Doctor Who confirms time slot for first 60th special The Star Beast

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The first special will be followed by two more episodes, titled Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle respectively, with all three instalments seeing beloved stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning to the show.

While Tate is once again playing her previous character Donna Noble, Tennant is playing a slightly different Doctor to the Tenth iteration he made iconic between 2005 and 2010.

The specials also star Neil Patrick Harris as antagonist The Toymaker, who is making his first Doctor Who appearance since 1966.

Meanwhile, other stars include Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney as Rose, Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne Bingham and Miriam Margolyes as the voice of Beep the Meep.

The Star Beast will be followed on BBC Three by the first episode of new companion series Doctor Who Unleashed, which will air from 7:30pm.

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This week also saw the announcement of a few more new cast members, including Dara Lall as Fudge and John MacKay as television pioneer John Logie Baird – a role he previously played in another very different Russell T Davies show, Nollie.

Although we're still waiting for precise plot details, fans have been offered many snippets of information in various stills and trailers – while returning showrunner Davies has promised that fans will be "staggered" by "the surprises".

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Classic episodes are available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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