It is not that any Nigerian of the eighties generation has an exclusive affinity with the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who as others born after this era are also privileged to understand its enormous impact – it is the fact that after 62 years of broadcast, the show would be capturing Lagos, which, for the deep followers, equals an extreme moment of excitement.

A new episode on Saturday, 10 May 2025, via Disney Plus, had long been anticipated by who could be described as an eternal fan of the programme – the 44-year-old Adesoji Kukoyi. I was watching last week’s episode with my wife, and the preview [for the following week] said: ‘Welcome to Lagos, Nigeria’. I screamed like a little girl!

This infatuation that Mr. Kukoyi described in an interview with the BBC News had been with him since he was a child in 1980s Nigeria. It was a time when the public stations in the country still cared to showcase entertainment coming from the country of a former colonial power.

It is partly down to the scriptwriter, Inua Ellams, that the show has arrived in Lagos, and it is thought to be long overdue.

The Nigerian-born poet, playwright and performer who was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to the arts had wondered why the Doctor Who character, who is expected to be vast in travel, had not visited Africa all these decades of projecting scientific phenomenon to the viewers.

Since 2023, there has been an effort to correct this lack of coverage by casting someone of African descent who would be able to bring new journeys to the screen. This is being reflected by the Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa.

Talking to the BBC ahead of the episode picturing Lagos, the scriptwriter Ellams had been able to confirm that Ncuti Gatwa [who plays the Doctor], being an actor of African descent, means that we can tell new stories with the Doctor and negotiate in different spaces because of his appearance.

He says that this is the brilliance of the show – every Doctor creates new opportunities to tell new stories in different ways.

Despite the tweaks, it is still early days if interest from the young generation is to be measured. Ever devoted Doctor Who fan tends to want to catch his favourite show alongside his family, but he hasn’t been noticing the same level of attraction in the members, especially his young daughters.

Maybe, revamping the Doctor Who character to project a modern African both in terms of fashion and thinking might stir the waters and drive in youthful curiosity.

When viewers eventually catch the latest Doctor Who episode showing a Lagos marketplace, what would they find?

The Story & The Engine

The latest Doctor Who episode, titled “The Story & The Engine,” takes the Doctor to Lagos, Nigeria, marking the first time in the show’s 62-year history that an episode is primarily set in Africa.

At the Lagos marketplace scene, the episode, written by Inua Ellams, showcases vibrant snapshots of Lagos life, including a bustling market filled with colourful stalls and energetic traders.

After this is a barber shop, central to the storyline, where the Doctor encounters the mysterious barber, played by Ariyon Bakare, another actor of Nigerian descent who has played roles in The Secret Laughter of Women (1999), which featured the actress Joke Silva.

This time out, a monstrous creature, speculated to be Anansi, the legendary spider from West African folklore, spurs the wheel of imagination in the viewers.

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In this episode, the Doctor’s arrival in Lagos is tied to a deeper mystery—men have gone missing, and something vast and hungry is demanding to be fed. The episode explores time-bending cultural ancestral collisions, blending sci-fi with African mythology.

For longtime fans like Adesoji Kukoyi, who grew up watching Doctor Who in 1980s Nigeria, this episode is a dream come true. With Ncuti Gatwa as the first Black actor of African descent to lead the series, Doctor Who is finally embracing new storytelling opportunities that reflect diverse cultures.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.