Big Finish Productions has announced an extraordinary seven-Doctor crossover story for the 60th anniversary that will star at least seven past Doctor Who stars, according to ComicBook. The special, Doctor Who: Once and Future, will headline David Tennant (Fright Night, Broadchurch), Paul McGann (The Three Musketeers, Luther), Christopher Eccleston (Thor: The Dark World, Shallow Grave), Colin Baker (More Than a Messiah, Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time), Tom Baker (Doctor Who: Shada, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad), and Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Sense8) in an eight-part event that will celebrate the history of the long-standing science fiction television series.
Doctor Who will be released monthly, with the first seven parts to premiere between May and October of 2023 leading up to the 60th anniversary, and a “coda” to follow in November 2023.
A tease of the story, via ComicBook: “The Time War. The Doctor has been injured and brought to a Time Lord field hospital. His body glows with energy, but this is no regeneration into a future form – instead, the Doctor’s past faces begin to appear as he flits haphazardly between incarnations…”
“Staggering to his TARDIS, the Doctor sets out to solve the mystery of his ‘degeneration’. Who has done this to him? How? And why? From the Earth to the stars, across an array of familiar times and places, he follows clues to retrace his steps, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Tumbling through his lives, the Doctor must stop his degeneration before he loses himself completely…”
The producer of the show, David Richardson (Doctor Zhivago, The Heiress), said in a press release, “An astonishing array of talent has come aboard to be a part of this epic eight-hour anniversary story. It’s a huge Doctor Who party and a massive celebration that has been years in the making.”
All eight of the stories of Doctor Who: Once and Future can be pre-ordered as separate single releases on standard collector’s edition CD (along with the download) or digital download only, as well as the standard bundle pre-order. The standard edition excludes the extras that are in the special edition, but it does include the behind-the-scenes features.
Stay tuned for Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, The Last Letter from Your Lover) portraying the new Doctor with his new companion in November 2023.