Children in Need Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC . Donations are usually collected during telethons in November . The BBC often commissions special episodes or other productions to air during this time . " Doctor Who " has had a long association with Children in Need , and has produced no less than five original productions ( four storyline - related , one concert ) aired as part of the annual appeal . The first and most extravagant of these was the ninety - minute special episode " The Five Doctors " . It aired in November 1983 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the series , which also coincided with that year ' s Children in Need Appeal . In 1993 , a two - part " mini - story " , " Dimensions in Time " , was broadcast . It was introduced by a short skit with Jon Pertwee in character as the Third Doctor and Noel Edmonds . " Dimensions in Time " was a crossover with another popular series , " EastEnders " . It was originally broadcast in 3 - D but could be seen without special 3 - D glasses . All surviving Doctors ( including Tom Baker ) and many of the surviving companions appeared in this pastiche written by John Nathan - Turner , which asked viewers to choose which " EastEnders " character would " save the day " in the second episode . The special , produced to mark the programme ' s thirtieth anniversary in lieu of the cancelled " The Dark Dimension " , was not well received by some fans . Ten years later in 2003 , when " Doctor Who " was announced to return , Children in Need featured a special " Dead Ringers meets Doctor Who " written by Nev Fountain , starring Jon Culshaw , Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy as the Fourth , Sixth and Seventh Doctors , with John Leeson reprising the voice of K9 and Culshaw ' s Dead Ringers co - star Jan Ravens portraying Anne Robinson alongside a Sontaran , a Cyberman and a Sea Devil . The prize was the chance to appear in the forthcomming revived series . After the first and only round , the Doctor ( which one is unknown although the camera angle and lighting seemed aimed at Baker ) was the strongest link and all of the monsters were described as the weakest link . During the vote off , the Fourth Doctor voted for one of ' his ' fellow incarnations ( which one is also unknown ) and had a dispute with K9 over voting for him , thanks to the assistance of the Sixth Doctor writing for him , but ultimately the Sontaran was voted off . At the end of the sketch , the Seventh Doctor tried to appeal for the Sontaran to not get voted off , but to no avail as Robinson decided that none of the contestants ( even the Doctors ) were worthy of a place in the returning show . Since the revival of the series in 2005 , " Doctor Who " has twice presented mini - episodes for Children in Need . The first , known variously as the Pudsey Cutaway or , simply , " Children in Need Special " , aired in November 2005 and served to introduce audiences to David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor , providing a link between the end of " The Parting of the Ways " and " The Christmas Invasion " . Later it would be given the more relevant title : " Born Again " . For 2006 , the series presented a special televised concert of music from the series ( which was later condensed into a special episode of " Doctor Who Confidential " ) . In 2007 , another mini - episode was produced to link " Last of the Time Lords " and " Voyage of the Damned " : " Time Crash " . It was a milestone production for the series revival . It featured the return of Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor , making it the first multi - Doctor story of the revived series . For the 2008 appeal , there was insufficient time for the production team to prepare an original production ( according to Russell T Davies writing in " Doctor Who Magazine " ) , although there were subsequent media rumours of a potential reunion of the surviving Doctors . Ultimately , the show ' s contribution consisted of the pre - credits teaser from the upcoming Christmas special , " The Next Doctor " . In early 2009 , Davies , writing again in DWM , hinted about the possibility of a further mini - episode being produced for the 2009 appeal . Ultimately , this did not occur ; instead , a " specially packaged " preview clip from TV : " The End of Time " was announced for broadcast during the 20th November appeal . For 2010 , a preview of the Christmas Special " A Christmas Carol " was shown . The 2011 event saw an original scene featuring the Eleventh Doctor and written by Steven Moffat broadcast alongside a preview for the Christmas special " The Doctor , the Widow and the Wardrobe " . Unlike past CIN scenes , however , this one is not canonical as it features the Eleventh Doctor addressing viewers as he launches an online auction of his costume and then makes direct reference to the preview . In 2012 , both a prequel and trailer for the forthcoming Christmas Special were shown . The prequel was entitled " The Great Detective " , and both were introduced by Matt Smith and Jenna - Louise Coleman . In 2013 , a preview of " The Day of the Doctor " was shown . In 2014 , a preview of " Last Christmas " was shown . In 2016 , a preview was shown as well as the new story " Looking for Pudsey " which features the Twelfth Doctor . Note : The Doctor Who group , Hyde Fundrasiers , raised money for Children in Need and other charities throughout the year .