Doctor Who: Fans can gather to say good-bye to Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor
By Lacy Baugher
Say goodbye to Peter Capaldi on the big screen! Doctor Who Christmas special “Twice Upon a Time” will hit theaters for one night only this December.
American Doctor Who fans will get an extra present from Santa this year: The upcoming Christmas special is coming to movie theaters for one night only this holiday season.
“Twice Upon a Time” will officially broadcast on Dec. 25, as is proper holiday tradition. But if you fancy seeing it again with a theater full of Whovian friends, you’ll get your chance on Dec. 27, when Fathom Events brings the episode to movie houses nationwide at 7pm local time.
This episode does promise a momentous occasion in Doctor Who history, one that’s quite rightly savored with other fans. Besides serving as outgoing Doctor Peter Capaldi’s swan song, this year’s Christmas special will introduce Jodie Whittaker as the series’ first ever female Doctor. Of course, we’ll get to see Whittaker as Thirteen for roughly a minute, max. And that’s if we’re lucky. Capaldi got two lines in his debut, after all. But don’t you want to be part of the cathartic group cheering that will certainly occur the minute she appears onscreen? (I do. I’m not sorry.)
The fact that “Twice Upon a Time” will pop up in your local theater shouldn’t be that surprising. In recent years, Doctor Who has made something of a thing out of theater screenings, with several premieres and Christmas episodes getting the big screen treatment. Fiftieth anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor” even got a live in-theater simulcast when it premiered. (Wish they’d do that again, honestly. I’m sure it was a beast to coordinate. But I’d pay a lot of money to watch Doctor Who live in a theater full of Whovians, is all I’m saying.)
While the screenings usually take place a couple of days after the episode’s original broadcast, it’s always fun to watch Doctor Who with a big bunch of other fans. And the producers usually include a bunch of extra interviews and behind-the-scenes content, to round out the experience. So it is a bit of a bonus for those who watched the episode on TV already. (Which, let’s face it, is all of us.)
“Twice Upon a Time” will apparently come with an additional perk for theatergoers. The screening will also feature a retrospective of some sort dedicated to both Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat. The Christmas episode serves as as the final Doctor Who outing for both men.
Maybe bring tissues, is all. If the trailer is anything to go by.
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Doctor Who will return to BBC America on Dec. 25. If you’re already itching to see the Christmas special in theaters, you can book tickets at FathomEvents.com, beginning on Oct. 20.