Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill have been confirmed to return to the world of Doctor Who as the BBC celebrates 20 years of the beloved sci-fi show’s revival.
Gillan and Darvill will both appear in a special hour-long episode of the documentary series Doctor Who: Unleashed, which will air on Saturday 7 June on BBC iPlayer and BBC One Wales and BBC Three later the same day.
The two actors are both synonymous with the Matt Smith era of Doctor Who, which lasted between 2010 and 2013. Gillan played the Doctor’s companion, Amy Pond, for 34 episodes during this period.
Darvill, meanwhile, played Pond’s husband Rory Williams and appeared in 27 episodes between 2010 and 2012.
The new episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed will commemorate 20 years since the show’s revival in 2005, where it has been exclusively produced in Cardiff, Wales ever since.
Newsbeat presenter Steffan Powell will host the show, which will feature a bumper line-up of current and former Doctor Who stars and showrunners including Ncuti Gatwa, David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, Varada Sethu, Billie Piper, Pearl Mackie, Mandip Gill, Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall, and Russell T Davies.
According to a press release, the episode promises to unveil secrets from behind the scenes with former production designer Edward Thomas and costume designer Ray Holman.
It will also unpack how its connection to Wales has helped the show become one of the biggest and most recognisable brands on television.
The episode will air a week after the season two finale of Gatwa’s run on the show. The Sex Education actor made his debut as the 15th Doctor on the BBC’s flagship programme in December 2023, taking over from David Tennant who briefly returned for that year’s specials.
Gatwa, 32, returned for his second season in April, which will conclude on 31 May with a two-part finale featuring the episodes: “Wish World” and “The Reality War.”
Speaking about the special episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed, showrunner Russell T Davies said, as per the Radio Times: "After the season's climactic end, it’s great to celebrate the 20 years that led us here. I hope this is a party for faithful viewers, with a galaxy of stars, Doctors, companions, Billie Piper reunited with David Tennant, and the making of our first ever Dalek!"
Powell added: "What a joy to be giving the Unleashed treatment to 20 years’ worth of Doctor Who history. To see the lasting impact the show has had on those who helped bring the magic to screen has been a privilege, and a reminder of just how much the show means to so many."
