For a show that centers on a lead character who can regenerate, change is an incredibly important aspect of Doctor Who. Whether that simply be the renewing of the main actor, the beginning of a new showrunner's era, or in fact the full reboot of the series back in 2005, change has always played a pivotal role in why Doctor Who has stayed so beloved for 60 years. That 60th Anniversary is on its way, and Doctor Who never shies from celebrating its birthday, with the now famous 50th Anniversary special seeing David Tennant and Matt Smith team up with some familiar faces to tackle the Zygons and the Time War.

With such a huge anniversary heading the show's way, one may assume that, ideally, there would be some consistency behind the show's production but, alas, with a show that changes as often as Doctor Who, this is not the case. With new writers, composers, producers, editors, and actors all helping take the show in a new direction, there is much anticipation to see how they can pull off a celebratory period as well as a soft reboot of sorts. So, with the eyes of the Doctor Who fandom fixated on any and all news that may be released, here is everything we know about the 60th Anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on November 23.

When and Where Will the 'Doctor Who' 60th Anniversary Specials Be Released?

It was announced some months back that the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who, to fans' delight, would in fact be celebrated with three special episodes. Each of these three specials will see David Tennant make his full return to the titular role (as the Fourteenth Doctor, not the Tenth) and will air to coincide with the show's celebrations. The first special will be airing on November 25, 2023, followed by the second on December 2 and the third on December 9. Additionally, the BBC has announced that the specials will be getting Blu-ray and DVD releases on December 11 in the U.K. Fans in the US and Canada (as well as those in the UK) can pre-order copies now on the BBC's official Doctor Who website.

In the UK, the show has always been available on the BBC. During the show's 21st-century revival, it was available in the US on BBC America, however, with the new era of the show, that is all set to change. Outside the United Kingdom and Ireland, Doctor Who will now be available to watch on Disney+. This is a massive move for Doctor Who and is likely to only increase the viewing figures worldwide. Currently, old episodes of Doctor Who from the current run (which started in 2005) can be watched on Max or, in the UK, on BBC iPlayer.

Watch on Max

Watch the Trailers for the 'Doctor Who' 60th Anniversary Specials

Doctor Who, since its 2005 revival, has made a habit of releasing Christmas or New Year's special episodes. In 2022, there were no confirmed specials for that particular time of year, however, on Christmas Day, the trailer for the next year's 60th celebrations was released. The trailer gives us an instinctive sense of the direction the show will be going in, with high-budget action sequences seeming par for the course now that the show will air on Disney+. Despite Russell T. Davies debunking the rumor that the show would be receiving a budget of £10 million per episode, it is clear that much work has gone into just how cinematic the new series will be. The trailer gives fans a new look at characters, monsters, and even the brand-new logo, with the dawning of a new age for Doctor Who just around the corner.

We got a new trailer for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary on May 13, 2023, which reveals the episode titles. According to the video, the first episode will be called "The Star Beast", followed by "Wild Blue Yonder" and "The Giggle". Watch it here:

The BBC has steadily been releasing new clips from each of the 60th-anniversary specials on the show's Instagram page. Here's the one for the first special:

Here's the clip for the second special, "Wild Blue Yonder":

And finally, here's the clip for the third special, titled "The Giggle":

Additionally, we also have new images from the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, and on September 23, we finally got the official trailer for the anniversary specials.

And for those of you who are most excited about the return of David Tennant to the title role, here's a featurette that goes behind the scenes into the making of that surprise regeneration:

On October 26, with the announcement of the release dates, we got a brand-new official trailer that finally confirms that Neil Patrick Harris will be playing the classic Who villain the Celestial Toymaker. Watch it in the player below!

Who's Making the 'Doctor Who' 60th Anniversary Specials?

Russell T. Davies is the showrunner and will also be writing the 60th Anniversary specials. Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter are credited as executive producers. The 60th Anniversary involves quite a bit of restructuring behind the scenes, with Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter's production company Bad Wolf reportedly taking over creative control of the series from the BBC. The specials are directed by Rachel Talalay (the first special), Tom Kingsley (the second), and Chanya Button (the third).

Who's In the Cast of the 'Doctor Who' 60th Anniversary Specials?

David Tennant and Catherine Tate are going to be reprising their roles as The Doctor and Donna Noble respectively, with Bernard Cribbins filming back in the summer of 2022 as his character Wilfred Mott, and then sadly passing away just weeks later at the age of 93. Other returning faces include Jacqueline King and Karl Collins who are going to be reprising their roles as Donna's mother Sylvia Noble and Donna's husband Shaun Temple respectively.

A new ensemble of actors will also be appearing in the specials, with Ruth Madeley (The Rook) and Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper) being confirmed to play Shirley Ann Bingham and Rose respectively. Finney has confirmed that her character is trans, which is a milestone for the series. While there was a lot of speculation over who this character might be, we now know that the new Rose is in fact Rose Noble, daughter of Donna Noble. Russell T. Davies has also suggested that Rose might stick around in the Whoniverse after the specials, so she's definitely someone to watch out for. Also, it was announced on June 13, 2022, that Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) would be joining the cast to play an unnamed villain, although fans of the show suspect that he may be reviving the role of The Celestial Toymaker, an antagonist made famous in the 1960s classic era of the show (this has now been confirmed). Of course, the most exciting new cast member appearing in the specials is Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), who will be taking over the role of the Doctor from Tennant. Possibly, the series could end with the Fourteenth Doctor regenerating, since Gatwa is set to play the Fifteenth Doctor in the next season of the show.

What Happened Last on 'Doctor Who'?

The changing of the guard in Doctor Who is almost always represented by the regeneration of the main character. At the end of "The Power Of The Doctor", the final episode of showrunner Chris Chibnall's era, fans said goodbye to Jodie Whittaker (Venus) in the title role and watched as she regenerated.

However, despite official confirmation that Ncuti Gatwa would be playing the upcoming incarnation of The Doctor, fans were left stunned as they watched the first female lead actor regenerate into David Tennant, who had formerly played the role's tenth incarnation.

Tennant had previously starred in the series under showrunner Russell T. Davies, who had worked at the helm of the show's 2005 revival and had himself also been announced to return to take over from the aforementioned Chris Chibnall in 2023. It then seemed as if Davies wanted to get the band back together, with Catherine Tate, Bernard Cribbins, and many more cast and crew also being cited to return to the show. This, perhaps, made sense from the perspective of the BBC, with many fans left unhappy with the recent years of the show, and the era of Tennant and Davies previously proving most fruitful.

There were many unanswered questions as Whittaker's time as The Doctor came to an end, with plot threads surrounding the Timeless Child and The Division being left untied. It is unlikely that Davies will choose to openly tackle any of these topics, with the show looking to go in a new direction and fans being left to wonder what might have been.

What Are the 'Doctor Who' 60th Anniversary Specials About?

Of course, with a fandom as large and dedicated as Doctor Who's, any information surrounding the plot of the show is like gold dust. The return of Donna Noble confirms that there will be some answer to her memory being wiped by The Doctor back in 2008. Additionally, we also know that the specials will likely end with the Fourteenth Doctor regenerating into his next incarnation. Here are the plot synopses released for each of the specials, starting with "The Star Beast":

The Doctor is caught in a fight to the death as a spaceship crash-lands in London. But as the battle wreaks havoc, destiny is converging on the Doctor’s old friend, Donna.

And here's the synopsis for "Wild Blue Yonder":

The Tardis takes the Doctor and Donna to the furthest edge of adventure. To escape, they must face the most desperate fight of their lives, with the fate of the universe at stake.

Finally, the synopsis for "The Giggle":

The giggle of a mysterious puppet is driving the human race insane. When the Doctor discovers the return of the terrifying Toymaker, he faces a fight he can never win.