Review - Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials (2023)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and I absolutely enjoyed the 60th anniversary specials for Doctor Who, streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Ireland, while streaming on Disney+ for the rest of the world, including the US. With all three episodes written by Russell T. Davies, the specials star David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Other notable cast members include Jacqueline King, Yasmin Finney, Carl Collins, Neil Patrick Harris, and Bernard Cribbins in his final performance as Wilfred Mott. 

         So, shortly after arriving in London, the Doctor is confused regarding why his current regeneration is of the same face as the Tenth Doctor, and he realizes that something is drawing him back to his former Companion Donna Noble, who cannot remember him because of the meta-crisis from The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. We also learn that not only is Donna married to Shaun Temple, which we saw during The End of Time, but they also have a daughter named Rose Noble. And, yes, Rose is a trans woman. Get over it. 

        Anyway, so, the Doctor, Donna, Rose, Shaun, and Sylvia run into some aliens, including a seemingly harmless creature called The Meep. Unfortunately, the Meep is evil, and the Doctor is unable to beat it alone, thus requiring him to restore Donna's memories and bring back the Doctor Donna. However, the meta-crisis was shared between Donna and Rose, making it less dangerous than before. Working together, Donna, Rose, and the Doctor defeat the Meep, and Donna and Rose expel the meta-crisis energy, thus allowing them to keep their memories. 

         The Doctor offers to take Donna on one last trip in the TARDIS, and this is where things get out of hand, leading to them meeting Isaac Newton in the year 1666, and eventually ending up on a abandoned spaceship that has a pair of aliens that copy by absorbing information from other beings. And, after returning, and having a brief reunion with Wilfred, the Doctor comes face to face with the Toymaker, a cosmic foe from the Doctor's past,.who has been using an old television recording from the 1920's to manipulate humanity into its worst impulses. 

           One of the underlying mysteries that serves as a through line for the three specials is, for one, what is drawing the Doctor and Donna back together? And, most importantly, why does the Fourteenth Doctor look like the Tenth Doctor? Well, as far as the Doctor's appearance, the specials ultimately play into just how much back-and-forth running around time and space the Doctor was going on over the years, when he really just needed to slow down. As for Donna's return, well, it was really about giving her the proper closure she never got. At least, that's what I think. 

         And, I really liked the reintroduction of the Toymaker, who was portrayed by Michael Gough in classic Doctor Who, and is portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris in the third chapter of the 60th anniversary, in a special titled The Giggle. This is a villain who had unfinished business with the Doctor, and the battle of wits between these two is a lot of fun. Honestly, David Tennant and Neil Patrick Harris really played off each other pretty well. 

         And, of course, the special does have a regeneration, because we are getting a new Doctor for the upcoming seasons. But, what is fascinating is that this Tim it was another regeneration anomaly in the form of a bi-generation, wherein the Doctor splits into his current and future incarnations. So, we see the Fourteenth Doctor AND the Fifteenth Doctor double team to effectively defeat the Toymaker for good, with a hint of a possible return of the Master in the future. 

        Now, I will say that due to him being front and center for a lot of marketing for the forthcoming Doctor Who episodes, I was already excited for Ncuti Gatwa to jump in as the Fifteenth Doctor. But, now that we've gotten our first taste of what's to come with this guy, I can pretty safely say that the TARDIS is definitely in good hands, and I can't wait for the first proper Fifteenth Doctor adventure to arrive. 

         Overall, the 60th Anniversary specials were a lot of fun. Did it drag in some parts? Yeah. Did it get a bit heavy handed with messages and progressive themes? Kinda. But was I entertained? For sure. So, I'm giving the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who an overall rating of 4.5/5. 

         Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back with the first review of 12 Reviews of Christmas.