Doctor Who 60th anniversary: Tennant 'proud of the new episodes'

David Tennant and Catherine Tate are reunited for three 60th anniversary specials

British actor David Tennant says becoming The Doctor again has been a "real treat" as he returns to the role for the second time.

The much-loved 10th (and now 14th) incarnation of the leading character in the BBC series Doctor Who will appear in a three-part special, as the show celebrates it's 60th anniversary.

Doctor Who is the longest running science-fiction TV series in the world, having first appeared on BBC One on November 23, 1963.

He says the role was "a huge part" of his life and coming back was "something I never really imagined was likely".

Comedy actor Catherine Tate also re-joins the cast, which Tennant said was a great experience and felt "very familiar".

"Being back on set with Catherine of course, we had such a great time all those years ago".

Fans of the show will be expecting a triumphant return, and Tennant says he is just hoping it pleases the viewers.

"I dare not say I'm confident. But I'm proud of what we've done. And I hope it works."

He's not the only member of the old team to return, with Russell T Davies also back as head writer and showrunner.

One of the top brains behind the current show, Davies also says he doesn't want 'to let fans down'.

Speaking to Newsround Press Packers, twin brothers Micah and Carter, series boss Russell T Davies says he'd be "mortified" if fans didn't enjoy the three episodes, which are out in November and December.

"There's worse pressure, it'd be worse if I was a nurse or a doctor or something like that," says Davies but admitted he does have some nerves ahead of the episodes release date "because so many people love [Doctor Who]".

"If you fell asleep during it, I'd be mortified," Davies told the brothers who are both big fans of the show .

"So please like it," he added.

Russell T Davies first worked on Doctor Who as showrunner from 2005 until 2010 when the programme was brought back for its first full television series following a 16 year break. The show originally ran from 1963 until 1989.

Not only is Davies back in charge for the 60th anniversary special, he will continue in the role when Ncuti Gatwa takes the keys to the Tardis for his stint as the Doctor, starting with his first full episode on Christmas Day.

Asked why he wanted to come back Davies said: "What could be better than monsters, chases and explosions and things like that, so I genuinely missed it and I've never stopped thinking about it because I've loved it since I was your age."

Ncuti Gatwa will take over in the Tardis as the 15th Doctor from December 2023. Gatwa is the first black actor to play the Doctor for a full series

60th anniversary specials

The show is returning for three episodes in November and December to mark Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.

At a top-secret screening of the first anniversary special, titled The Star Beast, press packers Micah and Carter were among the first people in the world to see the episode - shown inside the famous Battersea Power Station in London.

For fans not lucky enough to attend the screening, the first opportunity to see the anniversary special will be at 6.30pm on 25 November on BBC One.

Davies, who also wrote the two other specials, described episode one as "like a great big Pixar family film, like a bank holiday film - all the family watching, lots of laughs, a funny monster."

The second episode, Wild Blue Yonder airs on 2 December. "The second one, Wild Blue Yonder, is darker. Not scary - it's genuinely weird," Davies said.

Special three, The Giggle comes out on 9 December and will see the Doctor face The Celestial Toymaker, an enemy that first appeared alongside the very first Doctor, William Hartnell in 1966.

"The most important thing is that eight-year-old watching," Davies said, repeating his hope that the episodes are well-liked.

"And I do know that when you're eight, or when you're six, there's nothing more disappointing than a disappointing episode of your favourite show."

Doctor Who 60th anniversary cast: David Tennant is back

All three anniversary instalments will see The Doctor alongside his companion Donna Noble.

Both characters last appeared together on the show in 2010. Meanwhile Tennant's last appearance was in 2013 during the 50th anniversary special.

During their interview, Micah asked Russell about David Tennant playing the 14th version of the character having previously played the tenth Doctor.

"We're identical twins, but have very different personalities," said Micah, as he asked whether the 10th and 14th doctors are different from each other, despite looking the same.

"They are, actually. Just slightly 'cause everyone wants to see David Tennant at his absolute best as the Doctor, so there's no deep changes," said Davies.

"But David's a bit older, he's got a different rhythm, you're different now than you were when you were six, you like different things - we're not trying to hide the fact that he's aged a bit."

The special episodes also feature a new character, Donna's daughter, Rose.

Rose is trans in the story and is played by 20-year-old trans actor, Yasmin Finney.

"It's something I and a lot of other writers are keen to do - to be progressive, to reflect more of society," said Davies when asked about her casting.

"It was just so powerfully meant to be and I think she does the most amazing job and it's an absolute privilege to work with her to get her on screen."

The Star Beast: What's the plot?

The first anniversary special, The Star Beast, focuses on a child-sized furry creature called a Meep, that has large, lemur-like eyes and arrives on Earth while on the run from another alien species.

Sitting in a cinema room inside Battersea Power Station, the Press Packers watched the special screening of the episode alongside fans, former Doctor Who actors and the people who make the show.

Answering questions from those in attendance after the special screening, Russell T Davies looked for Micah and Carter in the audience, "where are the two boys from Newsround?" he said, before asking what they thought of the episode.

The twin brothers both gave a big thumbs up, with Davies saying their reaction "really meant the world," because "that's who the episode is for".

Doctor Who: What's new?

The Meep, an alien on the run, appears in the first special episode titled: The Star Beast

The Star Beast will air on BBC One at 6:30pm on 25 November and on the BBC iPlayer.

The BBC has also partnered with Disney - meaning Doctor Who episodes will be available for audiences around the world on Disney+.

During their interview, Micah and Carter asked Russell whether working with Disney has meant the show has changed from what fans are used to.

"It means we've got a bit more money," Davies explained.

"Not a fortune, we're not up there with a Star Wars budget, but a nice bit of money, so the spaceships look a bit better and some of the monsters look a bit better.

"We live in a huge world now where there are so many science fiction shows, Doctor Who has to keep up, so it needed a bit of cash.

"But really it's absolutely the same old show, it's the same old TARDIS - wait 'til you see the TARDIS, it's huge, it's just bigger!

That's the best example actually, it's the same old TARDIS with the console and the pillar in the middle with the lights, but bigger than you've ever seen before."

60 years of Doctor Who

Doctor Who first appeared on TV in 1963 in black and white, the first Doctor seen here with his companions was played by William Hartnell

Doctor Who first aired on Saturday 23 November, 1963.

Originally intended to be an entertaining and educational programme for the family to watch, two of the original main characters were science and history teachers called Ian and Barbara.

The teachers taught the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, at a school on Earth.

But, after they discovered the Doctor's time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS - which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space - The Doctor kidnapped the two teachers because he feared they would reveal his secrets.

However, they soon travelled with him willingly and so began six decades of Doctor Who adventures with different human companions through time and space.

Asked why the series has lasted 60 years, Davies says "regeneration".

"The fact that the Doctor can change, and change into anyone - we've seen men Doctors we've seen women Doctors we're now about to see Ncuti Gatwa, who is the world's first black Doctor and that just means anything can happen and I think people love that."

More than 800 episodes of Doctor Who spanning all the way back to the 1960s are now available all in one place - The Whoniverse - on BBC iPlayer.

Although a lot of the early stories involved fewer aliens, and instead focused on travelling back to historical events, the first series of Doctor Who did introduce the character's most famous alien adversary - the Daleks...

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