Raise your hand if you were blown away by the 2010 Doctor Who episode, “Vincent and the Doctor.” I still remember watching that episode and feeling all the emotions as the series tackled the story of painter Vincent Van Gogh, played by Tony Curran.
Matt Smith was playing the Doctor back then, with Karen Gillan as his companion Amy Pond. Side note: Their time together included some of my favorite Doctor Who episodes. Those were some amazing times, right Whovians?
Earlier this week, Smith, Gillan, Curran, Bill Nighy, writer Richard Curtis, and his partner Emma Freud decided to come together virtually to live-tweet the episode. With people stuck at home, this was a great way of bringing the fandom together to talk.
15 minutes to go. find the episode now on youtube or iplayer (series 5, vincent and the doctor) - then follow #theultimateginger to see ALL the casts tweets. pic.twitter.com/5fWkZRsYyw
— emma freud 💙 🔴 (@emmafreud) March 30, 2020
Ahead of the live-tweeting, Curtis shared why he wrote this particular episode. He wanted the opportunity to address the topic of mental health, something Van Gogh struggled with and that is certainly on a lot of people’s minds right now, as we self-isolate to help combat the spread of the coronavirus.
RC: #TheUltimateGinger pic.twitter.com/ovNn2rYvXU
— emma freud 💙 🔴 (@emmafreud) March 30, 2020
And Curtis pulled the curtain back even further during the live-tweet, when he shared that a big part of the reason he chose to write was because of his sister’s suicide.
RC: So – here’s the thing – the key reason I wrote this episode – was out of love for my sister Bindy. She was a gorgeous and brilliant person, 2 years older than me. She loved Vincent Van Gogh and life. She couldn’t have been more full of generosity and joy. #TheUltimateGinger
— emma freud 💙 🔴 (@emmafreud) March 30, 2020
RC: But half way through her life she was hit by depression and intermittently it hurt her for the rest of her life. And a few years before this show, like Vincent, she took her own life. #TheUltimateGinger
— emma freud 💙 🔴 (@emmafreud) March 30, 2020
In “Vincent and the Doctor,” the Doctor visits Van Gogh weeks before he takes his own life at the age of 37. The Doctor and Amy Pond take Van Gogh to the year 2010 to see the impact his work had on humanity. I recall being incredibly emotional during this particular scene, because while he grew to be a celebrated painter, Van Gogh wasn’t very successful during his own lifetime.
Cast members also shared their memories of the episode as they watched it alongside fans. Gillan even shared a picture of a lovely birthday gift her father got her: a print of a Van Gogh painting!
Look what I got...my dad went on a secret mission to get it for my birthday. Had no idea! Best gift. #TheUltimateGinger pic.twitter.com/u1Ip1moGFe
— Karen Gillan (@karengillan) March 30, 2020
Smith live-tweeted from the account @LockdownWho, and was more than eager to talk about the episode. It is indeed one of the greats.
MATT SMITH: "Hello Doctor land in the Twittersphere! This is one of the great Who eps, if only for the fact we Celebrate our Gingers!" #TheUltimateGinger
— Doctor Who Lockdown (@LockdownWho) March 30, 2020
Oh, and if you’re interested, he will be live-tweeting yet another episode today: “The Eleventh Hour,” where we meet the 11th Doctor for the first time! This was a good one, folks.
Matt Smith will be live tweeting from this account during the watchalong of ‘The Eleventh Hour’ at 7pm BST on Friday 3 April. GERONIMO!#FishCustard #DoctorWhoLockdown
— Doctor Who Lockdown (@LockdownWho) April 3, 2020
The actor who played Van Gogh also joined the live-tweeting session, and I must say, he still looks just like Van Gogh. It’s sort of uncanny, isn’t it?
#TheUltimateGinger #DrWho pic.twitter.com/CZBXpNnR09
— Tony Curran (@TonyCurran69) March 30, 2020
I always loved this episode and was thrilled to learn more about it. Knowing the history behind why this episode was so special to its writer made it even more meaningful than it already was.
Team Doctor Who has done a terrific job of keeping its fan base engaged while the pandemic rages on, not just with the live-tweeting sessions but also with short stories written by the showrunners that fill in some gaps in the lore. We can’t wait to see what else they come up with!
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h/t Daily Mail