The BBC is making a special episode of Doctor Who in 3D to screen as part of the Doctor's 50th anniversary celebrations. It will be shown in cinemas and on TV in November, along with other shows and events the broadcaster has planned.

It won't be the first time Doctor Who has made the leap to 3D. A special 3D story was televised in 1993 as part of the annual Children in Need telethon, but this will be the first time it will be rendered for modern stereoscopic 3D TVs and cinema viewing.

Dimensions in Time (the second part of which was screened during Noel's House Party) required special glasses that had one clear lens and one darkened one, rather than the green/blue and red glasses commonly associated with former iterations of 3D. They were sold in shops with the proceeds going to Children in Need.

It featured five generations of the Doctor, from the third, Jon Pertwee, to the seventh, Sylvester McCoy. And there were a number of EastEnders cast members involved. It was all a little silly.

The new 3D episode is planned to be part of the current Doctor Who continuity. "[It will provide a] whole new dimension of adventure for the Doctor to explore," said Steven Moffat, the show's lead writer and producer.

There are no details on what happens during the special, or whether it too will see some former Doctors reprise their roles. The BBC has also yet to reveal on which channel it plans to screen the 3D version. Our guess would be BBC HD.