Doctor Who fans rejoice!  Well, rejoice if you have BBC America anyway.  Today, BBC America announced that they will be the first network in the U.S. to air five new Doctor Who specials in the United States, including David Tennant's final appearances as the 10th incarnation of the famous Time Lord. 

The first of the specials is less than a month away, as the 2008 Christmas Special, The Next Doctor, will be airing on June 27.  The special originally aired in England last Christmas (hence the “Christmas Special” bit).  It not only features David Tennant, but also the man whom some thought would be assuming the role of the Doctor following Tennant, David Morrissey.  As the image to the left indicates, the Cybermen are bound to make an appearance in the special as well.

The next special, Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, will premiere in July and alongside Tennant features Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman).  The rest of the specials are due to air later in 2009 and early in 2010. 

Those moderately disappointed that they will not be able to watch the shows in HD — BBC America does not currently have an HD broadcast whereas Doctor Who's old home, SciFi, does – can take a quantum of solace from the fact that Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead will be released on Blu-ray following its BBC America premiere.  This represents Doctor Who's first trip to Blu-ray, with hopefully many more to follow.

Fans of the Whoniverse, be sure to come back tomorrow when, fingers crossed, we should be able to show you a sneak peek trailer (or bits of it) for Torchwood: Children of Earth.

UPDATE 6/2/09: BBC America has announced that they will begin broadcasting an HD feed on July 20 and will be reairing the Christmas Special (as well as the next Who special) on that day.

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