Doctor Who: Once and Future Starring David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, and More Past Doctors Announced

It’s Doctor Who Day, the perfect time for Big Finish to announce an epic seven-Doctor crossover story for the 60th anniversary starring at least seven past Doctor Who stars. Doctor Who: Once and Future will feature Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann (four of whom showed up in Jodie Whittaker’s final Doctor Who episode), Christopher Eccleston (who previously teased his involvement in a 60th anniversary Doctor Who story), and David Tennant (who will play the Fourteenth Doctor in the upcoming Doctor Who 60th-anniversary television specials) in an eight-part event that celebrates the history of the long-running sci-fi television series, with more guest stars still to be revealed. Big Finish will release the series monthly, with the first seven parts debuting between May and October 2023, and a “coda” following in November 2024. Here’s a tease of the story, via Big Finish:

“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…”

In the press release announcing the event, producer David Richardson says, “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.”

Doctor Who: Once and Future is available to pre-order as a bundle of all eight audio adventures on special edition CD (+ download) or digital (download only) at the Big Finish website. The CD bundle is limited to 3,000 copies that include numbered CDs, bonus artworks, and additional audio content, including music suites and extended behind-the-scenes interviews.

All eight stories can also be pre-ordered as separate single releases on standard collector’s edition CD (+ download) or digital (download only). A standard bundle pre-order is also available (on CD + download or download only). The standard edition does not include the extras contained in the special edition but does include behind-the-scenes features. All of these pre-order options are available at a pre-order discount.

Big Finish’s Doctor Who: Once and Future announcement follows the BBC releasing the new Doctor Who 60th Anniversary logo and key art featuring David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor. The first seven installments of Doctor Who: Once and Future will debut in the months leading up to the , which will stream exclusively on Disney+ outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland.