Jodie Whittaker's final episode of Doctor Who is a feature-length special, and will air later in 2022. The special will mark the end of both Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall's time on the show, fulfilling their three series commitment. The first footage of the special was revealed in a trailer that followed "Legend of the Sea Devils", and promises a suitably epic conclusion to the Thirteenth Doctor's adventures. As well as a final confrontation with Sacha Dhawan's Master, Jodie Whittaker's Doctor will also have to contend with Daleks and Cybermen in this last adventure. She won't be alone though, with 80's companions Tegan and Ace returning to the series to help the Doctor in her hour of need. They'll be joined by the Doctor's current companions Dan and Yaz, and Kate Stewart and Vinder from the previous "Flux" season.
This final special also doubles up as a centenary celebration of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Founded in 1922 with a mission to inform, educate, and entertain, the BBC has been responsible for some of the most enduring sitcoms and dramas of the past century. Doctor Who is regularly voted as one of the BBC's crowning achievements, so it makes perfect sense for the series to mark the corporation's centenary. Jodie Whittaker's regeneration episode will be just one part of the celebrations, alongside special episodes of other stalwart BBC shows.
After the trailer's release, Jodie Whittaker's final episode is more hotly anticipated than ever. The reveal of Tegan and Ace has led some to speculate that other classic series companions, and perhaps even Doctors, will return in the special. Paying tribute to the 1963-1989 run of the series in a centenary special makes sense, especially with Doctor Who's 60th anniversary on the horizon. With a vague release announcement of Fall 2022, there will still be a long wait before the Centenary Special airs. The BBC was founded on the 18th October 1922, and so it's likely that the special will air during the week of the centenary celebrations between Monday 17th October to Sunday 23rd October.
During the Chris Chibnall era of Doctor Who, the show has aired on Sundays so taking that into account the special is likely to air on Sunday 23rd October 2022. If so, it would also mark an appropriate thirteen months until the 60th anniversary on the 23rd November 2023. That feels like too much of a marketing opportunity to miss, especially as it appears that the Russell T Davies helmed 60th anniversary special will be the next piece of televised Doctor Who. The special will likely be the new Fourteenth Doctor's first adventure, unless it takes the form of something else entirely.
Rumors persist around the involvement of past Doctors in 2023's anniversary special. Perhaps something will go wrong with the Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration which requires the assistance of their previous incarnations. Or, maybe the Master will finally succeed in killing the Doctor, prompting David Tennant and Matt Smith to return to put things right in an anniversary special. Whatever happens to the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of the feature-length Doctor Who Centenary Special, it will be essential viewing when it airs in October this year.