Doctor Who: The 50th Anniversary and Beyond

 

The British Television series Doctor Who is celebrating its 50th anniversary on November 23, 2013 and the BBC just (finally) released the official poster for this iconic and celebratory episode of the show. Previous stars David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) and Billie Piper (Rose) will be joining forces with Matt Smith and guest star John Hurt in what is sure to be an adventure of epic proportions, but beyond that little information has been released in regards to the content of episode or even the 50th celebration in general. With November 23rd now rapidly approaching, fans (more affectionately known as Whovians) are growing more and more anxious. 

Series 7, which concluded on May 18th, has received perhaps the most severely mixed reviews since Doctor Who started up again in 2005, leaving much of the audience concerned about the direction the show is now taking. In addition to the anniversary, 2013 proved to be even more of a milestone year when the departure of the current star, Matt Smith, was announced back in June. Following the anniversary episode, Smith will make his last appearance as The Doctor in a Christmas special this December. Knowing the loss of Matt Smith would be overwhelming, the BBC turned things right around by announcing who would be taking over the role. In a live broadcast on August 4, it was revealed that Peter Capaldi would be Smith's successor as the twelfth Doctor.

Those of you unfamiliar with Doctor Who probably have no idea just how big of a deal this really is. Next to the coronation of a new monarch, the announcement of a new Doctor is the pride and joy of the UK (at least in terms of entertainment). I don't think there's a Whovian out there that wouldn't be able to tell you where they were when they found out about the twelfth Doctor. As for my story, I was on vacation in Las Vegas. It was morning, and I was in my hotel room waiting for my sister to wake up so that we could start our day. I grabbed my laptop and logged onto my Facebook mere minutes before the announcement was made; not realizing the convenient timing until I witnessed the internet nearly implode upon itself. My news feed exploded, I got text messages from friends, and let's just say I can't believe Tumblr didn't crash from overuse as fans around the world posted their reactions to the news in uncontrollable quantities. It was mind-blowingly remarkable.
The transition from one Doctor to another is always a bittersweet event (actually it's entirely bitter at the time it occurs, but never fails to turn sweet in the end). While Peter Capaldi has already been  wholeheartedly welcomed as the newest star of Doctor Who, it's impossible not to associate his casting with the inevitable demise of Matt Smith. The 50th anniversary and Christmas specials, while highly anticipated, will surely not fail to be heartbreaking as they mark the end of one era and the beginning of another.