Doctor Who: The Star Beast: Release date and cast for 60th anniversary special

Doctor Who is officially back and due to return to TV for three 60th anniversary specials starting with an episode called The Star Beast debuting in late November.

Long-time fans of the Who franchise will no doubt be familiar with this title which takes its cues from a comic book run of the same name published in Doctor Who Weekly back in early 1980.

The adaptation also marks the first time we will have seen David Tennant back in action (this time as the Fourteenth Doctor rather than the Tenth) since he was tantalisingly glimpsed during the intriguing final moments of former Doctor Jodie Whittaker’s last episode back in October 2022.

So what can we expect to see when The Star Beast finally airs? Let’s take a look.

When will Doctor Who episode The Star Beast air?

The Star Beast episode of Doctor Who will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday, 25 November 2023. It will form part of three special outings celebrating Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary.

Those after a more in-depth look at the episode's journey to the screen can switch over to BBC Three immediately after The Star Beast has aired for Doctor Who: Unleashed, a new documentary feature that’ll take viewers behind-the-scenes of the episode’s production.

As if that wasn't enough, those after even more Who-action can access exclusive on-screen commentary tracks that'll share secrets behind the filming of these new specials on iPlayer.

David Tennant will join producers Phil Collinson and Vicki Delow to provide insight into the making of The Star Beast, with Tennant and Collinson joining show producer Davies to discuss the making of special number three, The Giggle.

These tracks will be accessible immediately after each episode has aired on BBC iPlayer.

Meanwhile, viewers based outside of the UK will be able to watch The Star Beast on Disney+.

Is there a trailer for Doctor Who episode The Star Beast?

The first full trailer for Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials dropped in late October and gave us a good look at the Doctor’s latest outing, overseen once again by executive producer Russell T Davies.

In it, we see the return of Tennant’s Doctor - now serving as Doctor number fourteen ahead of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor fifteen - and also his companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate.

We also a taste of the problems that he’ll be facing, many of which take the form of an old foe known as The Toymaker, played by Neil Patrick Harris.

In addition to this one-minute trailer, we also have a small teaser that confirms the debut date of The Star Beast.

What happens in Doctor Who episode The Star Beast?

According to the official synopsis for The Star Beast, the episode will see the Doctor finally reunite with his old companion. However, those behind the show are keen to keep specifics locked inside the TARDIS.

“Get set for three epic adventures starting with The Star Beast (25th November) where the Doctor and Donna will come face to face after all these years but just how, and why, is about to be revealed,” explains the official BBC press release.

That hasn’t stopped the internet from sleuthing though which has allowed us to glean some extra information on the Doctor’s return. According to the BBC, “‘The path to Ncuti’s Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun!’” - and that certainly looks to be the case in the series first trailer.

Read more: What we know about the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials

Set in and around London, The Star Beast looks set to bring Tennant’s Doctor into contact with Beep The Meep, a character first introduced back in old Doctor Who comic strips but here realised in glorious puppet form.

While we don’t yet know how or why the Fourteenth Doctor looks like the Tenth, we do know that his latest job will involve saving the world from an invading danger while keeping Donna Noble from recognising him. As he says in the trailer: “If she remembers me, she’ll die.”

Elsewhere, we see the looming threat of Harris’s The Toymaker, a character that originally battled William Hartnell’s first Doctor in 1966 before threatening a rematch. By the looks of it, round two has finally arrived in the forthcoming third special The Giggle.

Who is starring in Doctor Who episode The Star Beast?

Tennant is back as the Doctor with Tate returning as his companion Donna Noble.

Jacqueline King will return as Donna’s mother Sylvia, with Karl Collins as her husband Shaun and Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney as their daughter Rose.

Ruth Madeley will play a new character named Shirley Ann Bingham, with Miriam Margolyes providing the voice of Beep The Meep.

The first Doctor Who 60th anniversary special The Star Beast airs on Saturday, 25 November.