Skip to main content

The ‘Doctor Who’ 60th Anniversary Specials Have Release Dates!

The 14th Doctor clutches Donna Noble against a black background. They're looking up at something frightening.
Recommended Videos

2023 is going to be a good year for fans of Doctor Who. Why? Because David Tennant is returning to one of his career-defining roles as the quirky, frenetic Time Lord in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials. This three-part series will see Tennant reunite with the Doctor’s old companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as they battle a vintage Who villain, the Toymaker.

Here’s everything we know about the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials!

What’s the plot of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials?

This three-part series draws from some pretty deep Doctor Who history. In the 1960s and ’70s, the BBC erased many of the tapes in its archives in order to clear space for other content. Among those missing episodes are three out of four parts of a story about a villain called the Toymaker.

That original footage might be gone forever, but for now, the Toymaker is returning to the Whoniverse to duke it out with the 14th (previously 10th) Doctor. In the specials, the Doctor regenerates back into their 10th form to find that the Toymaker is attacking Earth. In fighting the Toymaker off, the Doctor will reunite with Donna, whose memory he previously had to wipe in order to save her life.

Who’s in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary cast?

David Tennant will reprise his role as the Doctor, while Catherine Tate will return as Donna. Neil Patrick Harris will play the Toymaker.

Additionally, the specials will feature the return of Jacqueline King as Donna’s mother Sylvia Noble, Karl Collins as Donna’s husband Shaun Temple, and Jemma Redgrave as intelligence agent Kate Stewart. Yasmin Finney stars as Donna’s daughter Rose Temple-Noble, Miriam Margolyes will voice the Meep, and Ruth Madeley will play Shirley Anne Bingham.

Is there a trailer for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials?

Yes! Check out the teaser below:

What’s the release date for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials?

The first special, “The Star Beast,” will air on the BBC and Disney+ on November 25, 2023. The next part, “Wild Blue Yonder,” comes out on December 2, with the final installment, “The Giggle,” dropping on December 9.

(featured image: Disney+)

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author
Julia Glassman
Julia Glassman (she/her) holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and has been covering feminism and media since 2007. As a staff writer for The Mary Sue, Julia covers Marvel movies, folk horror, sci fi and fantasy, film and TV, comics, and all things witchy. Under the pen name Asa West, she's the author of the popular zine 'Five Principles of Green Witchcraft' (Gods & Radicals Press). You can check out more of her writing at <a href="https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/">https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/.</a>

Filed Under:

Follow The Mary Sue:

Exit mobile version