Doctor Who @ 60: A Musical Celebration announced by BBC Radio 2

by David Craig

An epic concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 this autumn to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who.

The event joins a packed line-up of festivities, which include Russell T Davies’s trilogy of special episodes – leading into the much-anticipated season 14 – and a new Big Finish storyline titled Once and Future.

Doctor Who @ 60: A Musical Celebration will take place at BBC Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, where the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Singers will perform iconic tracks from the show.

A promotional image for 2013's 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.
L-R: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, John Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Sir John Hurt (guest doctor and not considered one of the numbered Doctors), Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and 11th doctor Matt Smith. Photo courtesy BBC News.

Work by composers including Murray Gold, Segun Akinola, Dudley Simpson and Paddy Kingsland will be featured, along with the unforgettable theme music dreamt up by Delia Derbyshire and Ron Grainer.

Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor. Photo: Photograph: Ray Burmiston/BBC

Alastair King will be on-hand to conduct the singers, while Doctor Who show-runner Russell T Davies and returning composer Gold are also expected to be in attendance.

More news will be announced in due course, ahead of the concert being held and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in the autumn.

13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. Photo courtesy The Hollywood Reporter

News that Gold is back on Doctor Who was certainly music to the ears of many fans, after his legendary work during Davies's first run on the show included dramatic themes for The Doctor, three companions and several formidable foes.

It will be a thrill to see what he can come up with for the new era of the show, which sees Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa take on the role of The Doctor, with Coronation Street's Millie Gibson as his human companion, Ruby Sunday.

Ncuti Gatwa, the latest and 14th Doctor as of 2022. Photo NETFLIX/SUPPLIED

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

First published at RadioTimes, August 10, 2023