| 240 – "The Day of the Doctor" |
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| Doctor Who episode |
Official poster
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| Cast |
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Others
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| Production |
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| Director |
Nick Hurran |
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| Script editor |
Richard Cookson |
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| Producer |
Marcus Wilson |
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| Executive producer(s) |
- Steven Moffat
- Faith Penhale
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| Incidental music composer |
Murray Gold |
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| Series |
Specials (2013) |
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| Length |
76 minutes[2] |
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| Originally broadcast |
- 23 November 2013 (GMT, simulcast internationally)
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| Chronology |
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"The Day of the Doctor"[3][4][5] is the 799th episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and marks the programme's fiftieth anniversary. It is written by Steven Moffat,[6] an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale.[7] It has been described by series producer Marcus Wilson as a "love letter to the fans" and by the controller of BBC One, Danny Cohen, as an "event drama".[6][8] It was shown on BBC Oneon 23 November 2013, in both 2D and 3D.[9][10] The special was broadcast simultaneously in 94 countries,[10][11] and was shown concurrently in 3D in some cinemas.[12] It achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama.[11]
The episode shows the last day of the Time War, in which a previously unrevealed incarnation of the Doctor faces his choice to kill both Daleks and his own race of Time Lords in an act of mass destruction, paralleling this with a present-day choice by paramilitary organisation UNIT to destroy London rather than allow an alien invasion. It reveals how, contrary to previous plotline understanding, the Doctor followed a companion'splea to change his mind at the last instant of the Time War, and hid the war-racked planet Gallifrey in time, rather than destroy it, but due to the distortions of time incurred, had retained no memory of his changed decision.
The episode starred Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Jenna Coleman as his companion, Clara Oswald. Previous lead actors David Tennant and Billie Piper returned for the episode, Tennant reprising his role as the Tenth Doctor, while Piper portrayed a sentient doomsday weapon called the Moment, projecting an image based on her character Rose Tyler, invisible and inaudible to everyone but the War Doctor, played byJohn Hurt, introduced for the first time in the previous series finale as an unknown past incarnation of the Doctor. Other appearances included a very brief view of the upcomingTwelfth Doctor, expected to succeed Matt Smith in December 2013's Christmas Special,[13] and a significant cameo appearance by Fourth Doctor actor Tom Baker, now in his late 70s and the earliest surviving actor to have played the title role. Rounding out the guest cast, Joanna Page starred as Queen Elizabeth I,[14] while Jemma Redgrave returned to portray the in-series daughter of 1970s central figure Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.[15]The special also featured the return of the Daleks,[16] and the Zygons, shape-shifting aliens who had previously only appeared in the 1975 serial Terror of the Zygons.[17]
Mini-episodes
Two mini-episodes written by Steven Moffat, "The Night of the Doctor" and "The Last Day", were released shortly prior to "The Day of the Doctor". They depict events occurring during the Time War between the Doctor's own race of Time Lords and his nemesis, the Daleks.
In "The Night of the Doctor", Paul McGann reprised his role as the Eighth Doctor from the1996 television film and subsequent Big Finish audio plays. He is a conscientious objectorto the ongoing Time War and intends to rescue a crew member from a crashing spaceship via the TARDIS. Realising that he is a Time Lord, she refuses to comply, preferring to die rather than go with him. She and the Doctor die as the ship crashes on Karn. The Doctor is resurrected temporarily by the Sisterhood of Karn. They persuade the Doctor to take action to end the Time War, offering him a selection of potions to control his regeneration. He chooses a potion designed to initiate his regeneration into a hitherto unknown incarnation of the Doctor as a "warrior" (described in credits as the "War Doctor" and played by John Hurt).
"The Last Day" is filmed from the first-person perspective of a Gallifreyan soldier who has had a camera implanted in his head. The soldiers scan for Daleks at Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city and believed due to its impregnable defences to be the safest place on the Time Lords' home planet. During training exercises, a blurred object in the sky is identified surprisingly as the first of a fleet of successfully invading Daleks, which kill the soldiers. The "Fall of Arcadia" becomes the central battle of the Time War around which "The Day of the Doctor" is centred.
Plot
At Coal Hill School, teacher Clara Oswald receives a message from the Eleventh Doctor and returns to the TARDIS, which is unexpectedly airlifted to Trafalgar Square. Kate Stewart of the paramilitary organisation UNIT shows the Doctor preserved instructions from previous wife Elizabeth I of England, along with the Under-Gallery, a secret vault of forbidden art housed at the National Gallery. The vault includes several works of Time Lord art: moments of time preserved in stasis that take the form of "3-D pictures". One such work, called either No More or Gallifrey Falls, shows the fall of Arcadia on the last day of the Time War, an event believed to have obliterated both the Time Lords and the Daleks from the universe. The glass of several of these pictures has been broken from within and figures in the paintings have disappeared. It transpires that the shape-shifting Zygons, preserved in stasis in the pictures, are invading, taking the forms of UNIT members. To defeat them, Kate plans to detonate a nuclear warhead in London from within UNIT's "TARDIS-proof" Black Archive of Time Lord and other alien artefacts. The detonation would will wipe out London but save the rest of humanity.
In the midst of the Time War, the War Doctor—a hitherto-unknown "hidden" incarnation of the Doctor—watches Gallifrey falling to the Dalek invasion. He decides to trigger an ancient weapon of mass destruction called "the Moment", a "galaxy eater" which will destroy both races completely. The Moment, however, is sentient and possesses a conscience. Its interface manifests with the form of his future assistant Rose Tyler to challenge whether mass killing is his best option and to show him the future personal consequences of his actions.
The Moment opens fissures in space and time between these two points in the timeline and Elizabethan England, depositing the Eleventh Doctor and the War Doctor near the Tenth Doctor and a young Elizabeth I under threat from Zygons, who are using the time period to secret themselves into the stasis of the Time Lord paintings as to invade in the contemporary future. All three Doctors are captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London, where the Moment encourages the War Doctor to form an escape plan involving calculations which would take "centuries", but which, being begun on the War Doctor's sonic screwdriver, are therefore now completed on the Eleventh's screwdriver, four hundred years in its future. The Eleventh Doctor, meanwhile, inscribes in stone the code necessary to activate a vortex manipulator stored in UNIT's Black Archive. Found by his allies in the present day, it allows Clara to both escape the Zygons and free the Doctors, by travelling into the past. Using the same technique to "travel" to the present via the Time Lord paintings as the Zygons, they gain entry to the Black Archives despite its TARDIS-proof defences. They use the Black Archives' mind-wiping facilities to erase the memories of the humans and Zygons present, causing them to forget who is human and who is Zygon in human form, and forcing them to cancel the detonation and discuss peace.
The War Doctor, now convinced that detonating the Moment will allow his future selves to save many more lives, is returned to his time by the Moment. His other two present incarnations appear with the intention of detonating the device alongside him so as to share his burden. Clara, reminding them that he chose the name "Doctor", implores that he seek a different solution. The three Doctors finally think of an alternative solution, to put the planet Gallifrey in stasis in a moment of time, leaving the Daleks surrounding the planet to be obliterated by their own firepower; to the rest of the universe it would still appear that both sides wiped each other out. The three work with the consent of the desperate Time Lords and summon all of the Doctor's other past incarnations – as well as the next to come – to successfully execute this plan.
The three Doctors and Clara return to the Gallery, unsure whether it is possible to return Gallifrey from stasis. The War Doctor is content to think that he failed in doing the right thing, rather than succeeding in doing the wrong thing. He realises that neither he nor the Tenth Doctor will remember what happened, and will continue shouldering the guilt for centuries. After departing, the aged War Doctor finds himself beginning to regenerate within his TARDIS. The Tenth Doctor also leaves, having persuaded his successor to tell him about his impending death on the planet Trenzalore.
The Eleventh Doctor, now alone in the Gallery, is joined by its mysterious curator, who appears to resemble an aged version of theFourth Doctor. The Curator enigmatically suggests that he might be a future incarnation of the Doctor, as well as commenting that the painting's actual name is neither No More nor Gallifrey Falls, but Gallifrey Falls No More. The Doctor surmises that his plan to save Gallifrey was successful. In closing, the Doctor describes a recurring dream, in which he and his eleven previous incarnations are looking together upon Gallifrey. The Doctor vows to find and restore Gallifrey.
Continuity
As the show's 50th anniversary special, the episode contains multiple references to previous episodes. It opens with the title sequence and theme arrangement used at the series' debut in 1963. Echoing the opening of the very first story, An Unearthly Child, a policeman is shown walking past the sign for I.M. Foreman, the scrap merchant in whose yard the TARDIS was located, and its first few seconds are in monochrome (as had been the case in The Two Doctors, the last time more than one Doctor had featured in an official story).Coal Hill School, where the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman went when they were on Earth in 1963, also featured in both the original story and the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks. According to the school sign, the chairman of the school governors is now Ian Chesterton, formerly one of the First Doctor's original three companions and a science teacher at the school, and the headmaster is W. Coburn, a reference to Waris Hussein and Anthony Coburn,[citation needed] who respectively directed and wrote An Unearthly Child. Clara rides out of Coal Hill School on the Eleventh Doctor's anti-gravity motorcycle from "The Bells of Saint John" at 5:16, the time An Unearthly Child originally aired on BBC1 television (the first broadcast began 1 minute 20 seconds after its scheduled time of 5:15 GMT on 23 November 1963.[18][19]). The same date and time were also reflected in the activation code of the vortex manipulator, 1716231163 (signifying 17:16 23/11/1963).
When the TARDIS is picked up by UNIT, the call sign used by the helicopter to refer to UNIT is 'Greyhound leader', reflecting that ofBrigadier Lethbridge-Stewart,[citation needed] whose daughter Kate is now portrayed as having his role as commander of UNIT. Lethbridge-Stewart was a central character in the Third Doctor's era and also several of his successors', originally appearing in theSecond Doctor serial The Web of Fear and making his last appearance in Doctor Who in Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield, which is also referenced. An image of the Brigadier is seen alongside images of various companions of the Doctor. Kate's assistant, Osgood, is also a name from that era (UNIT technician Osgood from The Dæmons) and her scarf is very similar to that worn by the Fourth Doctor; the Eleventh Doctor remarks that it is a "nice scarf". Osgood also uses it to trip up her Zygon duplicate who was standing on it, a nod to the Fourth Doctor's actions against a thug in his first story Robot. Kate Stewart twice mentions her subordinate, Malcolm, presumably the same UNIT scientist named Malcolm played by Lee Evans in "Planet of the Dead".[citation needed] The UNIT datingcontroversy, regarding whether the Third Doctor era stories took place in the 1970s or 1980s, is referenced in dialogue by Kate Stewart, when she mentions that events occurred in "the '70s or '80s depending on the dating protocol used".
The Tenth Doctor's era is also heavily referenced, elaborating on his marriage to Queen Elizabeth I originally mentioned in his final story, The End of Time and first referred to in "The Shakespeare Code". It is implied that he deserted her shortly after the wedding as part of his (fruitless) attempt to flee his impending death, hence her fury at him when she finds him at the Globe Theatre;[citation needed]at that time he had no idea why she was so angry, since the events of "The Shakespeare Code" occur much earlier than those of "The Day of the Doctor". The Tenth Doctor's speech to a rabbit whom he believes to be a Zygon is partially taken from the Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned". The Tenth Doctor mentioned the Fall of Arcadia in "Doomsday". When he leaves after learning of Trenzalore, the Tenth Doctor remarks, "I don't want to go...", his incarnation's final words from The End of Time; the Eleventh Doctor tells Clara that "he always says that" after his TARDIS leaves. The Eleventh Doctor's fixation with fezzes – a linking item in this story – begins in "The Big Bang" and reappears in "A Christmas Carol", "The Impossible Astronaut", and "The Bells of Saint John". The Moment device was originally mentioned in The End of Time, but had not been explored in depth. Here, it takes the form of "Bad Wolf", a seemingly omnipotent being and personalisation of the Time Vortex itself, which manifested in Rose Tyler when she absorbed the Time Vortex in the series one finale, "The Parting of the Ways".
Other references come heavily from the previous multi-Doctor anniversary stories, The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors. The Eleventh Doctor's dismissal of the Tenth Doctor and War Doctor as "the sandshoes and grandad" to mock their respective trainers and age echo the First Doctor's description of his two successors in The Three Doctors as "a dandy and a clown"[citation needed]. Likewise, a Time Lord says, "I didn't know when I was well-off! All twelve of them!" which recalls the Brigadier's line from The Three Doctors: "Three of them, eh? I didn't know when I was well off." More of the Brigadier's dialogue from the latter serial is referenced when Kate asks for an incident report code-named "Cromer"; in the earlier story, upon being transported to another universe, the Brigadier initially believes himself to be near the coastal Norfolk town. A line from the First Doctor, this time from The Five Doctors, is also referenced near the end as the Tenth Doctor tells the Eleventh, "It's good to know my future is in safe hands" (which the First told the Fifth in the earlier story, appended by "after all").
In trying to compensate for the presence of three Doctors who utilise different console rooms, the Tenth Doctor's TARDIS console briefly changes to the War Doctor's console room, seen again later in the episode, before settling on the Eleventh's; according to the script, the fact that all three are together has knocked their time streams out of sync and the TARDIS is reacting to that.[citation needed] The Tenth Doctor comments upon the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS console, "Oh you've redecorated! I don't like it", a line originally used by the Second Doctor speaking to the Third in The Three Doctors and later reused by the Second and Eleventh Doctors respectively inThe Five Doctors and "Closing Time".
There were plenty of other script references to both the recent and classic history of the programme. When the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors aim their sonic screwdrivers at troops in 1560, the War Doctor asks if they plan to "...assemble a cabinet at them?", a line used by River Song when the Eleventh Doctor points his screwdriver at The Silence in a fight scene of "Day of the Moon". The white roundels in the wall of the War Doctor's TARDIS were featured in the classic series' original TARDIS console rooms from 1963 to 1989 before being removed for the more elaborate TARDIS console used by the Seventh and Eighth Doctors in the TV movie. Seeing the white roundels, both the Tenth and Eleventh Doctor are pleased, but are uncertain as to what they are for. The final scene in the Gallery, containing Tom Baker's cameo appearance as the curator, breaks the fourth wall somewhat, as he enigmatically talks to the watching audience and Eleventh Doctor in a short monologue upon the Doctor's past and future activities, ultimately (in the context of the episode) deterring questions about his apparent knowledge with the comment, '"Who" Knows?'.
Cast
- Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
- David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Excluding flashbacks and archived footage, Tennant had not appeared in Doctor Who since his final regular appearance as the Doctor in the concluding scenes of The End of Time, broadcast on 1 January 2010.
- Jenna Coleman as companion Clara Oswald. The special was the first time the actress was credited on the show simply as Jenna Coleman, dropping the Louise part of her name seen in previous episodes.[20]
- Billie Piper as the Moment Interface, a Gallifreyan super weapon. While credited as Rose Tyler, Billie Piper was instead portraying the projection of the Moment's user interface which had taken the form of the Doctor's then-future companion.[citation needed] Piper has not portrayed Rose as a series regular since "Doomsday", although she reprised her role in various episodes of the fourth series and appeared briefly in The End of Time.[14]
- John Hurt as the War Doctor, the Doctor's warrior-like forgotten incarnation. The War Doctor came between the Eighth and NinthDoctors, and renounced the title of Doctor.
- Jemma Redgrave as the Brigadier's daughter Kate Stewart, who previously appeared in "The Power of Three", having been originated by actress Beverley Cressman in the direct-to-video spin-offs, Downtime and Dæmos Rising.[15]
- Joanna Page as Queen Elizabeth I.[21][22][23] Page is the third actress to portray Elizabeth I on Doctor Who, following Vivienne Bennet (The Chase) and Angela Pleasence ("The Shakespeare Code").
- Ingrid Oliver as Osgood.[24] Throughout the special, Osgood is seen wearing a copy of the Fourth Doctor's iconic scarf.[25]
- Peter de Jersey as Androgar, a Time Lord.[26]
- Ken Bones as the General of Gallifrey.[27]
- Jonjo O'Neill as McGilliop.
- Aidan Cook and Paul Kasey as the Zygons.
- Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks and the Zygons.
- Barnaby Edwards and Nicholas Pegg as Daleks.[citation needed]
- Tom Baker as the Curator, a mysterious character who informs the Eleventh Doctor of Gallifrey's survival at the end of the episode. His resemblance to the Fourth Doctor is alluded to, but left unexplained.[28][29]
- William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann andChristopher Eccleston all appear in the special as their respective Doctors, through the use of archive footage and voice doubles. All are credited as "the Doctor" alongside Smith, Tennant and Hurt in the episode's closing credits.
- John Guilor provided voice acting for the First Doctor, though he was credited as "Voice Over Artist".[1]
- Peter Capaldi makes an uncredited cameo appearance as the Twelfth Doctor, prior to taking over the lead role from Smith in the 2013 Christmas Special, titled "The Time of the Doctor".[28][29]
Casting
Both David Tennant and Billie Piper returned to appear in the 50th anniversary special
On 30 March 2013, a distribution error occurred, and many subscribers toDoctor Who Magazine received the issue five days before the official release date.[14] The issue of the magazine included the official announcement thatDavid Tennant and Billie Piper, who previously played the Tenth Doctor andRose Tyler in Doctor Who respectively, were lined up to appear in the special, along with actor John Hurt.[14] Moffat did not want to bring Rose the character back because he felt her story was wrapped up and did not feel comfortable adding to Davies' arc. However, he liked the concept of bringing back her Bad Wolf persona and felt that Piper needed to be in the special as she symbolised the rebirth of Doctor Who.[30]
John Hurt did not actually audition for the part, but had been asked by the production team and "said yes with remarkable speed".[31]His costume was meant to signify that he was "rougher, tougher", and had been around for a while; the audience had missed a lot. Hurt's request to keep his beard adds to this effect, and makes him the first bearded Doctor.[31]
Christopher Eccleston discussed plans for the anniversary episode with Moffat, but eventually declined to return as the Ninth Doctor.[32]Sylvester McCoy, who played the Seventh Doctor, claimed that none of the surviving actors who portrayed the Doctor prior to Eccleston were contacted regarding the special.[33] Colin Baker confirmed this while being interviewed on Australian television alongside McCoy and Paul McGann.[34] However, McGann went on to say that he could still be in the 50th but at the last moment.[35] Radio Timesreported rumours that a Doctor from the classic era would feature in the special, citing unknown sources.[36] Freema Agyeman[37] andJohn Barrowman,[38] who played Tenth Doctor companions Martha Jones and Jack Harkness, respectively, both stated they would not be in the 50th, but may return to the show at some point. Barrowman stated that he would have liked to be in it, but speculated that the producers wanted to try some different things.[38]
Production
Publicity
Steven Moffat previously stated, "Most things that have been said about the 50th are not true... Normally I am responsible for the disinformation and the rubbish rumors—I usually put them out myself, but I haven't needed to for this one."[39] On the importance of the episode, Moffat has stated that it will "change the narrative" of Doctor Who.[40]
"The Night of the Doctor", an additional 7-minute special, was released on 14 November 2013, and featured the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann)'s regeneration into the War Doctor (John Hurt).[41] Another 4 minute special, entitled "The Last Day", was released on 20 November 2013 and saw the start of the Fall of Arcadia.[42]
On 4 November 2013, the BBC released the official synopsis: "The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th anniversary special. 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."[43]
On 22 November 2013, Billie Piper stated on BBC Radio 2 "I can say something about my character; it's not Rose as we know her" toChris Evans about the episode.[44][not in citation given]
Writing
"The Day of the Doctor" was written by Steven Moffat,[6] current head writer of Doctor Who, and produced by Faith Penhale[7] in 3D, with Nick Hurran directing.[45] Moffat began writing the script for "The Day of the Doctor" in late 2012, announcing that, as a security precaution, he had not produced any copies, instead keeping it on his computer "under lock and key" until it was needed.[46] Moffat had often thought about featuring a "mayfly Doctor" who appears for a single episode, asking, "Would it be weird in the run of the series to have the 45th Doctor turn up and be played by Johnny Depp or someone? Would that be a cool thing to do?" He also indicated that the "classic Doctor" he would most like to feature in a new story was William Hartnell's First Doctor, stating, "You'd want him to come and say 'What in the name of God have I turned into?' That's the confrontation that you most want to see, to celebrate 50 years. Going round and round in circles on it I just thought, 'What about a Doctor that he never talks about?' And what if it is a Doctor who's done something terrible, who's much deadlier and more serious, who represents that thing that is the undertow in both David and Matt. You know there's a terrible old man inside them. Well, here he is, facing the children he becomes, as it were."[47] Knowing that Matt Smith was planning to leave, Moffat wrote the special specifically with the brief appearance of the Twelfth Doctor during the sequence of all of the Doctors uniting to save Gallifrey, prior to casting anyone in the role. Moffat later stated of the 50th episode, that it was his "plan from the start" that all the Doctors would fly in to save Gallifrey, and he knew there would be a new one at that time. He wrote it before knowing who would be cast.[48]
Typically, Doctor Who's anniversary stories are named after the number of returning Doctors, as with The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors. Moffat explained his choice of title to SFX magazine, commenting that "... it's very rare in Doctor Who that the story happens to the Doctor. It happens to people around him, and he helps out – he's the hero figure who rides in and saves everybody from the story of the week. He is not the story of the week. In this, he is the story of the week. This is the day of the Doctor. This is his most important day. His most important moment. This is the one he'll remember, whereas I often think the Doctor wanders back to his TARDIS and forgets all about it."[49]
Filming
Because "The Day of the Doctor" was filmed in 3D, the episode took longer than usual to shoot, especially as every CGI shot had to be done twice.[50] Filming began on 2 April 2013 in Neath, Wales.[22] On 9 April 2013 scenes were filmed for the special in Trafalgar Square, London.[51] On 17 April 2013 Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and David Tennant filmed scenes in Chepstow,Monmouthshire, Wales, and some scenes were shot in Chepstow Castle.[52] On 2 May 2013, scenes in Cardiff were being filmed for scenes that take place at Totter's Lane and Coal Hill school, locations which had previously featured in the first 1963 serial An Unearthly Child, the 1985 serial Attack of the Cybermen, and the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks.[53] Filming for the special was completed on Sunday 5 May 2013. From 4–5 May 2013, Paul McGann returned to Doctor Who alongside John Hurt's War Doctor, to record "The Night of the Doctor".[54]
Marketing
Trailers
The first trailer for the special was shown to attendees of San Diego Comic-Con in July 2013.[55] The BBC's decision not to release the trailer online to international fans was met with controversy.[56][57][58] On 26 July, the BBC responded to criticisms by saying the trailer was intended to be exclusive to Comic-Con attendees and that content for all other audiences would be forthcoming at a later date.[59]The trailer was also screened at The Edinburgh International Television Festival, at the end of Charlotte Moore's "Meet The Controller" session.[citation needed] On 28 September, the BBC revealed that the trailer for the special had been specifically shot and was currently in post-production.[60] On 19 October 2013, a specially-made teaser trailer, directed by Matt Losasso, was shown on BBC One, and was then subsequently posted online. It contained icons from the history of the show and had a monologue by Matt Smith, as well as body doubles and CGI to create shots of previous Doctors.[61][62] A clip from "The Day of the Doctor" was shown at the BBC's Children in Need show on Friday 15 November.[63] The official trailer for the episode aired in the United Kingdom at 8 pm GMT on 9 November. Due to the leak of a trailer earlier on 9 November on BBC Latin America's Facebook page, the BBC officially released it ahead of schedule. A second official trailer was shortly released later.[64]
Furthermore, before the release of the main trailers, a short clip previewed the Eleventh Doctor and Clara examining a seemingly impossible painting. On 10 November 2013, a short clip of the Eleventh Doctor announcing "The clock is ticking" interrupted a BBC One ident.[65] This was followed on Monday 11 November by another ident interruption, with the Eleventh Doctor stating "It's all been leading to this..."[66]
Viral marketing
On 28 September, the BBC unveiled a Twitter hashtag (#SaveTheDay) and an ident that was used to promote the special.[67]Respectively, the hashtag and the ident were shown before and after the premiere of Atlantis on BBC One. The hashtag was used to reveal all subsequent promotional material. On 7 November 2013, a video starring Smith in character as the Doctor was released promoting the hashtag, promising exclusive content. A website was launched to reveal the content.[68]
Broadcast
Countries that screened "The Day of the Doctor" simultaneously.
Countries that screened on TV.
Countries that screened in cinemas.
Countries that screened both on TV and in cinemas.
The BBC broadcast the episode in 94 countries simultaneously,[69] in order to avoid plot leaks.[10][70] It earned a Guinness World Record for the world's largest ever simulcast of a TV drama.[11]
The British Board of Film Classification rated the episode PG for mild violence and threat.[2] The Australian Classification Board also rated the episode PG for "mild science fiction themes and violence", noting there was "very mild impact" with regards to sexual themes.[71] The episode broadcast at 7:50pm in the UK,[72] and was preceded and followed by other Doctor Who related programmes and broadcasts, including broadcast of an after-party.
Canadian provincial film censors rated "The Day of the Doctor" PG in Alberta,[73] G in Manitoba[74] and G inQuebec.[75]
Broadcasters
The following is a list of some broadcasters that aired "The Day of the Doctor" on 23 or 24 November 2013, depending on time zones.[76]
| Country | Channel |
|---|
 Argentina |
BBC Entertainment and BBC HD (television)
Cinemark and Hoyts (cinema) |
 Australia |
ABC1 (television)
Hoyts, Event Cinemas and Village Cinemas (cinema) |
 Austria |
Haydn and UCI (cinema) |
 Belgium |
BBC One |
 Bolivia
 Costa Rica
 Dominican Republic
 El Salvador
 Guatemala
 Honduras
 Nicaragua
 Paraguay
 Venezuela |
BBC Entertainment and BBC HD |
 Uruguay |
BBC Entertainment and BBC HD (television)
Movie Center (cinema) |
 Botswana
 Cameroon
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Eritrea
 Gambia
 Ghana
 Hong Kong
 Kenya
 Liberia
 Malawi
 Malaysia
 Mauritius
 Namibia
 Nigeria
 Poland
 Rwanda
 Seychelles
 Sierra Leone
 Singapore
 South Africa
 South Sudan
 Swaziland
 Taiwan
 Uganda
 Zambia
 Zimbabwe |
BBC Entertainment |
 Brazil
 Chile
 Colombia
 Ecuador
 Mexico
 Panama
 Peru |
BBC Entertainment and BBC HD (television)
Cinemark (cinema) |
 Canada |
Space (television)
Ztele (television)
Cineplex (cinema)[77] |
 Denmark |
Cinemaxx (cinema) |
 Finland |
Yle (Yle TV2 and Yle HD) |
 France |
France 4 |
 Germany |
Fox (television)
Cinemaxx, Cine Star and UCI (cinema) |
 Ireland |
BBC One (television)
Omniplex (cinema)[78] |
 Iceland |
Bíóparadís (cinema) |
 Israel |
yes Action |
 Italy |
RAI (not simultaneous, 20 minute delay and commercial breaks) |
 Kazakhstan |
Kinopark and Chaplin Cinema (cinema) |
 Netherlands |
BBC One |
 New Zealand |
Prime (not simultaneous, 10 minute delay)
Event Cinemas (cinema) |
 Norway |
Fredrikstad Kino, Kristiansand Kino, Trondheim Kino,
Volda Filmteater, Ringen Oslo Kino and Bergen Kino (cinema) |
 Russia |
Carousel and NST (television)
CoolConnections (cinema) |
 South Korea |
BBC Entertainment Asia |
 Spain |
Cinesa (cinema)[79] |
 Sweden |
Bio Roy and Tumbascenen Bio (cinema) |
 Switzerland |
BBC One |
 Turkey |
CNBC-e |
 Ukraine |
Kronverk Cinema (cinema)[80] |
 United Kingdom |
BBC One, BBC One HD and BBC 3D (television)
Cineworld, Vue and Odeon (cinemas), as well as independent cinemas around the UK. |
 United States |
BBC America (television)
AMC, Century Theatres, Cinemark and Regal (cinema) |
Home media
"The Day of the Doctor" is planned to be released on DVD and 3D Blu-ray on 2 December 2013 in the UK.[81][82] It will be released on 4 December 2013 in Australia and 10 December 2013 in North America.[83]
Reception
"The Day of the Doctor" received instant positive reactions. Ben Lawrence of The Daily Telegraph gave the special five stars, calling it "charming, eccentric and very, very British."[84] Den of Geek's Simon Brew praised the special, calling it "terrific", and stating that it was "pulsating with comedy, ambition, and top to bottom entertainment."[85] Jon Cooper of The Mirror gave the episode five stars, stating that it "not only gives hardcore fans a beautiful reinvention of their favourite show but also gives casual viewers a stonking story and a reminder why we all love this show so much."[86]
Jim Shelley of The Daily Mail called the episode "a clever, chaotic, infuriating combination of nifty, knowing tiny detail and big, hollow, pompous bluster." However, he disliked the effects, accusing the BBC on pandering to the American audience, as well as disliking the Zygons, deeming them not "scary enough," and naming Matt Smith and David Tennant "irritating."[87] Mashable's Chris Taylor stated that the episode is "one designed to please fans and newcomers alike," and that it "shows why the Doctor is finding his way into ever more homes and hearts."[88] The Guardian's Viv Grospok criticised various elements of the episode, though concluded that "it was all worth it."[89]
Social analytics website SecondSync revealed that Doctor Who generated almost 500,000 "tweets" on Twitter during its broadcast, with the peak number of tweets occurring at the beginning of the broadcast, at 12,939 tweets per minute.[90][91]
Overnight figures revealed that the episode had a total of 10.18 million viewers for the live broadcast in the United Kingdom,[92] while the box office takings for its cinema screenings totalled £1.7m (US$2.2m), which placed it at number three in the UK film chart for the week, behind The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Gravity.[93] The live simulcast on BBC America, at 2.50pm EST/11.50am PST, had a total audience of 2.4m viewers, with a further 1.2m watching the later repeat, the largest audience in the channel's history. The cinema screenings, on a total of 660 screens nationwide, took a total of US$4.8m (approx £3m) at the box office, placing it at number 2 in the US chart.[94][95] The special had a total of 1.95m viewers for its two broadcasts in Australia, with 590,000 watching the live broadcast on ABC1 at 6.50am AEDT/3.50am AWST, and another 1.36m watching the repeat at 7.30pm, while the cinema box office takings totalled AU$1.54m, putting it at number three in the Australian film chart.[96][97] [98] A total of 1.7m viewers watched the two broadcasts on Canadian channel Space, making it the most watched entertainment programme in Canada on the day, with the 1.1m watching the live broadcast at 2.50pm EST being the channel's largest ever audience.[99] Worldwide, cinema screenings brought $10.2 million at the box office.[100]
See also
Notes
References
- ^ Jump up to:a b Sources that refer to John Guilor's role as the voice of theFirst Doctor in the special include:
- ^ Jump up to:a b "DOCTOR WHO - THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR | British Board of Film Classification". Bbfc.co.uk. 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
- Jump up^ Radio Times Staff (10 September 2013). "Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special title revealed". RadioTimes. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- Jump up^ BBC News (10 September 2013). "Doctor Who 50th anniversary schedule announced by BBC". British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- Jump up^ Mellor, Louisa (10 September 2013). "Doctor Who 50th anniversary special title revealed". Den of Geek. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c "BBC announces Doctor Who 3D special". BBC News Entertainment & arts (UK: BBC). 11 February 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b "Caroline Skinner steps down as Executive Producer of Doctor Who". Media Centre. BBC. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
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- Jump up^ "Doctor Who: David Tennant returns for anniversary show".BBC News. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c "'Doctor Who' 50th anniversary to be simulcast worldwide to avoid leaks". Digital Spy. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c "GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR". Doctor Who website. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
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- Jump up^ "Twitter / bbcdoctorwho: BREAKING NEWS! The identity ...".British Broadcasting Corporation. Twitter. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d "DOCTOR WHO ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR CAST FOR 50th ANNIVERSARY". BBC. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b "Reunited: Jemma Redgrave Returns for the Anniversary Special". BBC. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
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- Jump up^ "The Zygons Return for the 50th Anniversary Special". BBC. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Howe, Stammers, Walker (1994), p. 54
- Jump up^ "An Unearthly Child". BBC. 16 August 2012.
- Jump up^ Jones, Paul (20 June 2013). "Doctor Who, Jenna Coleman and the mystery of the missing Louise". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
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- ^ Jump up to:a b Leigh, Rob (3 April 2013). "Who's David Tennant talking to? First location pics of Tenth Doctor and Joanna Page filming 50th anniversary special". Retrieved 3 April 2013.
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- ^ Jump up to:a b "Doctor Who 50th anniversary special features surprise double cameo appearances". radiotimes.com. Radio Times. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Wicks, Kevin (24 November 2013). "'Doctor Who': Steven Moffat Explains Billie Piper’s Role in the 50th". BBC America. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Setchfield, Nick (7 November 2013). "Exclusive - Steven Moffat Talks John Hurt and The Day of the Doctor". SFX. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Jeffery, Morgan (5 April 2013). "'Doctor Who' 50th: BBC denies Christopher Eccleston 'quitting' rumors - Doctor Who News - Cult". Digital Spy. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Jeffery, Morgan (4 April 2013). "Sylvester McCoy on 'Who' 50th: 'Past Doctors haven't heard anything'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Cole, Tom (10 April 2013). "Doctor Who: Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann confirm anniversary special non-involvement". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Harp, Justin (12 April 2013). "'Doctor Who' Paul McGann: 'Anniversary role could come at last minute'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Dowell, Ben (22 July 2013). "New Doctor likely be announced in August, according to sources". Radio Times. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- Jump up^ Harp, Justin (4 March 2013). "'Doctor Who': Freema Agyeman not in 50th anniversary special". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Curtis, Beth (22 April 2013). "John Barrowman: 'I'm upset to miss out on Doctor Who 50th anniversary'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Doctor Who (13 May 2013). "Steven Moffat Laughs Off 50th Anniversary Rumors!". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- Jump up^ "The Day of the Doctor to "change the narrative" of Doctor Who says Steven Moffat". The Mirror. The Mirror. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "THE NIGHT OF THE DOCTOR [Additional material, DOCTOR WHO - THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR]". BBFC. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "THE LAST DAY [Additional material, DOCTOR WHO - THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR]". BBFC. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "The Day of the Doctor Official Synopsis". BBFC. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- Jump up^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03hwkxp
- Jump up^ Tarley, Rachel (7 December 2013). "Doctor Who 50th anniversary director named as Nick Hurran | Metro News". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Brown, David (18 March 2013). "Steven Moffat: Doctor Who 50th anniversary script is kept under lock and key". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Jump up^ Setchfield, Nick (14 October 2013). "Steven Moffat talks John Hurt's Doctor". SFX. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Jump up^ Jeffrey, Morgan (25 November 2013). "'Doctor Who' Moffat on Capaldi cameo: "It was the plan from the start"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- Jump up^ SFX magazine, issue 241 (October 2013).
- Jump up^ Jeffery, Morgan (21 February 2013). "'Doctor Who' Steven Moffat on 50th: 'There's more than one 60-minute film'".Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Jump up^ Dex, Robert (9 April 2013). "Matt Smith lands the Tardis lands in Trafalgar Square for Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode". The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Fitzmaurice, Sarah (18 April 2013). "How are they going to explain that then? David Tennant and Matt Smith seen on set together as they shoot 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who". Daily Mail. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- Jump up^ Kelly, Stephen (3 May 2013). "Spoilers! Doctor Who 50th anniversary filming pictures suggest nod to first ever episode". RadioTimes. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- Jump up^ "Producer Marcus Wilson on Twitter". Cultbox. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- Jump up^ Anders, Charlie Jane (21 July 2013). "The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Trailer is an Amazing Thrill Ride". io9. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- Jump up^ Kelly, Stephen (22 July 2013). "Doctor Who's 50th anniversary trailer: should UK fans have seen it first?". RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- Jump up^ Jefferies, Mark (23 July 2013). "What harm would putting the Doctor Who 50th trailer up on a BBC website do now?". RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- Jump up^ Fletcher, Alex (22 July 2013). "'Doctor Who' fans angry at Comic-Con exclusive 50th anniversary video". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- Jump up^ "26 July: Press statement issued - trail for Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode". BBC. 26 July 2013.
- Jump up^ "BBC Confirms The Day of the Doctor Trailer Soon".http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- Jump up^ Dowell, Ben (19 October 2013). "Doctor Who: Dazzling Day of the Doctor trailers airs on BBC1 - see it here". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
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- Jump up^ "Doctor Who at Children in Need 2013". Doctor Who TV. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
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- Jump up^ "Ident Interruption - The Day of the Doctor - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - BBC One". BBC on YouTube. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "Ident Interruption 2 - The Day of the Doctor - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary - BBC One". BBC on YouTube. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Brew, Simon (28 September 2013). "BBC releases picture, teaser sting for The Day Of The Doctor". Dennis Publishing Limited. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- Jump up^ "SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE DOCTOR AND UNLOCK SNEAK PREVIEWS OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL". BBC. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
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- Jump up^ "50TH ANNIVERSARY TO BE SIMULCAST IN OVER 75 COUNTRIES AND CINEMAS". http://www.doctorwho.tv. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- Jump up^ Australian Classification Board (1 November 2013). "The Day of the Doctor". Australian Government. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "The Day of the Doctor airs at 7:50pm". Official Doctor Who Twitter. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "Classification Report Review". Alberta Film Ratings. Retrieved 2013-11-22.
- Jump up^ "DR. WHO: 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR". Manitoba Film Classification Board. Retrieved 2013-11-22.
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- Jump up^ "The Day of the Doctor on TV and in Cinemas". BBC Worldwide. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- Jump up^ "Doctor Who's 50th year special: North American theater tix on sale Friday". The Register. 2013-10-24. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
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- Jump up^ Delgado, Jesús. "Cinesa proyectará el 50 Aniversario de Doctor Who". hobbyconsolas (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- Jump up^ Спеціальний випуск «Доктор Хто» в кінотеатрах Kronverk Cinema! on site of Kronverk Cinema (ukr.)
- Jump up^ "Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor 50th Anniversary (DVD)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Jump up^ "Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor - 50th Anniversary (3D Blu-ray)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- Jump up^ "Doctor Who DVD news: Announcement for Doctor Who - The Day of the Doctor: 50th Anniversary Special". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- Jump up^ Lawrence, Ben (23 November 2013). "Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor, BBC One, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Brew, Simon (23 November 2013). "Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor review". Den of Geek. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Cooper, Jon (23 November 2013). "The Day of the Doctor review: Celebration and remembrance - we got both". Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Shelley, Jim (23 November 2013). "Doctor Who's 50th anniversary episode reminds us why Matt Smith and David Tennant were so irritating". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Taylor, Chris (23 November 2013). "'Doctor Who' Review: The Day That Changed Everything". Mashable. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Grospok, Viv (23 November 2013). "Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ SecondSync (23 November 2013). "SecondSync: Over 200k Tweets so far for ...". Twitter. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Marcus (24 November 2013). "Doctor Who News: Day of the Doctor - Press Review". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Golder, Dave (24 November 2013). "Doctor Who “The Day Of The Doctor” Overnight Ratings". SFX. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Weight, Anthony (26 November 2013). "The Day of the Doctor makes UK box office top 3". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "US Ratings - Day of the Doctor". Doctor Who News. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "Day of the Doctor takes $4.8 Million at US Box Office".Doctor Who News. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "Day of the Doctor - A Hit Down Under". Doctor Who News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Foster, Chuck (26 November 2013). "The Day of the Doctor box office success for Australia and New Zealand". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Doctor Who sets world record with The Day Of The Doctor.Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
- Jump up^ "Canadian Ratings - Day of the Doctor". Doctor Who News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- Jump up^ Cunningham, Todd (27 November 2013). "'Doctor Who' Anniversary Theatrical Run Scores $10.2M at WorlwideBox Office". The Wrap. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
External links
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