David Tennant’s Doctor Who Returns With New Release for 20th Anniversary

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Published Sep 24, 2026, 1:12 PM EDT

Aimee Hart is an Entertainment and Gaming staff writer here at Polygon. After watching the original trilogy at five, she decided to make Star Wars her entire personality and hasn't let go of the franchise since. Aimee also has a great love for Dungeons & Dragons and everything Critical Role. She has been a games, entertainment, tech, and culture reporter and critic for 10 years, with bylines at Inverse, Fanbyte, Rolling Stone, and many more.  

David Tennant's scariest episodes are coming to the silver screen

An image of The Doctor and Rose in The Impossible Planet. Both are looking down at something and look mildly disturbed by what they see. Image: BBC

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Currently, Doctor Who is fighting demons known as production issues while trying to find a new home on TV after its disastrous tenure with Disney. But 20 years earlier, the Doctor had his hands full with another sort of demon: the devil itself. Now, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of the scariest episodes in Doctor Who history, BBC Studios, Fathom Entertainment and CinemaLive are releasing an epic Doctor Who experience onto the big screen for one night only: Doctor Who: The Satan Pit Extended Cut.

Everything you need to know about Doctor Who: The Satan Pit Extended Cut

Doctor Who image of a giant, horned creature trying to lash out, but he is chained up. Image: BBC

The event, taking place on Doctor Who Day, Nov. 23, will present the episodes "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit" in a new movie-length cinematic cut. Whovians will remember the two-part arc that follows fan favorites, the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) as they land in a sanctuary base that somehow manages to orbit a black hole without being sucked in. A human expedition is drilling into the planet to discover what is preventing the base — and them — from falling into a black hole, only to accidentally awaken a terrible creature known as The Beast.

There's a lot to remember about these two episodes in the modern Doctor Who era. It's a test of the Doctor's faith and resolve that challenges what he thinks he knows as a Time Lord, which makes the two-parter one of the most fascinating episodes of Tennant's era. It also introduced the Ood, an alien race that communicates through telepathy and remains one of the most iconic additions to New Who.

The Doctor Who: The Satan Pit Extended Cut will feature deleted scenes previously available only on DVD, as well as never-before-seen extended footage, making the event a must-see for fans both new and returning. Plus, there's even more incentive to head to your local cinema: an exclusive interview with BAFTA-award-winning director and producer James Strong, reflecting on the behind-the-scenes work that went into creating one of the scariest episodes in Who history.

Doctor Who image of Billie Piper and David Tennant as Rose Tyler and the 10th Doctor. They stand close together in a futuristic hospital. Image: BBC

"Part of what makes Doctor Who so extraordinary is that there is always more to discover. Even with a story as loved as The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit, we’re able to offer fans something they haven’t experienced before, with previously deleted scenes restored into the adventure and never-before-seen extended footage included in this special cinema cut," Natasha Spence, Global Events Director at BBC Studios, shared in a press release. "Doctor Who Day is the perfect moment to celebrate that sense of discovery with fans. We’re delighted to be working with CinemaLive again to bring this unforgettable Tenth Doctor and Rose story to the big screen, and to give audiences the chance to experience it together in cinemas for the first time."

Tickets for Doctor Who: The Satan Pit Extended Cut will go on sale on Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. local time. Whovians can find out which of the 1,000 cinemas in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will be participating in the event here. US fans can find out here.