Ncuti Gatwa is spectacular casting for Doctor Who - he can save the universe, and the show too

Change, my dear, and not a moment too soon.

Few TV shows have been around as long as Doctor Who, which will mark its 60th anniversary later this year.

But the future of the show, which has already been resurrected after cancellation once, has never felt more precarious – facing a continual ratings slide just as tightening budgets force the BBC to take an axe to underperforming staples like Holby City.

Long-time Doctor Who fans have also raised issues with the creative direction of the show under Broadchurch‘s Chris Chibnall – with a tendency for heavy-handed moralising and dense character backstory drowning out the romps across time and space that mark Doctor Who at its best.

But with the casting of Ncuti Gatwa, best known for playing Eric in Netflix’s Sex Education, the Doctor may live to see another day.

The changing face of the Doctor is the most obvious secret to the show’s longevity, and it’s hard to think of a better pick than Gatwa to bring a fresh take on the part.

And thanks to Sex Education‘s popularity with the TikTok generation – in no small part due to Gatwa’s work portraying one of TV’s best LGBT+ storylines – the actor is also likely to bring an audience with him.

The man behind the stellar casting is returning showrunner Russell T Davies, who revived Doctor Who in 2005 and oversaw its cultural renaissance.

With acclaimed shows like A Very English Scandal and It’s A Sin under his belt since then, fans will be hoping he can breathe new life into the decades-old format when he takes back custody of the Tardis next year.

The casting is, of course, significant for other reasons too.

In pretty much every interview since taking up the lead role, Jodie Whittaker has spoken of her joy at interacting with young female fans of the show, who finally see themselves, not as the companion or sidekick, but as the Doctor herself.

There are few other parts like the Doctor: An enthusiastic nerd, a genius, empathic (mostly), a pacifist (sometimes), and always up for an adventure.

And when young black kids tune in each week, for the first time in 60 years they will finally see themselves properly reflected back.