"The Night of the Doctor" is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was made available on BBC iPlayer and YouTube on 14 November 2013, as part of the BBC One lead-up to the show's 50th anniversary special. It was written by Steven Moffat and starred Paul McGann as the Doctor.The episode is set during the Time War and shows the previously unseen last moments of the Eighth Doctor (McGann) and his artificially controlled regeneration into the War Doctor (John Hurt). It is McGann's second on-screen appearance as the Doctor, following his debut in the 1996 television film.