Theory:Timeline - Fifteenth Doctor

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This page lists appearances of the Fifteenth Doctor in the order in which they experienced them. This timeline is based upon observations of the Doctor Who universe and the events that occur during each of these stories. From these observations we have attempted to build a concise timeline. It is assumed that for each novel, comic, audio or television series, their published, broadcast or numbered order is the order they occur in.

The layout of this timeline is in part based on the observations on Doctor Who - The Complete Adventures, as well as Lance Parkin's AHistory and other sources that allow us to make observations, such as Doctor Who Reviews, and Clive Banks databanks. None of these sources should be used solely as a source or considered a "true" timeline for stories.

Limiting factors

The short story First Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["First Day of the Doctor (short story)"] features a piece of the first page from the Fifteenth Doctor's diary, in which it can be seen that he wrote about the events of The Giggle [+]Loading...["The Giggle (TV story)"] and The Church on Ruby Road [+]Loading...["The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)"] as the first adventures he experienced, leaving little to place in the gap between the two television episodes.

Timeline

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Prefixes Validity Source Type Series Publisher
TVTV
PROSEPROSE
AUDIOAUDIO
COMICCOMIC
WCWC
HOMEVIDHOMEVID
GAMEGAME
GRAPHICGRAPHIC
POEMPOEM
STAGESTAGE
NOTVALIDNOTVALID
NOTCOVEREDNOTCOVERED 		ValidValid
InvalidInvalid
Not CoveredNot Covered
UnreleasedUnreleased 		ParodiesParodies
TrailersTrailers
PoemsPoems
NovelisationsNovelisations 		Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who TV seriesDoctor Who TV series
Virgin New AdventuresVirgin New Adventures
Virgin Missing AdventuresVirgin Missing Adventures
BBC Eighth Doctor AdventuresBBC Eighth Doctor Adventures
BBC Past Doctor AdventuresBBC Past Doctor Adventures
Big Finish's Main RangeBig Finish's Main Range
Big Finish's Eighth Doctor AdventuresBig Finish's Eighth Doctor Adventures
Faction ParadoxFaction Paradox
AnnualsAnnuals
DWM ComicsDWM Comics
DWA ComicsDWA Comics
Titan backup stripsTitan backup strips
Iris WildthymeIris Wildthyme
The Brenda and Effie MysteriesThe Brenda and Effie Mysteries
Lethbridge-StewartLethbridge-Stewart
TorchwoodTorchwood
Sarah Jane AdventuresSarah Jane Adventures
ClassClass
Time Lord VictoriousTime Lord Victorious
Doom's DayDoom's Day
Dr. MenDr. Men
Doctor Who: Lockdown!Doctor Who: Lockdown!
P.R.O.B.E.P.R.O.B.E. 		BBCBBC
Big FinishBig Finish
BBVBBV
Virgn BooksVirgn Books
IDWIDW
Titan ComicsTitan Comics
PolystylePolystyle
MarvelMarvel
PaniniPanini
Target BooksTarget Books
Mad Norwegian PressMad Norwegian Press
Obverse BooksObverse Books
Metal Mutt ProductionsMetal Mutt Productions
SnowbooksSnowbooks
Candy Jar BooksCandy Jar Books
Arcbeatle PressArcbeatle Press
Self-publishedSelf-published
OtherOther
Entry Type
REFERENCEREFERENCE • FLASHBACKFLASHBACK • FRAMING DEVICEFRAMING DEVICE • SEGMENTSEGMENT • PROLOGUEPROLOGUE • EPILOGUEEPILOGUE • NOTENOTE • LETTERLETTER • DIARY ENTRYDIARY ENTRY • POSTCARDPOSTCARD • CONJECTURECONJECTURE • CAMEOCAMEO

A fresh start

The Fifteenth Doctor is spawned from the Fourteenth Doctor when the Toymaker triggers a bi-generation, co-existing with his previous self as a result. As his prize for helping defeating the Toymaker in a game of catch the ball, the Fifteenth Doctor uses the Toymaker's lingering influence on the universe to seemingly duplicate the TARDIS as well, so he can resume his travels whilst the Fourteenth Doctor enters "rehab" on Earth with the Noble family to allow himself to heal from the various traumas he had endured in his travels.
The Doctor decides on his new attire. Although never explicitly stated to be the fifteenth incarnation, the Doctor is given a physical description that coincidentally matches that of Ncuti Gatwa, and has a chest containing items owned by each known incarnation par the War Doctor, including a handbag presumably owned by the female incarnation from The Death List, thus implicating setting the poem's incarnation to be the one that follows her, with authorial intent being that The Death List featured the then upcoming Thirteenth Doctor.[1] Furthermore, Contents ends with the Doctor choosing to wear sturdy boots and a new hat, items of clothing featured in the Fifteenth Doctor in promotional material for Series 14.
The Doctor thinks ahead to the new adventures and friends he will have with his "new face", as well as the "pantheon" of enemies he will face, setting this shortly after The Giggle.

Early travels with Ruby

The Doctor is joined on his travels by Ruby Sunday after they stop the Goblin King eating Ruby's foster sister in December 2023.
Follows on directly from The Church on Ruby Road. The Doctor begins travelling with Ruby Sunday. The Doctor mentions that the TARDIS controls are still new, setting this shortly after The Giggle.
(DIARY ENTRY)
The Doctor writes in his diary about the events of The Giggle and The Church on Ruby Road, implying that the two adventures happen in close proximity to each other. (PROSE: First Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["First Day of the Doctor (short story)"])
(FLASHBACK)
The Doctor promises to Carla that he will keep Ruby safe on their travels. (TV: Rogue [+]Loading...["Rogue (TV story)"])
Although Ruby estimates her time is now June or July 2024, which would set this approximately six months after she began travelling with the Doctor at Christmas, authorial intent establishes that temporal drift is confusing her perception of time, and that six months have not passed. [2] The Doctor explains to Ruby about the Pantheon and the vast powers from beyond the universe in detail for the first time when they encounter Maestro in 1963 London.
The Doctor takes Ruby on a trip to 2424 Manchester. She encounters teleportation for the first time, suggesting a setting early in her travels.
  • TV: Untitled [+]Loading...{"noital":"1","1":"Untitled 2 (May 2024 TV story)","2":"Untitled"}
The Doctor is impatient about an adventure that will happen in three days time.
  • GAME: Fragmented Cosmos [+]Loading...["Lost in Time (video game)/Fragmented Cosmos (episode)","Fragmented Cosmos"]
The Doctor and Ruby visit what appears to be a space station or platform.
  • GAME: In Loving Memory [+]Loading...["Lost in Time (video game)/In Loving Memory (episode)","In Loving Memory"]
The Doctor and Ruby have met a Navatrix before, setting this after Fragmented Cosmos. The story ends with them heading to visit a star.
  • GAME: Wish Upon a Star [+]Loading...["Lost in Time (video game)/Wish_Upon_a_Star_(episode)","Wish Upon a Star"]
Follows on from Fragmented Cosmos.
  • TV: Boom [+]Loading...["Boom (TV story)"]
The Doctor and Ruby visit the planet Kastarion 3, where they encounter the Anglican Marines. This is Ruby's first visit to an alien planet.
The Doctor and Ruby travel to Wonder Central and the Deep Space Zone. As Ruby is on an alien planet, this sets the story after Boom.
Ruby claims that she hasn't known the Doctor for long, setting this early in their travels together. The Doctor and Ruby visit Wales on 9 November 2024 (according to the novelisation), only for the Doctor to stand on a fairy circle and disappear from existence. Ruby then lives out her entire existence in an alternate timeline, being followed by a mysterious old woman at precisely 73 yards. On her death bed, the old woman visits her, dragging her back through time, reverting the timeline by stopping the fairy circle from being broken. Ruby recognises a character played by Susan Twist for the first time, though only in the alternate timeline.

Continued travels with Ruby

The Doctor and Ruby are concerned about falling snow and a memory of the past chasing them into the future. The Doctor notes that the TARDIS has been upset lately, once again recognising the mysterious groan, which Ruby is also familiar with, setting this after The Devil's Chord. Ruby sees wolves up close for the first time. Ruby appears to answer a distress call for the first time in her travels with the Doctor. She also learns that aliens have been landing on Earth for centuries, suggesting a setting before Sting of the Sasquatch. Ruby has never seen the time vortex.
Ruby visits an alien planet, which she has done numerous times by this point, setting this after Boom. Ruby indicates that she joined the Doctor's company recently but has had her eyes opened to the wonders of the universe. She is also aware of the TARDIS translation circuits, setting this after Everyone Must Go. She recalls having sung to kings, held space Babies, shouted at ambulances, and outrun a Shreek.
Ruby visits an alien planet, setting this after Boom. She encounters ghosts for the first time in her travels with the Doctor. The Doctor and Ruby briefly encounter "Susan Twist" and for a moment, Ruby thinks she recognises her from somewhere before shrugging the thought away, suggesting a setting before Dot And Bubble.
Ruby recalls visiting an alien planet, setting this after Boom. Ruby is excitable about being the first one to open the TARDIS doors and is still getting used to "saving the world business", suggesting a setting early in her travels. She recognises "Susan Twist", much like she did in 73 Yards, but is unable to pinpoint why she seems familiar, suggesting a setting before Dot and Bubble.
The Doctor and Ruby visit Finetime where they attempt to lead Lindy Pepper-Bean to safety when the colony comes under attack. Both the Doctor and Ruby recognise Penny Pepper-Bean as being the face of the ambulance on Kastarion 3 in Boom. Ruby claims to have learned to trust the Doctor "a while back" and that he has saved her life "so many times", suggesting a setting later in their travels together.
Presumably set during Dot and Bubble, though the exact placement is hard to define: the Doctor is still attempting to get Lindy's attention, but he is already aware that the Mantraps are consuming Finetimers alphabetically. The Doctor also states that it is "too late" for those whose surnames begin with A or B, which would suggest a setting before the beginning of the episode, by which point the Mantraps have already picked off Finetimers up to at least the letter F.
Also set during Dot and Bubble, one potential event that occurs is the Doctor saving the N's.
  • TV: Rogue [+]Loading...["Rogue (TV story)"]
The Doctor refers to Ruby as his best friend and meets Rogue for the first time.
Set during Rogue, the Doctor is briefly caught in a timeline shift caused by the Chuldurs' activity.
Ruby has been travelling with the Doctor "for a while". She learns about the Shadow Proclamation for the first time. She visits Brighton for the first time since she was a kid and discovers that the TARDIS can fly on its own. Ruby is familiar with the TARDIS translation circuits, setting this after Everyone Must Go! and expects it to translate for animals too, setting this after Caged.
The Doctor and Ruby visit 19th century Copenhagen and meet Hans Christian Andersen. Ruby is taken to what seems to be an alternate Faroe Islands by the Snedronningen.
Ruby wonders if "smashing up that sloop" put the TARDIS settings out of wack, setting this directly after The Hans of Fear. The Chuldur leader is seen among Ruby's memories, placing these stories after Rogue.
Ruby recalls encountering alien cosplayers, setting this after Rogue. The Doctor is actively searching for Ruby's mother during their travels.
The Doctor and Ruby, albeit briefly, visit various alien worlds, suggesting a setting after Boom. Ending directly into Everyone Must Go!
Ruby encounters the Cybermen for the first time, and although she is familiar with the fact that the TARDIS translates, she doesn’t appear to know specifically how it works. The Doctor identifies the Scream Sommelier as a being from beyond the universe where the rules are different, and that he has encountered beings like that once or twice before, setting this after The Devil's Chord. The Doctor recalls encountering the Chuldurs, setting this after Rogue. The Scream Sommelier warns the Doctor that the One Who Waits is coming, and the Doctor sees "Susan Twist" again, who they’ve seen "loads of times" before. The Doctor decides that UNIT might be able to help figure out who she is, leading directly into The Legend of Ruby Sunday.

Running from Sutekh

While investigating the many appearances of Susan Triad throughout their travels, the Doctor and Ruby spring a trap by Sutekh. Ruby meets Melanie Bush, Kate Stewart and Rose Noble for the first time and she also learns about regeneration for the first time.
Follows directly from The Legend of Ruby Sunday. After defeating Sutekh, the Doctor and Ruby meet her birth mother and agree to part company so Ruby can focus on her family.
Set during Empire of Death. While travelling in the Remembered TARDIS, the Doctor tells Ruby about his first encounter with Sutekh, setting this after The Legend of Ruby Sunday.

Solo adventures

The Fifteenth Doctor[3] attempts to help the Eleventh Doctor save Nora Wicker from a time bubble with his sonic screwdriver, but she stops them.
(PHOTOGRAPH)
The Doctor is photographed sometime prior to 5 March 2005. (PROSE: Rose [+]Loading...{"ed":"2023 Illustrated Edition","1":"Rose (novelisation)"})
The Doctor is alone and appears familiar with Maestro, setting this after The Devil’s Chord.


Next known page: Merlin

Currently unplaced

These entries are placed here either due to being part of ongoing storylines that have yet to offer sufficient enough evidence to be placed in a specific part of this Doctor's timeline, unless further evidence arises in the stories to come, or due to being released early in this Doctor's tenure, and not having sufficient enough evidence to be placed in any chapter of this Doctor's run.


The Doctor's TARDIS, now painted pink, is seen on the bank of the River Thames in the 2020s.
The Doctor materialises his TARDIS in Wolf Studios and confronts Jason Quinn, Richard Atkinson and Mike Jones. Given the meta-fictional nature of the story, such as the inclusion of the then-current total number of issues of Doctor Who Magazine, this story is likely set near the events of Mancopolis.

Awaiting placement

These entries are placed here until a suitable position in the timeline can be determined based on the available evidence.
The Doctor arrives in 2023 with an unnamed companion, presumably Ruby. After he gets separated from his companion, he defeats the Spikemaster, and proposes taking his companion to Cardiff when they reunite.
The Doctor goes on Match of the Day in the future. Potentially follows Wonder Chase, as the Doctor would have met Gary Lineker at Wonder Central.
  • TV: Untitled [+]Loading...{"noital":"1","1":"Untitled 1 (May 2024 TV story)","2":"Untitled"}
The Doctor does a continuity announcement for BBC One, likely around the same time as his appearance on Match of the Day.

Quotes


Footnotes

  1. ↑ https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-09-12/russell-t-davies-hid-secret-references-to-jodie-whittakers-doctor-in-his-new-doctor-who-book-before-she-was-even-revealed/
  2. ↑ No, that's meant to be... that's complicated. I mean, I can see that no one in the audience would ever get this! I'm trying to explain how Sarah Jane is clearly from the 1970s and yet in "Pyramids Of Mars" she says she's from the 1980s. So I'm trying to establish some sort of temporal drift as you go into the TARDIS. There's not a six-month gap there. No one else but a Doctor Who discourse would ever think six months had passed. - Russell T Davies SFX 379
  3. ↑ https://twitter.com/ellingtonelms/status/1609942402990575625
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