This year, Doctor Who turned 60 years old! However, it still has a long way to go if it wants to catch up to the Doctor himself, who is well into his thousands (or older still). Still, 60 years is nothing to sniff at and should, of course, be celebrated, which is exactly what the BBC is doing with three Doctor Who specials.
These specials see the return of two mainstays of the Doctor Who universe, with David Tennant portraying the Fourteenth Doctor (he played the Tenth Doctor to great acclaim) and Russell T. Davies returning as showrunner. The combination of these two was always going to excite fans, given that their previous work together on the show resulted in a huge resurgence of popularity for the beloved British character. They aren’t the only ones returning, though—Catherine Tate is back as Donna Noble, a former companion of the Doctor, and she has brought her whole family, both old and new, with her.
There are three specials in total, with two already having aired. The first, titled “The Star Beast,” premiered on November 25, and the second, titled “Wild Blue Yonder,” was released on December 2. The third and final special is yet to come, so let’s have a look at what we can expect from the last of this special trilogy and find out when it will crash land on our screens.
What is Doctor Who‘s third 60th anniversary special about?
The third special is titled “The Giggle” and welcomes Hollywood and Broadway legend Neil Patrick Harris in the role of The Toymaker. Though the series is often noted as being the starting point for many famous British actors, such as Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Matt Smith, it does occasionally welcome mega-stars both from home and across the pond. Patrick Harris is one such individual who will be leaving his mark on the famous franchise and appears to be taking on a classic villain role (his work as Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events really appears to be bleeding through here).
This episode marks the end for the specials, but also the Doctor Who of the past two decades, as Davies looks to introduce the next Doctor, played by Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa, as part of an overall “reboot” of the show. At the end of “The Giggle,” Tennant’s Doctor will regenerate once more and transform into Gatwa, who will represent the first openly gay Black Doctor. Gatwa’s Doctor has already been confirmed for two seasons, with Davies reportedly already looking forward to a third and fourth season.
When and where will Doctor Who air?
The third and final installment of Tennant’s return to the role will be released on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K. and simultaneously on Disney+ worldwide on December 9. After a groundbreaking deal was made between the BBC and Disney, the show will move from its past American distributor, ABC, and the new episodes will be broadcast on Disney+ from now on (don’t worry, though, the BBC still has full control over its IP).
(featured image: BBC)
