Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: Did It Deliver?

50 Years Of Doctor Who: How Was The Show Defined In 2o13?

Even more so than three series and one special, the 50th anniversary year impacted the course of the entire show. Some might argue that Moffat went beyond his tenure as show runner, playing with events that came before and after his 'reign'. But then I would argue that he had the vision to consider the scope of the 50th anniversary and make something suitably epic. It is only now, with the viewing of The Time Of The Doctor, that we can see just how epic it truly was. As before, let me pick out some of the big events that changed the course of the show forever. The Time War: If there was ever a moment when this mythical conflict deserved some focus, it was the 50th anniversary. From the birth of the War Doctor in Night Of The Doctor to the final battle of Gallifrey. The line of Doctors. Meta Crisis 10th Doctor counted. Furthermore, we had John Hurt's 'Doctor', a pivotal figure not just in the Doctor's timeline, but in the history of Gallifrey and the universe itself. Matt Smith's Doctor was the last Doctor...and what a life he had, outliving all his previous incarnations. Clara, the impossible girl, was pivotal to every Doctor, not just the final incarnation. She helped the First Doctor and Susan pick the infamous Tardis. She helped every version fight the influence of the Great Intelligence. She stopped the War, Tenth and Eleventh Doctor from committing the genocide of Gallifrey and she was the one who convinced the Timelords to give her Doctor a whole new set of regenerations. Possibly the most important companion in the history of Doctor Who. What's more, these events have had long lasting consequences for the show. The mission to find Gallifrey will be an important theme in the show as it moves into its 51st year and beyond. And with a whole new set of regenerations, the actors who will eventually take on the mantle of the Doctor past Peter Capaldi is endless...