(Photo by Thoraia Abou Bakr)
On Saturday 23 of November, the popular series Doctor Who celebrated its 50th anniversary since first being aired in 1963. The series tells the adventures of The Doctor, a Time Lord who is able to travel through space and time using a flying blue police box known as the TARDIS. The first section of the series aired from 1963 to 1989, and then went on hiatus until a revival in 2005.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, BBC aired a special episode that united three generations of Doctor Who, with actors David Tennant, Matt Smith and John Hurt, something that some fans deemed impossible. The episode’s live-stream was viewed by millions from all around the world, which included 3D cinema viewings more than 90 countries.
In Egypt, the Doctor Who fan group “Our Little Gallifrey – Constellation of Egyptborous” organised a special event to celebrate the anniversary at Bikya bookstore in Maadi. The event gathered fans from all ages and professions, who shared one thing: their love and obsession with the renowned series. When they first organised the event, no one expected a huge turn-out, but the room was filled to the brim. Some dressed up for the event, wearing bow-ties, fezzes and even TARDIS costumes.
To start off the event, some fans shared their theories concerning The Doctor’s regenerations, the possibility of three generations meeting and what will possibly occur in the episode. The discussions were very lively and it was obvious that every detail was considered. Next, there was a trivia contest, where organisers asked questions about the series and the winners got Doctor Who badges. However, soon the badges ran out and they had to make do with cupcakes. Fans were very excited about answering those questions and some were able to collect three or four badges.
The evening ended with the screening of some videos about Doctor Who such as spoofs and songs. The plan was to watch the 50th anniversary episode, but due to internet issues and server overload, they were unable to do that. Despite that, everyone was happy to meet others who shared their interests and Doctor Who obsessions.
