3D Theater Viewing of 'Doctor Who' Allows Whovians to Unite in Common Love

by Julian Spivey
On Monday, Nov. 25 hundreds of Whovians, hardcore “Doctor Who” fans, packed into multiple screenings of the long-running British science fiction series 50th anniversary special “The Day of The Doctor,” being shown for one night only in 3D and on the big screen at the Cinemark Towne Center in Conway, Ark.
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They were welcomed with a life-size replica of the TARDIS, the time machine that the heroic Doctor uses to travel through time and space, which proved to be the hot spot in the theatre lobby for fans to take photos with. Many of these fans were dressed up or decorated as their favorite Doctors or characters from the series – complete with bow ties, fezzes, tweed jackets and sonic screwdrivers from a myriad of different Doctors. There were also a few dressed as the TARDIS itself smattered about the crowd.

It was a really special moment to be able to share such an incredible anniversary for a much beloved television series with over a hundred fans who feel just as passionate about it as you are. It’s clear there is something about these Doctors and their companions that really speak to the fans of this show and really become a big part of their life, even if it is on the surface about a weird alien traveling the universe doing good and defeating evil monsters in a 1950s British police call box.

It was delightful getting to share laughs and heartwarming moments with fellow Whovians for two hours as applause erupted no less than a dozen times through the special and sonic screwdrivers could be heard throughout the room.

It was also fun knowing that a good portion of the audience seemingly hadn’t opted to spoil the special by viewing it on BBC America two days prior, so the ones in the audience who had previously seen it could smile in delight in the first-time reaction from many of their Whovian brethren.

I previously reviewed the episode, which you can read here, but the theatre viewing added tenfold to the experience simply getting to see it on the larger than life big screen, as a show of this magnitude should be seen, and in exquisite 3D that really makes the heroics of the Doctors and the threat of the Daleks and Zygons come to life. It also took a second viewing of “The Day of The Doctor” for me to realize just how unbelievably hilarious it was – by far, one of the funniest episode of “Doctor Who” that I’ve seen.  Also, adding to the wonderful theatre experience was the added features both before and after the screening, most notably our favorite Sontaran, Commander Strax, hilariously informing the audience of proper theatre etiquette before the main feature.

Art, like television series, really has a way of bringing people together to form their own unique community, where everybody can share in their love of one specific thing and not have to worry about anything else in the world for a while. The special showing of the “Doctor Who” 50th anniversary special was an excellent opportunity for this community to get together and share some laughs and their passion for “Doctor Who.” There really should be more opportunities for fans of pop culture to do so.