When a “true fan” of Doctor Who wants to get really pedantic, they’ll correct a casual viewer who accidentally calls the title character Doctor Who rather than just the Doctor.

“Well, actually…his name is just the Doctor.”

And that’s kind of true. Usually in the show, the mysterious Time Lord is simply known as the Doctor. But sometimes they go by Doctor Who, as well. And no, I’m not talking about the Peter Cushing version…or the fact that the end credits of every episode for 26 years credited the main character as “Doctor Who.”

Here’s a few examples of when the Doctor added the “Who” surname.

Continue reading “They Call Him Doctor Who” →

^{Spoilers for Doctor Who, up through June 2025, below.}

The Disney+ era of Doctor Who will be the subject of much debate in the years to come, but one thing that feels certain to me is that Russell T. Davies nailed the casting of the Doctor by picking Ncuti Gatwa. With supreme charisma and talent, Ncuti presented a Doctor who was both familiar and much evolved from his previous incarnations. More emotionally open and at peace with himself, he nonetheless had the sort of flaws and inner conflict that we’ve come to expect from our favorite Time Lord.

Unfortunately, all things end, and Ncuti’s Fifteenth Doctor departed long before many were ready to see him go. So now that his era has come to a close, here’s some reflections on the Fifteenth Doctor’s era and what comes next.

Continue reading “Doctor Who: Fifteen Thoughts on the Fifteenth Doctor’s Era” →