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Worried about spoilers for the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who? The BBC has a novel solution.
(Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET Australia)
The 90-minute episode, shot in 3D, will air on the evening of Saturday, 23 November in the UK. It will also air at that exact same moment in 200 countries around the world.
It’s part of the deal the BBC has made with its global broadcasters to ensure that fans don’t have to worry about plot leaks or spoilers.
So, to use the example from the Radio Times, if the episode was to air at 7pm on 23 November in the UK, Australians would watch it at 6am AEDST on Sunday morning, someone in New York would watch it at 2pm EST on Saturday, while a Johannesburg Whovian would tune in at 9pm SAST on Saturday.
It’s an ambitious project — indeed, with a projected audience of 100 million, it’s the largest global simulcast of a drama ever attempted.
In a media statement, BBC Worldwide was impressively understated:
It’s always been our ambition to work with our broadcast partners so that international Doctor Who fans can enjoy the 50th anniversary special at the same time as the UK. We’ll have more details soon about our very exciting global plans for November.
