Iconic Sci-Fi Series Nabs Early 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score With 41st Season

It’s hard to keep a good Time Lord down. Doctor Who has been through 40 seasons, 15 Doctors, and dozens of companions—yet it somehow manages to keep getting better.

While the 15th season of the revival series (and 41st season overall) won’t air until April 12, it’s already getting some pretty stellar reviews. Enough to earn it a perfect, and rare, 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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It’s a major compliment to Ncuti Gatwa, who began playing the fifteenth incarnation of The Doctor, a.k.a. The Fifteenth Doctor, in 2024. The actor’s first season as The Doctor, which was the first season to air on Disney+ in the U.S., earned an impressive 94% rating from critics on the aggregated review site, while fans were less enthusiastic; it received a 30% rating from more than 1,000 ratings.

Though the new season has yet to premiere for audiences, a handful of critics have seen it and given it overwhelmingly positive reviews, leading to its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.

Perhaps Inverse’s Hoai-Tran Bui sums up the new season best when she wrote:

“Where the show seemed to be uncertain of its audience and tone in the previous season, Season 2 charges confidently ahead, experimenting with form and social commentary in bold, exciting new ways. 'The Robot Revolution' might be a typically silly and goofy episode of Doctor Who, but it feels fresh because of how the pieces—from the actors to the plot twists—all come together in unexpected ways. It really does make it feel like we’re on the cusp of a revolutionary new era for Doctor Who.”

It’s not the first time critics have been suitably impressed by the legendary sci-fi series. Since the show was rebooted in 2005, virtually every new season (save the very first one, featuring Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor) has scored an equally impressive 100 percent, particularly the seasons featuring David Tennant or Matt Smith as The Doctor. Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker didn’t seem to fare as well. 

Gatwa, however, seems to be bringing back some of the old magic (a sonic screwdriver will do that for you).