How to watch the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials and stream all episodes now

David Tennant in Doctor Who: Star Beast
(Image credit: Disney Plus)

Doctor Who celebrated its 60th anniversary on Thursday, November 23 and returned to our screens with a trilogy of specials, which started on Saturday, November 25. All of those episodes are available in the U.K. and around the world now, including the U.S..

Below we have all the information on how to watch the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials from anywhere and potentially for FREE with a VPN.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials start time, channel

The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials started with The Star Beast on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 1:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. GMT. The whole trilogy is available now.
• U.K.: watch FREE on BBC iPlayer
Watch BBC iPlayer from anywhere with NordVPN
• U.S. watch on Disney Plus

The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials proved to be absolutely packed with action and fan-pleasing moments. For one thing, David Tennant returned as the Doctor. Joining him in The TARDIS was his sidekick from a decade ago, Donna Noble, portrayed once again by Catherine Tate.

The last time we were with the Doctor we saw Jodie Whittaker regenerate, very unexpectedly, into Tennant. Although the coat and Converse are back, he is technically not back as his previous incarnation, the 10th Doctor. Instead, this will be a brief stint as the 14th, before the previously announced Ncuti Gatwa takes his place as the 15th.

If all that wasn’t enough for fans, we saw the late Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott, Neil Patrick Harris joined the cast as baddie The Toymaker and Beep the Meep jumped from the comic books to the screen. We won't spoil anything, but there were some other familiar faces and surprise guests too.

Russell T Davies has written all three of the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials and longstanding director Rachel Talalay led the first. These specials are unmissable for longtime watchers and newcomers alike. Read on for our guide to everything you need to know on how to watch from anywhere.

Watch the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials free online

Watch Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials online FREE in the U.K.

British flag

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The three episodes of Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials are available in the UK on BBC iPlayer, with the trilogy available in full now. It's totally FREE to view, provided you have a TV license of course.

All three episodes aired on BBC One at 6.30pm UK for three consecutive Saturday evenings - The Star Beast aired on November 25, while Wild Blue Yonder arrived December 2 and The Giggle followed on December 9.

If you can't wait in between episode, there is a host of other Doctor Who content available to watch for free on the BBC iPlayer via their Whoniverse hub. 

Watch Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials from anywhere

How to watch Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials from anywhere in the world

If you're fortunate enough to live in the U.K., you will be able to enjoy all three Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials FREE on BBC iPlayer, with all three available now. 

But what if you're usually based in the U.K., pay the licence fee, but are visiting the U.S. right now? Perhaps, you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on a paid streaming service in a foreign country when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home.

Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below. The best deal on a VPN service right now is NordVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list.

NordVPN: 69% off and a free Amazon gift card| From $2.99 per month
There are dozens of VPNs to choose from, but we recommend NordVPN. It's fast, straightforward to use, simple to install plus there's an exclusive Black Friday deal in from Nord: subscribe to a 2-year plan and you'll get a free Amazon gift card of up to $30/£30/30€

NordVPN: 69% off and a free Amazon gift card| From $2.99 per month
There are dozens of VPNs to choose from, but we recommend NordVPN. It's fast, straightforward to use, simple to install plus there's an exclusive Black Friday deal in from Nord: subscribe to a 2-year plan and you'll get a free Amazon gift card of up to $30/£30/30€. With the additional 69% off, that's the best deal NordVPN's had all year.

- Try NordVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN has a great deal.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.S. and want to view BBC iPlayer, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer and watch the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials live streams.

Watch Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials by country

How to watch Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials online in the U.S.

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The Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials are available in the U.S. on Disney Plus with all episodes available now. 

If you're outside of the U.S. but have one of these subscriptions, you can watch Tennant and Tate's adventures online now by a VPN such as NordVPN.

How to watch Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials in Australia

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Happily for Whovians down under, the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials materialized on Disney Plus. 

Traveling outside the U.K.? Don't worry — you can watch via a VPN instead. Our favorite VPN service right now is NordVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list.

Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials – full episode guide

Catherine Tate and David Tennant in the poster for Doctor Who: Star Beast

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

Doctor Who 2023 episode 1: The Star Beast - Available now. 

It's a fight to the bitter end for The Doctor after a spaceship crash-lands in London. As the battle rages on, fate brings him back to his old sidekick, Donna Noble.

Doctor Who 2023 episode 2: Wild Blue Yonder - Available now

The Doctor and Donna are back in The TARDIS for another epic adventure. Not only must they escape to save their own lives, the fate of the universe depends on them.

Doctor Who 2023 episode 3: The Giggle - Available now

It is the end of the road for the Fourteenth Doctor, but The Toymaker is still wreaking havoc and the Fifteenth Doctor arrives.

Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials episode 3 trailer

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Charlotte Henry

Charlotte Henry is a journalist who has covered all things tech and media for a number of years for various publications. She reported in-depth as tech companies became media companies and vice versa. In her newsletter, The Addition, she focuses on the ever-changing streaming ecosystem as the likes of Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+ fight for supremacy. Charlotte is also a close follower of sport (she’s a Spurs fan…) watching everything from Premier League football to Major League Baseball. Charlotte’s first book “Not Buying It: The Facts Behind Fake News” was published in 2019. Away from work, she can often be found at heavy metal concerts and festivals.