Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special Trailer Reveals The Return Of David Tennant – And A Release Date
Are you ready for "Doctor Who" to enter its Disney+ era? It still feels pretty damn weird to see the Disney+ Original Specials label (complete with a miniature TARDIS as part of its logo, no less!) in front of a trailer for the British sci-fi staple's incoming trio of 60th anniversary specials, but such are the times we live in. Thankfully, that Mickey Mouse money is looking pretty snazzy on "Who" at the moment, giving the show's set pieces and special effects a little extra shine ... just not so much that a goggled Neil Patrick Harris wielding a cartoonishly large super-gun (and other fantastical visuals that are distinctly Whovian in their ridiculousness) looks out of place.
With Jodie Whittaker's run as the Doctor firmly in the bag, "Doctor Who" is about to undergo one of its traditional regenerations, but with a twist. Before Ncuti Gatwa assumes command of the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor, David Tennant will be making his much-ballyhooed return to the franchise, albeit as the Fourteenth Doctor rather than the Tenth iteration. Confused? That's very much intentional, as a major part of the 60th anniversary specials will involve unraveling the mystery of Tennant's "new" Time Lord in order to pave the way for Gatwa's grand introduction.
Fortunately, thanks to this new trailer (and the press release that came with it), we can now lay at least one "Doctor Who" mystery to rest — that involving the premiere dates for these specials.
Three specials, two Doctors, and a Donna in a pear tree
It's just like the old days, with David Tennant's Doctor leading Donna Temple-Noble (Catherine Tate) in and out of danger at every turn. Wait, what? Yes, the fan-favorite Tenth Doctor's equally-beloved companion is also back for more wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey stuff after the Time Lord wiped her mind clean of even the faintest recollection of their adventures in time and space. And in case you yourself had forgotten why the Doctor even did that, the latest trailer for the upcoming specials features some handy-dandy exposition to bring you back up to speed. "I had to wipe her memory to save her life. Like, if she remembers me, she will die," as the Doctor emphatically puts it part-way through the preview.
Tennant and Tate aren't the only familiar names involved with the next era of "Who." Former showrunner Russell T. Davies (who previously oversaw Christopher Eccleston and Tennant's respective runs as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor) is also back as the head writer and executive producer. Meanwhile, Neil Patrick Harris (an American? In my "Who?" It's more likely than you think.) will be making his debut as the Toymaker (a classic "Who" villain who originated all the way back in the '60s), with Yasmin Finney, Miriam Margolyes, Ruth Madeley, Jacqueline King, Karl Collins, and Jemma Redgrave helping to round out the cast.
The first of these specials, "The Star Beast," will premiere on Disney+ on November 25, 2023, with the second (titled "Wild Blue Yonder") following a week later on December 2 and the third and final one (titled "The Giggle") arriving one week after that on December 9. Allons-y!