Happy birthday, Doctor Who! 2023 marks 60 years since the Doctor first stepped out of his TARDIS and onto our screens. The immortal sci-fi institution has changed so much since its black-and-white beginnings in 1963, evolving from a cheaply made children’s educational program to a globally popular franchise. Its incoming anniversary is set to celebrate the series in all its forms in the best possible way, then, by drawing together its past, present, and future.
While 2013’s 50th anniversary special was celebrated with one feature-length special, the 60th will be marked with a whole trio of specials. It’s traditional for Doctor Who anniversary outings to bring back old Doctors, but the USP of the 60th is that David Tennant is back… as the current Doctor! When Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteen regenerated at the end of 2022, she transformed back into Tennant, meaning he’s now playing the Fourteenth Doctor. As for why that’s happened, we’ll have to watch the specials to find out.
Until then, here’s everything we know so far about what is sure to be an unmissable, game-changing Whoniverse event that’ll launch the next 60 years in style.
Who’s in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials?
As said above, David Tennant is the star of the three 60th specials in the role of the Fourteenth Doctor. In addition, he’ll be joined by Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Appearing throughout Tennant’s original tenure as the Tenth Doctor, Tate’s Donna is easily one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history, with Tennant and Tate’s chemistry being legendary, so to have them share the screen again after 13 years is enough of a treat on its own.
And yet the specials have even more going for them than just that. Neil Patrick Harris, surely one of the revived series’ most high-profile guest stars ever, is on villain duty, playing the Toymaker, a vastly powerful character not seen in Doctor Who since 1966. Speaking of diving deep into the lore, the specials will also adapt obscure characters introduced in Marvel’s Doctor Who comics from the 1980s — the Wrarth Warriors and, more notably, the adorable Beep the Meep, voiced by Harry Potter actress Miriam Margoyles.
With Tate back, Donna’s family will also feature in the specials, as Jacqueline King returns as Donna’s mother Sylvia Noble, as does Karl Collins as her husband, Shaun. Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney, meanwhile, is joining the cast as Donna’s daughter, Rose Temple-Noble — no doubt named after Billie Piper’s iconic Rose Tyler. The much-missed Bernard Cribbins, who played Donna’s fan-favorite granddad Wilf, also had a small role, recorded prior to his death. Jemma Redgrave is likewise on board as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, who has met every Doctor since Matt Smith.
Last but not least, Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor is only due to last through these three episodes as we already know Sex Education veteran Ncuti Gatwa is our Fifteenth Doctor. The Barbie alum has been used sparingly in the trailers, so we can expect him to have some kind of presence before his era truly begins with the Christmas 2023 special.
Who’s making the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials?
Starting with these specials, Russell T. Davies is stepping back into the role of Doctor Who showrunner. Davies, who most recently worked on 2021’s acclaimed miniseries It’s a Sin, previously steered the show from its revival in 2005 to Tennant’s exit in 2010. So it’s no surprise that he’s immediately brought Tennant back for this grand birthday bash. Davies has likewise rehired his two past Who collaborators, producers Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson, to make the show with him once again.
Meanwhile, the three specials are directed, in chronological order, by Rachel Talalay (Tank Girl), Tom Kingsley (Ghosts), and Chanya Button (World on Fire). While Kingsley and Button are newcomers to the Whoniverse — although Button’s experience as an assistant director on Harry Potter will likely come in handy — Talalay already directed seven of the most well-regarded episodes of the Peter Capaldi era. These earned her a strong reputation with fans as the person behind some of the show’s best-looking episodes, so it’s a big bonus that Talalay is back to kick off this new era.
What’s the plot of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials?
To start with, the titles of the three specials are as follows: “The Star Beast,” “Wild Blue Yonder,” and “The Giggle.” Although no specific synopses have been released at the time of writing, we can piece together a rough idea of the plot of each one thanks to what we’ve seen in the trailers, and also the first episode’s source material.
“The Star Beast” promises to be a relatively close adaptation of the 1980 comic Doctor Who and the Star Beast in which a young girl called Sharon discovers an innocent-looking alien who has crashlanded in her hometown… but appearances can be deceiving. Sharon was the first Black companion of the Doctor’s in any medium so it’s quite meaningful that this screen adaptation replaces her with Rose, the show’s first trans companion.
“Wild Blue Yonder,” meanwhile, is slightly harder to pin down but it appears to be a slightly more traditional Doctor Who adventure as the reunited Doctor and Donna have landed on some kind of spacecraft — a spacecraft so terrifying that the TARDIS disappears, leaving the pair stranded. Somehow, Donna has her memories restored by this special, which is a huge deal considering the Doctor was forced to wipe her mind to save her life in 2008’s “Journey’s End.”
Lastly, “The Giggle” looks to be where Harris’ Toymaker really makes his mark. Achieving some kind of control over the human race, the Doctor allies with his old friends at U.N.I.T. (basically, Doctor Who‘s answer to S.H.I.E.L.D.) to defeat him. The trailer shows the Doctor more fraught with fear than ever, even warning Donna that he might not be able to save her this time, so the stakes have truly never been higher.
When do the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials release?
The BBC has yet to announce special releases dates for the three specials but we know we can look forward to them dropping over the course of November. As Doctor Who premiered on our screens on November 23 1963, presumably the final special will arrive around that date. With any luck, the show will be restored to its traditional Saturday slot, after controversially relocating to Sundays during the Jodie Whittaker era. Whenever they do premiere, the specials will also stream internationally on Disney Plus.