Doctors United -- An Overview of the "Doctor Who" 50th Anniversary Special

The challenge for the 50th anniversary episode of BBC1’s “Doctor Who” was two-fold: how to engage new and casual viewers who are interested because of The Doctor's anniversary with pleasing long-time fans who want questions answered about their favorite Time Lord and special appearances. Yet it succeeds!

Carefully avoided since “Doctor Who” returned to the small screen in 2005, the Time War between the Daleks and the Time Lords takes center stage in The Day Of The Doctor, as the unnumbered War Doctor (John Hurt) procures a weapon of mass destruction so huge it will stop the war, but at the cost of mass genocide with both races.

Meanwhile, both current-day and Elizabethan London have been infiltrated by the Zygons (who haven’t been seen since 1975’s Terror Of The Zygons). While the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) investigate the present with U.N.I.T. (the UN’s intelligence taskforce), the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Queen Elizabeth the 1st (Joanna Page) are investigating in 1562. Through a bit of “timey-wimey”, the Eleventh Doctor meets up with his former Tenth self and the twosome subsequently are joined by their War Doctor incarnation.

After much humorous arguing with his selves, the Doctors break out of the Zygons’ 1562 trap to the present day by way of the future Time War! Satisfied that his future selves are not the killers he is by witnessing the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors help broker peace between the Zygons and U.N.I.T., the War Doctor heads back to the future to activate the ultimate weapon to exterminate the Daleks and the Time Lords to end the war. His future selves, who assure him that no one should have to shoulder this impossible burden alone, join him. They are about to push the button together when Clara intervenes.

Clara tearfully implores her Doctor (11) to find a way to save his home planet. After a pause, the Eleventh Doctor announces he has changed his mind and has a plan to save the planet Gallifrey: if one Doctor cannot stop the genocide, then more Doctors are needed. They are joined by ten other Doctors (including the future 12th) to save their home world!

Day Of The Doctor brilliantly succeeds in giving hardcore fans a way to celebrate the past with hints the show’s future while giving casual viewers a great story enlightening them as to why “Doctor Who” is so beloved worldwide. Bringing in special guest stars helped: Billie Piper (Rose/Bad Wolf), Peter Capaldi (the future Twelfth Doctor) and especially Tom Baker (the curator 4th Doctor). The final scene with the Fourth and Eleventh Doctors was especially touching; the Fourth Doctor not only congratulates the Eleventh for the past, but gives him the direction he now must go: to find his people.

The acting was elite, even surpassing the usual high acting standards of the show! Matt Smith and David Tennant convinced the viewers that they are different aspects of the same person: Smith being the goofy eccentric with Tennant being the gallant swashbuckler. Add to this John Hurt’s emotional gravitas and this trio becomes sublime. As for Jenna Coleman, she has enabled the Clara character to become the conscience of the show.

Perhaps the biggest hero behind the worldwide success of Day Of The Doctor lies with the showrunner himself, Steven Moffat. He wrote a wonderful script filled with drama, action and wit. He embraced new viewers with old fans and cheekily addressed criticisms (“Is there a lot of this in the future?”) about the show.

The BBC almost cancelled this show three years ago due to financial constraints, but with foreign involvement (financially and fanatically), “Doctor Who” is more popular than ever! The only part that concerns me is that Smith is leaving the show this Christmas. Yet with Moffat still calling the shots and Coleman sticking around to smooth the transition, the show will still continue to amaze. Good luck, Peter Capaldi!

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