‘Doctor Who’: Matt Smith – John Hurt 50th anniversary special to be simulcast worldwide

How’s this for the latest “Doctor Who” shocker? As a way to help prevent any more spoilers from getting out in the open, the producers behind the BBC hit and the network itself have decided to actually broadcast the 50th anniversary special on November 23 all around the world at the same time. That means that rather than having to wait until primetime for Americans to watch the special, people in New York City could see it at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Meanwhile, Californians can stop talking about major roadways (with a wink at “SNL”) long enough to get home and catch the show at noon.

If the widespread reports out there turn out to be legitimate, this is a bold move for the show to keep spoilers from the getting out. It’s also pretty much the exact opposite of what happens with “Downton Abbey.” Given how passionate Whovians are, we’d also be pretty shocked if it actually ends up impacting the ratings in a negative way.

This is hardly the first time that an episode of the show has been broadcast in such a matter. Perhaps the most notable example that we can think of was the finale of “Lost,” which forced many Brits to watch at around 2 or 3 in the morning if they wanted to actually see it live and avoid an angry mob banging down the network door the next day.

The “Doctor who” 50th anniversary special features the return of David Tennant and many other actors from the past, while John Hurt will be making a guest appearance as the mysterious “Doctor” who gave up his title. This is also the second-to-last episode featuring Matt Smith as the lead, but he remains confident that the show will go on without him and still be just as amazing as ever.

Photo: BBC