The 50 Anniversary- A Doctor Who Hangover

With much anticipation and excitement, the great 50th anniversary of Doctor Who finally arrived yesterday. Two big specials were the cornerstones of the day with many little specials sprinkle throughout the week. It quite frankly was the best week ever for a Doctor Who fan. Best. Week. Ever.

It kicked over last week with the release of the minisode "The Night of the Doctor" that saw the surprise return of Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor. In 6 minutes, he dazzled us and cemented his legitimacy for ever. Detailing the last few moments of this incarnation, Paul gave a bravo performance leading to his regeneration into John Hurt's Doctor. The clip blew up the internet and blew up my brain. I never thought we'd see his return to television let alone a regeneration but it was the best birthday present ever for Doctor Who.

The next minisode released titled "The Last Night" details the Fall of Arcadia on Gallifrey with the invasion of the Daleks and the final night of the Time War. Featuring no Doctors, it shows Time Lord soldiers on the front line of the war at the moment the Daleks break through their barriers. It's a lovely tease to the Day of the Doctor that's expanded upon in the episode.

November 23, 2013. 2:50 EST. Global simulcast of the Day of the Doctor earning a new Guinness Book of World Records. It was everything I hoped and more. I know these anniversary specials can be a poison chalice when you assemble multiple Doctors but Moffat delivered a well balance, timely treat. The chemistry between 10 and 11 was magic that reminded me of 2 and 3 but different. The introduction of John Hurt's War Doctor was fascinating and showed enough of the Time War to understand the weight of his actions to end it. His incarnation with 10 & 11 reminded me of the 1st Doctor berating his future incarnations. The return of UNIT and the Zygons was great. Seeing the multiple TARDIS's and console rooms was great. Seeing the 13 Doctors flying towards Gallifrey was dizzying. Seeing Peter Capaldi's eyes was mind blowing. And the cameo by Tom Baker was the Curator was lovely and enigmatic as ever. All in all, it was just about the most perfect piece of Doctor Who to date.

The other special anniversary treat was the television movie about the creation of Doctor Who called An Adventure in Space and Time. Detailing the collaboration between Sydney Newman, Verity Lambert, Waris Hussien, and William Hartnell on the beginning of a legend. It so lovingly recreates many of the sets from the early days with clips from some of the classic Hartnell stories. But at the heart of the story is William Hartnell, his love of the role, his deteriorating health, and his eventual departure from the show and his sadness at leaving. The movie really shows how against all odds, Doctor Who was born and rose to such popularity. The final scene of Hartnell looking across the console room seeing Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor standing at the classic console, seeing his legacy before him, is such a lovely touch. This movie is really a treat for us old Doctor Who fans.

Today is the day!

Today is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who! After counting down all year long, we have finally reached  the day! The last bit of viewing before seeing The Day of the Doctor is what could be considered the closest thing to a 40th anniversary special. 

Doctor Who: The Scream of the Shalka was an animated original story that was released in 2003. Starring Richard E. Grant as the 9th Doctor and Sophie Okonedo, Derek Jacobi, and even a cameo by an as yet to be cast 10th Doctor David Tennant. For that moment in time, it was like a tastey morsel to a starving man. It wasn't perfect but we consumed it with relish since we hadn't had anything new on television for 7 years. Richard E Grant was a great, moody, dark Doctor. Derek Jacobi was pitch perfect as the Master, who was now an android living in the TARDIS. Sophie fulfilled the companion role quite well and could have been considered the first black companion in the TARDIS long before Mickey Smith or Martha Jones. All in all , it was lovely romp.

As fate would have it, at the moment this story came out, the BBC announced that they would be bringing Doctor Who back to television with Russell T Davies at the helm. It was quickly announced there after that Christopher Eccleston was cast as the real 9th Doctor and history got back on track to the future. The Scream of the Shalka and Richard E Grant's Doctor became an anomaly and outside of continuity, akin to the Peter Cushing Doctor Who films. But for one moment in time and space, it was the next chapter in Doctor Who, before time was rewritten. 

1 Week to the 50th Anniversary!

With one week to go, we revisit the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who. By 1993, Doctor Who was off the air for 4 years and there wasn't really any major celebration planned. There was the Children in Need special Dimensions in Time which was horrible and wasn't even worth the film it's on. Other than showing Nicholas Courtney and Colin Baker together as the Brigadier and the 6th Doctor on screen, it was a joke. So much potential, lost.

Thankfully, a documentary was made to mark the anniversary. More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS was a lovely 3-episode special that assembled pretty much every living actor from the shows past, a smattering of monsters and revisited some of the memorable locations. Chock full of clips, interviews, anecdotes, behind the scene tidbits, and more. For not having a proper drama special, this was a lovely commemoration. It's full of heart and adoration for what was then a canceled show. For so long,  it was the last chapter in my televisual library that I could show people to explain what Doctor Who was. Good times!

2 Weeks to the 50th Anniversary

As we tick down to the big anniversary special, we revisit the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors. This is the special that I remember the most and the best. As a young fan, it was the most amazing thing to see all of these Doctors running around together. I wasn't as familiar with 1st and 2nd Doctors, I don't think I was event cognizant of the recast of the 1st Doctor with Richard Hundrell. I'm not sure if I was aware that Tom Baker wasn't actually in it and that they used "lost" footage from Shada. So to the innocent 10 year old I was then, it was magic. In the ensuing 30 year years, I've learned of all the secrets behind the magic, seen the story on VHS, DVD and then a special DVD edition with more footage. It was a beautiful moment in time that celebrated the height of the first generation of Doctor Who. While we've seen that the multi-Doctor stories can be quite the poison chalice for any story teller, this set the bar for an amazing celebration. 

3 Weeks to the 50th Anniversary!

To count down the last month to the big 50th anniversary, I figured I would jump through time and space and revisit all the previous anniversary specials. First stop- The Three Doctors.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary in 1973 (though aired at the end of 1972), The Three Doctors set the tone for all future anniversary specials. Reuniting (or uniting) the then current Doctor Jon Pertwee with his previous incarnations Second Doctor Patrick Troughton and First Doctor William Hartnell for the first time was genius. Even with William's ailing health, his limited presence is even more precious and impactful. The friction between Jon and Patrick is television magic and brings to the surface the best qualities of each. 

Looking back at this story, it truly is a cherished treasure as all three actors of these Doctors plus Nick Courntey as the Brigadier have all passed away. So it's even more special now as an eternal gem to the legacy of the show and the legacy of these great men. While this was he first anniversary special to star all the living Doctors, it would also be the last, as William Hartnell would pass 3 years after this. But bigger and bolder specials await!