Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials

The Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials are threeDoctor Who 60th anniversary trailer - Merry Christmas and a very Happy Who Year - 25 December 2022 - BBC News - Retrieved 25 December 2022 upcoming episodes of the revived series of Doctor Who. It will be a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the show and franchise as a whole. They are expected to air on 23 November 2023.Doctor Who 60th anniversary: Release date speculation, cast, news - Patrick Cremona - 18 May 2022 - Radio Times - Retrieved 31 May 2022
== Cast ==
* Ncuti Gatwa as The DoctorDavid Tennant is the Doctor! - 23 October 2022 - Doctor Who TV - Retrieved 24 October 2022
*David Tennant as The Doctor
* Catherine Tate as Donna Noble
* Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott
* Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble
* Karl Collin as Shaun Temple
* Yasmin Finney as Rose
*? as Beep the Meep
*Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne BinghamMerry Christmas, gang! #DoctorWho - Ruth Madeley @ruth_madeley - 25 December 2022 - Twitter - Retrieved 25 December 2022Welcome Shirley Anne Bingham! - Doctor Who @bbcdoctorwho - 25 December 2022 - Twitter - Retrieved 25 December 2022
== Production ==
=== Pre-Production ===
==== Writing ====
Upon the announcement that Chris Chibnall was being replaced by former showrunner Russell T Davies, it was simultaneously confirmed that the new showrunner would introduce both a new Doctor and be writing the 60th anniversary special.Russell T Davies to return as Doctor Who showrunner - Doctor Who TV - Retrieved 5 November 2021
Following this announcement, it was later confirmed that the BBC had given up creative control of the series.BBC Has Lost Creative Control Of Doctor Who For Season 14 & Beyond - Thomas Bacon - 1 November 2021 - ScreenRant - Retrieved 5 November 2021 Speculation was made whether Davies wouldWhy Russell T. Davies Needs To Abandon Doctor Who’s Timeless Child Story - Rick Dunkle - 16 October 2021 - ScreenRant - Retrieved or would not retcon Chibnall's Timeless Child story arc.Doctor Who: Russell T Davies Already Proved Why He Won't Retcon the Timeless Child - Andrew Gladman - 15 October 2021 - Comic Book Resources - Retrieved 5 November 2021
In an interview with The Guardian on 22 December, Davies confirmed that the 60th anniversary special would be the first episode of his run.Russell T Davies: ‘I genuinely thought – who wants to watch a show about Aids?’ - Simon Hattenstone - 22 December 2021 - The Guardian - Retrieved 25 December 2021
==== Casting ====
In an interview with The Guardian on 22 December, Davies stated that auditions to cast the new Doctor had begun.Doctor Who's Second Russell T. Davies Era Begins With Its 60th Anniversary - Rob Bricken - 23 December 2021 - Gizmodo - Retrieved 25 December 2021 On 8 May 2022, the casting of Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa as the next incarnation of the Doctor was announced.Ncuti Gatwa to replace Jodie Whittaker as the next star of Doctor Who - 8 May 2022 - CBC News - Retrieved 31 May 2022Ncuti Gatwa is the new star of Doctor Who - Sam Barsanti - 8 May 2022 - The A.V. Club - Retrieved 31 May 2022 The return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate to the series was announced on 15 May,They're back! David Tennant and Catherine Tate return to Doctor Who #DoctorWho - Doctor Who @bbcdoctorwho - 15 May 2022 - Twitter - Retrieved 31 May 2022David Tennant and Catherine Tate return to Doctor Who - 15 May 2022 - Doctor Who - Retrieved 31 May 2022THE TENTH DOCTOR AND DONNA NOBLE WILL RETURN IN DOCTOR WHO CENTENARY SPECIAL - Tai Gooden - 16 May 2022 - The Nerdist - Retrieved 31 May 2022 which led to speculation that Tennant might be the next incarnation of the Doctor prior to Gatwa.David Tennant's Doctor Who Casting Raises Big Question About Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor - Mick Joest - 18 May 2022 - CinemaBlend - Retrieved 31 May 2022Will Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who debut be later than expected? - Huw Fullerton - 21 May 2022 - Radio Times - Retrieved 31 May 2022 The Radio Times explicitly noted that Gatwa had not been referred to as the Fourteenth Doctor in interviews and publications. Yasmin Finney joined the cast as a new character called Rose.Doctor Who casts Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney as new 'Rose' - Huw Fullerton - 16 May 2022 - Radio Times - Retrieved 31 May 2022 Miriam Margolyes was reported to have joined the cast.Doctor Who 'adds Harry Potter star to cast for 60th anniversary specials' - David Craig - 15 November 2022 - Radio Times - Retrieved 19 November 2022 Millie Gibson's casting as Fifteenth Doctor companion Ruby Sunday was announced on 18 November,Millie Gibson joins the cast of #DoctorWho as the Doctor's companion, Ruby Sunday - Doctor Who @bbcdoctorwho - 18 November 2022 - Twitter - Retrieved 19 November 2022 though it was not stated whether she would appear in the specials.
===== Speculation =====
====== Returning Doctors ======
While in a group interview with Entertainment Weekly, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Jodie Whittaker each expressed interest in appearing together in a multi-Doctor story, though Tennant said that it wasn't up to the actors whether they would return or not.Doctor Who-palooza: EW spends time with Jodie Whittaker, Matt Smith, and David Tennant - Clark Collis - 24 June 2020 - Entertainment Weekly - Retrieved 5 November 2021 Whittaker later confirmed that she had filmed her half of her regeneration scene already, making it doubtful that the Thirteenth Doctor would appear in the programme.Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker Has Filmed Her Goodbye, But Not Met the Next Doctor - James Whitbrook - 16 October 2021 - Gizmodo Australia - Retrieved 5 November 2021 Smith later stated in a 2021 interview that "no one had picked up the phone."Matt Smith on Doctor Who's 60th anniversary: 'No one's picked up the phone yet' - Richard Trenholme 4 November 2021 - CNET - Retrieved 5 November 2021
Peter Capaldi publicly stated in a 2021 interview that while he was happy with his performance on the show, that "I loved my time on Doctor Who, but I think the more of the multi-Doctor stories you have the less effective they are, really,"Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi doesn’t want to return for a multi-Doctor story: ‘The more you have, the less effective they are’ - Lidia Molina-Whyte - 2 August 2021 - Radio Times - Retrieved 5 November 2021Doctor Who's Peter Capaldi Isn't Voicing Twelve In New Audio Series, Which Isn't A Surprise Given His Recent Comments - Mick Joest - 5 August 2021 - Cinema Blend - Retrieved 8 August 2021
Christopher Eccleston's reprisal of his role as the Ninth Doctor for Big Finish Productions audio stories led to speculation that he might return to the role for the television special,Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston's Return Sets Up A New Five Doctors - Craig Elvy - 12 August 2020 - ScreenRant - Retrieved 5 November 2021 though Eccleston himself confirmed it was doubtful that he would ever return to the live action series, as his relationship with the BBC hadn't healed.Christopher Eccleston says it’s “very doubtful” he’ll return to Doctor Who on TV - Lidia Molina-Whyte - Radio Times - Retrieved 5 November 2021Christopher Eccleston Doubts He'll Play Doctor Who On TV Again - Matthew Biggin - 10 September 2021 - ScreenRant - Retrieved 5 November 2021
Den of Geek speculated that Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, and Jo Martin might reprise their roles.How Should Doctor Who Celebrate Its 60th Anniversary? - Jamie Andrew - 8 July 2021 - Den of Geek - Retrieved 5 November 2021 All living Classic series Doctors subsequently returned for "The Power of the Doctor", minus Tom Baker.Doctor Who boss explains why Tom Baker was missing from Power of the Doctor - Dan Seddon - 26 October 2022 - Digital Spy - Retrieved 5 November 2022
====== Returning Companions ======
Actress Karen Gillan stated her willingness to return if Smith and Arthur Darvill returned alongside her.Doctor Who's Karen Gillan wants to return alongside Matt Smith - David Craig - 28 March 2022 - The Radio Times - Retrieved 28 March 2022
== Release ==
=== Tie-in media ===
News of a potential "Fortnite" collaboration was leaked to the public in October 2022.REPORT: Fortnite/Doctor Who Collaboration in the Works - Lance Gose - 10 October 2022 - Comic Book Resources - 24 October 2022
== Links ==
* Episode #14.1 on IMDB
== References ==
Category:Fiction
Category:Doctor Who Episodes
Category:Doctor Who Series 14