We’re edging ever closer to the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials. In fact, it’s been almost a year since we first saw location filming for them. This makes it fitting time to look back at what has happened in the world of Doctor Who. While Series 14 is currently filming, the 60th is starting to be teased by the BBC. Nerdgazm has gathered solid evidence from when the late Bernard Cribbins will be featured in scenes directed by Tom Kingsley for Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary, Special Two.
The Doctor Who 60th Special Two Theory
March’s Doctor Who Magazine, Issue 589, relayed that filming for all three 60th specials overlapped in the summer months of 2022. As such, this sparked further flames for our theory that Special Two director Tom Kingsley had, in-fact filming scenes on location at Camden. We can now confirm that to have been the case. The long-held theory started when Kingsley posted a picture of himself with the TARDIS out on location on September 7th. Immediately, our suspicions were that the building beside him resembled one of those at the Camden location seen in filming in May.
Now, we’ve confirmed our theories that it was Camden. We don’t forget to look at the wealth of photos and videos of location filming for the specials. And so we’ve come across evidence of Kingsley directing at Camden!
Kingsley & Camden For The 60th!
On May 16th 2022, the fandom was taken by storm when footage emerged of Bernard Cribbins on-location for filming. This footage from @andrews_films spread fast and far to show that Cribbins had returned to reprise his role as Wilf. What happens just after Tennant has practised the scene with him is the interesting part here.
Who’s that in the pink shirt and glasses? Oh, it’s only Kingsley himself. Yes, you’d have thought someone would’ve joined the dots long before now… but there we go. Given his distinctly coloured shirt and the emblem that can be recognised even at such a distance (which we saw clearly in the photo posted in September) – we can safely say it’s him.
And as the footage shows, he dashed out from where the camera monitor is set up to give the duo direction on the scene. This confirms that the May 16th filming in Camden was for 60th Special Two. Our first definite instance of filming for that mysterious special! Being actively at work that day – Kingsley wasn’t hiding. He catches some time in other photos of fans out front coordinating with crew members.
Doctor Who’s 60th Special Featuring Bernard Cribbins
As a result, we have our first uncovered guest cast member for the second special – the late great Bernard Cribbins as Wilf. Indeed, after a lot of fan speculation for months over where this day’s scenes would fit into 60th Special One… It will surely be quite a surprise for people to see that it is part of the 60th Special Two. The sudden panic of the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) at something overhead before rushing Wilf into the TARDIS. A pyrotechnic explosion. And a coffee-selling van going up on fire. All part of the second Special!
Quite the thing to discover that Tennant and Tate’s first return to filming on location for the show was for the second special, but hang on, you might say… Wasn’t Rachel Talalay, the director of 60th Special One, also spotted at the Camden location on that day? Well, yes.
Doctor Who Second 60th Special: Teasey Talalay
Talalay was sighted in a picture that featured a few other individuals that might be of recognition to Whovians, including SFX man Danny Hargreaves. Additionally, one face was there… that only now makes sense in retrospect. Actor James Rockey revealed on social media that he’d been involved as the stand-in for David Tennant for his side of the regeneration after The Power of the Doctor aired in October of 2022.
As was revealed by DWM 584, this half was filmed by Talalay alongside the 60th Special One work in Wolf Studios in May of 2022. It’s certainly interesting to see that Rockey will be remaining involved for some duties in 60th Special Two also. But getting back to Talalay, she would say on the day (Monday 16th of May) via Twitter that she was not directing… and later go onto say on the 18th that she had not been lying about not filming on the Monday… Instead merely noting that she had done some rehearsals of material for 60th Special One. This, of course, now makes sense in the context of Kingsley‘s presence on location.
Additionally, it explains a further remark she made in response to a fan’s tweet that the public had seen none of the filmings for Kingsley’s Special.
The Other Nobles & The Doctor Who Second 60th Special
It’s hard to say if the absence of the other members of the Noble family in the scene means anything. However, it would suggest they will not be present in 60th Special Two… At any rate – with Kingsley filming 60th Special Two scenes in the location – two likely possibilities arise. The first is that this filming in Camden is in fact, where the first two Specials link up. The second is that the 60th Special One will end with the Fourteenth Doctor sticking around in Donna’s life on Earth… Only for the events of 60th Special Two to kick off sometime afterwards whilst the two are out with Wilf.
Conclusion
It remains unknown if Kingsley meant this filming when he mentioned in DWM 589 that he started a morning filming outdoors in a beautiful but unspecified location… So it’s possible that Camden was not the only location to work for 60th Special Two. But it does confirm that Cribbins’ Wilf will be taken into the TARDIS, and, no doubt, will be featured in TARDIS interior scenes with Tennant and Tate during 60th Special Two and/or Three. 60th Special Two will air – alongside the other two specials – in November of this year.
Doctor Who will air in November 2023 with three special episodes as the show’s 60th Anniversary headliner event. David Tennant returns as the 14th Doctor alongside Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will air over the festive period, while his series 14 will debut in 2024 with Millie Gibson. Disney+ will be the exclusive home for new seasons of Doctor Who outside of the UK and Ireland.
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