Over the last 62 years, Doctor Who has celebrated seven of its biggest anniversaries with special episodes, but some of these have been far stronger, more entertaining, and more transformative for the long-running sci-fi series than others. In 2025, Doctor Who celebrates its 62nd anniversary, having premiered on November 23, 1963, with “An Unearthly Child.” The series has been through ups and downs over the years, but it has become the longest-running sci-fi series ever, and a much-loved institution of British TV.
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While there is no specific episode celebrating Doctor Who’s 62nd anniversary in 2025, the series has produced grand adventures for seven of its anniversaries throughout its history. Doctor Who’s 10th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 50th, and 60th anniversaries have been celebrated, while a huge episode was also released for the BBC’s centenary in 2022. Some of these have been more successful and have had a greater impact on Doctor Who than others. We won’t be celebrating another major Doctor Who anniversary until the show’s 70th in 2033, so let’s look back at some from the past.
7) 30th Anniversary Children in Need Special — “Dimensions in Time” (1993)
“Dimensions in Time” from 1993 was not, in fact, an official episode of Doctor Who, but celebrated the series’ 30th anniversary and Children in Need with a special crossover with British soap opera Eastenders. Every surviving actor who played the Doctor until then returned alongside their companions when the Rani (Kate O’Mara) traps them in a time loop in Eastenders’ Albert Square. “Dimensions in Time” was nostalgic, and was a charitable success, but little more than that. It is not canon to Doctor Who’s official timeline, and has little opportunity for character development given its huge cast and nonsensical plot.
6) 25th Anniversary Episode — “Silver Nemesis” (1988)
Where “Dimensions in Time” celebrated an anniversary but had no impact on Doctor Who’s actual timeline — the show had been cancelled four years prior — “Silver Nemesis” did nothing to celebrate the 25th anniversary, but was just an actual episode released on November 23, 1988. The dynamic between the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) at this time was electric, and made their battle against the Cybermen and sorcerers Lady Peinforte (Fiona Walker) fun and energetic. It’s an entertaining ride, even if it doesn’t make any mention of Doctor Who’s 25th anniversary, which should have been a grander affair.
5) 10th Anniversary Episode — “The Three Doctors” (1972-1973)
“The Three Doctors” set the benchmark for multi-Doctor special episodes, marking the first time Doctor Who celebrated an anniversary by bringing together William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee. “The Three Doctors” didn’t actually release on November 23, but opened Doctor Who’s 10th year in 1973. “The Three Doctors” also introduced Omega, the creator of the Time Lords’ ability to time travel who sought revenge on the Time Lords after they exiled him. This established a key part of Time Lord lore, but the serial’s pacing, underdeveloped characters, and dated special effects mean it doesn’t hold up so well today.
4) 60th Anniversary Specials — “The Star Beast,” “Wild Blue Yonder,” & “The Giggle” (2023)
After David Tennant became the Fourteenth Doctor after Jodie Whittaker’s departure, Doctor Who’s three 60th anniversary specials re-teamed him with former companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) in battles against the Meep, extra-dimensional entities, and the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris). It was fantastic to see this beloved duo back together, and to see Donna finally get a satisfying conclusion. This was also a strong foundation for Russell T. Davies’ new era, but it was a shame these specials didn’t pay more homage to Doctor Who’s history, and there were pacing and VFX issues that are hard to ignore.
3) 20th Anniversary Special — “The Five Doctors” (1983)
Celebrating Doctor Who’s 20th anniversary in 1983, “The Five Doctors” brought together the First (played by Richard Hurndall after Hartnell’s passing), Second, Third, Fourth (Tom Baker in archive footage), and Fifth Doctors (Peter Davison). It was great to see so many Doctors interacting, and this made “The Five Doctors” a great celebration of the show’s history, with plenty of nostalgic elements and references to the past. Aside from a convoluted plot that saw the Doctors brought to Gallifrey’s Death Zone, “The Five Doctors” is still the biggest canon multi-Doctor story, so it has an important place in Doctor Who’s history.
2) BBC Centenary Special — “The Power of the Doctor” (2022)
Jodie Whittaker bid us farewell after a controversial and divisive era as the Thirteenth Doctor in “The Power of the Doctor,” Doctor Who’s special that celebrated the BBC’s centenary in 2022. While the plot was confusing in areas, and the Doctor’s companions got disappointing send-offs, “The Power of the Doctor” was an incredible celebration of the show’s history. Past companions Tegan (Janet Fielding), Ace, Mel (Bonnie Langford), Jo (Katy Manning), and even Ian Chesterton (William Russell) returned, and we even got cameos from past Doctors, including the First (David Bradley), Fifth, Sixth (Colin Baker), Seventh, and Eighth (Paul McGann).
“The Power of the Doctor” pitted the Doctor against three of her most iconic adversaries, the Master (Sacha Dhawan), the Daleks, and the Cybermen. Dhawan and Whittaker delivered strong performances, and the visual effects — particularly during the final regeneration scene at Durdle Door — were incredible. Despite its flaws, “The Power of the Doctor” was a brilliant anniversary episode, but it has been trumped to the top spot.
1) 50th Anniversary Special — “The Day of the Doctor” (2013)
Most agree that the most poignant, entertaining, celebratory, and thrilling anniversary episode of Doctor Who is “The Day of the Doctor,” which marked the show’s 50th anniversary on November 23, 2013. This feature-length episode brought together the Tenth (Tennant) and Eleventh Doctors (Matt Smith) to uncover the secrets of their past, particularly their hidden past as the War Doctor (John Hurt). He was revealed to be the incarnation who used the Moment to destroy Gallifrey and end the Time War, but “The Day of the Doctor” changed the series forever by actually having the three Doctors save their world.
“The Day of the Doctor” produced some of the series’ highest production values, best performances from Tennant, Smith, and Jenna Coleman — who played companion Clara Oswald, and even marked the return of Billie Piper as the personification of the Moment. Seeing the three Doctors counsel each other and devise a plan to save their world and the Time Lords was brilliant, and while the shape-shifting Zygons were an unusual inclusion, the episode pulled off fan service and a celebration of Doctor Who’s past without being cheesy or predictable.
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