However, the first special 'The Star Beast' introduces Donna's teenage daughter Rose Noble (played by trans actress Yasmin Finney), a new character explicitly depicted as transgender and non-binary. Rose's identity is foregrounded through scenes of deadnaming by bullies (referring to her as Jason), family discussions of pronouns, and a plot resolution where the meta-crisis energy is shared because 'Donna was saying binary, Rose was saying nonbinary,' allowing Rose to save the day and expel the power. Davies has publicly highlighted the character's inclusion as part of reflecting society and progressive representation.

The other specials maintain more traditional sci-fi elements with incidental diversity, but the trans subplot in the opening episode drives character arcs and emotional beats beyond organic background presence. Audience reception included BBC complaints labeling the trans inclusion 'inappropriate' and social media backlash accusing the episode of 'woke propaganda,' while critics noted mixed responses to the themes. Ncuti Gatwa's casting as the subsequent Fifteenth Doctor adds further identity-focused casting signals for the franchise transition. These elements qualify as significant modern activist framing integrated into the narrative rather than incidental diversity.