We might still be a year away from Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary celebrations – but following the centenary special earlier this year, it’s safe to say fans are already on tenterhooks when it comes to new information about the upcoming episodes.
We already know that David Tennant will be back as the Doctor following the major regeneration twist at the end of The Power of the Doctor, that Catherine Tate will once again be joining him as companion Donna Noble, and that Ncuti Gatwa will be involved in the specials before he takes on the role of the Fifteenth Doctor himself.
And now some more information about the episodes has also been revealed, with Doctor Who Magazine reporting that each of the specials will be one hour long.
An excerpt from the latest issue of the magazine reads: “When Russell [T Davies] ran Doctor Who for five years in the 2000s, he turned it into a huge critical and commercial success. He’s returning with some big, bold, next-level plans, kicking off in November 2023 with three special episodes – hour-long spectaculars – starring David’s Fourteenth Doctor, before Ncuti takes over as the Fifteenth, around the festive period.”
Fans will have to wait a little while longer for more specific details about what will be happening in each of those “hour-long spectaculars” – but it certainly seems like all the stops are being pulled out for the anniversary celebrations.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/11/D584-OFCRGB-150dpi-ecc5932.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C877" "\"\"")
Plans for the future of the show under returning showrunner Russell T Davies are continuing to gather pace, with script editor Scott Handcock recently revealing that secret auditions for the next companion were held on Saturday 24th September.
“Secret companion auditions take place in London – with Ncuti in attendance!” Handcock wrote in his production diary, which was printed in the aforementioned issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
Doctor Who magazine issue 584 is out now. Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.