Rueben's Ramblings

On November 23, the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who entitled “The Day of the Doctor” will air simultaneously here in the United States and in the U.K (and a few other countries as well as cinemas across the world). For quite a while details of this special – nee monumental – episode have been shrouded in mystery, but with the recent release of this trailer fans can expect to see the Doctors; namely reigning 11th Doctor Matt Smith and previous 10th Doctor David Tennant, embark on their greatest adventure.

The official description of the special is set in 2013 where something terrible is awakening in London’s National Gallery while in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor’s own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

This special will see former companion Rose Tyler (former series regular Billie Piper) appear as well as legendary actor John Hurt, who was seen in the last new episode of the current season of Doctor Who as a previously unknown past incarnation of the Doctor. Also, current companion Clara Oswald (current series regular Jenna Coleman) will be along for the ride in the TARDIS.

This special will feature the Daleks, a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants in mechanical shells, as well as the Zygons, a race of shape-changing humanoids, as the villains, who will – undoubtedly – create as much havoc and mayhem as possible as well as death and destruction.

Current executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat had this to say about this special episode in the pages of SFX Magazine, specifically the naming of the episode:

“It’s very rare in Doctor Who that the story happens to the Doctor. It happens to people around him, and he helps out. He’s the hero figure who rides in and saves everybody from the story of the week. He is not the story of the week. In this (episode), he is the story of the week. This is the day of the Doctor. This is his most important day. His most important moment. This is the one he’ll remember, whereas I often think the Doctor wanders back to his TARDIS and forgets all about it”.

So, mark those calendars for November 23 to watch the 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who on BBC America, checking your local listings for airtime.