The Day Of The Doctor To Be Simulcast In At Least 75 Countries

And the amazing announcement is... The Day of the Doctor is to be broadcast simultaneously in atleast 75 different countries in six different continents!!

BBC Worldwide have also announced that the 75-minute special will be shown in various cinemas in the UK and in various other countries.

CEO of BBC Worldwide Tim Davie comments: “Few TV shows can still lay claim to being appointment viewing but Doctor Who takes this to another level. In its 50^th Anniversary year we wanted to create a truly international event for Doctor Who fans in as many countries as possible and the simultaneous broadcast and cinema screening of the special across so many countries will make for a fitting birthday tribute to our Time Lord.”

Showrunner and executive producer Steven Moffat adds: “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!”

Countries and channels:
Europe
Germany (Fox), Finland (YLE), Poland (BBC Entertainment), Russia (Karousel and NKS)

North America
USA (BBC America), Canada (Space)

Latin America (on BBC Entertainment and BBC HD)
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala,  Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Africa (on BBC Entertainment)
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Chad,  Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania & Zanzibar, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Australia (ABC)

Asia (on BBC Entertainment)
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand


This news is sure to please some people and disappoint some people. Discuss it right here on our Doctor Who forum!

#SaveTheDay Teaser Stings

 

 

...And the hashtag is #SaveTheDay!

And that's all, for now... Get Tweeting! We'll have the graphic up later! #SaveTheDay

More Info On The Day Of The Doctor!

As well as uploading this image, the BBC have revealed various details regarding the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor...

Before and after Atlantis on BBC One at 8:25pm tonight, there will be 'stings' for The Day of the Doctor that reveal the ident which will be used for the episode as well as a Twitter hashtag which we will soon be familiar with.

They also confirmed that a trailer has been specially written and shot and it will be released soon.

More information coming soon.

UPDATE: BBC One have confirmed that tonight's stings will feature no footage from The Day of the Doctor trailer and will just be the official hashtag and the new graphic for the 50th anniversary.

The Day Of The Doctor - Thoughts & Speculation

 The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is now just 2 months away and the BBC has finally started making some noise about it with the announcement of something Doctor Who related on almost every BBC-owned TV channel and radio station to celebrate the occasion. Of course, the biggest part of the proceedings is the actual anniversary episode itself, The Day of the Doctor: a multi-Doctor story which currently is known to feature Eleven (Matt Smith), Ten (David Tennant), and who is believed to be the disowned Doctor (John Hurt) who the others look down on and don't count as being a true Doctor probably due to his involvement in the Time War. At 75 minutes in length the episode is written of course by Steven Moffat, directed by Nick Hurran, will be broadcast in 3D simultaneously around with world, and will have a limited theatrical release.

Before we've even been shown a trailer or any footage, there is still quite a lot to discuss about the special that can be gleaned from the poster itself. The most interesting thing by far is engulfed in flames just to the right of John Hurt's head: the exploding TARDIS from the 11th Doctor's first series. Moffat has confirmed in the past that he intends to wrap up various plot lines he has been seeding since The Eleventh Hour and the destruction of the TARDIS is probably the most obvious question that has thus far gone unanswered. Speaking of overarching plots, the words 'Bad Wolf' can also be seen on the poster graffitied on a wall to the left of Hurt. I seriously hope the return of Rose Tyler isn't that big of a plot point. Luckily, unlike RTD, Moffat has demonstrated in the past his ability to write Rose in a way that makes her less bitchy and unlikable. Also, the way John Hurt is shown on the poster walking away from exploding Daleks sort of confirms the fan theories that this is a Time War Doctor who committed serious crimes including the destruction of both the Dalek and Time Lord races.

As for returning Doctors, whilst it will certainly be good to see the 10th Doctor return, I'll be slightly disappointed if there aren't some surprise cameos. For example, now that David Bradley has been cast as William Hartnell in the docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time with a classic TARDIS set specially built, I think Moffat will make full use of his resources and give us a 1st Doctor scene. In fact, based on an earlier comment made about wanting the anniversary to look forward as well as back, I have a kooky theory that Peter Capaldi has been into the studio and filmed material for the anniversary. It would certainly explain why his casting was announced months before we'll actually see him in the part, and I doubt the timey-wimey side of Moffat's head would be able to resist writing a multi-Doctor story from the point of view of a past Doctor meeting his future self. Especially now that we're in the rare scenario of knowing exactly who the next Doctor is going to be before he's even made his screen debut.

As for the other classics, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann all seem up for making a return to the show. Christopher Eccleston on the other hand seems a lot more apprehensive, making comments in interviews such as "never bathe in the same river twice" most likely due to the unfortunate disagreements with management that led him to quit the role after only 13 episodes. Now obviously I know nothing concrete about the circumstances which led to his criminally short era or the exact nature of these disagreements but as a fan it would still be incredible to see him return to the role and give one last encore for the excellent 9th Doctor.

I'm sure I'll post some more of my thoughts and ideas later when we have some footage but in the mean time, I have faith that The Day of the Doctor will at least be good. Steven Moffat has written some poor scripts in the past but when there's an episode be can focus all his attention on (The Empty Child, The Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, Silence in the Library, The Eleventh Hour) he generally understands the pressures on his shoulders and ends up creating some of the best TV moments of the decade. From listening to interviews he's given, it's clear that work on this episode has taken its toll on him as projects like Sherlock Series 3 have been delayed and once again he seems to understand the enormous expectations fans have so I'm sure he won't disappoint. He'll have put his heart and soul into making this one of his finest works. It's the 50th anniversary for goodness sake. 5 decades. 11 (soon to be 12, 13 counting Hurt) lead actors and countless supporting characters, writers, directors and producers all helping to tell one titanic story that has seen the transition from black-and-white to colour and has expanded from the television screen into mediums such as games, books, comics, graphic novels, and audio productions, each one a part of a never-ending story which due to it's central message of change and regeneration will probably be around to see its 100th birthday and beyond. This better be the greatest thing on TV until then.

This article was written by Tarminuus.

Peter Davison To Appear In Day Of The Doctor?

In an interview with ITV's Daybreak, Peter Davison revealed that he has his own copy of the script for Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor:

"I have got a copy of the script which has got my name embossed across it. So it's top secret, but there's other stuff, lots of other things that are going on that people should keep their eye open for around the 50th anniversary special!"

Last month, the Radio Times started a rumour that one of the classic Doctors is set to appear in the 50th anniversary special so all this makes me think he will be involved, especially after the little protest outside the BBC's Television Centre.

Of course, nothing is definite just yet - for all we know, his script could just be a gift from Steven Moffat, or maybe it's just because of his relation to David Tennant so don't get your hopes up too much!

Day Of The Doctor Wallpapers

No logo, 4x3 version

No logo, 16x9 version

Text and logos, 4x3 version

Text and logos, 16x9 version

The BBC have kindly provided some wallpaper versions of yesterday's posters for the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor and here they are! To view the full size images, just click on these medium versions. Once you've clicked on them, just right click the image and set it as your wallpaper!

At the current time, they have not released any mobile versions.

Midnight Doctor Who Reveal - Details

From BBC One's Facebook page:

Now we know this post is quite wordy but we wanted to let you know about ALL of the other things happening across the BBC to mark our very own #DoctorWho's 50th anniversary in November - and there's a lot - so here goes...

ON #BBCTWO:
- In a special one-off programme, Professor Brian Cox will try to answer the classic questions raised by the Doctor – can you really travel in time? Does extra-terrestrial life exist in our galaxy? And how do you build something as fantastical as the TARDIS?

-The Culture Show will present ‘Me, You and Doctor Who’ with lifelong fan Matthew Sweet exploring the cultural significance of the BBC’s longest running TV drama, arguing that it’s one of the most important cultural artefacts of modern Britain.

- BBC Two will then wrap up its coverage with the previously announced ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’ written by Mark Gatiss

ON BBC Three:
-'Doctor Who: Monsters and Villains Weekend’ will countdown to the top Doctor Who monster as voted for by you.

- 'Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide’ will introduce those less familiar to the show to a wealth of archive material and act as a guide to all things Who.

- We also have one further exciting commission to be announced later this year which will see the celebrations finish with a bang.

ON #BBCFOUR:
- Audiences will be introduce audiences to the first Doctor, William Hartnell, with a special re-run of the first ever story, which marked the start of 50 years of history. The four episodes are being shown in a restored format, not previously broadcast in the UK.

There will also be programmes across #CBBC including two live #BluePeter specials.

ON BBC Radio 1:
- A documentary will look at 'Time Lord Rock (TROCK)' as a genre of music inspired by the Doctor and his journeys through space and time.

ON BBC Radio 2
- 'Who is the Doctor' will look at the lasting appeal of Doctor Who and ask how much of its continued success can be attributed to its basic formula.

- In ‘The Blagger’s Guide to Doctor Who’, David Quantick will give the iconic Doctor the Blagger’s treatment. He’ll be finding out the answers to questions such as why do Americans think Tom Baker is still Doctor Who? How many Doctors have there really been? Were the Daleks really named after an encyclopaedia?

- Finally, Graham Norton will be broadcasting his weekly Radio 2 show live (Saturday 23 November, 10am) from the Doctor Who Celebration in London. 

BBC To Reveal Something At Midnight (UK Time)

At midnight tonight we'll be revealing our plans to take over TV & radio to mark #DoctorWho's 50th anniversary. The countdown starts here...
— BBC One (@BBCOne) September 10, 2013

In one hour and ten minutes, @BBCOne will be revealing their plans to take over TV and radio to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. According to Blogtor Who, there will be a promotional poster for the 50th anniversary special featuring David Tennant.

Some or most of this news may be what the BBC announced earlier, but we'll keep you updated anyway!

50th Anniversary Special DVD

Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special is now available to pre-order on DVD via the BBC Shop. It is currently priced at £13.99 and will be released 2nd December 2013.

At that price, I'm expecting quite a few special features!

50th Anniversary Special - Title & Length!

The BBC have revealed the title and length of the 50th anniversary special, possibly by mistake. They have deleted the BBC News article revealing these details, but thanks to Doctor Who TV, we know what the article said:

The BBC has announced a raft of programmes to mark the 50th anniversary of the first episode of Doctor Who.
A 75-minute special called The Day Of The Doctor will star the soon-to-leave Matt Smith and David Tennant.
Smith said: “Hope you all enjoy. There’s lots more coming your way.”
Other highlights include a BBC Two lecture by Professor Brian Cox on the science behind the hit show and the drama An Adventure In Space and Time, written by Mark Gatiss.
The one-off programme stars David Bradley, of the Harry Potter films, as William Hartnell – who was the first Doctor in 1963.
BBC Four will introduce new audiences to Hartnell, with a re-run of the first ever story. The four episodes are being shown in a restored format, not previously broadcast in the UK.
BBC Two’s flagship arts programme The Culture Show is to present Me, You and Doctor Who, with lifelong fan Matthew Sweet exploring the cultural significance of the BBC’s longest running TV drama.
A 90-minute documentary on BBC Radio 2 will ask “Who Is The Doctor?” – using newly-recorded interviews and exclusive archive material to find an answer – while BBC Three will be home to several commissions.
The anniversary episode sees the return of the Daleks For those less familiar with the show, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide will provide a handy primer.
Danny Cohen, Director BBC Television said: “It’s an astonishing achievement for a drama to reach its 50th anniversary.
“I’d like to thank every person – on both sides of the camera – who has been involved with its creative journey over so many years.”
Smith has already started filming his final scenes as the Doctor, which are due to air in this year’s Christmas episode. His replacement, Scots actor Peter Capaldi, was announced in August.
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer on Doctor Who said: “50 years has turned Doctor Who from a television show into a cultural landmark. Personally I can’t wait to see what it becomes after a hundred.”

Basically, it will be called Day of the Doctor and will be 75 minutes long.

More Leaked 50th Anniversary Pictures! (Never Mind, They're Fake!)

Two more low quality pictures from Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special have been leaked! Enjoy!

Remember, the 50th anniversary special will star Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt, Billie Piper and Jenna Coleman and will air on BBC One on 23rd November 2013!

UPDATE 20:45 UK TIME: @davidtennantcom has pointed out that David Tennant's shirt and hair differ from the pictures from the set, which means these may be fake. We will update you as we find out more.

UPDATE 2 21:28 UK TIME: Doctor Who TV claims the two pics are indeed fake.

UPDATE 3 21:43 UK TIME: We now have proof that these pictures are fake:

John Hurt Talks About Doctor Who

John Hurt has spoken with The Guardian and here's what he's got to say about Doctor Who and his role in the 50th anniversary special!

It's your 50th year in the business and you are about to appear as the Doctor in the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. Both of you have had lots of reinventions. Is there a neat link there?

I'd never thought of that, but let's use it! Oh yes, there's a huge link definitely. But I had no idea that Doctor Who had got so huge; I just thought, "Brilliant, I'll be a Doctor!" I was suddenly – what do they call it? You start "trending". This is all new to me!

Is it a relief you can talk about your role, now that the costume designer let slip to the Prince of Wales that you play a "dark Doctor"?

Of course you have to remember that the Doctors are all one person, so I'm not outside of that. I can't talk about it, but I will say I was really impressed when I did it. Both the previous doctors – Matt Smith and David Tennant – boy, are they good at it. Whoa-wee! They are so quick, and there's a huge amount of learning and no time to learn it in. All that fake scientific nonsense. Terribly difficult to learn.

Have you met the Whovians?

I've done a couple of conferences where you sit and sign autographs for people and then you have photographs taken with them and a lot of them all dressed up in alien suits or Doctor Who whatevers. I was terrified of doing it because I thought they'd all be loonies, but they are absolutely, totally charming as anything. It's great fun. I'm not saying it's the healthiest thing – I don't know whether it is or isn't – but they are very charming.

I'm just glad he was pleasantly surprised by the fanbase! What are your opinions on this?

Ninth Monthly Doctor Who eBook Details

It has been revealed that the ninth 50th anniversary monthly ebook will be written by Charlie Higson and will be called The Beast of Babylon and will be released on 23rd September. Pre-order it here for £1.99.

"Eleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.

When a girl called Ali pockets a silver orb that falls from the sky, little does she realize it's her ticket to seeing the universe! Desperate to retrieve the mysterious object, the Ninth Doctor agrees to let her join him on a dangerous trip to ancient Babylon. Together they must join forces to stop a giant Starman from destroying Earth before it's too late!

Author Charlie Higson puts his own unique spin on the Doctor's amazing adventures through time and space."

Scripts Underway For Charley Pollard Audio Series

Scripts underway for Charlotte Pollard audio series. Hopefully recording in October. Very excited.
— Nicholas Briggs (@BriggsNicholas) August 31, 2013

According to Nicholas Briggs' Twitter page, scripts are underway for a spin-off audio series starring India Fisher as companion Charlotte (aka Charley) Pollard. For those unfamiliar with Charley, she travelled with the Eighth Doctor during his original main range adventures. After that, she travelled with the Sixth Doctor for a while. Since then, she has appeared in the Companion Chronicle Solitaire, read the eighth Destiny of the Doctor audiobook and is set to appear in Big Finish's 50th anniversary special The Light at the End.

Are you excited to see Charley again?

Christopher Eccleston's Special Message To BFI Attendees

Despite Christopher Eccleston not being at the BFI showing of Bad Wolf & The Parting of the Ways, BFI host Justin Johnson read out a special message from the Ninth Doctor himself:

"I love the BFI. I love The Doctor and hope you enjoy this presentation. Joe Ahearne directed five of the thirteen episodes of the first series. He understood the tone the show needed completely - strong, bold, pacy visuals coupled with wit, warmth and a twinkle in the performances, missus."

"If Joe agrees to direct the 100th anniversary special, I will bring my Sonic and a stair-lift and - providing the Daleks don't bring theirs - I, the Ninth Doctor, vow to save the universe and all you apes in it."

Well, it's good to see Eccleston say another word about Doctor Who, and even say he loves The Doctor. Well, now I'm just going to hope Joe Ahearne gets to direct the 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th, 100th or whateverth anniversary...

Source: Radio Times

50th Anniversary - Leaked Photo

Thanks to a very cool Twitter user, we have this leaked photo of a clip from the 50th anniversary special which was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The clip features David Tennant, Matt Smith and John Hurt.

Does This Doctor Who Comic Confirm John Hurt's Role?

Paul Cornell - the writer of TV episodes Father's Day, Human Nature and The Family of Blood has written a blog post about his upcoming Doctor Who comic story - The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who - the final Doctor Who comic to be published by IDW.

The blog post features the first two pages of the comic and as you can see, it features Matt Smith's Doctor looking at all his past incarnations. But wait, who is that between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston? Probably John Hurt's Doctor!

The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who will be out just before Christmas, so just before Matt Smith's regeneration in the Christmas special.

Source: PaulCornell.com

Thanks to Bleeding Cool for finding this information!

Nicholas Briggs: "50th Anniversary Will Have Some Big, Big Explosions"

Nicholas Briggs - the man who voices the Daleks, Cybermen and various other aliens has said this while talking about the 50th anniversary special with ZoneOneRadio:

"There were some big, big explosions. The biggest explosions I've ever seen on Doctor Who when they were shooting the bits with the Daleks. And I suddenly got a feeling of what it might be like to be in a warzone! The set-ups with the Daleks are the most spectacular, ambitious set-ups I've ever worked on on Doctor Who. It was like being in a huge movie. It was enormous. There was rubble everywhere!"

The 50th anniversary special will air on 23rd November. Don't miss it!

Fifty Years Of Doctor Who At The BBC Audio CD Set

This Doctor Who audio collection entitled Fifty Years of Doctor Who at the BBC will be released on 3rd October in the UK.

This audio CD set features over 17 hours of features from BBC radio and television - from the 1960's to present day. It is presented by Elisabeth Sladen, Anthony Head and Louise Jameson.

Features:
Volume 1: 30 Years and More
Volume 2: In the Hot Seat
Volume 3: Now and Then
Volume 4: The Plays
Volume 5: Project Who?
Volume 6: The Tenth Doctor
Volume 7: A Legend Reborn
Volume 8: Lost Treasures

Includes content from Blue Peter, Woman's Hour, Today, Pete Murray's Open House, Nationwide, Newsbeat, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Dead Ringers, The Now Show, Week Ending, PM and many more. Also features Freema Agyeman, Tom Baker, John Barrowman, Phil Collinson, Russell T. Davies, Peter Davison, Christopher Eccleston, Janet Fielding, Carole Ann Ford, Julie Gardner, Karen Gillan, Michael Grade, Anthony Head, Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Kylie Minogue, Steven Moffat, John Nathan-Turner, Terry Nation, Jon Pertwee, Billie Piper, Elisabeth Sladen, Matt Smith, Sarah Sutton, Mary Tamm, Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Patrick Troughton, Lalla Ward, Matthew Waterhouse, and many, many more. Also includes the full-cast radio plays Regenerations by Daragh Carville, Blue Sands and Golden Veils by Martyn Wade and Dalek I Love You by Colin Sharpe, plus an extended version of BBC Radio 2's 2005 documentary Project Who?

RRP: £100.00
Pre-order here!