Following the cancellation of Doctor Who’s 2026 Christmas special and the BBC’s decision to put the show out to tender, it’s all but confirmed that the next era will be another big reboot – not in the sense that the show will start over again with the First Doctor, but in the sense that this will likely be the biggest overhaul of Doctor Who since 2005.

Exactly what this next reboot will look like isn’t clear. Who will be writing it? What colour will the logo be? How will the theme tune sound? And who will be playing the Doctor?

Answers to these questions are probably a long way off. But if one thing’s for sure, it’s that when the show eventually returns, there’s going to be a lot riding on it. And there are certain marks it’s going to need to hit in order to be successful...

One of the biggest things that marked the Fifteenth Doctor out from his predecessors was the fact he lacked a regular outfit and would switch-up his appearance in each adventure.

As a result it felt like this Doctor was just a guy wearing clothes rather than an alien with a particular quirk. Russell T Davies wanted to make Fifteen easier to cosplay but he also succeeded in making him the least-iconic Doctor of all time.

Fifteen was far less distinctive, and far less instantly-recognisable, than other incarnations. And some of his outfits (particularly the duffle coat and beanie in 73 Yards) felt pretty un-Doctor-ish.

Given how synonymous past Doctors have been with their clothes, this is undeniably a crucial aspect of the character. Tom Baker hasn’t played the part since 1981, but he's still known as 'the guy with the long scarf'. And Matt Smith will be associated with bow ties for as long as he lives!

A great singular outfit can also inform the character too. Eccleston's dark leather jacket was the perfect reflection of his grittier take on the Doctor, while Whittaker's long flowing coat and pops of colour signalled her joyous, bubbly approach to the role.

Have other outfits every so often of course (like the orange spacesuit), but a regular fit is by far the best approach.

Contributor

Richard Lloyd

Contributor

Doctor Who fan/YouTuber and writer of GO FIGURE, the unofficial guide to Character Options' 5.5" Doctor Who action figures!

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