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Doctor Who 60th anniversary trailer confirms new and returning cast members

"If destiny exists, then it is heading for Donna Noble."

By Kate Goodacre

25 Dec 2022

Doctor Who fans were given a Christmas gift with a trailer for the 60th anniversary specials, which has confirmed a number of new and returning cast members.

Three hour-long episodes are due to air in November 2023, featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Fourteenth Doctor and companion Donna. Russell T Davies is also returning to the series as showrunner.

doctor who 60th anniversary jacqueline king as sylvia, karl collins as shaun, yasmin finney as rose

James PardonBBC

The minute-long teaser features guest stars including Neil Patrick Harris and Yasmin Finney and also confirms the return of Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble, Donna's mum, and Karl Collins as Shaun Temple, Donna's husband.

Ruth Madeley, who previously teamed up with Davies on Years & Years, is also joining the cast as a new character, Shirley Anne Bingham.

doctor who 60th anniversary ruth madeley as shirley anne bingham

James PardonBBC

Fans of the classic Doctor Who comics will also recognise Beep the Meep, who makes a fleeting appearance during the trailer.

The anniversary episodes are expected to set out why The Doctor has regenerated with a familiar face – and what leads to another regeneration into the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa.

We don't learn much more about the extent to which Gatwa will feature in the specials – but we do see the footage of him that was released earlier this year once again.

BBC

It was confirmed recently that the background behind the Fifteenth Doctor as we see him ask "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?" will be changed in the specials, as the true location for the scene would give too much away before transmission.

However, it does explore how Donna feels like there's something missing in her life – fans who followed her original story arc may recall that she helped the Doctor to save the universe, although tragically lost all her memories of travelling with him as a result.

doctor who 60th anniversary, catherine tate as donna

James PardonBBC

The Doctor also offers an ominous warning in the trailer that "if she remembers me, she will die", and Sylvia is seen trying to hide him from Donna.

Little is also known so far about who Harris is playing, with some fan speculation that he could be portraying the Celestial Toymaker.

Meanwhile, Heartstopper star Finney will make her Doctor Who debut as a mysterious new character named Rose in the 60th anniversary miniseries. It's also been widely speculated that the late Bernard Cribbins will reprise the role of Wilfred Mott, Donna's grandfather.

doctor who 60th anniversary, david tennant as the doctor

James PardonBBC

Tennant has previously said that his return to Doctor Who following his original stint as the Tenth Doctor was something of an accident, after he got talking to Davies and Tate during online watchalongs of their episodes during COVID lockdowns.

"Me and Catherine would text, 'Wouldn't it be fun to do it again?'" he recalled. "And Russell would say, 'We could do a one-off, maybe they'd let us.'"

BBC

Doctor Who fans were also recently treated to their first look at Gatwa in his costume, alongside Fifteen's companion Ruby Sunday, who will be played by former Coronation Street star Millie Gibson.

Gatwa has also shared a few photos and videos from behind the scenes on the set, including a first glimpse at the exterior of his TARDIS.

Doctor Who returns in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams on BritBox in the UK.