Happy Birthday Doctor Who!
So sorry I didn’t get this out on Sunday; I’ve been having a bit of computer problems. Even so, it’s probably for the best that I didn’t get this out right away… You need time to process and rewatch a show like Doctor Who in order to fully grasp it.
This past week has been Doctor Who week around the world. On the 23rd of November, exactly 50 years to the day, was the celebration of 50 years of sci-fi adventures with the Doctor. Multiple events and shows were put together to celebrate this monumental occasion. There were many one-off shows dedicated to revisiting the classic era and the older Doctors, which I found very helpful seeing as I have only seen one or two classic episodes. I thought they were well made and very informative. It helped to give us new viewers a better understanding of the past incarnations.
I have to say before we get too far into this… I haven’t watched much Classic Who. I know, I know, I just haven’t found the time to sit down and watch over 20 years of episodes. So, my viewing experience with Who beings in 2005 with the 9th Doctor. My favorite Doctor is 11, and my favorite companions are Amy and Rory… But Donna Noble comes in a close second.
The BBC produced a wonderful movie about the creation of Doctor Who in 1963. Written by Mark Gatiss, An Adventure in Time and Space showed a dramatization of the original concept of the show, the early production days, and the explosive impact the show had on the British nation. This movie was extremely well made, and David Bradley was amazing as the original Doctor, William Hartnell.
Next came the prequel to the 50th Anniversary Special, The Night of the Doctor. Doctor number 8, Paul McGann, returns to show his regeneration into the War Doctor, John Hurt. We meet him trying to save a space traveler from perishing in a falling ship. She refuses to accepted his help because he is a Time Lord, and has seen the evil of the Time Lords through the Time War (let’s say Time one more time…). The ship crashes, and the Doctor finds himself a captive on the brink of death. He is faced with the option of who he wants to be when he regenerates, and his choice is to become a warrior. This prequel was a perfect set up to the ultimate episode, and further confirmation when John Hurt’s Doctor came into play.
Now into the meat of the events, the 50th Anniversary Special.
SPOILERS!
I’m not going to waste our time here by giving a summary; it's just too complex. We'll be here till Friday trying to explain it all. If you haven’t seen the episode, stop reading now, and go watch it!
Of course the biggest thing that happened in this episode was the return of Gallifrey. I thought this was an extremely clever idea penned by Steven Moffat. Tom Baker, the longest-running Doctor and the majority favorite from the classic era, makes a return to tell the Doctor that the real name of the Gallifrey’s painting is “Gallifrey Falls No More,” proving to the Doctor that his plan worked, and Gallifrey is still out there. This sets up Peter Capaldi’s Doctor’s storyline perfectly. We know he will be spending his first (maybe longer) season searching for Gallifrey and reuniting with the Time Lords. That will be an exciting storyline to see. Plus, Capaldi’s eyes was probably the most exciting thing that happened the whole episode! What an awesome surprise!
There are still many questions that haven’t been answered. Who was the women in the shop that gave Clara the number to the TARDIS in Bells of Saint Johns? It had to have been someone who knows/ knew/ going to know (timey-wimey) the Doctor… Not everyone has the number to the TARDIS, nor do they just hand it out willy-nilly. What is the significance of the book written by Amelia Williams? Once again, not a conscience. That was clearly a reference to Amy… Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen her name.
Most importantly, what happened at the end of The Name of the Doctor? I feel like that episode just dropped off, and there are still a lot of questions unanswered about it. Like, how did Clara and the Doctor get out of his timestream? This makes me question whether the events of The Name of the Doctor have even happened yet. It seems too disjointed for the episode to just begin several months later, and not on the cliffhanger of the previous episode. Plus, the preview to the Christmas episode (Matt Smith’s finale episode. Wah!) mentioned that he goes back to Trenzalore. Why would he return to Trenzalore. Also, there was no reference at all to what had happened at Trenzalore; only, 11 telling 10 he was headed to Trenzalore. So, what’s going on?!
What really baffled me was Tom Baker’s (4th Doctor) appearance at the end of the episode. Who was he? 11 says that he always remembers a face, so is he saying he knew him once before or that he remembers his incarnation? Plus, that ambiguous mention of returning to former faces. Are new regenerations going to begin to take the form of former Doctor? Steven Moffat has released new information saying that Matt Smith’s Doctor is really the 13 incarnation of the Doctor. According to Time Lord lore, a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 time and have 13 forms. So, what does this mean for Capaldi? Is Tom Baker’s appearance confirmation that the Doctor is regenerating backwards? Degeneration, if you will.
After the episode aired, the BBC released the mockumentary The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, starring Peter Davison (5th Doctor), Colin Baker (6th Doctor), and Sylvester McCoy (7th Doctor). This program was just absolutely charming! I think I enjoyed watching this more than the actual anniversary special! The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot follows the former actors of the Doctor as they try to land a part in the 50th Anniversary Special. Written and Directed by Peter Davison, this short included all the people who were snubbed from being a part of the anniversary episode. Although I haven’t seen much of the classic Doctor’s in action, I can still appreciate what they have contributed to the show over the years. So, I was a little taken aback when I heard that none of the former Doctors, aside from David Tennant (10th Doctor), was going to appear in the 50th episode. I understand why they couldn’t have been it; it wouldn’t have made sense with the story, but they could have still made a little cameo.
Instead, they got this super cute, quirky, hilarious one-off episode of their own. With their own show, they get more than just a cameo. They get to interact and have fun, and even bring a little of their Doctor back into action. A lot of people made cameos in this episode: Matt Smith, Jenna Colman, David Tennant, John Barrowman (who’s little stunt was hilarious), Russell T. Davies, and Steven Moffat (as the evil show runner who won’t allow the former Doctor’s in). We see the three Doctors protest outside the BBC Studios, visit the Doctor Who experience in Cardiff (and steal their costumes!), break into the sets, and become Dalek operators all just to be a part of the episode. There is a super nice treat at the end, giving you a new perspective on the former Doctor’s involvements.
Overall, I thought the dedication the BBC put into Doctor Who’s 50th birthday was well worth it. I got to experience all the best of the Doctor with informative documentaries, a glorious biopic, an epic adventure, and a comedic mockumentary. Let’s hope for another 50 years with the Doctor filled with adventures through time and space!
Photo Credit: popwrapped.wordpress.com, telegraph.co.uk, bbc.co.uk, metro.co.uk, sfx.co.uk, kasterborous.com, blogtorwho.blogspot.com, doctorwhotv.co.uk, blog.zap2it.com, nerdist.com
