This Saturday, Doctor Who fans are planning a huge online rewatch of the show’s fiftieth anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.
There’s no escaping it: for many of us right now, the coronavirus has completely affected the way we live. While most of us don’t have it, it’s serious enough that a lot of us are staying at home as much as possible.
However, while this isn’t exactly the best of times, it has inspired many people to become more creative when it comes to staying in. Especially in a world where so much social interaction is virtual, and people can still join together even when they’re physically apart. This is especially true of fandoms. In these difficult times, I’ve seen a lot of fandoms come together online and engage more.
Which brings me to a rather exciting event that many Doctor Who fans are planning for right now. On Saturday, Mar 21, fans will be digging out their DVDs or logging onto their streaming service to take part in a massive online rewatch of The Day of the Doctor, the fiftieth anniversary special, planned to start at 7:00pm GMT.
Bringing fans together
The idea was thought of by Doctor Who Magazine‘s Emily Cook on Twitter, and it’s an idea that many fans have jumped on board with. She explained to Radio Times what made her come up with it.
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"The thinking behind it is that in the absence of any new Doctor Who on TV now Series 12 has finished, and given the fact that many people are stuck at home self-isolating and not able to go out for any entertainment, I wanted to find a positive way of using the power of Doctor Who to keep fans interacting."
It’s a great idea. Yes, almost every fan has seen the fiftieth anniversary special by now. But that’s part of what makes it so fun – a chance to relive a golden moment in the show’s long history. Especially as the original broadcast was a worldwide event, being shown at exactly the same time all over the world. In some places, you were even able to watch it on the big screen!
With no new Who to look forward to on television, this is a great way of bringing the fans together. Giving something for us to talk about at the same time – particularly on Twitter, where the hashtag #SaveTheDay will be used to discuss the episode live – is an excellent way for many of us to escape the boredom of social isolation, and remind us what makes the fandom so great to be a part of.
Will you be joining in the live re-watch of The Day of the Doctor? Is the fiftieth anniversary special one of your favorite stories from the series? Let us know in the comments below.