Sixty years of Doctor Who celebrated with water-based projection in Cardiff

The 60th anniversary of Doctor Who will be marked in Cardiff with a water-based projection that will take audiences through the six decades of the show.

Former Doctor Who script editor Gary Russell has arranged the script for the five-minute piece, which features a new version of composer Murray Gold’s iconic theme.

The projection, commissioned by BBC Wales, will be launched on November 23 and run every half-an-hour between 5.30pm and 9.30pm until November 25 at Roath Basin in Cardiff Bay.

Steffan Powell, presenter of spin-off show Doctor Who: Unleashed, will host the initial switch on at 5.30pm on Thursday – which is known as Doctor Who Day.

Doctor Who first appeared on BBC television on November 23 in 1963, with William Hartnell as the first Doctor. It originally ran for 26 years before ending in 1989 and was then relaunched in 2005.

In addition to the water-based projection, the 60th anniversary celebrations will include the opportunity for visitors to see the Tardis and a Dalek at the Senedd building from November 23 until December 2.

In the first of the three episodes, named The Star Beast, The Doctor is reunited with Donna Noble played by Catherine Tate.

The second episode, Wild Blue Yonder, airs on December 2, with The Giggle a week later. All will be aired on BBC One and iPlayer.

Russell T Davies is returning to the Doctor Who brand as showrunner for the special episodes, which were produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios.

LCI Productions will provide the water projection to mark the anniversary, while Cardiff Council and Associated British Ports gave permission to use Roath Basin. Coleridge Cymru assisted in facilitating the project.