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Doctor Who - 60th birthday specials
Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials manage to do everything that made it great in the old days, while also taking a hopeful look to the future
It was a huge surprise when the thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, Broadchurch) regenerated last year and the next Doctor was not given the face of Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), but that of David Tennant (Good Omens). David Tennant played the role of the tenth Doctor between 2005 and 2010, and he returned especially for the sixtieth anniversary of the series. To celebrate this anniversary, the BBC broadcast three special episodes in recent weeks. We also see the return of Catherine Tate (The Office), who played the Doctor's traveling companion Donna Noble in 2006 and 2008.
Tennant and Tate are not the only old acquaintances returning to Doctor Who. We also see some familiar faces behind the scenes. For example, Russell T. Davies, who was showrunner during Tennant's time, has returned to his old post. After a somewhat disappointing period with the previous showrunner, the BBC is clearly trying to restore order here by appointing the person who managed to put Doctor Who back on the map from nowhere in 2005. As showrunner, Davies gathered people both in front of and behind the scenes who also worked on Doctor Who between 2005 and 2010. And that has results.
The three episodes contain wonderfully bizarre adventures that are exactly in the style of Doctor Who from 2008, which I grew up with. It is sometimes incredibly stupid and absurd, but it manages to find the right balance between tension, humor and emotion. What helps is the great focus on Donna's personal life. She travels with the Doctor, but she also has a family, friends and a life of her own. She has a home. This makes it easy for you as a viewer to identify with her. This is something I've missed a bit among other showrunners, and I'm glad it's back.
Donna isn't the only one returning. The large number of characters who previously played in Doctor Who feel like a warm bath. It is a pleasure to see Donna's grandfather Wilfred Mott (played by Bernard Cribbins, Coronation Street, who died last year) again one more time. Furthermore, Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave, Holby City), the head of the military organization UNIT, is always a welcome addition to Doctor Who, and one of the Doctor's traveling companions from the 1980s had a surprisingly enjoyable guest role in one episode.
Doctor Who has never been afraid to get involved in social discussions and sometimes give the status quo a good kicking. Here too, the makers dare to address several issues in a not exactly subtle manner. In these episodes, writer Russell T. Davies draws interesting parallels between, for example, alien invasions, what it means to be yourself and the current culture of online opinions. Despite the lack of subtlety, it works very well. The storyline surrounding Finney's character Rose is a very good example of this, and she knows how to give a voice to it with excellent acting.
Doctor Who is back and the series has a bright future. In these three episodes, showrunner Russell T. Davies shows that he has not forgotten how to make Doctor Who. It was also very nice to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprise their old roles with great pleasure. The Christmas special featuring Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth Doctor will air in a few weeks, with the fourteenth season airing sometime next year. I am looking forward to that!
Follow Doctor WhoIt was a huge surprise when the thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, Broadchurch) regenerated last year and the next Doctor was not given the face of Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), but that of David Tennant (Good Omens). David Tennant played the role of the tenth Doctor between 2005 and 2010, and he returned especially for the sixtieth anniversary of the series. To celebrate this anniversary, the BBC broadcast three special episodes in recent weeks. We also see the return of Catherine Tate (The Office), who played the Doctor's traveling companion Donna Noble in 2006 and 2008.
Tennant and Tate are not the only old acquaintances returning to Doctor Who. We also see some familiar faces behind the scenes. For example, Russell T. Davies, who was showrunner during Tennant's time, has returned to his old post. After a somewhat disappointing period with the previous showrunner, the BBC is clearly trying to restore order here by appointing the person who managed to put Doctor Who back on the map from nowhere in 2005. As showrunner, Davies gathered people both in front of and behind the scenes who also worked on Doctor Who between 2005 and 2010. And that has results.
Because this is so wonderful. We imagine ourselves back in 2008, when Tennant and Tate were both in top form and experiencing fantastic adventures in the corners of time and space. On the one hand, it feels like nothing has changed between the two. Their bickering and interplay are back to normal and in these moments the chemistry jumps off the screen. On the other hand, it is also clear that a lot has changed. The Doctor has regenerated a few times in between and has been through a lot. Tennant's slightly older appearance helps with this. Time has not stood still for Donna either. She is now married, has a daughter, and has also been through a lot. That growth has also taken place in her.The Doctor Who we know from 15 years ago is back on the air for a while
The three episodes contain wonderfully bizarre adventures that are exactly in the style of Doctor Who from 2008, which I grew up with. It is sometimes incredibly stupid and absurd, but it manages to find the right balance between tension, humor and emotion. What helps is the great focus on Donna's personal life. She travels with the Doctor, but she also has a family, friends and a life of her own. She has a home. This makes it easy for you as a viewer to identify with her. This is something I've missed a bit among other showrunners, and I'm glad it's back.
Donna isn't the only one returning. The large number of characters who previously played in Doctor Who feel like a warm bath. It is a pleasure to see Donna's grandfather Wilfred Mott (played by Bernard Cribbins, Coronation Street, who died last year) again one more time. Furthermore, Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave, Holby City), the head of the military organization UNIT, is always a welcome addition to Doctor Who, and one of the Doctor's traveling companions from the 1980s had a surprisingly enjoyable guest role in one episode.
New actors are also doing very well. For example, Miriam Margoyles (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) play two wonderful villain roles, and Ruth Madeley (Years and Years) is very nice as a scientist who works for UNIT. We also got a glimpse of Gatwa's fifteenth Doctor and it makes us very curious about the next season. But the big new star is Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper) as Donna's daughter Rose.Neil Patrick Harris and Miriam Margoyles play two delightful villains
Doctor Who has never been afraid to get involved in social discussions and sometimes give the status quo a good kicking. Here too, the makers dare to address several issues in a not exactly subtle manner. In these episodes, writer Russell T. Davies draws interesting parallels between, for example, alien invasions, what it means to be yourself and the current culture of online opinions. Despite the lack of subtlety, it works very well. The storyline surrounding Finney's character Rose is a very good example of this, and she knows how to give a voice to it with excellent acting.
Doctor Who is back and the series has a bright future. In these three episodes, showrunner Russell T. Davies shows that he has not forgotten how to make Doctor Who. It was also very nice to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprise their old roles with great pleasure. The Christmas special featuring Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth Doctor will air in a few weeks, with the fourteenth season airing sometime next year. I am looking forward to that!
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