The Doctor Who Centenary Special Is Finally Coming Into Focus
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With the BBC celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2022, Whovians are in for an extra special treat this fall season with the airing of the "Doctor Who" centenary special, which finally has a name and official synopsis.
Fans have been eagerly waiting to get more information on the third "Doctor Who" special and there's still no exact date for its release. Reports have slotted it for October during the BBC Centenary week, but the specific day is unclear. The official anniversary falls on October 18, per CultBox.
"We've got a week celebrating our centenary in October, where we'll have some specials," said BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore during an August 2022 media panel, according to CultBox. The "Doctor Who" special is slated to be Jodie Whittaker's "final adventure" as the Thirteenth Doctor, with the BBC announcing in July 2021 that she'd be stepping down after the "epic blockbuster" airs.
A short teaser trailer for the centenary special — which also contained a preview for the second 2022 "Doctor Who" special, "Legend of the Sea Devils" — was released in April 2022 and teased a tragic end to the Thirteenth Doctor's story. But other than that, the BBC has remained mum on the centenary episode and what fans should expect to see. That is, until now.
The Doctor Who centenary special will feature multiple threats
The latest issue of "Doctor Who Magazine" has finally revealed the official name for Jodie Whittaker's highly-anticipated swan song: "The Power of the Doctor" (per CultBox). A brief synopsis that's been listed on the Amazon Blu-ray pre-order listing for the centenary special reads: "Her final battle. Her deadliest enemies. The Thirteenth Doctor faces multiple threats from Daleks, Cybermen and the Master, in a fight for her very existence." According to CultBox, the title of the special is a play on two prior "Doctor Who" episodes titled "The Power of the Daleks" (1966) and "The Power of Three" (2012). The episode is expected to introduce the Fourteenth Doctor, played by actor Ncuti Gatwa (via /Film).
Longtime showrunner Russell T. Davies, who is set to return to the "Doctor Who" helm in 2023, was shown a preview of the centenary special and told BBC's The One that he was in love with it. "I just saw the finished version of that two days ago," he said (per CultBox). "It's a 90-minute epic. It's fantastic! ... Gorgeous with lots of surprises."
Over the past year, a number of reports have come out saying the special would feature some awesome returns for popular characters. RadioTimes.com reported in April 2022 that some of these comebacks include former companions Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) from the 1980s, Vinder (Jacob Anderson) and UNIT leader Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) from more recent episodes, and as mentioned in the synopsis, the return of the Daleks, Cybermen, and the Master.