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A 'Rose' by any other name? Doctor Who’s next season will feature Yasmin Finney as a new Rose
A mysterious new character… with a suspiciously familiar name.
The TARDIS is making room for a new Time Lord and, it’s turning out, new characters and cast members as Doctor Who climbs aboard for its upcoming 14th season. Fresh off tapping Ncuti Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor, BBC has landed trans actress Yasmin Finney to play a mysterious character whom showrunner Russell T. Davies is teasing, at least for now, only as “another Rose.”
Finney, known for her portrayal of Elle Argent in the comics-based Netflix teen series Heartstopper, will land in a role that bears a super-familiar name to longtime Doctor Who fans. But Davies’ cryptic hint as to her place in the Who-verse leaves us guessing at whether the new character has ties with longtime Doctor Who traveling companion Rose Tyler (played in earlier seasons by Billie Piper).
“Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose?” Davies said in a statement quoted by Variety. “You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set. We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world — and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!”
Finney joins Gatwa as the new season warps toward next year’s premiere, with a planned debut timed to coincide with the iconic sci-fi series’ 60th anniversary. Gatwa replaces outgoing star Jodie Whittaker as the Fourteenth Doctor, who’s set to make her final TARDIS trip later this year in a still-untitled special (though you can check out its teaser here.)
David Tennant (aka the Tenth Doctor) and his past costar Catherine Tate (aka traveling companion Donna Noble) are also slated to turn up for the series’ 60th anniversary to “reunite for the battle of a lifetime,” as Tennant teased alongside their comeback announcement earlier this month.
Beyond the 2023 premiere date, there’s no specific word yet on when Gatwa, Finney, and the rest of the new-look cast will embark on fresh time journeys through the Who-verse. But Finney sounds like a fired-up fan at the thought of boarding one of science fiction’s most enduring franchises.
“If anyone would have told 8-year-old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them,” Finney said of her upcoming Doctor Who adventure, via Variety. “This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell, has not only made my year, it’s made my life. I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get ready.”
If you're looking for more time travel fun in the meantime, Quantum Leap is airing Fridays on SYFY as part of SYFY Rewind, while NBC has a revival of Quantum Leap coming this fall.
