On what is the sci-fi show's 50th birthday, millions of Doctor Who fans around the world are awaiting the special episode to mark the occasion.
The episode, called The Day of the Doctor is to be broadcast in 90 countries simultaneously at 7.50pm UK time in what is likely to be the largest simulcast of a TV drama in history.
The episode - which will feature Zygons, Elizabeth I and THREE Doctors - will also be screened in 3D in more than 1,500 cinemas across the world, including Australia, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
Also appearing in the episode are what are probably the world's most famous sci-fi baddies - the evil Daleks. It will be the 98th episode in which the Doctor's greatest foes have appeared.
Fans around the world should expect an "emotional wallop" at the end of the episode, says the show's boss Steven Moffat.
The story involves a mystery at London's National Gallery in the present day, as well as "a murderous plot" in Elizabethan England in 1562.
Guest stars include Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Joanna Page as Elizabeth I.
Doctor Who fans around the world await 50th anniversary special
By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent
BBC News
23 November 2013
The three Doctors: Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt in the 50th anniversary episode
Doctor Who fans around the world should expect an "emotional wallop" at the end of the 50th anniversary episode, says the show's boss Steven Moffat.
"It's the most ambitious episode we've ever done," he said.
The episode, The Day of the Doctor, will be broadcast in more than 90 countries at the same time as it airs on BBC One on Saturday night.
The BBC says it is likely to be the largest simulcast of a TV drama in history.
"This event means it is a worldwide show not simply a British phenomenon," Moffat said.
The episode will also be screened in 3D in more than 1,500 cinemas across the world, including Australia, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
The 50th anniversary adventure stars Matt Smith (the current Eleventh Doctor), David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) and John Hurt (as the War Doctor, a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor) as different incarnations of the Doctor.
John Hurt's version of the Doctor was first introduced at the end of the episode, The Name of the Doctor, broadcast in May.
Jenna Coleman plays companion Clara, while Billie Piper returns as Rose, the Tenth Doctor's companion.
The episode will also feature the Daleks and the return of shape-shifting aliens the Zygons, who first appeared in 1975.
The story involves a mystery at London's National Gallery in the present day, as well as "a murderous plot" in Elizabethan England in 1562.
Guest stars include Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Joanna Page as Elizabeth I.
The Zygons, not seen since the mid-70s, make a return in the anniversary special
Evil: The Daleks make an appearance in tonight's episode. It will be the 98th episode which they have appeared in
Steven Moffat, Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer, admitted he was "nervous" about the special episode finally being seen around the world.
"I'm glad we don't do it every time, but it's very exciting to do it once," he told the BBC News website.
He added he hoped fans would be "very happy" with the 75-minute special. "It's got a big emotional wallop at the end, I think they'll be cheering."
Moffat, along with Matt Smith and Jenna Colman, attended the official Doctor Who anniversary celebration at London's ExCel on Friday.
The three-day event, which is being attended by 8,000 fans a day, features appearances from Doctor Who stars from all eras of the series.
Smith told fans during a question and answer session that Steven Moffat's anniversary story "added to the mythology" of Doctor Who.
Moffat described the first ever Doctor Who episode, An Unearthly Child, broadcast on 23 November 1963, as "one of the very best episodes of Doctor Who ever made".
The anniversary episode also sees the return of Billie Piper as Rose
"All the ideas come from there," he said. "The music, the name, the Tardis, the police box bigger on the inside... in terms of brand new ideas that's a rollercoaster of 25 minutes."
Among fans attending the event was Taylor, 13, from London, a fan since the show was revived in 2005.
"It's a big point in Doctor Who history," she said. "I hope it lives up to the fans' expectations. They'll be expecting a big climax."
American Richard LeCour said he made a special trip from his home in California because Doctor Who had been "part of my life for 40 years".
He said he was "very excited" to see how the story would handle the introduction of John Hurt's Doctor.
Reuben Mount, a Matt Smith fan from Brighton, admitted the episode The Name of the Doctor left him "in tears". He added: "I want to know how John Hurt fits into all of it, I want to know the answers."
His friend, Adam Highway, also from Brighton, predicted that Doctor Who had a long future ahead of it.
"It'll go on as long as it keeps that balance of appealing to people who don't know the history, but respects the history for those who give a damn about it. It think Steven Moffat's got it spot on."
The anniversary story is Smith's penultimate outing, before he regenerates at Christmas into a new Doctor (the Twelfth), played by Peter Capaldi.
DALEKS FACTFILE
The Daleks first appeared in the 1963 episode The Daleks.
They were conceived by sci-fi writer Terry Nation and designed by Raymond Cusick.
Nation grew up during World War II. He spent a lot of time in air raid shelters during the Blitz and remembered the fear caused by German bombings. He consciously based the Daleks on the Nazis, conceiving the species as faceless, authoritarian figures dedicated to conquest and complete conformity. Their catchphrase "Exterminate!" has obvious WWII connotations.
The origin of the word Dalek is uncertain. In 1964 Nation told a Daily Mirror reporter that the Dalek name came from a dictionary or encyclopaedia volume, the spine of which read "Dal – Lek". He later admitted that this book and the origin of the Dalek name was completely fictitious, and that anyone bothering to check out his story would have found him out. The name had in reality simply rolled off his typewriter. Later, Nation was pleasantly surprised to discover that in Serbo-Croatian the word "dalek" means "far",or "distant".
For many years it was assumed that, due to their design and gliding motion, Daleks were unable to climb stairs, and that this was a simple way of escaping them. A well known cartoon from Punch pictured a group of Daleks at the foot of a flight of stairs with the caption, "Well, this certainly buggers our plan to conquer the Universe". In a scene from the serial Destiny of the Daleks, the Doctor and companions escape from Dalek pursuers by climbing into a ceiling duct. The Fourth Doctor calls down, "If you're supposed to be the superior race of the universe, why don't you try climbing after us?" The Daleks generally make up for their general lack of mobility with overwhelming firepower; a joke among Doctor Who fans goes, "Real Daleks don't climb stairs; they level the building." However, there have been one or two episode in recent series showing Daleks hovering up flights of stairs (scary!).
The Daleks are descendants of the Dals, who mutated after a nuclear war between the Dal and Thal races on the planet Skaro 500 years ago. The ugly, mutant creatures are encased within a tank-like, robotic, mechanical shell.
The Daleks have become as synonymous with Doctor Who as the Doctor himself, and their behaviour and catchphrases are now part of British popular culture. "Hiding behind the sofa whenever the Daleks appear" has been cited as an element of British cultural identity;and a 2008 survey indicated that nine out of 10 British children were able to identify a Dalek correctly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hRy2N2CMhQ&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7z6FMCqYrBo
BBC News - Doctor Who fans around the world await 50th anniversary special
The episode, called The Day of the Doctor is to be broadcast in 90 countries simultaneously at 7.50pm UK time in what is likely to be the largest simulcast of a TV drama in history.
The episode - which will feature Zygons, Elizabeth I and THREE Doctors - will also be screened in 3D in more than 1,500 cinemas across the world, including Australia, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
Also appearing in the episode are what are probably the world's most famous sci-fi baddies - the evil Daleks. It will be the 98th episode in which the Doctor's greatest foes have appeared.
Fans around the world should expect an "emotional wallop" at the end of the episode, says the show's boss Steven Moffat.
The story involves a mystery at London's National Gallery in the present day, as well as "a murderous plot" in Elizabethan England in 1562.
Guest stars include Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Joanna Page as Elizabeth I.
Doctor Who fans around the world await 50th anniversary special
By Tim Masters Entertainment and arts correspondent
BBC News
23 November 2013
The three Doctors: Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt in the 50th anniversary episode
Doctor Who fans around the world should expect an "emotional wallop" at the end of the 50th anniversary episode, says the show's boss Steven Moffat.
"It's the most ambitious episode we've ever done," he said.
The episode, The Day of the Doctor, will be broadcast in more than 90 countries at the same time as it airs on BBC One on Saturday night.
The BBC says it is likely to be the largest simulcast of a TV drama in history.
"This event means it is a worldwide show not simply a British phenomenon," Moffat said.
The episode will also be screened in 3D in more than 1,500 cinemas across the world, including Australia, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
The 50th anniversary adventure stars Matt Smith (the current Eleventh Doctor), David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) and John Hurt (as the War Doctor, a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor) as different incarnations of the Doctor.
John Hurt's version of the Doctor was first introduced at the end of the episode, The Name of the Doctor, broadcast in May.
Jenna Coleman plays companion Clara, while Billie Piper returns as Rose, the Tenth Doctor's companion.
The episode will also feature the Daleks and the return of shape-shifting aliens the Zygons, who first appeared in 1975.
The story involves a mystery at London's National Gallery in the present day, as well as "a murderous plot" in Elizabethan England in 1562.
Guest stars include Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Joanna Page as Elizabeth I.
The Zygons, not seen since the mid-70s, make a return in the anniversary special
Evil: The Daleks make an appearance in tonight's episode. It will be the 98th episode which they have appeared in
Steven Moffat, Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer, admitted he was "nervous" about the special episode finally being seen around the world.
"I'm glad we don't do it every time, but it's very exciting to do it once," he told the BBC News website.
He added he hoped fans would be "very happy" with the 75-minute special. "It's got a big emotional wallop at the end, I think they'll be cheering."
Moffat, along with Matt Smith and Jenna Colman, attended the official Doctor Who anniversary celebration at London's ExCel on Friday.
The three-day event, which is being attended by 8,000 fans a day, features appearances from Doctor Who stars from all eras of the series.
Smith told fans during a question and answer session that Steven Moffat's anniversary story "added to the mythology" of Doctor Who.
Moffat described the first ever Doctor Who episode, An Unearthly Child, broadcast on 23 November 1963, as "one of the very best episodes of Doctor Who ever made".
The anniversary episode also sees the return of Billie Piper as Rose
"All the ideas come from there," he said. "The music, the name, the Tardis, the police box bigger on the inside... in terms of brand new ideas that's a rollercoaster of 25 minutes."
Among fans attending the event was Taylor, 13, from London, a fan since the show was revived in 2005.
"It's a big point in Doctor Who history," she said. "I hope it lives up to the fans' expectations. They'll be expecting a big climax."
American Richard LeCour said he made a special trip from his home in California because Doctor Who had been "part of my life for 40 years".
He said he was "very excited" to see how the story would handle the introduction of John Hurt's Doctor.
Reuben Mount, a Matt Smith fan from Brighton, admitted the episode The Name of the Doctor left him "in tears". He added: "I want to know how John Hurt fits into all of it, I want to know the answers."
His friend, Adam Highway, also from Brighton, predicted that Doctor Who had a long future ahead of it.
"It'll go on as long as it keeps that balance of appealing to people who don't know the history, but respects the history for those who give a damn about it. It think Steven Moffat's got it spot on."
The anniversary story is Smith's penultimate outing, before he regenerates at Christmas into a new Doctor (the Twelfth), played by Peter Capaldi.
DALEKS FACTFILE
The Daleks first appeared in the 1963 episode The Daleks.
They were conceived by sci-fi writer Terry Nation and designed by Raymond Cusick.
Nation grew up during World War II. He spent a lot of time in air raid shelters during the Blitz and remembered the fear caused by German bombings. He consciously based the Daleks on the Nazis, conceiving the species as faceless, authoritarian figures dedicated to conquest and complete conformity. Their catchphrase "Exterminate!" has obvious WWII connotations.
The origin of the word Dalek is uncertain. In 1964 Nation told a Daily Mirror reporter that the Dalek name came from a dictionary or encyclopaedia volume, the spine of which read "Dal – Lek". He later admitted that this book and the origin of the Dalek name was completely fictitious, and that anyone bothering to check out his story would have found him out. The name had in reality simply rolled off his typewriter. Later, Nation was pleasantly surprised to discover that in Serbo-Croatian the word "dalek" means "far",or "distant".
For many years it was assumed that, due to their design and gliding motion, Daleks were unable to climb stairs, and that this was a simple way of escaping them. A well known cartoon from Punch pictured a group of Daleks at the foot of a flight of stairs with the caption, "Well, this certainly buggers our plan to conquer the Universe". In a scene from the serial Destiny of the Daleks, the Doctor and companions escape from Dalek pursuers by climbing into a ceiling duct. The Fourth Doctor calls down, "If you're supposed to be the superior race of the universe, why don't you try climbing after us?" The Daleks generally make up for their general lack of mobility with overwhelming firepower; a joke among Doctor Who fans goes, "Real Daleks don't climb stairs; they level the building." However, there have been one or two episode in recent series showing Daleks hovering up flights of stairs (scary!).
The Daleks are descendants of the Dals, who mutated after a nuclear war between the Dal and Thal races on the planet Skaro 500 years ago. The ugly, mutant creatures are encased within a tank-like, robotic, mechanical shell.
The Daleks have become as synonymous with Doctor Who as the Doctor himself, and their behaviour and catchphrases are now part of British popular culture. "Hiding behind the sofa whenever the Daleks appear" has been cited as an element of British cultural identity;and a 2008 survey indicated that nine out of 10 British children were able to identify a Dalek correctly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hRy2N2CMhQ&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7z6FMCqYrBo
BBC News - Doctor Who fans around the world await 50th anniversary special
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