WHO’S IN IT?
Matt Smith (Christopher and His Kind), David Tennant (Broadchurch), Jenna Coleman (The Hour), Billie Piper (Secret Diary of a Call Girl), John Hurt (Alien), Jemma Redgrave (Howards End), Joanna Page (Gavin and Stacey), Ingrid Oliver (Material Girl), Nicholas Briggs (Adulthood), Ken Bones (Troy)
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Nick Hurran (Little Black Book), director; Steven Moffat (Coupling), writer, producer; Murray Gold (Death at a Funeral), composer; Neville Kidd (I Shouldn’t Be Alive), cinematographer
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London’s National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor’s own dangerous past comes back to haunt him…
WHY SHOULD YOU BE EXCITED?
If one of the biggest cult TV shows of all time had a major reason to celebrate, this would be it. Doctor Who, as you may already be aware, is having its 50th birthday on the 23rd November (to mark the first screening of the first episode, 1963’s An Unearthly Child), and it’s going out of its way to make it a memorable one.
One of the most significant party additions is surely its expansion to cinemas for special one-day screenings to match its simultaneous broadcast on BBC One, hence its inclusion here on Film Feeder. While most of the rest of the country will simply be watching the 50th anniversary special, entitled The Day of the Doctor, in the comfort of their living rooms on their TV sets, everyone else will be sat in cinema seats watching it in specially-shot 3D action.
Remarkably, there’s a paying audience for even that. Cinemas up and down the country, as well as in the countless countries it is being simulcast in, are selling out their screenings at a rapid rate… and all for something they could easily watch at home for free. Could this be a signal of future, big-screen specific Doctor Who adventures to be given the go-ahead?
While you’re left to ponder that exciting thought, let’s look at the actual special itself. In keeping with the show’s current stance against spoilers and extensive details – a motive brought on by show runner, producer and writer of this special Steven Moffat – little is actually known about what happens in The Day of the Doctor. The most we are given in plot information is that it will concern “the most important day in the Doctor’s life,” and that paintings will somehow be involved. Oh, and there’s the small matter of a past, unheard-of Doctor coming into existence. Absolutely nothing else is known about this incarnation of The Doctor, other than he’s played by legendary actor John Hurt and that he’s done something very, very bad indeed. We reckon that the “less is more” approach is giving us even more reason to be excited, still keeping us out of Moffat’s crafty workshop so we can’t see what it is he’s working on.
We shall also see the long-awaited pairing of two fan-favourite Doctors, the departing Matt Smith along with current companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) and the returning David Tennant with his most iconic companion Rose (Billie Piper). The chemistry between these two Doctors is said to be seen to be believed, so we shall leave it at that. Still, though, it’s pretty exciting just thinking about it!
There’s absolutely no denying the meteoritic impact that Doctor Who has had on modern day pop culture, and this celebrating of its 50th anniversary is a testament to that. The show may not appeal to everyone, but even its strongest critics can quietly respect how long it has lasted and how much it has emotionally moved so many of its fans. So, whether you’re in a cinema or your own living room, you can’t afford to miss The Day of the Doctor, an unmistakable milestone in what has to be one of the strongest TV shows of all time.
