BBC begins plans for Doctor Who 50th
Never mind the countdown calendar for Downton Abbey 3, Sherlock 3 or Doctor Who 7. The real countdown is now a mere 467 days away from the magic date of 23 November 2013 and the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, the series that director Steven Spielberg once commented on by saying that “the world would be a poorer place without Doctor Who.“.
Originally broadcast on 23 November 1963, the premiere was delayed for several minutes due to extended BBC news coverage of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the previous day.
One can only guess (or hope) that BBC’s overall plans for the series’ 50th will rival recent milestone events in London such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics. Up first, the BBC has just announced plans to explore the origins of the series telling how the show came to be as of that fateful day in November 1963. “An Adventure in Space and Time” will tell the story of the genesis of ‘Doctor Who,’ the BBC said. “Exploring all aspects of the longest-running science fiction series to date, the special one-off 90-minute drama will also look at the many personalities involved in bringing the series to life.”
Current showrunner, Steven Moffat will executive produce with his Sherlock co-creator, Mark Gatiss, who has frequently written for the series, tagged to write the special. “This is the story of how an unlikely set of brilliant people created a true television original,” Gatiss said. “And how an actor – William Hartnell – stereotyped in hard-man roles became a hero to millions of children. I’ve wanted to tell this story for more years than I can remember! To make it happen for Doctor Who’s 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true.”
Just think, when Monday rolls around, there will only be 466 days until the 50th.
