As ‘Strictly’ kicks off its live shows tonight, the BBC decided it would be the perfect opportunity to drop the hugely anticipated trailer for the ‘Doctor Who‘ 60th Anniversary Specials which premiere this November on BBC One in the UK, and Disney+ internationally.
The new trailer brings with it a number of reveals, along with confirming some news which we already knew or suspected. Firstly, David Tennant appears as the Fourteenth Doctor, alongside Catherine Tate who reprises her role as Donna Noble… And it seems the rather problematic issue of Donna dying if she remembers who the Doctor is will be resolved at some point, but not before number Fourteenth gets smacked in the face by Donna’s mum! Also confirmed is ‘Heartstopper’ actress Yasmin Finney is playing Rose, and she is Donna Noble’s daughter.
The trailer confirms that the legendary Neil Patrick Harris will take the role of the Toymaker, an all-powerful enemy last seen in 1966 – but what is it that brings the Doctor face-to-face with this enemy from his past? We also have the return of UNIT (who have a shiny “Avengers” style tower!) and Jemma Redgrave reprising her iconic role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
We already had been given the titles for the episodes – ‘The Star Beast’, ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ and ‘The Giggle’. However, here we get our first look at Beep the Meep, voiced by the incomparable Miriam Margolyes, a character from the iconic Tom Baker era comicbook.
The 60th Anniversary Specials kick off something of a new era for Doctor Who. Not only is it the return of Russell T Davies, who has taken back the keys to the TARDIS, but he is joined by Bad Wolf, the production company set up by former ‘Who’ execs Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. These are also the first episodes shot under the new international broadcast deal which sees Disney+ screen the drama internationally outside of the UK, and I think it’s fair to say, you can see that extra Disney money being put to good use on screen.
The trailer ends with a shot of Ncuti Gatwa, who takes over the role officially as the Fifteenth Doctor at Christmas 2023. However, that shot rather suggests we are going to see him pop up at some point during the Specials… Presumably, somewhat miffed that Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor has muscled his way into the lineup and delayed his big debut. As to why number Fourteenth has that face, we’ll have to wait until November to find out!
‘Doctor Who‘ returns to screens in November 2023 with Tennant starring in the three specials to coincide with the 60th-anniversary which will premiere exclusively on the BBC for the UK and Ireland. Disney+ will air the series internationally. Ncuti Gatwa then takes over in Christmas 2023 as the Fifteenth Doctor.
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