The Day Of The Doctor

A DVD which has been 50 years in the making! The Day Of The Doctor is THE Dr Who Gift! As you will know of course the program celebrated its' 50th Anniversary just a short while ago.

Even if like me you were very young everybody knows the date November 22nd 1963. It was the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. However, the following day is another landmark day. It was the day that launched a new sci fi series that would go on to be the longest running ever.

The Day of The Doctor appeared on our screens exactly 50 years to the day that the first ever episode of Dr Who was aired. 50 years on. I cannot put into words quite how good it was and it certainly lived up to all the expectations I had. Imagine, in a simultaneous global broadcast, the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary was commemorated with a special episode, the Day of the Doctor. Let me simply say you need to buy it!

As anyone who knows me will be aware I am a massive Doctor Who fan. For that reason I wanted to take a look at why has this cult British sci fi series been so successful, and why is it becoming more and more popular?

Dr Who is one of the flagship shows of the BBC. The original run lasted 23 years, ending in 1986. I was delighted when ten years later, it returned as a one off movie as I hoped that it would mark the return of The Doctor to our television screens. But it took another 9 years for the series to return with the 9th Doctor. From then, it has grown from strength to strength, attracting an estimated 80 million viewers in 206 countries.

Why Is Doctor Who So Popular?

The first key element in Dr Who which is different from pretty much any other series is the change in lead character. The original Doctor was played by William Hartnell, and when he decided to quit the series after only 3 years in the role, it brought a challenge to the show's creators.

Doctor Who Regeneration

They didn't want the show to die with the lead man, and so the regeneration of the Doctor was born. This meant the show could continue for many years. A new Doctor was able to bring a new character, who would still have some of the traits of previous incarnations.

So far, the series has seen 11 different Doctors with a 12th coming at Christmas 2014, and this really helps keep the show fresh and interesting.

Doctor Who Companions

The Doctor has also had many companions that would come and go. In the early days, companions would last perhaps a series, but the newer Doctor's companions would come, go and return with varying frequency. This helped breed familiarity, and also helped delve deeper into the character's personality and their history to be explored.

In the later episodes particularly, we have seen a greater relationship between Doctor and companions that wasn't so obvious in the early days. This shows that the show not only developed main and supporting characters, but also moved with the times as well as audiences demanded more in depth character development.

Doctor Who The Villians

For me The third reason Dr Who has been so successful is the villains. The Doctor has engaged with many adversaries over the years, but key villains return with frequent regularity. The Cybermen, the Master, and of course the Daleks who would be the Doctor's greatest adversary. I can well remember as a child feeling scared but excited as the chilling "Exterminate" boomed from the television and it still sends a shiver up my spine today!

The series has always been able to rely on these return villains, always guaranteeing the highest ratings. I don't know about you but a season without an appearance by the Daleks, would be a little disappointing.

I believe that these three elements, have enabled Dr Who to stand the test of time and continue to evolve. The program's ability to keep a firm foundation of repetition in a similar formula of Doctor, companions, and villains. With the ability to change all these elements and still be the same, but different it has been able to keep it fresh and unique.

From Classic Doctor Who To The Day Of The Doctor

I love watching the classic Doctor Who episodes as much as the current program. From the wobbly sets of the early days, to the high budget computer generated sets of today, Dr Who will keep on going from strength to strength. The Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode promises to deliver more of the same.

Have you ordered your copy yet? If like me you are in the UK then you can also order your copy here: The Day of The Doctor - 50th Anniversary Special.

The 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the Whovian Universe. The products below are my favorite choices for you and items that I can highly recommend!

Before The Day Of The Doctor there is of course The Night of The Doctor!

Watch as Paul McGann sets the scene for the Day of The Doctor and you can also see the trailer for the main event!