Doctor Who shows off new theme song, new TARDIS, new trailer as first holiday special airs

Today’s a big day for Doctor Who fans, as the series—currently operating in the gap between Jodie Whitaker’s 13th doctor, and Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th by dipping back to good ol’ David Tennant for a handful of episodes—released the first of three specials meant to bridge the gap. Fans are already dissecting and filtering through all the comedic moments, callbacks, and running-around—with-yelling bits of “The Star Beast,” which reunites Tennant with long-time companion Catherine Tate for the first time since 2010. But the franchise itself has also handed out a couple of new teasers to commemorate the moment, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the series overall, including releasing a video featuring the show’s new theme song and title sequence, and a quick teaser trailer for Tennant and Tate’s next adventure.

And while we could, in a less charitable mood, suggest that the new title sequence almost entirely consists of shots of the TARDIS flying through leftover bits of the cosmic portals from every single Marvel Cinematic Universe movie as some sort of ill-judged homage to Disney’s new role in releasing the series internationally, the new version of the classic theme song does feel pretty good/suitably epic. (The title sequence also politely credits Pat Mill and Dave Gibbons, whose 1980 Doctor Who comic book the episode adapts.)

Meanwhile, the teaser for the next special, “Wild Blue Yonder,” is extremely short, although it does suggest that the next trip on the nostalgia tour is going to be to Doctor Who’s “horror TV for kids” side, all the way down to some sets that look clearly lifted from Alien. (Or, at least, one of the many Doctor Who episodes that have ripped off Alien over the years, even if the show’s set builders have gotten a chance to show off of late with a new TARDIS set.) The special will air on December 2 on Disney+, with the third installment arriving on December 9. (And then Gatwa takes over the job with his own premiere episode, on Christmas Day.)