“The Day of the Doctor”[2][3][4] is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and marks the programme’s fiftieth anniversary. It is written by Steven Moffat,[5] an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale.[6] It was shown on BBC One on 23 November 2013, in both 2D and 3D.[7][8] The special was broadcast simultaneously in 94 countries,[8][9] and was shown concurrently in 3D in some cinemas.[10]It achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama.[9]
The episode shows the last day of the Time War, in which a newly revealed past incarnation of alien time traveller the Doctor chooses to kill bothDaleks 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 follows a companion’s plea to change his mind at the last instant of the Time War, and hides his war-racked home planet Gallifrey in time, rather than destroy it; however, the time distortions incurred leave him with 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 andBillie Piper returned for the episode, Tennant reprising his role as the Tenth Doctor, while Piper portrayed a sentient doomsday weapon called the Moment, projected as an image based on her character Rose Tyler. She is invisible and inaudible to everyone but the War Doctor, played by John Hurt. Other appearances included a very brief view of then upcoming Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi), who succeeded Matt Smith in Christmas special “The Time of the Doctor”,[11] and a significant cameo appearance by Fourth Doctor actor Tom Baker, now in his late 70s. Rounding out the guest cast, Joanna Page starred as Queen Elizabeth I,[12] while Jemma Redgrave returned to portray Kate Stewart, the daughter of 1970s central figureBrigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.[13] The special also featured the return of the Daleks,[14] and the Zygons, shape-shifting aliens who had previously only appeared in the 1975 serial Terror of the Zygons.[15]
As the episode celebrated fifty years of the programme, it referenced and alluded to various concepts featured throughout the show’s run. 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”.[5][16] | Source |
