Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials: Everything we know so far

An image of David Tennant as the fourteenth Doctor as featured in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.BBC / Doctor Who

Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary in late 2023 with a series of specials. Here’s everything we know about the anniversary episodes so far, including the teaser trailer, and confirmed cast members.

Beloved British series Doctor Who will continue its reign as the longest-running Sci-Fi show ever by celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023.

The celebrations will be headlined by three special hour-long episodes written by returning showrunner Russell T. Davies (who will remain at the helm for Season 14 and beyond). Fan favorites David Tennant and Catherine Tate will also reprise their roles as The Doctor and Donna Noble.

Here’s all the information we have about the specials so far, including the official teaser and confirmed cast members.

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Contents

An official promotional image of David Tennant as The Doctor from the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.BBC / Doctor Who
David Tennant will reprise his role as The Doctor for the show’s 60th anniversary.

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

There are currently no confirmed release dates for the 60th anniversary specials, however, we do know that they will all air in November 2023.

As soon as official dates are revealed for each episode we’ll make sure to update this page.

Teaser Trailer

Doctor Who’s season thirteen finale, ‘The Power of the Doctor’ confirmed David Tennant’s return in its final scene and was immediately followed by a short 2023 teaser.

On December 25, 2022, an extended version of the teaser was released on YouTube that offered a brief glimpse at new and returning characters including the Fourteenth Doctor, Donna, and Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.

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You can check out the full teaser below:

Cast members

The following cast members have been confirmed to appear in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials:

  • David Tennant as The Fourteenth Doctor
  • Catherine Tate as Donna Temple-Noble
  • Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott
  • Yasmin Finney as Rose Temple-Noble
  • Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble
  • Karl Collins as Shaun Temple
  • Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne Bingham
  • Neil Patrick Harris in an unknown role
  • Ncuti Gatwa as The Fifteenth Doctor
  • Ronak Patani as Major Singh

Doctor Who 60th anniversary plot details

Plot details for the special episodes are understandably being kept tightly under wraps but we do know that it will feature the reunion of The Doctor and Donna and that Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will be involved in some capacity before taking over for Season 14.

One small detail the teaser did reveal was the first on-screen appearance of Beep the Meep – a beloved alien character who debuted in the Doctor Who comics during the 1980s. This adorable creature isn’t quite as cuddly as it looks, however – according to official comic lore Beep is a world conquerer who leads the fearsome Meep Armada.

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That’s everything we know about Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials so far! For more TV content, check our upcoming hubs below:

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