It's time for a new Doctor in "Doctor Who," but when Jodie Whittaker bid the character adieu in the season 13 finale, "The Power of the Doctor," the regeneration process had a rather unexpected outcome. Rather than transforming into Ncuti Gatwa, who had previously been announced as the new lead for the long-running sci-fi series, the Doctor regained a familiar face: that of David Tennant, the Tenth Doctor.
Fans already knew that both Tennant's Doctor and his former companion, Donna Noble (played by Catherine Tate), would be returning for the "Doctor Who" 60th anniversary celebration. It's traditional to bring back previous Doctors for adventures like this, and Tennant previously returned for the 50th anniversary special as well. However, such specials usually involve having multiple versions of the Doctor working together through some quirk of timey-wimeyness; returning via a botched regeneration definitely puts a twist on things.
The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble both returning also presents a problem because of how Donna's storyline came to an end. After she absorbed all the knowledge, intelligence, and memories of the Doctor's Time Lord mind, Donna began to die because of the strain that it put on her fragile human body. To save her life, the Doctor quarantined all her memories of him and the adventures they'd shared; Donna would live, but she wouldn't remember him and he couldn't allow her to see him again. In the 60th anniversary specials (yes, plural — there will be three episodes in total), the Doctor faces that same dilemma again. Check out the new teaser trailer below!
Watch The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials Teaser Trailer
This actually isn't the first time that the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble's paths have crossed since their initial parting; the two-part special "The End of Time" also saw Donna have a close brush with her brain exploding, though she was saved by a defense mechanism that caused her to lose consciousness when she began to remember the Doctor. Donna was happily married at the end of that special, but this teaser trailer reveals that she continues to be haunted by the memories that are locked away from her.
The BBC has confirmed the return of Jacqueline King as Donna's mother, Sylvia Noble, and Karl Collins as Donna's husband, Shaun Temple, as well as introducing "Years and Years" actress Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne Bingham. Bernard Cribbins, who played Donna's grandfather, Wilfred Mott, sadly passed away earlier this year.
We also get a glimpse in the teaser trailer of Neil Patrick Harris hamming it up as the villain, speculated to be the Celestial Toymaker. And yes, Ncuti Gatwa does make a brief appearance as well; his first full episode is set to premiere during the "festive period" in 2023, followed by the rest of season 14 in 2024.
The "Doctor Who" 60th anniversary specials will air over three weeks in November 2023.
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