David Tennant, Catherine Tate and Doctor Who return to UK television screens on Saturday (November 26) in the first of the 60th anniversary specials of the hit BBC sci-fi show.

Doctor Who's BBC centenary special delivered quite the twist in October last year when Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor regenerated into Tennant (who was the tenth Doctor). 

Now he returns as the fourteenth Doctor alongside Catherine Tate as Donna Noble for Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary specials in November and December 2023. 

There are three special anniversary episodes:

  • The Star Beast
  • Wild Blue Yonder
  • The Giggle

Alongside Tennant and Tate, there are set to be a number of other big-name actors/actresses set to make an appearance in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary episodes including the likes of Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter franchise) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother).

Doctor Who 60th anniversary cast

The 60th-anniversary specials of Doctor Who are set to feature an all-star cast in what the BBC described as an "unmissable cosmic adventure". 

The Doctor Who 60th-anniversary cast is set to include:

  • David Tennant - The fourteenth Doctor
  • Catherine Tate - Donna Noble
  • Miriam Margolyes - voice of the Meep
  • Neil Patrick Harris - The Toymaker
  • Yasmin Finney - Rose Noble
  • Jacqueline King - Sylvia Noble
  • Karl Collins - Shaun Temple
  • Ruth Madeley - Shirley Anne-Bingham
  • Jemma Redgrave - Kate Lethbridge-Stewart

Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will take over as the 15th Doctor during the festive period, the BBC added.

When to watch Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials

The first of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials - titled The Star Beast - will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday (November 26) at 6.30pm.

The second episode, Wild Blue Yonder, will air on Saturday, December 2.

While the third 60th anniversary special, The Giggle, will air on December 9.

Doctor Who unleashed

Doctor Who: Unleased is a new, access-all-areas show, which gives viewers an "unmissable" look into the world of Doctor Who, including exclusive interviews with the stars of the show. 

The show, hosted by Steffan Powell (BBC Gaming Correspondent and former Radio 1 Newsbeat Presenter), will air on BBC Three and iPlayer after each of the 60th-anniversary episodes. 

The first episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will follow The Star Beast on Saturday, November 25.

The Whoniverse

Every one of the over 800 episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in The Whoniverse.

The Whoniverse launched on November 1 and is the dedicated home for all shows within the orbit of Doctor Who.

The first exclusive content to land in the Whoniverse was the Tales of the TARDIS - a brand new six-part series that reunites beloved classic Doctor Who duos, as they board a very special TARDIS on a nostalgic voyage through space and time.