When does Doctor Who series 14 start on TV?

After a Christmas-set celebration to mark its 60th anniversary, a brand new series of Doctor Who is set to materialise in May 2024 with Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor, Millie Gibson's new companion Ruby Sunday and a brand new way for viewers to watch the action.

With its three anniversary specials and a Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, airing in late 2023, showrunner Russell T. Davies introduced the world to their new Time Lord and companion.

What's more, following the BBC’s co-production deal with Welsh company Bad Wolf Studios and global distribution deal with Disney+, the future of Doctor Who looks bright, with new ways for fans to get up to speed on the Doctor's adventures earlier than ever.

Read more: Who is in the cast of Doctor Who season 14?

It's about time too. Before these specials dropped, it had been a while since we'd last seen the Doctor for an extended outing. While we’ve had the six-part miniseries Flux, aka Series 13, and a series of specials throughout 2022 and 2023 — there hasn’t been a full-length run since Jodie Whittaker’s second series in early 2020.

Then again, given the COVID-19 pandemic and filming restrictions that followed, it’s a marvel that we’ve had any new Doctor Who at all. But with returning head writer and executive producer Davies spearheading the next era, the plan is to return to annual Doctor Who series going forward.

Filming on the eight-episode series began in December 2022, with directors Mark Tonderai, (who made 2018 episodes The Ghost Monument and Rosa) Dylan Holmes Williams, (Apple TV’s Servant) and Julie Anne Robinson (Netflix’s Bridgerton) behind the camera on the new series’ first three production blocks.

But what can we expect to see and when will it be on TV? There’s already plenty to look forward to, so let’s take a look at what we know so far…

When does Doctor Who series 14 start on TV?

Doctor Who series 14 will return on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, 11 May. Two brand new episodes will premiere on BBC iPlayer at midnight before landing on BBC One later that day before the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

This new midnight release method will roll out through the entire new series, with fans able to catch episodes the minute the become available or wait until they land on BBC One the following evening. Meanwhile, Who fans based outside of the UK can watch new episodes on Disney+, where available.

“At last, it’s my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby’s adventures together," said Davies announcing the show's return. "Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that’s been spanning time and space for decades. Don’t miss a second!”

The new season's episode titles have been confirmed, they are: Space Babies, The Devil’s Chord, Boom, 73 Yards, Dot and Bubble, Rogue, and two-part finale The Legend of Ruby Sunday and Empire of Death. Steven Moffat has returned to the franchise to write Boom, while it has been confirmed that Jinkx Monsoon will star in The Devil's Chord and Golda Rosheuvel will appear in the opening episode.

The first episode to feature the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday was the show's Christmas special, which saw the pair meet for the first time as they faced some cheeky goblins set on stealing a baby. The Doctor Who Christmas special was a fixture of the Christmas Day schedule from 2005 to 2017 but the specials starring Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor went out on New Year’s Day instead.

In his column for Doctor Who Magazine, RTD said: “It takes a while to get the empire in shape, but that’s a serious plan: annual Doctor Who, no gap years, lots of content, on and on and on. Yes please!”

Even though series 14 is yet to air, during an interview with BBC morning DJ Zoe Ball, Davies confirmed that filming had also begun on series 15 - suggesting a bright future for Doctor Who fans.

Is there a trailer for Doctor Who series 14?

Yes, on Easter Monday a new trailer was revealed for season 14 that teased the show's big return and gave viewers a much closer look at the adventures that The Doctor and Ruby go on together. This included the first look at Jinkx Monsoon's mysterious character, and the show's regency era episode and their encounter with The Beatles.

Watch Doctor Who's Easter trailer:

Following the release of the Christmas special, the BBC revealed a first-look trailer for the upcoming series, which is also being referred to as season 1, that showed The Doctor and Ruby's adventures across time and space.

It also teased the new series' many guest stars, and how they will interact with the two characters during their time together.

Watch the trailer for Doctor Who series 14 below:

What do we know about Doctor Who series 15?

Season 14 may not yet be on our screens but news has started to be revealed about series 15 ahead of time, including the introduction of a new main cast member: Varada Sethu.

Sethu is joining Millie Gibson as a companion in series 15, with the actor already filming new scenes alongside Ncuti Gatwa. Her casting was officially announced by the BBC in April.

In a statement, the actor shared: “I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I'm so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family — because that is what they are — for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home. I couldn't ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is so much fun!”

Elsewhere some of the directors for the upcoming series has also been confirmed. Per Doctor Who Magazine, Amanda Brotchie and Makalla McPherson are set to direct an episode each from series 15.

Speaking to the publication about joining the franchise, Brotchie said: "Russell has magicked up sensational episodes, with action, humour and emotion, and am ambitious vision I feel privileged to be able to realise on the screen. I love that about Doctor Who, that each episode is like its own feature film".

Doctor Who series 14 returns on Saturday 11 May on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+.