Celebrate six decades of time-traveling adventure as Doctor Who returns with its spectacular 60th anniversary specials! Featuring the triumphant return of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor alongside Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, these three thrilling episodes-The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle-promise surprises, nostalgia, and new mysteries. Premiering weekly from November 25 to December 9, 2023, on BBC One and Disney+, this is the ultimate gateway to the Whoniverse, with a festive special to follow. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the TARDIS, here’s your essential guide to watching and celebrating this landmark event in sci-fi television.
Now the 60th anniversary specials have taken it even further, with Catherine Tate’s Donna back, remembering The Doctor, and even inadvertently passing along some of her cosmic knowledge to her daughter Rose (Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney). Still, the end of the anniversary specials (that’s right, we’re talking plural specials, baby) have a lot explaining to do, and a lot of ground to cover – and that’s before we get into the first special’s cliffhanger ending and the promised arrival of the the Fifteenth Doctor (Sex Education and Barbie’s Ncuti Gatwa).
Which means you’re probably going to want to watch the three specials as soon as you possibly can – and here’s how.
How to watch the Doctor Who special on Disney Plus
To watch the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials on Disney Plus, you need a subscription to the streaming service, which offers the episodes concurrently with their UK airing. The specials, including “The Star Beast,” “Wild Blue Yonder,” and “The Giggle,” feature David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, facing their most formidable villain yet. These specials began streaming on November 25, 2023, and are available worldwide on Disney Plus except in the UK and Ireland, where they air on BBC iPlayer. New viewers can jump in without prior knowledge of the series, as the episodes are designed to be accessible, with the showrunner Russell T. Davies ensuring the story is welcoming to newcomers.
This is the easiest part of the whole affair: In the States, the Doctor Who anniversary special will be streaming on Disney Plus. No longer do Who fans have to turn to shady streaming sites or navigate the BBC America site.
Disney will be releasing the specials concurrently with their broadcast in the U.K., meaning if you’re watching it on Disney Plus, the new specials will drop on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. PST/1:30 p.m. EST. But the first special, “The Star Beast” is already streaming on Disney Plus.
Can I watch it on BBC?
You can watch the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials on BBC One and stream them for free on BBC iPlayer in the UK. The three specials premiered on November 25, 2023, and aired weekly until December 9, 2023. BBC iPlayer also offers a vast collection of Doctor Who episodes, including classics and spin-offs, making it a comprehensive hub for fans. To access BBC iPlayer outside the UK, viewers can use a VPN to bypass regional restrictions. A valid UK TV license is required to watch the specials legally on iPlayer.
Well, of course you still can; Doctor Who is a BBC show, after all, and it will be airing there in the U.K. The second episode of the 60th anniversary specials, “Wild Blue Yonder,” will air at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 2. You can also find the specials on the BBC iPlayer (at the same time).
Wait, how many Doctor Who anniversary specials are there?
The Doctor Who 60th anniversary celebrations include three special episodes aired in late 2023: “The Star Beast,” “Wild Blue Yonder,” and “The Giggle,” featuring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate returning as Donna Noble. These specials mark the return of Russell T Davies as showrunner and introduce Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. Alongside these three main specials, the anniversary also featured additional content such as the minisode “Destination: Skaro” for Children in Need, the “Tales of the TARDIS” series, and extensive re-releases of classic and revival episodes collectively called the Whoniverse. In total, the core 60th anniversary celebration centers on these three main specials, but the broader anniversary programming includes various related releases and events.
Oh yeah, you read that right: “The Star Beast” is just the first of the Doctor Who anniversary specials. There are two more – “Wild Blue Yonder” and “The Giggle” – which will premiere on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, respectively.
“The Star Beast” ends without explaining why Tennant’s form is back. And yet, this Fourteenth Doctor feels something big looming: He feels he’s being drawn back to Donna, and that if fate exists it’s “coming for Donna Noble.”
With the Meep promising to tell someone dubbed “The Boss” about The Doctor and his dual hearts, it seems safe to say there might be something more nefarious than just “fate” that Doctor Who has in store for the pair. But more imminently they’re going to have to deal with the fact that the brand-spankin’ new TARDIS got coffee spilled on the console and now they’re being sent “anywhere in time and space.” Maybe even. the “Wild Blue Yonder”?
What do I need to have watched beforehand?
To fully enjoy the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, it is recommended to have some familiarity with key episodes and characters from the revived series, especially those involving David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, as they return in these specials. Watching Series 4 (2008) and the 2010 specials “The End of Time” Parts 1 and 2 will provide important background on their characters and story arcs. While the specials are designed to be accessible, having this context will enhance your understanding and appreciation of the narrative and character dynamics in the anniversary episodes.
Technically nothing; having been on the air for 60 years (and, frankly, being a British production with plenty of downtime between seasons) Doctor Who is pretty adept at bringing you up to speed on what you need to know. Although “The Star Beast” would be helpful for picking up if you’re dropping in on “Wild Blue Yonder,” chances are the second special might also have ways of catching you up on what you missed.
If you are interested in catching up on some of what the specials might be referencing, however, you’ll want to check out at least Series 4 of the show (which in the U.S. you can find on Max). That’s the season during which Tennant’s Tenth Doctor pairs up with Tate’s Donna Noble. The pairing would only last the season, with Donna’s fate at the end of the season playing into some of the weirdness of exactly how she (and the Tennant form of the Tenth-now-Fourteenth Doctor) are returning in these specials. You can also watch Tennant’s farewell episodes (which come as a two-parter at the end of series 5), since those might be relevant here, even just to explain a couple of stray jokes about his appearance.
How can I stream the Doctor Who 60th specials live or on demand
You can stream the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials live or on demand as follows:
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In the UK and Ireland, the specials air on BBC One and are available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer. You need to register for a BBC iPlayer account and provide a UK postcode. A valid UK TV license is required to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Outside the UK and Ireland, the specials stream exclusively on Disney Plus worldwide. Disney Plus offers a subscription starting from $8/month with a seven-day free trial, allowing you to watch the specials on demand.
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If you are outside the UK and want to access BBC iPlayer, you can use a VPN to connect to a UK server, but this may violate streaming service terms of use.
In summary, UK viewers should use BBC iPlayer for free streaming, while international fans can watch on Disney Plus either live or on demand.
How can I watch the Doctor Who 60th specials outside the UK legally
To watch the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials legally outside the UK, the official and authorized platform is Disney Plus. The specials stream exclusively on Disney Plus worldwide except in the UK and Ireland, where they air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Disney Plus requires a paid subscription starting from about $8/month, and it offers a seven-day free trial which you can use to watch the specials on demand during that period.
In summary:
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Outside the UK and Ireland: Watch the 60th Anniversary Specials on Disney Plus with a subscription.
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In the UK and Ireland: The specials are free on BBC iPlayer but require a UK TV license and a UK postcode for registration.
Using VPNs to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK is technically possible but may violate the terms of service of the streaming platforms and is not a legally endorsed method.
Therefore, the legal and straightforward way to watch the Doctor Who 60th specials outside the UK is to subscribe to Disney Plus.
