The BBC announced today when Whovians will be able to see the Doctor Who Christmas special prequel as well as a trailer for the full Christmas episode.

The prequel, with “a bespoke storyline made for BBC Children in Need,” will air Friday, November 16 during the 2012 BBC Children in Need Appeal Night. The celebration will also feature a preview for Call The Midwife‘s Christmas debut as well as musical performances from One Direction, Susan Boyle, and X Factor champions Little Mix.

Then a preview trailer for the Christmas special will run with “a first glimpse of the Doctor with his new companion.” Both items will be presented by the Doctor himself, Matt Smith.

Doctor Who has a tradition of airing special prequels and preview trailers as part of the BBC’s annual charity campaign. Last year, Matt Smith (as the Doctor) shared the first official preview of “The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe” during the live telethon – but not before performing a wacky sort of strip tease for viewers.

Last month, Doctor Who fans were treated to a tantalizingly short glimpse at this year’s Christmas special after the mid-series finale, which you can view below.

Breaking from the normal tradition of standalone yuletide romps, this year’s episode (the title of which will probably be revealed along with the trailer) will feature Jenna-Louise Comelan’s official debut as the new companion, meaning series arc threads could be hinted at in next month’s preview.

The 2012 Doctor Who Christmas special will also star Richard E. Grant alongside Coleman and Smith in a Victorian-themed episode written by Steven Moffat.

We’ll be sure to share the prequel and trailer if they’re made available online. And we’ll put a reminder in the What’s On Today area of Hypable (on the right) as a reminder on premiere day!

Are you looking forward to the trailer? What are you most looking forward to getting a glimpse of?