For those who haven't traveled in the TARDIS before, Doctor Who has aired since the 1960s and is one of the longest running sci-fi shows on television today. While many of the original series are shot in black-and-white, the specials from the 1980s, 90s and present times are in color and modernized - Doctor Who is like Billy Joel- timeless, ageless, and someone every generation appreciates. Since the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, the new stories and the new Doctors have captivated a new generation of Whovians. While the Christmas special has typically signaled the end of the current series/season, this year there was no 2016 season of Doctor Who, so the current Christmas special signals the upcoming 2017 series.
Thirty minutes before the presentation begins, Fathom has Doctor Who trivia air on the screen. Many have to do with the prior Christmas specials and other about the various actors throughout the series. They also warn you to stay after the final credits for an inside look into the making of "Doctor Mysterio".
While the Doctor Who Christmas Special can be seen on television Christmas night, there are added features and benefits of seeing the show in the movie theater and Fathom events adds features that make every penny worth spending. The evening started out with a ten-minute retrospective look into the filming of this amazing show and what makes The Doctor a new kind of hero. Many different opinions were given by the cast, including Peter Capaldi who has played The (12th) Doctor for the past few series. Capaldi said that The Doctor is a "hero by virtue" and a "tremendously good man", while the Director Steven Moffat told us that "if he sees something he needs done, he'll [The Doctor] do it". Moffat also added at the end that The Doctor's superpower is "almost entirely bluff".
After this brief insight into what makes The Doctor Tick, Fathom airs "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", where The Doctor inadvertently gives a little boy from New York superpowers. Fast-forward 24 years later, The Doctor comes back to New York with his sidekick and non-human assistant, Nardole (Matt Lucas), to find out why brain aliens are implanting themselves into humans and why they have set up base camp is every capital city of the world - plus New York City. He ends up being rescued by "The Ghost" (Justin Chatwin; War of the Worlds)- a crossover between Batman and Superman with almost a little Iron Man thrown in for good luck. While I was a little nervous about bringing such a dynamic into the show (this is only the second time we have seen a superhero in Doctor Who), it paid off. After all, with all the superhero movies and television shows, it was only apropos for Doctor Who to venture into that timeline. The Christmas Special was quirky and fresh with an air of romance to it, and it was still wholeheartedly Doctor Who.
The warning at the beginning of the show not to leave after the film ended was very informative. Everyone in the theater remained seated and kept their eyes on the screen. Charity Wakefield, who plays Lucy - the Ghost's romantic interest, takes us through the filming of The Return of Doctor Mysterio and provides interesting insight into how the producers created a show that took place in New York without ever going to New York to film.
For those that missed the special Fathom engagement, you won't need to find a TARDIS to travel through time and space to see it. Clear your schedules for Thursday, December 29, 2016, when Fathom will sponsor the second - and final night- of
The Return of Doctor Mysterio in theaters around the country. For true Doctor Who fans, this is a "cannot miss" and for those who have never seen Doctor Who, this is a great episode to start your travels with our favorite Time Lord.
For those searching for more events by Fathom and joint ventures with BBC, visit their website at http://www.fathomevents.com/ to see a schedule of all the upcoming events at a local theater near you.
