It’s just like the old days, with David Tennant’s Doctor leading Donna Temple-Noble (Catherine Tate) in and out of danger at every turn. Wait, what? Yes, the fan-favorite Tenth Doctor’s equally-beloved companion is also back for more wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey stuff after the Time Lord wiped her mind clean of even the faintest recollection of their adventures in time and space. And in case you yourself had forgotten why the Doctor even did that, the latest trailer for the upcoming specials features some handy-dandy exposition to bring you back up to speed. “I had to wipe her memory to save her life. Like, if she remembers me, she will die,” as the Doctor emphatically puts it part-way through the preview.
Tennant and Tate aren’t the only familiar names involved with the next era of “Who.” Former showrunner Russell T. Davies (who previously oversaw Christopher Eccleston and Tennant’s respective runs as the Ninth and Tenth Doctor) is also back as the head writer and executive producer. Meanwhile, Neil Patrick Harris (an American? In my “Who?” It’s more likely than you think.) will be making his debut as the Toymaker (a classic “Who” villain who originated all the way back in the ’60s), with Yasmin Finney, Miriam Margolyes, Ruth Madeley, Jacqueline King, Karl Collins, and Jemma Redgrave helping to round out the cast.
The first of these specials, “The Star Beast,” will premiere on Disney+ on November 25, 2023, with the second (titled “Wild Blue Yonder”) following a week later on December 2 and the third and final one (titled “The Giggle”) arriving one week after that on December 9. Allons-y!
