Doctor Who Review: The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special)

“The Day of the Doctor” was the long-awaited 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who.  Was it worth the wait?

I usually don’t say this before actually doing so in order to not prove myself a liar, but I can guarantee I will be writing at least one more part to this review.  Like any high-profile episode, this comes with its own share of controversy and debate, but at least one of the debates here can be proven as rather pointless and fairly stupid.  Ultimately, this is probably the best thing I have seen newly released since I started watching Doctor Who two years ago.

“The Day of the Doctor” was well anticipated for over a year. As 2013 approached, fans began speculating about what the 50^th anniversary would contain. Doctor Who was bigger than ever, thanks to its new American appeal, and the anticipation for the next anniversary – the first such large-scale anniversary in 30 years – was palpable. Throughout the year, internet personalities focused on Science Fiction and cult culture did their best to educate fans on what Doctor Who had been over fifty years, all to prepare for the special that would be “The Day of the Doctor”.  Read the review here.

“Day of the Doctor” was Doctor Who‘s fifty year anniversary special. There were many specials released in 2013, but only two were actually broadcast on November 23^rd: The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot and “The Day of the Doctor”. It is also, of course, the special that was released on the series’ primary medium. I’m ignoring for a moment that “The Name of the Doctor” and “The Time of the Doctor” are considered by showrunner Steven Moffat to be 50^th anniversary specials as well, largely because they are vastly inferior to “Day”, but also because they focus much more on the current Doctor and companion than any sort of nostalgia.  Read the analysis here.

More about Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor.