Ah, the good Doctor. It may be impossible to describe the intense pleasure of Doctor Who to anyone who hasn’t fallen head over heels for the series since its reboot in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the titular role of the alien Time Lord and his companion Rose Tyler, played charmingly by Billie Piper up through its current iteration played by Matt Smith with the equally charming companion Clara (Jenna Coleman). The seven seasons (and assorted specials) that make up Doctor Who‘s current run have managed to keep the same goofy sensibility and cheesy effects as the beloved earlier outings while building up a devoted following with characters and story lines that play across the spectrum of human emotion.
2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and perhaps the biggest celebration of that milestone has been this long-anticipated 50th Anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. Season 7 ended with its own teaser/cliffhanger, a glimpse into what would be the central focus of the 50th Anniversary episode, and the final swan song (minus one) for Matt Smith’s run as the Doctor. Mary and I watched the final season seven episode, The Name of the Doctor, last night in anticipation for a trip to one of our local theaters to watch The Day of the Doctor on the big screen. Though the show aired Saturday on BBC and I purchased it on Amazon Prime on Sunday, we decided to experience for the first time this way. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
I can no longer count how many times the writers and cast have wrung emotion from me over the last several seasons…but I can tell you when it happened most recently. Any guesses?
Only last night it was not tears, but a big, silly grin.
Seeing this in the Fathom Events venue was such a great idea. The auditorium at the theater we chose was enormous and it was packed with excited Doctor Who fans, some of them dressed up in ways inspired by the series. There was one young girl wearing a gold Dalek skirt that was particularly adorable. The pre-show entertainment was entirely Doctor Who related and was of sufficient length that it only looped around on itself once during the 20 minutes it ran before the film started.
The film opened with Matt Smith and David Tennant riffing off one another and talking about the 3-D (which, like most 3-D, was completely unnecessary) and after the film was over there was a short making-of documentary that was worth hanging around to see. My expectations of seeing this with an excited crowd were born out as the audience was very interactive, laughing loudly at the funny parts (of which there were many), and cheering uproariously for the appearance of certain actors and various show-related cameos. Such a fun way to experience science fiction.
I won’t share much about the plot. There are those of you who have not seen it and would like to, so I won’t spoil you here. I am open to have spoiler conversations in the comments, just please indicate that you will be doing so. I will say that I was surprised by how accessible the show was. With a minimal amount of knowledge of the show and the Doctor’s history, this story would actually engage the viewer. And while there is no way said viewer would get the emotional depth of what was happening or notice all the nods to previous shows (heck, there is probably a list a mile long of things I didn’t get), the 50th Anniversary Special functioned much like the Christmas Specials in that it was created with a wider audience in mind.
That could be seen as a good or bad thing. I thought the show was a tremendous amount of fun and did some very nice things. Is it as full of impact as the story lines that build up over an entire season? Of course not, that would be hard to accomplish in an hour and twenty minutes. Should it have been? No, I don’t think so. We have to remember that this is meant to celebrate a dozen Doctors, their companions, and the adventures they lived that have been scattered across the last fifty years since its inception. Celebrations are meant to be fun and exciting and this was certainly that. I thought it was brilliant the way that Steven Moffat penned a story that contained a great deal of fan service while also telling a story that would both appeal to newer fans and have great meaning for long-time fans. It was very well done.
My anticipation for this film, which built over the last several months since the end of Season 7, was paid off with a rewarding experience and I both look forward to and dread the coming Christmas Special, where Matt Smith will give his goodbyes. Doctor Who as a whole is a joyous, family-friendly romp that does not shy away from its low-budget origins while giving viewers characters that they can fall in love with and story lines that create a strong emotional impact. It is well worth investing your time to see what all the fuss is about.
I’m looking forward to getting caught up.
I originally started watching because my 11 (now 12) year old wanted to start watching it with me. Elaina absolutely loves the show and is always asking me when we can catch the next episode.
I didn’t start out liking it as much as Elaina but the show has certainly grown on me. Now that I’m out of school for a while, Elaina and I plan on watching quite a bit of the show. We are nearing the end of season 2 so we have a long way to go.
I’m glad you guys are watching these. Mary and I just love these characters so much. We watched some of them with Tori, which was fun, but with her work schedule there was no way we could hold off and she started watching them with Grant. I would love to go back now and start watching that first season again…and need to make time to go back and watch more of the older ones. Love the Tom Baker ones, which I grew up on.
would’ve loved to have had the theater experience w/ this one, but was very very happy to have seen it just the same!! it was so good!!!! love that the actors were having such a good time with it, it added the right mix of play amidst the serious and the bizarre.
[I did have a moment of sadness, thinking about Matt Smith moving on…]
Did you catch the mini-prequel: The Night of the Doctor? it wasn’t necessary to seeing this one, but it didn’t hurt contextually though either.
Yes, we watched Night of the Doctor a couple days before and I’m glad we did. It did lend some context.
I’m looking forward now to reading some good spoiler-filled online content from Doctor Who experts and then watching it again on Amazon.
I’m kind of kicking myself for not seeing it in the theater last night…
I think Steven Moffat did a very good job of incorporating some of the feel of classic Who as well as Russell T Davies Who into Day of the Doctor. It was exuberant and fun while still being epic. And the man definitely has issues with art. First moving statues, now beasties crashing out of paintings.
Yes, he did. I haven’t enjoyed all the things done in these past few seasons though I honestly barely have a problem with any of them, but whether one is a fan of Moffet or not I think he deserves credit for this one.
Ha, I hadn’t picked up on the art thing, but that is funny.
I love the fact that Doctor Who is one of the shows that is MOST capable of making me tear up and bawl on a dime with feelings. David Tennant especially was good at that. 😀
Needless to say I squealed & bounced on the couch loudly enough to disturb my cats at 2 special additions to the cast! and was especially happy with how they handled the John Hurt Doctor & the Moment’s interactions & his interactions with Doctors 10 & 11!
and I really wish they had aired the Night of the Doctor before the 50th just for continuity between the 8th and John Hurts Doctor. Night of the Doctor REALLY got me excited for the 50th! Did you guys watch the special Friday night An Adventure in Time and Space about the making of the first season? Also a tear-jerker!
I didn’t see Adventure in Time and Space, but then I don’t have BBC and have only kept up with Doctor Who by buying the episodes the day after they are aired. I’ll have to see if that is one I can purchase on Amazon as it sounds great.
There was a lot of squealing and cheering last night, it was fun. I too think they handled so many things nicely in this one.
Doctor Who is solely responsible for my ungodly cable bill each month! 😀
I have to pay extra for digital which is the only way my cable company offers BBC-America.
Thankfully I also love Top Gear!
I don’t watch enough television…or don’t WANT to watch enough television…to make paying for cable or satellite worthwhile. Between Netflix and Hulu Plus and buying the occasional episode like Doctor Who I still pay far less in a year than I would for a couple of months of cable/satellite.
I saw it in the theatre last night too! It was so much fun and I just loved it. Like you I loved seeing everyone’s Doctor Who-related clothes and cheers all night!
Wasn’t it fun?!?! So happy you got to experience it this way.
Loved every single moment. I’ll be sad to see Matt go but then I’m always sad to see them go. I was devastated when Chris Eccleston only did one season… I thought he was so perfect for the role. But David Tennant completely won me over and once again I was upset when *he* went. I’m sure Peter Capaldi will win me over too… but to be honest I would watch anyway because it’s a sci-fi show.
What’s really staggered me is the simultaneous showing around the world. I honestly had no idea it was hugely popular with so many outside the UK. Puts a smile on my face to think about it. 🙂
I’m right there with you Cath, I’ve been disappointed and sad every time one was leaving, but thus far each one has managed to win me over very quickly.
Yes, this show is hugely popular over here in the States. One of the things they showed in the trivia in the pre-show stuff was how Matt Smith and Doctor Who was the first ever UK television show to be featured on a cover for Entertainment magazine, a very popular magazine here.
Can’t wait for the Christmas Special and then the agonizing wait until season eight begins.
How FUN was this show! My review’s going up tomorrow, so I’ll attempt to contain myself here… 🙂 Just that I agree entirely about the fun of an event like this had in company with other fans. I didn’t go to the Fathom showing, but I went to a pub event for the simulcast Saturday, and it was a lot like a geeky sporting event…
I’m sure I didn’t catch all the past references and in-jokes either, but the ones I did see were SO brilliant! I love when a franchise decides to really play up for the fans. 🙂
It was so very fun, can’t wait to see your review.
Seeing it at a pub sounds like a whole lot of fun!
Completely agree with you, glad you got a chance to see it with an excited bunch.
Spouse and I watched the simulcast at home last Saturday, and watched it again in the prime time broadcast. I have to say I was afraid it would be unrelentingly grim — what with dealing with the Time War and all that — but my little Whovian heart was overjoyed with the general light atmosphere, not to mention the spectacular story. I’m waiting for my DVD to arrive from Amazon shortly after the first of December!
I too thought it would be really dark, but then it made perfect sense that it wasn’t as these specials rarely are. It was light but not without emotional weight, if that makes sense, and was really what it should have been given what it was meant to be celebrating.
Loved it, loved it, loved it! So jealous you got to see it on a big screen. What fun! I am going to miss Matt Smith as the Doctor. It took me a couple episodes to warm up to him because I liked David Tennant quite a lot, and now I don’t want Matt Smith to go! So hard to not get attached to each one of them.
Me too. And I’ve missed them all too. I didn’t think I would like Smith but by the end of the first episode I was sold. I thought the writing of that first one was superb at making the transition okay.
I really should watch Doctor Who…
Yes, it is well worth the time. And once you get hooked then there are a lot of episodes to enjoy! 🙂
Now I’m really counting the days until THE DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! I know Matt Smith will give his last performance (for now) of the Doctor. One constant in the DOCTOR WHO series is change.
Me too, although I’m really in no hurry to rush through the Christmas season.
Yes, we’ve had to get used to change watching this, but despite every disappointment, the show has managed to hook me back in with each new Doctor and companion.
I got to watch the Day of the Doctor in 3D with my 20 year old daughter. We dressed appropriately, and lined up behind three woman wearing home made Fez (fez are cool). Plus assorted children in suits and bow ties. It certainly spans age groups.
It was a joy for me, and my daughter was delighted. I should add that it was simulcast on TV in Australian at 6:50am… so we had a full Doctor Who day. Including watching Adventures in Time and Space, and the very fun The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
Finally I might add that I have been watching Doctor Who since 1965. So some of the references and characters were fun to see.
Have you watched the web mini episode called “Night of the Doctor”?
Okay, I have to ask what “dressed appropriately” means…I assume it has nothing to do with being fully clothed as I cannot imagine you and your daughter run around half-dressed in public.
So glad that you got to share this with each other and that it was the capping off of a full day of Doctor Who goodness.
I bet it was fun to catch some of those references.
Yes, Night of the Doctor was good, we watched it the day before we went to see this.
Ha ha. By appropriately dressed I mean “to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who”. I would say 1/3 were in costume, 1/3 were in T-shirts with various logos and pictures of Doctor Who, and the rest were “normal”.
Fun! We didn’t dress up as we were coming straight from work, but it was fun to see that others were.