RTD Says None of the 60th Anniversary Specials Will Air on November 23

In Russell T Davies’ monthly column in Doctor Who Magazine, he served up some details, and “hints and winks” about the upcoming specials and the future of the Whoniverse.

Perhaps the biggest revelation to come from his hints though is that none of the three specials, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, will actually air on November 23.

Of course, November 23 marks the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, and fans might have assumed this would be the chosen broadcast day for one of the specials, like with the 50th anniversary.

However, while this news may be a bit disappointing, Davies did tease something would happen on the day of the 60th. In fact, he calls attention to three calendar dates, stating: “DATES to LOOK OUT FOR. November 1, November 17, November 23. And none of those is the date of the Specials’ transmission!”

So perhaps the specials will instead air across three Saturdays in November. The BBC are likely to confirm the air dates soon…

Other highlights from the column include:

• Davies promises a flurry of “Who-ness” content for “years and years”. He adds: “If content is king, then we’ve got a right royal regal procession coming your way, so stand back!”
• There’s a mention of the new TARDIS interior, and a particularly chilling scene with a character named Sue.
• Two celebrity historical figures will be making an appearance in the specials.
• He emphasizes “the sheer goddamn mystery of Special 2”.
• Davies playfully confirms a crossover between Doctor Who and his earlier ITV drama Nolly, which was coined as being part of the “RTD Universe.”
• New behind-the-scenes show, Doctor Who Unleashed will “be popping up unexpectedly, briefly, well BEFORE [the first special] The Star Beast is shown”
• Davies reveals his conditions for returning: “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”.
• Davies said he wondered back in July, “have we done enough” for the 60th, then he came up with a new idea “that will make you FIZZ!”. It has three scriptwriters behind it and was filmed in a studio during the second half of September.
• Production is in full swing on Series 15. Like Series 14, it will have 8 regular episodes and one Christmas special. Five of the next nine scripts for the upcoming series are already in the bag.