Doctor Who Day: What to watch on the 57th anniversary of the greatest sci-fi series ever
By James Aggas
Today marks 57 years since Doctor Who first appeared on our screens. Here are a few suggestions on what stories to watch to celebrate.
On Nov 23, 1963, TV history changed forever. Not that anyone actually knew that at the time. Like many moments in history, people didn’t realize how important it was until long afterward. But the broadcast of An Unearthly Child – the first episode of a strange new series called Doctor Who – would lead to far, far bigger things.
There’s no question that the show has changed a lot during that time. But regardless of what we think of the show now – love it or hate it – today is still a good day to remember what the show means to us. To remember our favorite Doctors and favorite eras, and to celebrate both the brilliance of the TV series and even beyond.
The best ways to do that? Well, as both a longtime fan and writer for a Doctor Who website, I might have a few suggestions.
Where it all began…
The most obvious suggestion that springs to mind is to watch the first-ever episode itself. Not that long ago, this might have been a little difficult to do, especially if you live outside of the UK. But, thanks to streaming service BritBox – which is currently available in the UK, US, and Canada – you can watch An Unearthly Child via streaming and discover for yourself how it all began.
Speaking of how it all began – if you haven’t seen An Adventure in Space and Time yet, I highly recommend you do. An absolutely fascinating drama that explores the creation of the series, it’s also a rather emotional watch, thanks to a well-written script from Mark Gatiss and a beautiful performance from David Bradley as William Hartnell. (Bradley has not only gone on to play the First Doctor in the TV story Twice Upon a Time, but he’s even continued to play it on audio in The First Doctor Adventures from Big Finish.)
Multi-Doctor stories are always ideal to watch on the show’s anniversary.
Image Courtesy BBC/BBC WORLDWIDE
Multi-Doctor stories
What’s also great to watch on Doctor Who Day is a multi-Doctor story. The original tenth-anniversary serial, The Three Doctors, is still a must-watch. Despite Hartnell clearly being extremely ill at the time (having to film his sequences entirely separately), it doesn’t stop Troughton and Pertwee from being an absolute joy to watch.
Another good story to watch from the Classic Series is The Five Doctors. Featuring (almost) five Doctors, many companions, and even more monsters, this is a very impressive feature-length special, one that does a great job of celebrating the show’s twentieth anniversary. It may not be the perfect story, but it’s definitely fun to watch. Both multi-Doctor stories can be watched on BritBox.
Speaking of fun to watch: fans should also check out The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, also on BritBox. While it’s not an actual Doctor Who story, it is a hilarious tribute written by and starring Peter Davison, while also featuring Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, plus many other guest stars and cameos. It’s a nice little special that has a lot of laughs and has been made with a lot of love, and, like An Adventure in Space and Time, it’s a real highlight from the show’s fiftieth anniversary year.
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The Day of the Doctor
Of course, these two weren’t the only major Doctor Who releases from 2013. There was also The Day of the Doctor – the official fiftieth-anniversary special itself. While it only focused on three Doctors – including one that we hadn’t even seen before – it was an extremely entertaining episode. Particularly in how it explored one of the darkest days of the Doctor’s life.
Plus, the last fifteen minutes were filled with amazing moments. Who can forget “All thirteen!” or “You know I really think you might”? This episode and many more from the New Series can be watched on BBC iPlayer in the UK, HBO Max in the US, and Crave in Canada.
One more thing I’d recommend: if you can, celebrate the day with someone. While it’s difficult celebrating with friends and family during this current time, it’s still better to share the viewing experience in some way, even if it’s just over Zoom or messaging each other as you watch. Because, in my experience, a fan experience shared is often a fan experience doubled.
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What will you be watching today for Doctor Who Day? The first episode, a multi-Doctor story, or simply your favorite episode? Let us know in the comments below.