With the upcoming Doctor Who 60th anniversary special comes another multi-Doctor adventure. It's not yet known how many former Doctor Who actors will show up for the special, but it's safe to assume that fans will get some fun interactions between Ncuti Gatwa's Fourteenth Doctor and David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. After all, to only have one incarnation of the Doctor appear in an anniversary special would be sacrilege.
Even outside the realm of anniversary specials, Doctor Who has indulged itself in multi-Doctor stories. Not all of them have been great, but every time such adventures are announced, Whovians go crazy to see how the different versions of the character will bounce off one another.
Dimensions in Time (30th Anniversary Special)
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Produced for the British charity Children in Need in 1993, "Dimensions in Time" sees the Rani access the Doctor's timeline and attempt to capture him in a time loop. With the aid of all his previous companions and UNIT, the Doctor works alongside the Third through Seventh incarnations to stop the Rani.
"Dimensions in Time" is often derided as one of the worst pieces of Doctor Who media ever created. Though it's fun to see most of the incarnations of the Doctor in one story, they're hardly on-screen together. Worse still, the special is a nonsensical piece of fluff that throws the EastEnders cast in the plot for some reason and serves as a representation of classic Doctor Who's worst tropes.
Twice Upon a Time (2017 Christmas Special)
Peter Capaldi's final adventure as the Twelfth Doctor, "Twice Upon a Time" pairs him with the very first incarnation of the Doctor as they both express concerns about regenerating. Along the way, they pick up a British army captain who is seemingly destined to die in the first World War.
While the idea of pairing the Twelfth Doctor with a younger version of himself and using the Christmas setting as a means of bringing him out of his depressive state is thematically inspired, the execution leaves much to be desired. Too much time is spent on Twelve bickering with Bill and the portrayal of the First Doctor as a sexist curmudgeon borders on character assassination. It's no wonder that people find the Twelfth and First Doctors to be the least likable incarnations of the Doctor.
Time Crash (2007 Children in Need Mini-Episode)
Set immediately after Martha's departure, "Time Crash" finds the Tenth Doctor crashing his TARDIS into the Fifth Doctor's. Excited at bumping into his previous incarnation, he pokes fun at the Fifth Doctor's eccentricities and bland outfit before the two work together to correct the time stream.
Though "Time Crash" doesn't offer much for die-hard Doctor Who fans, its pairing of the Fifth and Tenth incarnations of the Doctor is an inspired choice. The two bounce off each other quite well, and the light tone helps sell the reverence Ten has for his previous incarnation (and by extension, works to advertise the Fifth Doctor for new viewers).
The Two Doctors (Season 22, Story 4)
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"The Two Doctors" follows the Sixth Doctor as he attempts to save his younger self from Dastari and the Sontarans. In order to do this, he must discover why his previous incarnation was visiting Space Station Camera.
Despite the bloated nature of the script, the questionable continuity, and the shocking amount of violence, "The Two Doctors" is still a load of fun thanks to the dynamic performance of Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor. Though he's sidelined for much of the story, every moment he's on-screen is a gem, and his interactions with Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor show how criminally underrated the latter incarnation is.
Fugitive of the Judoon (Series 12, Episode 5)
Starting out as a simple alien adventure, "Fugitive of the Judoon" pits the Thirteenth Doctor against the goofy rhino-like space police as they pursue the episode's titular fugitive. Along the way, Thirteen bumps into an incarnation of herself she has no memory of.
While the inclusion of a mysterious incarnation of the Doctor completely sidelines the episode's basic premise, "Fugitive of the Judoon" makes up for this due to the contrast between Jodie Whitaker and Jo Martin's portrayals of the Doctor. Whitaker's bubbly incarnation of the renegade Time Lord is put to the test by the Fugitive Doctor's looser morals, giving audiences one of the best Doctor Who episodes written by Chris Chibnall.
The Three Doctors (Season 10, Story 1)
The first-multi Doctor story, "The Three Doctors" finds the Time Lords under attack from the villainous, anti-matter being Omega. With their cosmic energy being sucked into a black hole, they use what little powers they still have to bring the Third Doctor into contact with his first and second incarnations.
Though "The Three Doctors" is nothing particularly special, especially as a Doctor Who season premiere, it's an important episode due to how carefully it balances the needs of the story with fan service. The episode establishes the precedent for how different incarnations of the Doctor will interact with each other, and importantly stresses that these crossover episodes can only occur in the most dire of situations.
The Five Doctors (20th Anniversary Special)
"The Five Doctors" follows the first five incarnations of the Doctor as they're individually removed from time and placed in a Gallifreyan area known as the Death Zone. Together, they must work their way through the Game of Rassilon to uncover the mystery of their capture and escape.
While "The Five Doctors" fails to properly deliver on the premise of all five incarnations of the Doctor coming together for an adventure, it's still a wonderful romp that works as a celebration of the show's history. The stakes are high, each incarnation is paired with an iconic companion, and there's never a dull moment to be had across the 90-minute runtime.
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (50th Anniversary Extended Media)
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An outside-of-canon adventure featuring the actors who played the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh incarnations of the Doctor, "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot" focuses on the former stars' attempts to appear in Doctor Who's 50th anniversary. Along the way, they bump into several members of the Doctor Who production team and aggravate their colleagues.
Despite not being a proper Doctor Who adventure, "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot" does what few other mutli-Doctor stories accomplish by having fun with its premise. There's clear chemistry between the three actors who played the Doctor back in the 1980s, and the fan service feels appropriate considering the comedic nature of the piece.
The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special)
Set during the last day of the Time War, "The Day of the Doctor" finds the War Doctor transported to 1562 England to see what impact the destruction of Gallifrey will have on his future incarnations. He realizes, through his encounter with them, that destruction is not the only course of action in ending the Time War.
Though "The Day of the Doctor" largely serves as a celebration of the modern iteration of Doctor Who rather than the show's entire history, the episode is stellar in its examination of who the Doctor is as a character. By pairing the guilt ridden Tenth and Eleventh incarnations of the Doctor with the cantankerous War Doctor, the special bridges the gap between the sensibilities of old and new Doctor Who, and reinforces that the character's modus operandi is to inspire hope.