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Entertainment
Lucy Buglass

Tales of the TARDIS: release date, premise and everything we know

Tales of the TARDIS official logo featuring the famous blue police.

Tales of the TARDIS is a six-part series that sees former Doctor Who duos reuniting and is a great dose of nostalgia for fans of all ages.

The sci-fi series has been on our screens since 1963 and we're highly anticipating both the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials and the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023.

But until then, we've got this brand-new spin-off to enjoy which sees a number of classic Doctor Who stars reuniting.

Russell T Davies, Doctor Who's showrunner spoke very highly of the series and said: "The word Whoniverse was invented by fans, so it’s time to give it official status. And Tales of the TARDIS is one of the greatest delights of my career — to see old Doctors and companions reunited, still fighting the good fight, is a perfect way to celebrate the Doctor’s 60th birthday!"

Each episode runs for over 90 minutes so there's plenty to enjoy. 

Here's everything you need to know about Tales of the TARDIS...

Tales of the TARDIS release date

The spin-off series is a BBC iPlayer exclusive, with all six episodes now available having arrived on Wednesday November 1.

It launched at the same time as an "extensive back catalogue" of Doctor Who, which  features over 800 episodes.

Currently we do not know if Tales of the TARDIS will launch in the US, but we will keep you updated.

Tales of the TARDIS premise

In the series, we see Doctor Who legends reprising their iconic roles to reflect on their past adventures, as well as discovering something new along the way. So not only is it nostalgic, but it will also offer further insight into their stories.

The BBC has also teased that there will be brand new scenes woven together with classic episodes, creating a feature-length omnibus.

Which duos are returning in Tales of the TARDIS? And what happens in each episode?

Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred return for the series. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Below are the actors who reprise their roles for the spin-off series, and which characters they played.

  • Maureen O’Brien (Vicki Pallister) and Peter Purves (Steven Taylor) feature in "The Time Meddler". It sees them remembering their skirmish with Vikings and a time-travelling Monk!
  • Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon) and Wendy Padbury (Zoe Heriot) feature in "The Mind Robber". They recall their encounter with robots, clockwork soldiers and Medusa.
  • Katy Manning (Jo Grant) and Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer) feature in "The Three Doctors". They look back at her adventure with three Doctors against a deadly enemy.
  • Peter Davison (Fifth Doctor) and Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka) feature in "Earth Shock". They remember the time they fought the Cybermen.
  • Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor) and Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown) feature in "Vengeance on Varos". The Doctor and Peri recall their battle with Sil on the planet Varos.
  • Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor) and Sophie Aldred (Ace) feature in The Curse of Fenric. The pair remember their fight against an ancient evil in 1943.

Is there a trailer?

Well kind of. The BBC has released a trailer for the Whoniverse...

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