Doctor Who’s new 14th Doctor—with that old face—has already gone on his first adventures in the pages of the show’s official magazine. But he’ll be making his televised debut a little earlier than anticipated… and bringing some old foes with him.
The BBC has confirmed that, as is now tradition, Doctor Who will be a part of this week’s charity telethon for Children in Need with the broadcast of a special “exclusive scene: starring David Tennant’s 14th Doctor on November 17.
““Every year that I was on Doctor Who we did something for BBC Children in Need, so it only feels right to be doing something this year,” Tennant noted in a press release. “Children in Need is a national tradition, it’s certainly a BBC tradition, and Doctor Who is part of that. I’m so glad we’re able to give Children in Need viewers this little extra treat.”
The broadcast will see Tennant’s new Time Lord appear alongside actor and comedian Mawaan Rizwan, as the duo uncover an ancient mystery surrounding none other than the Daleks—a grimly funny bit of timing, considering returning showrunner Russell T. Davies’ recent comments that Doctor Who’s most iconic villains have been a bit overused recently. It’s currently unknown whether or not the scene will tie into Doctor Who’s upcoming trio of anniversary specials, which will begin airing just over a week later on November 25, but at least Tennant’s latest Doctor will get the traditional chance to appear face to face with their most legendary adversary, if only for a brief moment.
The new Doctor Who scene will broadcast this Friday, November 17, as part of the annual Children in Need telethon, and will be made available standalone online as part of the BBC iPlayer’s Whoniverse platform alongside a special behind-the-scenes look at its creation marking the debut of the new Doctor Who support series, Doctor Who Unleashed. It’s currently unknown if the short will be made available internationally via Disney+.
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