Doctor Who Week Begins: Today In Science & Science Fiction
Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor finall;y premieres this Saturday! But if you were expecting BBC America to wait until the weekend to celebrate the big anniversary hooplah, prepare to be surprised. This is very much “Doctor Who week,” and the excitement kicks off today. Tonight we’ve got not one, but two specials focused on the show and its legacy. First we’ve got Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS, which has interviews with actors Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan, Freema Agyeman, and William Russell, as well as executive producer Steven Moffat. Expect lots of amusing behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Following that, BBCA will be airing The Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox, which will have the British physicist putting the Doctor’s antics under the microscope of reality. (Don’t you dare tell me psychic paper isn’t a real thing.)
If Doctor Who isn’t your bag, don’t worry. The second part of Almost Human’s two-part series premiere airs tonight. Given how much we enjoyed the first part, our already high expectations for the series have shifted up another couple notches. Now let’s just hope it does well enough that Fox can’t justify canceling it. Tonight: sexbots!
TODAY IN TELEVISION
Almost Human (Fox, 8/7c) — “Skin”
John and Dorian investigate a murder and missing-persons case that introduces them to the lucrative trade of IRCs — Intimate Robot Companions, otherwise known as sexbots. Meanwhile, John revisits an episode from his troubled past.
Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS (BBC America, 9/8c)
The special features exclusive interviews with principal cast members from the show’s 50-year history, including actors who have played the Doctor: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker, and Peter Davison, actors who have played companions: Jenna Coleman, Karen Gillan, Freema Agyeman, and William Russell, as well as the current lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. The discussion includes how the actors got cast, how the roles changed their lives, how a ‘regeneration’ is recorded, and how filming the show in the 60’s compares to today.
The Science of Doctor Who with Brian Cox (BBC America, 10/9c)
A former rock star and Britain’s popular TV physicist, Professor Brian Cox explores the universe of the world’s favorite Time Lord when he takes the audience on a journey into the wonderful universe of Doctor Who, with the help of celebrity guests. In this exclusively recorded special from the lecture theatre of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Brian reveals the science behind the spectacle and explains the physics that allows Doctor Who to travel through space and time. Fun, but filled with real science, it’s a special night for Who fans and anyone with a thirst for understanding.
