Doctor Who fans are really getting spoiled this year.
The show’s 60th anniversary is almost upon us and celebrations are in full swing. The main attraction for most will be the three 60th anniversary specials, which will star David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and the upcoming Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa. These promise to be an absolute treat—not only will we finally see Tate’s Donna Noble again, but we’ll also be introduced to her daughter, played by Yasmin Finney. But there’s lots of other great stuff coming up too!
Classic Who fans, especially, have reason to celebrate. All the Doctor Who stories from 1963 onwards —apart from An Unearthly Child, which has unfortunately been blocked due to a copyright claim from a right-wing conspiracy theorist—will be available on the BBC’s iPlayer streaming service shortly, as will all the spinoff shows and the 2005-2011 making-of show Doctor Who Confidential. But perhaps you’re brand new to Classic Who and are intimidated by the sheer scale of it. Don’t worry, the BBC has you covered with a documentary to watch before you jump in.
On November 1, BBC4 will air Talking Doctor Who, which covers the stories, characters, and concepts of the earlier Doctor Who years and stars none other than the Tenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. The official synopsis released by the BBC reads:
“As part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who, David Tennant time travels back through the BBC archives to tell the story of the Doctor’s classic era, with a selection of rarely seen interviews and clips covering William Hartnell’s first incarnation right through to the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.
On the way, David compares some of his own experiences with the actors who came before him and shares special archive moments that reveal, amongst other things, how to film a regeneration, which actor was a master of modern gadgetry—including a collapsible caravan—and what the factors were that helped to decide how a Doctor selects his own individual and distinctive costume.”
The biggest Doctor Who fan of all
David Tennant is the perfect person to front this feature! Not only was he the Doctor himself, of course (twice), but he’s also a fan of the show just like the rest of us. Actually, maybe “fan” is underselling it a bit. Tennant has reached levels of fandom that most people can only dream of. He grew up with the series and loved it dearly, even dressing up as the Doctor sometimes using items knitted by his grandmother. (Awww!) He decided at an early age that he wanted to play the Doctor on TV one day and that’s exactly what he did.
That all sounds amazing enough by itself, but there’s more to the story! While filming the episode “The Doctor’s Daughter,” Tennant met, well, the Doctor’s daughter. This was Georgia Moffett, whose dad just so happens to be Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison. The pair fell in love and got married, so now Tennant has a Classic Who actor as his father-in-law as well.
Perhaps Tennant will bring the whole family along for his journey through Who? But even if he doesn’t, it’ll be a great refresher course on what makes the show one of the most popular and beloved television institutions of all time.
(featured image: BBC)
