'Doctor Who': 3 of the best comic relief charity specials featuring Mark Smith, Rowan Atkinson and Devid Tennant

The specials featured in this list were all written by Steven Moffat and features several actors in the role of the Doctor
Matt Smith, Rowan Atkinson, and David Tennant as the Doctors (BBC)
Matt Smith, Rowan Atkinson, and David Tennant as the Doctors (BBC)

'Doctor Who' is a tradition that has been going on for over 50 years and one of the integral parts of the BBC sci-fi comedy-drama is the charity special that airs every year featuring the Doctor of the era — and sometimes, someone completely unexpected. The specials are for Red Nose Day or Children in Need.

Funnily enough, all the specials we have selected to be on this list were written by former showrunner, Steven Moffat, and only one was during his time as the showrunner. Moffat is well known for 'Sherlock', but it is his 'Doctor Who' specials that show just how clever he is.

'Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death'

The first and easily the funniest special on the list features actors who never were part of the show as Doctors. The special featured a slew of A-list British actors as the Doctor, including Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor, Richard E. Grant as the Quite Handsome Doctor, Jim Broadbent as the Shy Doctor, Hugh Grant as the Handsome Doctor, and Joanna Lumley as the Female Doctor.

The special was split into four parts, mimicking the Classic Who format and was complete with cliffhangers, featuring gags of running down the same corridor several times when being chased.

'Time Crash'

This special featured David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. The special features a humorous encounter between the two versions of the Doctors after their respective TARDIS's collided at different points in time. 

It takes some time for the Fifth Doctor to realize that the other is his Tenth incarnation. The special was a rating success and features a double easter egg for fans as Peter Davison is David Tennant's father-in-law.

'Space and Time'

The two-part special features Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as Amy Pond and Rory Williams. It showcased why Matt Smith and Moffat worked together so well.

Rory, while helping the Doctor work on the TARDIS, gets distracted after looking up the glass floor and seeing Amy's short skirt.

This makes him drop the thermal couplings he was holding. This causes the three to be stuck in a "space loop" where the TARDIS materializes inside the TARDIS. 

The 12th season of 'Doctor Who' (revival) will premiere on BBC America on January 1, 2020.

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