I'm a bit perplexed by some fans' attitudes to the Doctor Who anniversary celebrations. There will always people who moan that things aren't to their taste, and most of it is quite good-natured, but there are a lot of fans who are complaining that we aren't getting enough to celebrate the 50th. I just don't get that. We've got:
- A feature-length special episode on TV, with Matt Smith, David Tennant and John flippin' Hurt playing the Doctor, simulcast globally.
- 3D cinema showings of said episode, with special convention events to go with them in many cases.
- A new teaser trailer came out this Saturday gone, which managed to celebrate the series' past and push the new episode, without giving away anything that might spoil the story.
- A special docudrama charting the series' creation, with a fantastic cast.
- A slew of DVD releases, with an accelerated schedule to get them all out before the anniversary.
- Two long-lost sixties stories recovered, remastered and released for download.
- Special programmes for the night itself.
- For those complaining about the classic Doctors not being in the special, we had a whole episode dedicated to the Doctor's past in 'The Name of the Doctor,' including a new William Hartnell scene, for goodness' sake.
- Plus, Big Finish are releasing a special production featuring the fourth to eighth Doctors, and other special releases to tie in with the anniversary.
- Eleven short stories for kids by well-regarded authors released over the course of the year.
- A special audio series, 'Destiny of the Doctor,' with stories for each Doctor, released over the course of the year.
- An anniversary story in Doctor Who Magazine featuring the original companions from the first episode.
- DWM interviews with Waris Hussein and the remaining cast of the first episode, and features on its creation.
- A new e-books series called 'Time Trips' has just been announced for after the anniversary, featuring some big name authors.
- Special BFI screenings of classic serials and modern episodes for each Doctor.
- More merchandise than I can easily list here.
- And Peter Capaldi announced as the twelfth Doctor.
Honestly, people, what more do you want? Short of summoning the ghosts of Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee from the beyond, I don't see what more we can ask for.
- A feature-length special episode on TV, with Matt Smith, David Tennant and John flippin' Hurt playing the Doctor, simulcast globally.
- 3D cinema showings of said episode, with special convention events to go with them in many cases.
- A new teaser trailer came out this Saturday gone, which managed to celebrate the series' past and push the new episode, without giving away anything that might spoil the story.
- A special docudrama charting the series' creation, with a fantastic cast.
- A slew of DVD releases, with an accelerated schedule to get them all out before the anniversary.
- Two long-lost sixties stories recovered, remastered and released for download.
- Special programmes for the night itself.
- For those complaining about the classic Doctors not being in the special, we had a whole episode dedicated to the Doctor's past in 'The Name of the Doctor,' including a new William Hartnell scene, for goodness' sake.
- Plus, Big Finish are releasing a special production featuring the fourth to eighth Doctors, and other special releases to tie in with the anniversary.
- Eleven short stories for kids by well-regarded authors released over the course of the year.
- A special audio series, 'Destiny of the Doctor,' with stories for each Doctor, released over the course of the year.
- An anniversary story in Doctor Who Magazine featuring the original companions from the first episode.
- DWM interviews with Waris Hussein and the remaining cast of the first episode, and features on its creation.
- A new e-books series called 'Time Trips' has just been announced for after the anniversary, featuring some big name authors.
- Special BFI screenings of classic serials and modern episodes for each Doctor.
- More merchandise than I can easily list here.
- And Peter Capaldi announced as the twelfth Doctor.
Honestly, people, what more do you want? Short of summoning the ghosts of Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee from the beyond, I don't see what more we can ask for.
Well said, Dan.
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