‘Doctor Who’ Christmas Special to Get Theater Screening This Holiday Season
Apparently watching British television at your local multiplex is a super trendy activity now?
Following on the heels of the announcement that the upcoming Sherlock Victorian-themed one-off episode would screen in cinemas around the US, we can also start planning to see this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special on the big screen too. Yes, BBC Worldwide and Fathom Events have announced that this year’s holiday installment of the iconic sci-fi series will run for a special two-night event in US theaters December 28 and 29 at 7:30pm (local time) in nearly 300 theaters across the U.S.
(No word yet on whether UK fans can expect a similar screening, before someone asks. I’d be very surprised if that didn’t happen though.)
The theatrical version of the as-yet-unamed Christmas episode will feature an exclusive interview with Alex Kingston, who is returning as River Song for the special, as well as an additional 15-minute behind-the-scenes “making of” featurette starring Peter Capaldi, Steven Moffat and more.
We don’t know much about the plot of the episode itself – in fact this description is the only official word on it at all:
It’s Christmas Day in the future and the TARDIS is parked on a snowy village street, covered in icicles, awaiting its next adventure. Time traveler River Song meets her husband’s new incarnation, in the form of Peter Capaldi, for the first time this Christmas.
I suppose that theoretically COULD be more vague, but I’m not sure how, exactly.
As with the Sherlock special, it’s a bit sad that this event isn’t a simulcast the way the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special was. However, I have a feeling that was a one-time deal, but it was so much fun, it’s going to take me a while to get used to this “couple days later” screening setup that Fathom seems to be going with. Which will, I am sure, be great fun for fans, even if we’ve seen the episode already.
The new Doctor Who special will air on Christmas Day in both the UK and the US, Tickets for the cinema screenings went on-sale on November 13 and can be purchased by visiting the Fathom Events website or a participating theater’s box office.
