The Day of the Doctor is approaching, and boy is it looking epic. Doctor Who will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year by bringing the 10th (David Tennant) and 11th (Matt Smith) Doctors together for one last time-bending hurrah.
Not much is known about the plot of “The Day of the Doctor” so far, but it will co-star John Hurt as some sort of “rogue Doctor” as well as Billie Piper reprising her role as former companion Rose Tyler and Jenna Coleman as current companion Clara Oswald. Things will blow up, the universe will be in peril, clever quips will be made, and there will be twice the usual Whovian charm on display. It kind of seems like a can’t-lose scenario.
The special, in addition to marking the show’s 50th anniversary, also comes toward the end of Matt Smith’s run as the Doctor. The mantle will next be taken up by the always entertaining Peter Capaldi, who is best known right now for perfecting the art of cursing people out as Malcolm Tucker in BBC series The Thick of It and its big-screen spin-off In the Loop. If you haven’t seen either of those things, you really, really should. He also had a role in World War Z as a WHO doctor, so there’s a fun little coincidence right there.
If you’re looking for any of the other surviving Doctors or companions, though, you’re probably out of luck. It appears there will be no Christopher Eccleston (the eighth Doctor), no Amy and Rory, and most regrettably of all, no K-9.
“The Day of the Doctor” will premiere worldwide on November 23rd, 2013. Doctor Who fans in the U.S. can catch it on BBC America if they’ve got a posh enough cable or satellite package. Otherwise, have a friend Tivo it and then go over his house to watch it on Thanksgiving while everyone else is watching football. Oh, excuse me: American football.