insignificant dangers of travelling in time and space? He probably doesn’t even fill in a risk assessment.

We else do we know about series 14? The first episode will arrive on BBC One, iPlayer and Disney+ on a Saturday in May 2024, and there will be eight episodes in total followed by a Christmas Day special. We also know that the currently-filming series 15 will follow in 2025 with a rumoured new companion.

Aside from that, verified info about the new series is summarised below (catch up on the valiant work of the @set_dw account for non-official but useful clues). We’ll update it all as soon as episode titles and more are officially confirmed. Plus, there are one or two unconfirmed rumours to chew over (but nothing that could be considered a spoiler), and the usual caveats about IMDb credits not always being super-duper accurate.

In addition to all that, we’re assured by Russell T Davies writing in Doctor Who Magazine that one of series 14’s as-yet-undisclosed episode titles will contain eight words (The Return of the Valeyard and the Rani?), and can expect to see new cast members Jack Forsyth Noble, Lenny Rush and more make appearances alongside the returning gang.

TITLEDIRECTOR/WRITERCAST/PLOT/SETTING/RUMOURSEpisode 1Directed by Julie Anne Robertson (Bridgerton, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Grey’s Anatomy) on the recommendation of David Tennant, whom she’d directed on 2004’s Blackpool. According to IMDb, written by russell t davies.Doctor Who Unleashed released this teaser clip feat. Fifteen and Ruby being stalked by a monster/creature they haven’t met yet. Rumoured to feature multiple 12-16 month-old babies, and listed on IMDb as featuring “additional voices” by voice actor Bettina Kenney. Episode 2: the devil’s chordDirected by Ben Chessell, an Australian director who recently worked on acclaimed Aussie crime mystery Deadloch, Joe Barton’s excellent Giri/Haji, and YA series Surviving Summer. According to IMDb, written by russell t davies.At least partially set at Abbey Road Studios, London in 1963 and featuring The Beatles. Stars Broadway’s Jinkx Monsoon as a piano-playing villain.Episode 3Directed by Julie Anne Robertson (see above) and described by Russell T Davies as “gorgeous”. Writing in Doctor Who Magazine 600, RTD said: “My God, the emotion. The depth. The performances. Beautiful.”Rumoured to be a Doctor-lite episode set in a futuristic warzone, possibly featuring the return of series five’s Clerics. There’s another rumour about it having been written by former showrunner Steven Moffat, but make of that what you will.Episode 4Directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (Servant) and written by Russell T Davies, who described it on Michael Ball’s BBC Radio 2 show in March 2023 as “one of the greatest things [he’s] ever made in [his] life.” Stars Aneurin Barnard as Roger ap Gwilliam, a politician leading the Albion party (slogan: Bigger Better Bolder Britain). Jemma Redgrave returns as UNIT’s Kate Lethbridge-Stewart according to IMDb.Episode 5Directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (see above). In Doctor Who Magazine 600, Russell T Davies wrote that “it might have more VFX shots than…well, anything ever. And my opinion changes daily, but is this Murray’s greatest score?”Rumoured to involve giant slug-style monsters and a dodgy internet provider. Episode 6Directed by Ben Chessell (see above). Written by Kate Herron & Bryony Redman. In Doctor Who Magazine 600, RTD wrote “it has comparatively few FX shots” and “looks gorgeous without a single pixel being tweaked.”Set in the Regency period and guest-starring Indira Varma as the mysterious “Duchess”, alongside US singer Jonathan Groff.Episodes 7 & 8Directed by Jamie Donoughue (A Town Called Malice, A Discovery of Witches). Written by Russell T Davies. The first episode in series 14’s two-part finale.Bonnie Langford returns as Mel Bush, alongside Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble in a two-part story rumoured to involve UNIT and an invasion by some returning villains.christmas 2024Rumoured to be directed by Bridgerton and Riverdale director Alex Pillai.Guest stars include Derry Girls and Bridgerton‘s Nicola Coughlan (announced), and Plebs‘ Joel Fry (rumoured). It looks to be set at least partially during WWII.