Last night, the BBC announced the return of Doctor Who with a three-episode special starring none other than David Tennant! Sure, he was the Tenth Doctor, but he was beloved, and there’s got to be an interesting story behind this new regeneration following the death of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
The brief trailer aired after the climax of “The Power of The Doctor,” which saw Whittaker’s Doctor mysteriously regenerate into Tennant, teasing a short clip of the new/old Doctor, the return of Catherine Tate as former companion Donna Noble, and the debut of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor… who is now officially the Fifteenth Doctor.
"I don't know who I am anymore…"
Doctor Who returns 2023. Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/RTBWn0CHbp #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/67fPU46DTc
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) October 23, 2022
Now, if you’re already scrambling to get your calendars, here’s the bad news. The three special episodes will air in November 2023, planned to coincide with Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary.
Russell T. Davies, the current Doctor Who showrunner, said in a press release, “If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way! The path to Ncuti [Gatwa]’s Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!”
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.