As a part of the franchise’s 60th (!!) anniversary, the team behind Doctor Who is making sure that fans are well-fed with tons of doctor content for the rest of the year. And several more decades too, probably.
David Tennant will return to the series for the first time in exactly a decade (when he came back for a second go of it for the 50th anniversary special), though this time instead of being the Tenth Doctor, he is the Fourteenth Doctor, before Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteen Doctor makes his debut. Where is Matt Smith when you need him? Probably holding out for the 70th anniversary.
Tennant will return alongside Catherine Tate, who is reprising her role of Donna Noble in the new specials, which include three episodes all written by Doctor Who veteran Russell T. Davies. Neil Patrick Harris will make his debut as The Toymaker, a villain who last appeared in the series in 1966, when “streaming” still meant going to look at a nice waterfall.
The specials will begin airing on November 25th on BBC and on Disney+ for those of us who don’t actually live among the British.
What game is the universe playing with the Doctor and Donna?
#DoctorWho returns on 25th November on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer in the UK, and @DisneyPlus in the rest of the world. pic.twitter.com/jK9EmyRS3n
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) November 6, 2023
Finally, the traditional Doctor Who Christmas Special The Church On Ruby Road will air on Christmas Day when Gatwa will make his appearance. This will be the first Doctor Who Christmas broadcast since 2017, back when Peter Capaldi was the titular Doctor. Maybe he’ll come back in 20 years too.