Steven Prusakowski
The three episode arc looks even bigger on the inside than ever expected, with fan favorite villains, special guest stars, and one of the most beloved Doctor/Companion pairing of all-time.
The BBC premiered the first full trailer for the Doctor Who three-episode special event which premieres this coming November. While no date has been officially announced, we would recommend taking some time off on and around Doctor Who Day (November 23rd). While I often avoid trailers, or at least try to, there was no way I could turn my back on this one.
The last time Whovians had a chance to see the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) together was in the 2010 two-part holiday special, “The End of Time.” It was a bittersweet reunion void of much of the chemistry between pair. This was no fault of the actors, something bigger was at play. During the season 4 finale, The Doctor made the harrowing decision to erase Donna’s memory of him to prevent her mind from burning out and killing her. These final moments between the two left viewers broken hearted, knowing that they would never see the duo together again.
Fast forward to mid-2022 when news leaked that Catherine Tate would be returning to the series. An announcement that had Whovians asking, ‘What!?” What!?? Few details were provided about how Donna would weave back into wimbly whimy world of The Doctor, but then again these last few months have been full of surprises, especially for a 60-year-old series.
The last time we saw The Doctor in action it was in the form of the 14th Doctor, Jodie Whitaker, who closed our her run with an emotional goodbye that threw fans for a loop. While Whitaker’s follow-up Doctor had been announced, the wonderful Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Barbie), no one could have predicted that the face appearing during the regeneration would be that of David Tennant instead. Of course, few details were provided about how, why or “What!?” That is until now.
The first full length trailer for the three-episode special event (below) provides fans with a peek of the does what Doctor Who does best, throwing at us all the emotion, joy and excitement while keeping us wanting more. Not too bad for a six decade old series. By the end of the trailer, Donna and probably the universe, are in trouble and our beloved Tenth Doctor will have to act quickly to save both.
While we will let you explore the trailer for yourself we will let you know of some familiar faces to expect. Joining Donna and The Doctor is one of The Meeps, a somewhat cute, furry creature that has a long history with The Doctor dating back to 1980. The creature has appeared in Who print and audio adventures, but is making it’s first on-screen appearances.
The specials’ big bad, the Celestial Toymaker, is a name Whovians may remember, and for good reason. He’s now played by a new actor, Neil Patrick Harris. The villain (then played by Batman’s Alfred himself, Michael Gough) made his first and only appearance with the first Doctor, William Hartnell, back in 1966. The Toymaker is a devious being who uses seemingly simple games to challenge and manipulate his opponents. If you lose you become a toy in his collection for all eternity. If you win, you ultimately die. With Donna Noble firmly in his crosshairs, we are in for quite the thrilling adventure.
Other recognizable appearances revealed (so far) include Jemma Redgrave as UNIT leader Kate Stewart and of course the next Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. Watch the trailer below or wait until The Doctor returns in November on the BBC in the UK and making his first appearance on Disney+ in the US.
You can also look for extensive Doctor Who coverage in the coming weeks at Awards Radar and on The ‘Verse! Podcast where the squad is venturing across time and space to cover all of the modern Doctor Who seasons starting with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor. You can listen to that here and watch for more episodes in the days to come on AR.
Oh yeah, and if you happen to hear a strange cyclic wheezing, whooshing sound that is either the TARDIS arriving or millions of Doctor Who fans’ hearts racing with joy. Allons-y!
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