On What I Want for Doctor Who’s 50th-Anniversary

My last panel at Philcon this weekend was on 50 years of Doctor Who. It was a very good panel — it was mainly about why the series has lasted as long as it has, and there was also some good questions from the large audience. (It was the best attended panel I experienced all weekend.)

At the end of the panel, a young woman up front asked a question of the five panelists — What did each of us want to see for the 50th-anniversary?

And I laid out my vision.

I want a multi-Doctor episode. But I want one that breaks the mold, not one that brings back David Tennant and Colin Baker (in a girdle and a wig).

I want something smaller scale.

I want something that brings Doctor Who back to its beginnings.

I want to see the current Doctor meet the first Doctor. Before “An Unearthly Child.” Before he even left Gallifrey.

And the actor that I could best see as a young first Doctor?

Benedict Cumberbatch.

I think a good story could be built from this premise. Something in the present forces the Doctor to return to his beginnings. And it avoids the fannish aspects that a multi-Doctor reunion special would entail.

It’s what I want for the 50th-anniversary.

Hildy Silverman, one of the copanelists, then said that she had an idea (the Time War) but she really really wanted mine.

Will it happen? Of course not. It’s what I want, however.

I want to see the Doctor meet his original self. On Gallifrey. Before his escape/exile.

I think it would be brilliant.

It’s what I want.

Published by Allyn

A writer, editor, journalist, sometimes coder, occasional historian, and all-around scholar, Allyn Gibson is the writer for Diamond Comic Distributors' monthly PREVIEWS catalog, used by comic book shops and throughout the comics industry, and the editor for its monthly order forms. In his over ten years in the industry, Allyn has interviewed comics creators and pop culture celebrities, covered conventions, analyzed industry revenue trends, and written copy for comics, toys, and other pop culture merchandise. Allyn is also known for his short fiction (including the Star Trek story "Make-Believe,"the Doctor Who short story "The Spindle of Necessity," and the ReDeus story "The Ginger Kid"). Allyn has been blogging regularly with WordPress since 2004.

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