Ncuti Gatwa will take the mantle from Jodie Whittaker on "Doctor Who," the BBC announced Sunday, ending speculation over the iconic Time Lord's next regeneration.
"Sometimes talent walks through the door and it's so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars," returning showrunner Russell T Davies said in the broadcaster's release. "Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds."
Gatwa, whose first name is pronounced 'SHOO-tee, currently stars in Netflix's high school comedy-drama "Sex Education" as the effervescent Eric Effiong, who is openly gay but from a highly religious family.
The Rwanda-born, Scotland-raised Gatwa, 29, will be the first Black actor to helm the quintessential British sci-fi show, but he won't be the first Black Doctor — Jo Martin has played "Fugitive Doctor" in several episodes.
Whittaker became the 13th Doctor — and the first woman to play the central galaxy-hopping, extraterrestrial Time Lord who regenerates into new bodies — in 2017, when she took over from Peter Capaldi. Her last episode of "Doctor Who" is expected to air later this year.
The original run of "Doctor Who" spanned 1963 to 1989. Since the show was revived in 2005, the Doctor has been played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith, in addition to Capaldi and Whittaker. Other stars, like Karen Gillan and Billie Piper, have made their names on the show as the Doctor's "companion."
"This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavor my utmost to do the same," the release quoted Gatwa — who described his emotions as "a mix of deeply honored, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared" — as saying.
In addition to seeing the start of Gatwa's tenure, next year also marks Davies' return to "Doctor Who" after more than a decade's absence.
"Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true," Gatwa said.
The writer and producer ran the reboot until 2009, and has worked on shows like "A Very English Scandal" and "It's A Sin" in the interim. He promises a "spectacular" 2023.
"Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show," Gatwa added.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More