WeeClaude I enjoy "Day of the Doctor," and I understand why it has such high ratings. It's got a lot to love: multiple Doctors, a superb guest cast, decent special effects and a nice feel-good vibe. But is it the best episode of Doctor Who ever made? I don't think so.First, I'll accentuate the positive. John Hurt is fantastic as a "guest Doctor," and gives a very warm, funny performance with plenty of gravitas at the right moments. Billie Piper is also good in her guest role as The Moment; I'm not surprised that she's enjoyed some major acting successes since moving on from Who. And let's not forgot Tom Baker, who gives his usual wacky and lovable performance in a random-but-awesome scene near the end.These actors bring a lot of emotional punch to a story that is compelling but sappy at the same time. Basically, the plot revolves around the Doctors teaming up to change history and avert the tragic end of the Time War, a conflict that wiped out the Doctor's species. The story is well constructed, and there's a nice buildup to the moment when our heroes figure out how to save the day.However, I have a problem with the overly cheerful notion - often advanced by the new Doctor Who - that death and destruction can be "cured" as if by the wave of a magic wand. By undoing the tragic end of the Time War in this episode, Steven Moffat lifted a huge burden off the Doctor's shoulders and made the overall tone of the new series much more optimistic. But he also, y'know, used a magic button solution to wipe away a major tragedy, for about the 15th time.This notion that death and tragedy can be overcome, as if by magic, is a direct contrast to the much more cynical and realistic worldview of the original Doctor Who. For example, compare "Day of the Doctor" to "Caves of Androzani." The former is a fairy tale about war that ends happily; the latter is a gritty war story that ends tragically. Sue me, but I think Androzani is a lot better, and more reflective of how life actually works.And "Day of the Doctor" has other problems, apart from the usual magic-hokum solution. The Zygons are under-used, the UNIT characters are dull, the Elizabeth I material is silly, and the Tenth Doctor gets nothing to do (which I suppose fits his super-bland character). Also, most of the exciting action is front loaded. The episode opens with a generic but quite cool battle between the Daleks and the Time Lords, but ends with grainy stock footage of the old Doctors and some CGI renditions of the TARDIS whizzing around. In other words, the ending is...kinda flat, isn't it?One last complaint. The Doctor does not, himself, come up with the solution to his dilemma. The Moment takes him by the hand and walks him through the entire solution, from step 1 to step 100. This fits with the trend in the new series that the Doctor is much dumber than he used to be, and he rarely saves the day without considerable help. Would it be asking too much for the writers to just make the Doctor a super-capable genius again, instead of a mildly clever blunderer?OK, I've complained enough. Each of these nitpicks drags the episode down for me, but on the other hand, I can't deny that it's super-fun and cleverly scripted. Besides, it's got John Hurt! And Daleks, and explosions, and Tom Baker going "oohaaah!" It's hard not to get swept up in the excitement of it all; but whenever I pause and switch on the critical part of my brain, I do find several things to fault here.

mcguin71 From an excellent rebirth the Dr Who universe has bounced from piller to post and top to middle (fortunately none reached rock bottom) as regards acting, story lines, and most of all the writing - let's be honest Russell T Davies was a far better lead in this respect than Steven Moffet who frankly headed some seriously mediocre David Tennant episodes.But I digress as I am pleased to say this is a cracker of an ride, much of it owed to John Hurt who acted the other pair out the museum... and although I like Matt Smiths irreverent attitude and smile I did find David Tennant to be the weakest of the three - sorry four Doctors on show. (Oops. Better go back and note spoilers!..:))There were scenes that were borderline daft, primarily those centred around QE1. Now I can't blame the actors here but I did find it rather contrived even for Dr Who. Fortunately I quickly forgot once the story moved on a little, and let's be honest what's Dr Who without a bit of 'too stupid'...and thankfully only a bit!I really do hope this is Rose Tyler's last outing. Whilst I have enjoyed Billie Piper in the role I feel it's reached the end of the line. Time to move on I think especially as she seems to have lost the pep that made her work so well with Christopher Ecclestone - its not her fault as we all change as we age (we do even if we fail to admit to ourselves).The one thing that Dr Who has always done well, even when other areas drag on somewhat, is drama. Here it is in abundance and is sharply handled and keeps the viewer riveted - but again John Hurt and Matt Smith shine above Tennant. You always know its going to end well but its good to keep the casualty figures a mystery and this episode doesn't easily throw in the towel on suspense to move things towards the happy conclusion.Bravo BBC...at last its delivered what its promised for so long......and like virtually every other Dr Who fan I have 'my Doctor', you know the one...the one you grew up with between the ages of real childhood and sceptical teenager. Mine was Tom Baker and I still rate him above all others so I was surprised and delighted at his little cameo where he did his customary little smile - plus you really could believe he and Matt Smith were one and the same character as they share a few sharp lines.

mulreay As a 35yr old Englishman Doctor who is not something you just had to grow up with it's ingrained in British television culture. I would struggle to believe someone from Britain that stated they have never heard of Doctor who. The 50th anniversary episode was a chance to cement Doctor who as not only a great concept and show but as a worldwide phenomenon. They could have messed this up completely, did they? Not even slightly.The story arc was not only intelligent but it had the wonderful effect of answering questions that needed answering without you realising that is what they were doing. The comedy was faultless without being cheesy, the multiple doctors was a wonder for the true Doctor who fans, the effects were outstanding for a BBC TV show budget and the writing was sublime. The only regret I have about this episode is that I didn't have the foresight to book a theater ticket to watch it in 3d whilst it aired live around the world.A quote from Craig Glenday from Guinness World Records "Who else but the time-twisting Doctor could appear in 94 countries at once?! This outstanding achievement is testament to the fact that the longest running sci-fi TV show in history is not just a well-loved UK institution but a truly global success adored by millions of people."Is this the best ever episode of Doctor who? Probably. Will you smile after watching it? Definitely. Well done BBC and Moffat you have outdone yourselves with this masterpiece.

matt-babineau It was spring 2013, and all the Whoivans out there watched as Season 7 of Doctor Who came to a conclusion... sort of. The end of "The Name of the Doctor" ended on a cliffhanger, followed by a message telling viewers that our questions would be answered on November 23rd of that year, the 50th anniversary of the world's longest-running drama, Doctor Who.This date became the most highly anticipated in television history. For some, the seven-month wait was unbearable. Steven Moffat had evidently crafted a script that paid homage to every single Who fan that ever was or had been. And we were even more excited when we heard that David Tennant and Billie Piper, two former stars on the series, would be returning as guest stars for the episode.And when the day finally came, the broadcast broke a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous television broadcast EVER.But enough about the hype. How was the episode itself?Honestly? It was fantastic.In my opinion, it was better than any episode in the entire seventh series. There were just so many things about it that worked perfectly. Where do I even start?Well, we can start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. We open on the Eleventh Doctor (played by Matt Smith) and his companion Clara Oswald (played by Jenna-Louise Coleman) after they have received a message from UNIT. The Doctor discovers it is from an old friend of his, Queen Elizabeth I, who leaves her credentials: a painting depicting the Time War.This is when backstory must be told. In a situation like this, it is easy for someone to mess the writing up, but Steven Moffat comes through again. We split into two stories - first that of John Hurt, who is portraying Doctor number... Eight and half? (or something), and then that of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. After both backstories are given, all three stories end up combining.And this is pulled off marvelously.The relationship between the three Doctors is portrayed wonderfully, and the monsters in this episode are fantastic. They're called Zygons, and they're basically shape-shifters. They can take the form of anything or anyone, sort of like an alien Ditto. And the way the Doctors deal with them is brilliant.The other major plot is that of the Time War. This is an event that has been speculated about since Christopher Eccleston's Doctor mentioned it way back in the first season. And in my opinion, it's portrayed as wonderfully and as brilliantly as it ever could be. I won't give away what actually happens in the end, but let's just say that it was for me one of the most defining moments in the entire show.Ultimately, The Day of the Doctor could not have been better. A lot of people were complaining about how they used Billie Piper in this, and I honestly think they're wrong. If Piper had been portrayed as most had hoped, I don't think this would have been nearly as good. Steven Moffat continues to prove himself in this special, that after the slight decline in quality of the show that was Season 7, he's still got it. I have high hopes for Season 8 and Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor.