As part of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary celebrations, David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Tom Baker and other former cast members are set to appear in a blockbuster audio drama series.

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The eight-part series, produced by Big Finish, will be titled Doctor Who: Once and Future, and will see the Doctor jumping between different incarnations following an injury.

In an attempt to work out exactly who has caused him to “degenerate”, he heads back to the TARDIS to retrace his steps and stop this process before he loses his identity.

As well as Tennant, Eccleston and Baker, the anniversary special will also feature Paul McGann, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, with other exciting stars yet to be confirmed.

The series will begin in May 2023 and will be released monthly, with the first seven hour-long instalments airing between then and October 2023, and a finale following in November 2024.

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According to the full synopsis, the series takes place during the Time War, when “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,” the plot teaser continues.

Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who staring into camera wearing a brown hat and colourful scarf
Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. BBC One

“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.”

“An astonishing array of talent has come aboard to be a part of this epic eight-hour anniversary story,” said producer David Richardson. “It’s a huge Doctor Who party and a massive celebration that has been years in the making.”

The news was unveiled today as part of the annual Doctor Who Day celebrations, which marks the first ever episode of the long-running sci-fi series airing on the BBC in 1963.

The BBC also unveiled a special new logo for the series, in a nod to the upcoming diamond anniversary.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage and visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

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