‘Doctor Who’: Scoop on season 8, Christmas special, and Matt Smith’s regeneration
In the wake of the “Doctor Who” 50th anniversary, there are a number of interesting stories breaking across the internet right now, and thanks to that, we’re going to do our best to fit as many of them into one story here as possible.
50th anniversary ticket sales – Let’s start off here with the stellar news that when it comes to ticket sales in America, the 50th Anniversary Special actually beat “The Hunger Games” franchise in a very key metric. Overall, the BBC America averaged over $13,600 per screen when it was shown on Saturday in theaters across the country; meanwhile, the Jennifer Lawrence movie brought in $12,300. Of course, there are some caveats in here in that “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” aired over the entire weekend, and in a heck of a lot more theaters. But even still, the fact that the BBC managed to get so many people to pay for what they could have watched at home was pretty impressive, and it goes to show you the power of the Whovian.
Casting news – It’s not often that you get many details about characters coming up on “Doctor Who” specials, but the Mirror reports that Orla Brandy, known for her part on “Eternal Law” alongside some other projects, has been cast in the upcoming Christmas Special as a character with ties to the past of Matt Smith’s Doctor. Obviously this will be an emotional episode, and any news that gives us a greater indication of where the story could go next has to be considered great.
Regeneration drama – Now, we have the subject that everyone has been keen to discuss: What in the world is going to happen to The Doctor now that he is nearing the end of his regeneration limit? This is something that has Steven Moffat talking about in an interview with Radio Times, and he is clearly aware that there is going to be some sort of answer to it in the Christmas Special in order for Peter Capaldi’s arrival to even take place:
“The 12 regenerations limit is a central part of Doctor Who mythology – science fiction is all about rules, you can’t just casually break them … So if the Doctor can never change again, what’s Peter Capaldi doing in the Christmas special?”
By having John Hurt count as a Doctor and with David Tennant using up one during his stint, we are now at the point where the limit is effectively over.
Of course, we want to hear all of your thoughts and theories below! Also, click here to watch the first teaser for the Christmas special.
Photo: BBC One