| Doctor Who | |
|---|---|
| 2023 specials | |
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Doctor_Who_2023_specials.jpg) DVD box set cover art. | |
| Showrunner | Russell T Davies |
| Starring | |
| No. of stories | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Original release | 25 November – 9 December 2023 |
| Specials chronology | |
The 2023 specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who are three special episodes that aired between 25 November and 9 December 2023, to celebrate the programme's 60th anniversary. They were written by Russell T Davies and marked the start of his second tenure as showrunner, having served in the role from the start of Doctor Who's revival in 2005 until leaving in 2010. The specials were broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Disney+ internationally.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate returned to the series as part of the 60th anniversary. Tennant starred as the Fourteenth Doctor for the first time, having previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor, while Tate reprised her role as Donna Noble. Miriam Margolyes and Neil Patrick Harris guest starred as the voice of the Meep and the Toymaker, respectively, alongside returning cast members Jacqueline King, Karl Collins, Bernard Cribbins (in his final role), Jemma Redgrave, and Bonnie Langford, as well as newcomers Ruth Madeley, Yasmin Finney, and Ncuti Gatwa, the latter of whom making his debut as the Fifteenth Doctor, who would star in the fourteenth series.
The specials were led by Davies as head writer and executive producer in his first episodes since his return to the programme. They preceded and were announced alongside the fourteenth series; both were announced with Davies's return to the programme for its 60th anniversary and "series beyond". The three specials were directed by Rachel Talalay, Tom Kingsley, and Chanya Button, respectively. Filming occurred between May and July 2022, the first episodes to be filmed at Wolf Studios Wales after production moved from Roath Lock Studios when Bad Wolf became a co-producer of the series. A multitude of new Doctor Who media and re-releases accompanied the specials for the occasion of the anniversary.