‘Doctor Who’ 50th anniversary: Matt Smith, David Tennant will team up in over 70 countries
You may have heard the news already that the “Doctor Who” 50th anniversary special was going to be simulcast live around the world, but just how expansive is this going to be? Think along the lines of a whopping 70 countries. Everywhere from Cambodia to America, the special episode is going to reach all audiences at the same time. Do we anticipate multiple airings in some countries? Sure, especially when you consider that a number of them would be forced to watch David Tennant and Matt Smith join forces in the middle of the night otherwise.
This is ultimately a huge reach for the show, and also a tremendous sign of “Doctor Who” growth over the course of the past several years. It was really during Tennant’s reign as the Doctor that the show first started to expand into something akin to a global sensation, whereas before that it was a phenomenon in Britain with a niche audience in other parts of the world.
In speaking about the event to air the special globally, and in so many places, just take a look at what current showrunner Steven Moffat had to say in a statement:
“The Doctor has always been a time traveller – now he’s travelling time zones. On the 23rd of November, it won’t be the bad guys conquering the Earth – everywhere it will be The Day of the Doctor!”
It is rare to see an original episode of a scripted show given this sort of treatment, and with an American product, one of the few examples that we can think of is when “Lost” was broadcast across many countries at the same time for its series finale. This episode (broadcast in 3D in some areas) is going to feature John Hurt as a mysterious “Doctor,” and will also be the second-to-last featuring Smith. A separate Christmas special, which will regenerate the character into Peter Capaldi, will of course air in December.
Just how passionate are “Doctor Who” fans about this special? Just be sure to click here, where you can see a petition by fans to get the Empire State Building Tardis Blue for the event on November 23.
Photo: BBC One