Doctor Who: The Star Beast Review | David Tennant and Catherine Tate Return in Enthralling New Special

Summary

• Doctor Who fans are in for a treat with the return of legendary writer Russell T. Davies, three specials for the show's 60th anniversary, and the debut of Ncuti Gatwa as the 14th Doctor.
• "The Star Beast" special delivers a thrilling and action-packed episode that takes fans back to the golden years of Doctor Who. It features flawless performances, satisfying character moments, and impeccable production design.
• The return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate adds excitement to the 60th-anniversary specials. Tennant's energetic and entertaining performance as the 10th Doctor is a joy to watch, while Tate shines in her reunion as the witty and inspiring Donna Noble.

2023 is a fantastic year to be a Doctor Who fan. Not only is legendary Doctor Who writer and showrunner Russell T. Davies returning to the series, but we also get treated to three specials in honor of the show's 60th anniversary, starring the 10th Doctor and his beloved companion, Donna Noble, which, of course, sees the return of David Tennant and the amazing Catherine Tate in their seminal roles. This, however, is all before Ncuti Gatwa makes his debut as the 14th Doctor, to reinvent the show for a new generation. Doctor Who fans are eating phenomenally well this year.

Bridging the gap between Jodie Whitaker's run as the 13th Doctor, and Ncuti Gatwa's debut as the 14th, David Tennant, and Catherine Tate return to the series with three exciting specials. The first of which, "The Star Beast," offers a breathtaking return to the show, with an episode that takes us back to the good old days of Doctor Who. David Tennant and Catherine Tate effortlessly fall back into their roles, with Davies immersing audiences into a thrilling, action-packed, and hilarious adventure with his flawless script. It's full of satisfying character moments, impeccable production design, and a fascinating antagonist.

The special answers many long-standing questions and presents a plethora of new ones while we anxiously anticipate Ncuti Gatwa's debut. Getting us seething with excitement for the final two specials, "The Star Beast" is a magical experience for Doctor Who fans that cannot be understated.

The Golden Age of Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Release Date

March 26, 2005

Cast

Jemma Redgrave, Ncuti Gatwa, Jodie Whittaker, David Tennant, Karen Gillan, Catherine Tate, Christopher Eccleston, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi

Main Genre

Action

Seasons

14

After a brief catch-up on the history between the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), audiences are hurled into a lively part of London where the 14th Doctor, sporting a recognizable face from a past regeneration, immediately finds himself bumping into Donna Noble within seconds of landing on Earth. There, after a brief conversation with the Doctor continually staring at Donna in disbelief, a mysterious spaceship crash lands on the other side of London.

The Doctor quickly rushes to the ship's wreckage to find an abandoned and beaten-up spaceship, with no sign of life. Meanwhile, Donna is met by the adorable alien species known only as The Meep, in her own home. With an intergalactic war on the way, The Doctor must return The Meep back to his spaceship before London is left in a fiery ruin. However, if Donna remembers her past with the Doctor, her life may be at risk.

Based on a story from a 1980 Doctor Who comic strip written by Pat Mills and Dave Gibbs, "The Star Beast" is one of the best Doctor Who specials in years. Sure, that's not really saying much, but with an expertly crafted script, flawless performances, and immersive production design on a scale we haven't quite seen before, fans are treated to a special that seamlessly takes us back to 2008: The Golden Years of Doctor Who.

Doctor Who Reaches New Heights

BBC

Russell T. Davies presents a script full of action, shocking twists, rip-roaring humor, and important themes revolving around gender identity. Davies tackles these themes with delicacy and levity, leading to many emotional and important character moments, which are soon paralleled with some brilliant moments of humor. "The Star Beast" offers a brilliant set-up for the 14th Doctor's future, and gets us incredibly excited about the rest of the 60th anniversary specials.

"The Star Beast" boasts some of the best production design that Doctor Who has seen in years. The imaginative design of its creatures, costumes, and space-shop will have audiences fully enthralled by this exceptional Doctor Who special. Likewise, "The Star Beast" deserves much praise for its action. Full of explosions, gunfire, and extraterrestrial carnage, the combination of well-shot, well-directed action with a blood-pumping score to boot creates thrilling action scenes the likes of which Doctor Who has been missing for a while.

The Return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate

What will certainly get most fans talking, and has done ever since it was announced, is the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate. Tennant is an absolute joy to watch on-screen. His giddy, childish, yet wise take on the character once again cements the fact that he is among the best to ever play the Doctor. Whether he's in shock, excitement, or brainstorming his next plan, David Tennant oozes with buckets of energy, enthralling audiences with his endlessly entertaining performance.

These 60th-anniversary specials aren't actually David Tennant's first time back in the role. In fact, 10 years ago, for the show's 50th anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor," Tennant starred alongside Matt Smith and John Hurt for an awe-inspiring special like no other. However, unlike Tennant, Catherine Tate hasn't reprised her role before. After a 15-year hiatus from the franchise, Catherine Tate returns to her no-nonsense, wise-cracking, and inspiring role as Donna Noble, one of the Doctor's best-ever companions. Tate returns with her exceptional comic timing, cracking audiences up with every line of intended dialogue, and draws audiences in with her emotionally nuanced performance that delves into Donna's trauma. An aspect of her performance from the fourth season that was often overlooked.

Although the biggest praise has to be given to Tennant and Tate's return, one of the best performances of the special came from Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble, Donna Nobles' mom. Often stealing the show, King's line delivery, and comic timing are on point, constantly leaving audiences belly laughing, and finally falling in love with her otherwise overbearing, but loving character. Additionally, making her debut in the show is Yasmin Finney, offering a confident and captivating performance as Rose, leaving audiences no choice but to fall in love with her character.

"The Star Beast" begins streaming internationally on Disney+ on November 25th, and airs at 6:30 pm on the BBC for UK viewers on the same day. If you fancy more Doctor Who goodness in the meantime, check out the short 14th Doctor prologue entitled "The Fourteenth Doctor is Here." You can watch the trailer for the special below: