Will There Be a 10th Anniversary Special for the Revival?

Guest contributor Aidan Gula wonders if there will be a special to mark the 10th anniversary of New Who in 2015.

A brief history of the revival

Doctor Who first aired on 23rd November 1963 with William Hartnell playing the title character. The programme stayed on our screens until 1989 when it was cancelled. In 1996, the Americans tried bringing it back with a TV Movie starring Paul McGann as the 8th Doctor, but this movie was not very successful and nothing came from it. We all thought this was it for Doctor Who… BUT one man named Russell T. Davies decided to bring it back in 2005. Christopher Eccleston was cast as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his new companion.

Eccleston left the show after just one series, therefore a new Doctor was needed. David Tennant jumped onboard and stayed in the role until New Year’s Day 2010. As Tennant was such a massive success in the role, after his last episode, the BBC were thinking about cancelling the show again. Fortunately the show wasn’t axed (again) and Steven Moffat became the new showrunner after Davies left.

Along with the new showrunner, 2010 saw the brand new Doctor, Matt Smith, with his new companion, new TARDIS, new sonic screwdriver and new adventures. The show was given a whole new lease of life. I thought that in 2010 there would have been a five year anniversary of the revival series, but nothing. 2013 saw the award-winning and all round amazing 50th anniversary special. At the end of 2013, Matt Smith had his last adventure as the 11th Doctor before handing over the role to Peter Capaldi.

So will there be a special episode in 2015?

I ask this question because of what happened in 2010: there was no five year anniversary special. So why should there be a ten year one? Back in 1968 there was also no five year anniversary episode, but in 1973 there was a ten year anniversary special. The Three Doctors was the first anniversary episode. With this in mind, the absence of a five year episode is no real problem. I can see Moffat doing a ten year anniversary episode for Matt Smith, but mainly the fans. Although, as there was the 50th last year, the Doctor Who production team may be all anniversary’d out! So there is a 50/50 chance that there could be. I hope there is.

If there was a multi-Doctor special, which Doctors?

Christopher Eccleston?

If a ten year anniversary special was confirmed, this would be the big question on everyone’s minds. He didn’t return for the 50th, but I think he could be persuaded by saying they are specifically celebrating the show’s revival with him being such a major part of that. I know that doesn’t sound very good but if you got a professional persuader, it could work.

David Tennant?

Now, as much as he is my favourite Doctor, I don’t think Tennant would return. He came back last year for The Day of the Doctor; so it wouldn’t be as special. Sorry 10th Doctor fans, but I don’t think he would.

Matt Smith?

Recently, Smith has had regrets about quitting the role and has said that he almost wished he had stayed for at least another series. He even asked Moffat about when is the earliest that he could return. So he’d be waiting for the phone call like a child waiting for a sweet shop to open!

Peter Capaldi?

There’s not much I can say about Peter, if he is still the Doctor in 2015 he will obviously be in it. But if he’s not, then that’s a different story.

John Hurt?

I bring Hurt into the question because he was hopeful for a return. However, I think his Doctor cannot be explored any more than he was in The Day of the Doctor. The War Doctor’s secret identity is now known meaning there is no more mystery to him. I suppose he could be brought back without the mystery but as we met the character nearing his regeneration, everything we would see would be pre-Day.

Would any companions return?

One of the main parts of the show is the companions. Without them Doctor Who would be pretty boring. The Doctor’s chemistry with the companions is what keeps the viewer interested. If the Doctor just went around saving planets and battling monsters on his own, it wouldn’t be as interesting. Therefore, I think some companions or even just one should return.

Which companion – I don’t know, but in my opinion, not Rose. Simply because of the same reason as the 10th Doctor: we saw them return in Day. Seeing them return two years later wouldn’t be as special. So who then? Maybe Donna? Or Martha and Mickey, working for UNIT alongside Kate Stewart and Osgood? Or what if the TARDIS somehow takes the Doctor to where the Angels sent Amy and Rory? I’m not too keen on the character of Clara, so if she isn’t the Doctor’s current companion at the time, I wouldn’t be too fussed on a return for her.

What about the monsters?

Without the monsters, Doctor Who wouldn’t be what it is. I only recently thought that the monsters in the 50th are all classic monsters; the Zygons and the Daleks. The 50th anniversary was a modern take on all the best bits of the classic series’ mixed with the new series. The tenth anniversary of the revival, I think, should only have the best bits of the revival series in it. All the best monsters should be included.

Now as controversial as this may sound, but the Daleks shouldn’t be included. They weren’t created in the last decade so by rights, they shouldn’t be in it. However, if the Cult of Skaro somehow returned, this would make a bit more sense. I strongly think that the Weeping Angels are overused, but if we don’t see them in Series 8, having them in the Tenth anniversary would be good. The Silence also could have a return, but I’m not sure what could be done with them now for the same reason as a return for the War Doctor.

Should it happen?

I think that a Tenth Anniversary episode should happen next year. It would be great. Hopefully Eccleston could be persuaded, and so could Catherine Tate.

My perfect combination would be as follows:

• Ninth and Eleventh Doctors to return.
• Donna to return also, but I’m not sure what could be done with her. Captain Jack Harkness could maybe return with more explanation of the Face of Boe.
• I have a few monsters that I want to return, and a Tenth anniversary episode could bring some of them back. Monsters I want to come back are: The Slitheen, The Wire, Krillitane, The Weeping Angels (providing they have a strong storyline like in Blink), Vashta Nerada*

What do you think? Put your thoughts in the comments below.

*I really, really want the Vashta Nerada to return!