Doctor Who Lockdown continues to unite fans across the globe

A new influx of pandemic quarantines has reignited interest in Doctor Who Lockdown rewatch campaigns. What have they meant for the Whovian community this year?

2020 has been a year of hardship and trepidation. Around the world, people have been forced to usher in a new age of normalcy among the pandemic waves and social unrest. And yet, as is often the case, necessity became the mother of invention. Throughout the year, Whovians have managed to find new ways of connecting, and cultivating their fandom through virtual conventions, online meet and greet opportunities, and much more.

Among these has been the coordinated episode watchalongs/tweetalongs commonly known as Doctor Who Lockdown.

Doctor Who Lockdown first emerged back at the start of March 2020 as an effort organized by Doctor Who Magazine’s Emily Cook (Writer/Editor and now Producer). What undoubtedly must have begun as a simple passion project quickly gained global momentum and inspired legions of fans to join in to each scheduled viewing. And to the delight of participants, the occasions were often marked with the release of thrilling new content, whether behind the scenes details, original scripts, after-the-fact minisodes, or so many other extra offerings often accompanied by the actors or writers themselves eagerly tweeting along (such venerable giants as Steven Moffat, Russell T Davies, and Neil Gaiman.)

Doctor Who Lockdown was in fact so successful that it has helped spur on other new similar Whovian lockdown adventures, including community rewatches of Classic Who, Class, Torchwood, singalongs, and a community relisten of the Big Finish masterpiece that is The Chimes of Midnight starring the Eighth Doctor (and please, let’s do another one of these for Christmas!).

Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor, recently featured in Doctor Who Lockdown: Series 10, story The Pilot. Image Courtesy Simon Ridgway/BBC

But what’s next, and can it go on?

Then of course, by June as lockdown measures began to ease in Europe and North America, and global focus began to shift, fewer events were scheduled.

However, the course of progress never did run smoothly, and by late October, as another pandemic wave heightened concern and proactive response measures from authorities the world over, a new phase of Doctor Who Lockdown emerged. This time fan engagement and voting have selected the stories and companions scheduled to be highlighted in each weekly rewatch.

Just recently my very favorite Doctor Who Christmas special, The Husbands of River Song, was selected, and at a roll call check-in it was discovered that assembled participant viewers ranged from all around the globe, including: Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, and North and South America.

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With the year winding down, and the hopes of a vaccine closer than ever, we may all be that much closer to an end of the COVID global pandemic (for good). But as joyous as that is, it is my sincere hope that we as a community don’t lose these hard-fought lines of communication, the oases we’ve each had a hand in constructing, in seeing each other, being heard, and coming together to celebrate the Doctor, in all the many faces and formats.

For now though, be sure to tune in and grasp that brass ring at least one more time, for what may be the last Lockdown rewatch of 2020.

Saturday 28th November, 7pm GMT, and be sure to check-in for the hashtag on Twitter.

My money would be on a brilliant Captain Jack Harkness story.

And as Captain Jack would say, “Ready? Hold on tight!”

I’ll see you there.

Next. Doctor Who review: Wicked Sisters: The Moonrakers. dark

Have you participated in any Doctor Who Lockdown rewatches (official or not)? What more should be included? And would you like to see these continue in some format past the pandemic? Comment below!

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