Doctor Who anniversary specials won’t come out on Doctor Who anniversary

2023 is a big year for Doctor Who. It’s the 60th anniversary of the show, after all, so it better be. Russell T Davies, the man who kicked off the Doctor Who revival in 2005, has come back as showrunner, and he has a whole battery of events planned, starting with three special episodes featuring the returns of David Tennant as the Doctor and Catherine Tate as his companion Donna Noble.

The actual 60th anniversary of Doctor Who falls on November 23. However, we still don’t know when exactly the specials will air. But Davies, ever the tease, did confirm to Doctor Who Magazine when they won’t be airing. “DATES to LOOK OUT FOR. November 1, November 17, November 23. And none of those is the date of the Specials’ transmission!” he said.

For reference, that’s a Wednesday, a Friday and a Thursday. I’m guessing the specials will come out one after the other on the same day of the week. Maybe those are the dates for new trailers or something? Surely we’ll hear about an official release date soon.

Doctor Who season 15 is already in production

Davies provided sound bites aplenty in this interview. He is nothing if not a man who knows how to generate hype. To start, he promised a steady flow of Doctor Who content for “years and years” to come. “If content is king, then we’ve got a right royal regal procession coming your way, so stand back!”

Making regular new Doctor Who episodes was one of Davies’ conditions for returning to the show. “I told them I wanted to (1) make Doctor Who, (2) annually, (3) create massive Behind the Scenes coverage, (4) not telling you that yet, (5) nor that, and (6) have the back catalogue of Doctor Who ready and available.”

Just this year, he already has tons of things in the works, including “Miriam Margolyes’s Meep, and the brand new TARDIS interior, oh, and that terrifying scene with Sue, not to mention two celebrity historical figures thrown in for good measure, plus the sheer goddamn mystery of Special 2, and like a cherry on top, a genuine in-universe crossover with my ITV drama from earlier this year, Nolly, which is truly canonical and official, because I say so.”

Nolly, for your information, was a drama about soap opera star Noele Gordon, played on the series by Helena Bonham Carter. And apparently it will somehow cross over with new episodes of Doctor Who. Sure, throw it in, why not?

And then there’s Doctor Who season 14 beyond that, which will star Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. And Davies revealed that season 15 is already in production. Like season 14, it will have eight episodes and a Christmas special. A whirling dervish of energy, this man.

All 800 episodes of Doctor Who will be available to stream

Davies mentioned above that he wanted to have the back catalog of Doctor Who “ready and available.” He’s already making good on that promise, as all 800 episodes (along with spinoffs like The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood) will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer this fall, according to Games Radar. Each episode will have subtitles, audio descriptions, and sign language options. It’s quite the impressive package.

“I’d like to thank the BBC for all the hard work, to get this massive back catalogue under one roof, at long last,” Davies said in a statement. “I’m so excited for new viewers – imagine being 8 years old, spending winter afternoons exploring the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and beyond.  And we’re determined this won’t be a dusty museum – we have exciting plans to bring the back catalogue to life, with much more to be revealed!”

The more I hear from this guy, the more I think he might be one of the best hype men in the business. He always seems so freaking excited. We don’t even know when the Doctor Who specials are coming out but I’m looking forward to them based purely on vibes. Solid salesmanship, Mr. Davies.

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h/t Doctor Who TV