After over a year of waiting, rumours and speculation, we finally have all three of our 60th anniversary Doctor Who specials. Here’s what we thought of them.
With David Tennant, Catherine Tate and some familiar faces returning, including showrunner Russell T. Davies, these episodes had a lot of anticipation to live up to.
And live up to those anticipations they did.
All three episodes, The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle stand out beyond anything we’ve seen from the show thus far because they feel so nostalgic yet so unique and fresh at the same time.
The Star Beast is a familiar fun episode of comical hijinks with an adorable alien causing havoc.
Wild Blue Yonder is a psychological thriller that is similar to those episodes that really make you think and stick with you for a while in their weird and wonderfulness.
And The Giggle feels like your traditional Doctor Who grand finale, in which every second is unpredictable, shocking and inevitably exciting.
But with that being said, the uniqueness comes from Davies’s daring writing, introducing new lore, and answering our biggest questions in ways we could have never dreamt up.
Of course, combining David Tennant’s Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble once again was always going to be a recipe for success as it feels like they pick up exactly where they left off 15 years ago.
Tennant and Tate have quite an unmatchable chemistry that has clearly stood the test of time.
In the three episodes we get to spend with them, their ability to bounce off each other as actors so successfully and in an almost identical way to how they did 15 years ago, is a really entertaining and quite emotional thing to witness after having so much time apart from them.
These specials signify why the Doctor and Donna are one of, if not the most, popular Doctor and companion combos.
Before we continue, I loved all three of these specials and as a fan, they filled me with such joy and delight as there was so much to sink our teeth into.
The Star Beast
The Meep is the titular Star Beast.
So we start out with The Star Beast, which re-introduces David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor who the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) regenerated into in her final adventure, The Power of the Doctor.
He stumbles upon Donna in London by accident, but she doesn’t recognise him as her memory of her time in the TARDIS had been taken away by the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) to stop her from dying due to the meta-crisis in which her and the Doctor shared regeneration energy.
But this isn’t the only thing Donna is clueless to, as a spaceship is seen falling from the sky and in true Donna fashion, she misses it.
And from there our zany sci-fi antics begin.
This episode is the weakest out of the three, but that’s not saying much considering that this is a very strong start.
The first thing you notice is that the show’s budget has been raised a considerable amount as the show now also airs on Disney+, while us in the U.K. still have the treat of it being broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The VFX look better than ever, the cinematography is clear and crisp, and the creatures come to life in the most realistic ways we’ve seen yet.
One of my favourite parts about this episode is Miriam Margolyes as ‘The Meep’.
The Meep has taken the world by storm with it’s cute and cuddly design and voice but also because of what lurks beneath the surface.
Margolyes is mostly responsible for this as she has the time of her life getting to play around with this character.
Yasmin Finney also stands out as a fantastic new addition to the Whoniverse (official name) as Donna’s daughter, Rose.
She is a very special character who blends into the story perfectly and is an integral part to Donna’s character.
It’s a pleasure to see the Noble family again in general, and I was eager to try Sylvia’s tuna madras.
For the majority, the episode is a hilarious and light-hearted adventure, which is the perfect way to gently place audiences back into the world.
In addition, there are many moments of terror and emotion that keep the episode from feeling too one note.
We also get a look at the Fourteenth Doctor’s new sonic screwdriver which has some brand new features.
And a look at the new TARDIS which, once again, combines the nostalgic and the new.
It is quite an exquisite refurbishment if I do say so myself.
The episode ends with Donna spilling a cup of coffee all over the TARDIS control panel, causing it to malfunction, leading us into the second special…
Wild Blue Yonder
The Doctor and Donna Noble face an insidious new enemy in Wild Blue Yonder.
After being thrown around time and space in the TARDIS, the Doctor and Donna end up on a deserted spaceship with a corridor that goes on for miles.
But something about the spaceship isn’t quite right, in fact it’s something so dangerous that the TARDIS runs away, leaving our pair stranded.
This was the episode that had very few shots featured in the trailers and was mostly kept top secret.
Fans speculated this might be because a major character or actor may be returning, but no.
While the concept is very simple, it’s exposition is so much more complex.
The thing that follows them around the ship allows for some very dramatic moments that are as impactful as they can be heartbreaking.
This is the episode I would describe as weird and wonderful.
You will not be able to unsee the things you see in this episode.
And Russell T. Davies’s acknowledgement of the Flux storyline and the controversial, lore changing Timeless Child storyline not only shows his respect for other creator’s material but also to make sure the Thirteenth Doctor’s era doesn’t fade away despite some fans’ best wishes.
There is not much more to say about this episode without spoilers, but it serves as being an excellently written piece of television with two stellar performances once again from Tennant and Tate.
The cameo at the end of the episode also brought me to tears.
The Giggle
Neil Patrick Harris as the Celestial Toymaker, an old enemy of the Doctor.
The TARDIS lands back on earth with the Doctor and Donna thankfully inside it and all is well.
Well, apart from the fact that the whole human race has gone mad, and everyone is turning on each other.
Thus, the Doctor once again joins forces with Kate Stewart and UNIT to tackle one of his eldest foes, the Toymaker.
Out of the three, this is my favourite as it goes out with a bang in true Doctor Who finale fashion.
Not only do we have Kate Stewart, the pleasant return of an older companion and Niel Patrick Harris’s show stopping performance as the Toymaker, but we also get some huge changes to the lore that will provoke delight, shock and controversy.
First of all, Niel Patrick Harris as the Toymaker is legendary, delivering a camp and crazy performance which will forever stick in the minds of fans.
A brilliant upgrade from the 1966 version of the character back in William Hartnell’s era.
He is a true frightful villain for the Doctor, who really puts him to the test.
And he has a sensational scene that will go down in history as one of the most bizarre scenes in the show.
All I will say is, ‘Spice Up Your Life!’
Jemma Redgrave back as Kate Stewart is always a pleasure and this time, she gets to diversity her performance.
The return of a particular companion is more than welcome, and I think most would agree that they are even better here than they were in the original show.
There is such a playful aspect to this episode in which there is a great use of toys and game playing.
The puppets in particular were a terrifying touch.
And this episode gives us the introduction of our Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa who shines so brightly despite his limited amount of screen time.
He is already bursting with personality and making the Doctor his own in such stylish fashion.
This episode is epic in it’s scope, script and acting with it’s mind-boggling twists and turns and emotional yet surprising goodbyes.
So, as we say goodbye to David Tennant’s Doctor for the third time now, we also say goodbye to, seemingly, a whole era of the show and welcome a brand new one which gives it a chance to refresh.
And Russell T. Davies promises much more in store for the Fifteenth Doctor with a few hints through the specials.
But it looks like we’re going to have to wait until Christmas Day, where Ncuti Gatwa will embark on his first full adventure with Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday, as they tackle goblins and stumble upon Davina McCall?!
The Christmas special titled, The Church on Ruby Road, is looking to be an exciting new re-brand for the show and proves it hasn’t lost it’s quirky sci-fi charm for the 60 years it’s been on air.
While you’re here, check out our review of the Doctor Who 2023 Christmas Special! “Allons-y!”
