The BBC has revealed that David Tennant and Catherine Tate will return to Doctor Who.

The two are now filming for the show’s 60th anniversary, which will take place in 2023.

Tennant portrayed the 10th Doctor in the time travel drama from 2005 to 2010, and Tate portrayed companion Donna Noble.

The announcement comes just a week after the BBC revealed that Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa will be the next Doctor.

Tennant and Tate will be reunited with returning Doctor Who head writer Russell T Davies as a result of their engagement.

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Davies, who oversaw Doctor Who’s triumphant revival in 2005, left at the same time as Tennant. Their final episode together aired in 2010.

Tennant has previously appeared on the show briefly, accompanying then-Doctor Matt Smith for the show’s 50th anniversary in 2013.

At this point, it’s unclear whether this return will be similar, with Tennant and Tate returning alongside Gatwa.

Davies being Davies, teased fans, saying, “Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”

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Tennant and Tate’s 2008 Doctor Who season is the most successful since the show’s resurrection in 2005, with an average audience of more than eight million viewers per episode.

The 13-episode run received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for best drama at the Bafta TV Awards that year.

The pair’s popularity could deliver a ratings boost for a show that has seen its audience decline in the last two years, albeit against a backdrop of overall linear TV viewing decline.

Such announcements are frequently made in advance of Doctor Who filming in public places. The show has previously adopted the tactic of revealing material before shooting.

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The current Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, will appear in one more special episode later this year as part of a series of programmes commemorating the BBC’s centenary. After that, the show will return in 2023.

Tennant has appeared in TV shows such as Good Omens, Around the World in 80 Days, and Broadchurch after leaving Doctor Who. He got a National Television Award in 2021 for his role as serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des.

Tate has participated in sitcoms such as Big School and has maintained her well-known Nan persona, most recently in The Nan Movie, which was released earlier this year.

The duo has also recorded a number of Doctor Who audio adventures for the audio drama studio Big Finish.