Highlights
- November 23, 2023, marks the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, with special episodes and a new chapter in the Time Lord's life.
- The 60th anniversary specials will feature a strangely familiar new Doctor and a trilogy of hour-long episodes with returning characters.
- The anniversary specials will mark a new partnership between the BBC and Disney, with all-new episodes available on Disney Plus worldwide.
November 23, 2023, marks 60 years since the first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast. Called An Unearthly Child, the 25-minute black-and-white episode aired on the BBC just after 5.15 p.m., starting a global phenomenon that no one could have predicted. Not even the Doctor, the mysterious traveler through time and space the episode introduced. However, in 2023, fans will celebrate the character’s debut and the first dematerialization of their space and time ship, the TARDIS, knowing there are plenty of adventures to come.
As well as being a time to reflect on six decades of the quirky sci-fi show, the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who will be marked by special episodes and the start of a new and exciting chapter in the Time Lord’s life.
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Doctor Who loves an anniversary. Although it wasn’t intended to celebrate the show’s 10th year, 1973’s The Three Doctors set a precedent when it brought together the Time Lord’s first three incarnations. In 1983, the 20th anniversary upped the game with the show’s first special, TheFive Doctors.
Doctor Who was off the air for its 30th and 40th anniversaries but made up for it with a feast of celebrations to mark its golden anniversary in 2023. The Day of the Doctor special brought the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors face to face with the War Doctor and a chance to save their home planet. For the 60th, the occasion will be marked by a trilogy of hour-long episodes released in November and December 2023.
What Are The 60th Anniversary Specials?
While much of the 60th-anniversary celebrations remain a mystery, we know a strangely familiar new Doctor will lead them. When Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor regenerated in autumn 2022, David Tennant emerged looking a lot like the Tenth Doctor he’d played during a hugely successful spell in the TARDIS between 2005 and 2009 (before appearing in The Day of the Doctor). But this is a new incarnation of the Doctor, the Fourteenth, and the mystery of how and why he wears that familiar face will be uncovered across the trilogy of specials:
- The Star Beast
- Wide Blue Yonder
- The Giggle
These hour-long episodes will see Tennant’s Doctor joined by other returning characters, including Catherine Tate's Donna Noble, last seen as a companion in Series 4. Jacqueline King returns as Donna's mother, Sylvia, and Karl Collins as her husband, Shaun. Yasmin Finney will debut as their daughter, Rose.
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What we know in terms of plot is that the first special adapts a 1980 comic strip, as the adorable Meep appears in Donna’s family’s shed, pursued by vicious-looking Wrarth Warriors. The middle special, Wild Blue Yonder, has been called “the secret one” by showrunner Russell T. Davies. All we know is that it will take the Doctor and Donna across the universe and straight into intense hostilities, but the secrecy suggests some surprise appearances to mark the anniversary.
The Giggle wraps up the trilogy by pitting the Doctor against his old foe, the Toymaker, last seen in 1966. We can expect plenty of action, comedy, and drama in the trilogy. Fans last saw Donna when the Doctor erased her memory, knowing that remembering him would cause her death. The Toymaker is a cosmic entity that holds a grudge against the Time Lord, and in an epic finale, we can expect the Fourteenth Doctor’s short era to end with the arrival of the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa.
How & When To Watch The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials
The anniversary specials aren’t just a celebration of Doctor Who. They mark a new partnership between the BBC and Disney that promises to take the franchise on to new levels of global success. Starting with these specials, all-new Doctor Who episodes will be available on Disney Plus worldwide. Fans in the U.S. can watch the new episodes when they are released over three Saturdays, beginning November 25, 2023, at 10.30 am PT/1.30 pm ET (6.30 pm in the UK).
Watch The Star Beast from November 25 on Disney Plus
What Can Fans Expect Next From Doctor Who?
The 60th-anniversary trilogy is the celebration's focal point, but plenty of other Doctor Who merchandise and content are being released into what is now officially branded The Whoniverse. On the anniversary day of November 23, the BBC is premiering the first of their colorizations of classic Doctor Who episodes. The new 75-minute edit of the 1963 serial Doctor Who and the Daleks called The Daleks in Colour will be released on home media in early 2024.
Pre-order The Daleks in Colour on Blu-Ray at AmazonLooking forward, the 60th anniversary specials mark a soft reboot for the franchise. A festive special — the first full-length episode starring Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Mollie Gibson’s companion, Ruby Sunday — is set to join them over the holidays. These four specials will lead into a new series of the show, rebranded as Series 1, and set to air on the BBC and Disney Plus in early 2024.
Can You Watch All Of Doctor Who On Disney Plus?
Doctor Who may enjoy an anniversary, but it also loves to keep things slightly complicated. Fans in the U.S. can watch all episodes beginning with The Star Beast on Disney Plus. However, earlier episodes from the classic and modern series will not be available on the streamer. Adventures featuring the first eight Doctors from 1963 to 1996 can be streamed with a subscription to Britbox.Stream Classic Doctor Who on BritBoxFans can catch up with the 13 series and specials that cover the modern era up to the Fourteenth Doctor’s arrival on Max. This hugely successful run includes the chance to catch up on the complete adventures of David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor.
Stream Modern Doctor Who on MaxThere's no doubt that at the age of 60, Doctor Who is reaching a whole new level. While the anniversary celebrations reveal their secrets on the way to the Fifteenth Doctor grabbing the keys to the TARDIS, it's left to fans to quote the Tenth Doctor: "Allons-y!"