F. R. Tiberius Frankly, I'm not surprised people love this one so much. They weren't there at the beginning; they don't know how important it was. This is it for them, this jumped-up firework display of a toy advert! Look, let's forget for a moment that this special completely screwed up the Doctor's timeline by splicing another incarnation in the middle. Let's put aside how history was written in a way that sabotages emotional depth in early revival episodes. That I could forgive. But... this special plainly doesn't even attempt to celebrate the past 50 years. The original series ran for 26 years; the current series ran for 8, at least at the time of this special. In celebrating 50 years, this programme should be celebrating BOTH eras.The producers invited back both of the past Doctors from the current series (only one of whom said yes), but no Doctors from the original, even though they were all willing to participate. They invited back the first companion in the current series, but no companions from the original. It doesn't matter how much of a master actor he is, John Hurt is never going to be any of the classic Doctors, however much he tries. A story about the two most recent Doctors, plus a brand new one, revisiting moments from just the last 8 years, is no celebration of the last 50 years, by anyone's measure.Consider: the 10th anniversary four-part serial in 1973 gave us The Three Doctors. The 20th anniversary special in '83 gave us The Five Doctors, featuring an ensemble of returning companions. Even the 30th anniversary minisode in '93 gave us five returning Doctors in Dimensions In Time! Their plots may be derided to a degree, but at least they reunified us with so many old friends. Doctor Who's decennial rounding up of past Doctors and companions is the sole thing that fans follow the series for. Instead of a glorious celebration of the original series, any hope I might have had of seeing those characters again was rendered null and void.This should have been a multi-part story, not a one-off. They should have built up to this special within the storyline of the regular series, made a new full-length two-part story starring each of the available returning Doctors (to give each of them the chance to be the Doctor for a full week again), plus minisodes, culminating in the big reunion show on the big night. What's that?! The general public would tune out after 30 minutes of episode one?! Well screw them! They should have been there at the beginning! Not enough time or money? The BBC didn't even make a Doctor Who series for this year! What's the point of inserting duplicates of Clara throughout the Doctor's entire existence if they're not going to shoot any new 'past Doctor' scenes for her to appear in? The far superior docudrama, "An Adventure In Space And Time", could have instead been 4 new 25-minute episodes starring at least one classic Doctor. Instead this single new episode was all about this new character, who nobody had ever seen before. What did viewers really want to see here? Somebody who no-one associated with the series? Because that's what they got! Why did the BBC go to so much effort to avoid the successful creatives who this programme was supposed to be paying tribute to? Did their lawyers fear litigation from Big Finish, who hold the 'past Doctors' audio story license? The only past Doctor who does get suitably represented (only to an extent, mind) – David Tennant's 10th (now 11th or 12th) Doctor - is similarly only permitted in the audios when he is not playing the Doctor, much like Tom Baker in this episode. Tennant's solitary presence here has the opposite of the intended effect, by making the episode look thoroughly ashamed of its heritage - which, I grant you, is quite possible: in Doctor Who's 15-year absence, the BBC had recurrently complained about how abysmal it was.Was it perchance because BBC America felt they couldn't market a 50th anniversary, but could market the return of Tennant? Perhaps they thought they were representative of all the American advertisers who fund the show's production these days more than the UK license-payer does. Good God, do they even know how long and successful the original series was in the US? You think Moffat did that all himself? Because he didn't! Just look at the Bally pinball machine, for a start! The US Tour truck!Supporting the last 50 years of Doctor Who has been the character's belief of the significance of times gone by, something which the makers of this episode do not appear to share. It seems unjust to commemorate such an accomplishment by ignoring the contributors and all-time audiences who have allowed it to run for that long.The reason why I watched New Who is because on some level I wanted to see a touch of the original series again, which is less likely during the course of a regular series, but if they can't even do that in the 50th anniversary special, then what's the point in me watching? It's sad, really - All Steven Moffat has going for him is his luck (what with "The Empty Child" and "Blink"), and money (stupid people like us who buy his deuces whenever he spawns them). But now, he's intent on further wasting the time we gave to the BBC for five decades. I'll say it here and now: No more Doctor Who, no more Steven Moffat. It's obvious that we won't get what we want or deserve, so it's high time to move on. Doctor Who has died.

Scarecrow-88 I have to say after watching The Day of the Doctor, that I consider myself quite a rich fan of the long-time show. To have Steven Moffat as show runner and his magnificently brilliant staff putting together these complex, intricately plotted episodes, it is a delight to be alive to see it. I just wish my Uncle Bonnie would have persevered cancer to see where Doctor Who was going. The respect and admiration for the characters (actors who portrayed the Doctor and his adversaries) is presented in such an appreciative fashion, and to know this makes me proud of those carrying on the legacy first introduced in the 60s. For a little while the show was gone but never forgotten (the 90s is the dark decade for Who fans and I feel deep regret my uncle had to go so long without the show to enjoy) and now we, as Who fans, benefit and reap the rewards as viewers during this era.I guess the best way to describe The Day of the Doctor is precious. It brings two beloved actors portraying the Doctor in during one of its greatest eras on television—Matt Smith and David Tennant—and a screen legend, John Hurt, as "the doctor who made a devastating decision that destroyed his own people and their fierce rivals, the Daleks". Hurt's "War Doctor" has been "buried away" as the shameful time lord future Doctors wish they could completely forget. This episode shows Hurt dealing with the option to destroy Gallifrey with a doomsday device, but it has a "conscience" and appears in the lovely form of Billie Piper (she remains a personal fave of mine from her days with Eccleston in the early 2000s). Piper's Rose is actually "Big Bad Wolf", and she attempts throughout the episode to talk Hurt's Doctor out of using it to wipe out Gallifrey.In a top secret location in the heart of London known as the Undergallery, a specific painting shows the supposed fall of Gallifrey during the Time War. Zygons, ugly slug like creatures with suctions that shapeshift into human form through the use of the hosts they imitate, existed back at the time of Elizabeth I, and her association with Tennant's Doctor (they marry!) allows us to see how the creatures plan to use paintings as a method of travel, awaiting a significant change in the world from the primitive time they were currently existing. So they were to "invade the future from the past", waiting for the world's advancement before conquering it! Prior to the decision on whether or not to condemn the innocent aliens on Gallifrey, the three Doctors have a chance to rescue modern day London, circa 2013, from annihilation. To halt the plans of the Zygons to conquer London, members of an elite alien task force led by the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart will perhaps allow the city to be detonated by a nuclear weapon. So the Doctors will need to talk her out of something truly terrible that would be a mistake. This intentionally parallels the ongoing struggle within Hurt's War Doctor.This episode neatly gives us Who fans an opportunity to see the Time War, two awesome Doctor Who actors (and a third to be added to the acting cannon to attain Hurt further recognition in his career) together to share some truly marvelous screen time (their banter is lively, clever, witty, and quite funny), and a delightful cameo by Tom Baker—a Who fan favorite from the 70s—as a museum curator. Baker and Smith together is certain to be a lasting moment in Who lore forever. Tennant just slides the Doctor Who role back like comfortable loafers, and his return is a welcome one. Hurt's old timer constantly bewildered at his future selves is a treat, particularly his remarks about the sonic screwdriver, kissing, and Smith's use of his hands when talking. Oh, and the Fez is always a fun sight gag for Smith's particular Doctor. How it is used for the "time fissure (a tear in the fabric of time), which is able to open a gateway that brings three Doctors (Time Lords) together" is ingenious. The Day of the Doctor is a necessity, in my opinion, if you are a Doctor Who nut like many of us sci-fi fans, both young and old. It is a treasure. I'm tickled it was so successful and so universally seen across the world. The series' value brings a warm feeling to my heart. The nice mention of the "round things, always loved the round things" in regards to the design of the older inside of the decor of the Tardis was awesome. The final scene with all the Doctors is wonderful, an awe-inspiring, loving homage to the series.

r-lythgoe In my opinion, the Matt Smith era has definitely been a mixed bag. It started off very well with series 5, a very good series, but series 6 and 7 were just not very good, with not really that many good stories in those 2 series. And after the cold, soulless mess that was series 7 part 2, I was worried that Moffat might screw up the 50th. How wrong I was. The day of the doctor was an incredible, highly enjoyable and very well written 50th anniversary, with lots of references to the show's past, which thankfully didn't feel cheep and forced and actually added to the story, unlike cheap pops such as the Tegan reference in The crimson horror. This is hands down Steven Moffat's best script since A Christmas carol and possibly his best script since Blink. Also, Tom Baker's cameo actually made sense if you listen to the dialogue carefully. Brilliant writing. As for the ending with Gallifrey actually being frozen in time rather than destroyed was also very well written and didn't manage to make the RTD era seem pointless, as many people have accused Moffat of doing with this ending. My only criticism would be the Zygon sub-plot, which just seemed to fizzle out without any conclusion, but that is all that I can really criticize this special for. Apart from that, it was magnificent, and the people that were disappointed with it are obviously just Tennant and RTD fan boys who just want to hate everything that Moffat does, no matter how good it is. Also, PETER CAPALDI!!!!

mikeymcdo A great big treat for anyone who has at least loosely followed the show within it's 50 year history. Moffat has met the incredibly difficult task of catering this story to the casual and the hardcore Dr Who fans with his brilliant and dynamic writing. I feel bad for doubting the man I always thought he was losing his touch with overly clever plots that were making him come across as smug but he nailed it here, with this celebratory milestone. This may also be a contender for the funniest Dr Who episode with the humour mainly provided through the banter of Smith, Tennant and Hurt who have amazing chemistry together and deliver the right balance of humour and drama to this feature length romp. (Actually, thinking about it the 1979 story the City of Death cannot be beaten in the humour department but this is the funniest the revitalised series has ever been.) Overall a great episode that will ensue Doctor Who will go on with it's startling and slightly controversial conclusion that may irritate some fans however the two surprise appearances one of a familiar face, another of a taste of what is to come is the icing on the timey wimey cake.