The Day of the Doctor - Wikipedia The Day of the Doctor 240 -- `` The Day of the Doctor '' Doctor Who episode Official poster Cast Doctors Matt Smith ( Eleventh Doctor ) David Tennant ( Tenth Doctor ) John Hurt ( War Doctor ) Companion Jenna Coleman ( Clara Oswald ) Others Billie Piper -- Rose Tyler Tristan Beint -- Tom Jemma Redgrave -- Kate Stewart Ingrid Oliver -- Osgood Chris Finch -- Time Lord Soldier Peter de Jersey -- Androgar Ken Bones -- The General Philip Buck -- Arcadia Father Scott Morgan - Price -- Time Lord Joanna Page -- Queen Elizabeth I Orlando James -- Lord Bentham Jonjo O'Neill -- McGillop Tom Keller -- Atkins Aidan Cook, Paul Kasey -- Zygons Nicholas Briggs -- Voice of the Daleks & Zygons Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg -- Daleks Tom Baker -- The Curator ( uncredited ) Production Directed by Nick Hurran Written by Steven Moffat Script editor Richard Cookson Produced by Marcus Wilson Executive producer ( s ) Steven Moffat Faith Penhale Incidental music composer Murray Gold Series Specials ( 2013 ) Length 77 minutes Originally broadcast 23 November 2013 ( 2013 - 11 - 23 ) Chronology ← Preceded by Followed by → `` The Name of the Doctor '' `` The Night of the Doctor '' and `` The Last Day '' ( mini episodes ) `` The Time of the Doctor '' Doctor Who episodes ( 1963 -- 1989 ) Doctor Who episodes ( 2005 -- present ) `` The Day of the Doctor '' is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, marking the programme 's 50th anniversary. It was written by Steven Moffat, an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale. It was shown on BBC One on 23 November 2013, in both 2D and 3D. The special was broadcast simultaneously in 94 countries, and was shown concurrently in 3D in some cinemas. It achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama and won the Radio Times Audience Award at the 2014 British Academy Television Awards. The 77 - minute episode shows the last day of the Time War, in which the War Doctor ( John Hurt ) chooses to kill both Daleks and his own race of Time Lords to end the destructive conflict, paralleling this with a present - day choice by paramilitary organisation UNIT to destroy London rather than allow an alien invasion. Revising the back story, the Doctor succumbs to Clara Oswald 's plea to change his mind ; and instead, at the last instant of the Time War, he hides his war - torn home planet in time, rather than destroy it. Unfortunately the time distortions incurred causes all but his latest incarnation to have no memory of his changed decision. The episode starred Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Jenna Coleman as his companion, Clara Oswald. Previous lead actors David Tennant and Billie Piper returned for the episode, Tennant reprising his role as the Tenth Doctor, while Piper portrayed a sentient doomsday weapon called the Moment, projected as an image based on her character Rose Tyler. She is invisible and inaudible to everyone but the War Doctor ( John Hurt ). Other appearances included a very brief glimpse of the then - upcoming Twelfth Doctor ( Peter Capaldi ), and a guest appearance by Fourth Doctor actor Tom Baker, in his late 70s. Rounding out the guest cast were Joanna Page as Queen Elizabeth I and Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, the daughter of 1970s central figure Brigadier Lethbridge - Stewart. The special also featured the return of the Daleks and the Zygons, shape - shifting aliens who had previously appeared only in Terror of the Zygons ( 1975 ). As the episode celebrates fifty years of the programme, it references and alludes to various concepts featured throughout the show 's run. It received positive reviews and has been described by series producer Marcus Wilson as a `` love letter to the fans '' and by the controller of BBC One, Danny Cohen, as an `` event drama ''. Contents 1 Mini-episodes 2 Plot 2.1 Continuity 3 Cast 3.1 The Doctor 3.2 Other cast members 4 Production 4.1 Casting 4.2 Writing 4.3 Filming 5 Marketing 5.1 Publicity 5.2 Trailers 5.3 Viral marketing 6 Broadcast and reception 6.1 Television 6.2 Cinemas 6.3 Critical reception 6.4 Ratings 6.5 Awards and nominations 7 Home media 7.1 Soundtrack 7.2 In print 8 See also 9 References 9.1 Filming locations 10 External links Mini-episodes See also : The Night of the Doctor and The Last Day Two mini-episodes written by Steven Moffat, `` The Night of the Doctor '' ( 14 November 2013 ) and `` The Last Day '' ( 21 November 2013 ), were released shortly prior to `` The Day of the Doctor '', depicting in - series events occurring during the Time War between the Doctor 's own race of Time Lords and his nemesis, the Daleks. In `` The Night of the Doctor '', Paul McGann reprised his role as the Eighth Doctor from the 1996 television film and subsequent Big Finish audio plays. He is a conscientious objector to the ongoing Time War and intends to rescue a crew member from a crashing spaceship via the TARDIS. Realising that her rescuer is a Time Lord she refuses to comply, preferring to die rather than go with him. She and the Doctor die as the ship crashes on Karn. The Doctor is resurrected temporarily by the Sisterhood of Karn ( who control a secret Elixir of Life in the 1976 serial The Brain of Morbius ). They persuade the Doctor to take action to end the Time War, offering him a selection of potions to control his regeneration. He reluctantly accepts that with all of reality threatened and the universe `` on the brink '', there is not much need for a doctor, and chooses a potion designed to initiate his regeneration into a hitherto unknown incarnation of the Doctor as a `` warrior '' ( described in credits as the `` War Doctor '' and played by John Hurt ). `` The Last Day '' is filmed from the first - person perspective of a Gallifreyan soldier who has had a camera implanted in his head. The soldiers scan for Daleks at Arcadia, Gallifrey 's second city and believed due to its impregnable defences to be the safest place on the Time Lords ' home planet. During training exercises, a blurred object in the sky is identified shockingly as the first of a fleet of successfully invading Daleks, which kill the soldiers. The `` Fall of Arcadia '' becomes the central battle of the Time War around which `` The Day of the Doctor '' is centred. Plot This article 's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. ( February 2017 ) The Eleventh Doctor and Clara Oswald aid the military organisation UNIT, headed by Kate Stewart, in investigating a mystery at the Undergallery, a secret vault housed at the National Gallery. Three - dimensional paintings, made with Time Lord stasis cubes, appear to have been broken from within ; the figures previously in the paintings are now missing. While examining the paintings, a fissure in time opens above them and the Doctor jumps into it. The Moment prop as shown at the Doctor Who Experience. In the midst of the Time War between the Time Lords and the Daleks, the War Doctor -- a hitherto - unknown incarnation of the Doctor -- decides to trigger an ancient weapon called The Moment in order to destroy both sides completely. The Moment is sentient and manifests itself as Rose Tyler. It questions whether mass killing is the best option for ending the Time War and prescribes the Doctor 's punishment if he does so -- he will survive while the rest of his race dies. The Moment offers to show the Doctor what this will turn him into and opens a fissure linking him to the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. The three Doctors converge in the year 1562, where the Tenth Doctor has been tracking down a Zygon. They discover that the Zygon is disguised as Queen Elizabeth, who captures and imprisons them in the Tower of London. Meanwhile, within UNIT 's Black Archive, Clara learns that the Zygons from Elizabethan England have entered the three - dimensional paintings in the Undergallery and have emerged in 2013, taking the forms of UNIT members so that they could utilise UNIT 's weapons and technology. While the three Doctors are in their cell, The Moment encourages the War Doctor to ask them the questions he needs answered before he decides whether to destroy Gallifrey. After a tense exchange, the Doctors devise an escape plan. They then encounter the real Queen Elizabeth and learn through her of the Zygon scheme to conquer Earth. Kate Stewart also learns of the Zygon plan and locks herself in the Black Archive with the Zygons, starting a countdown that will detonate a nuclear warhead underneath the archive. The Doctors, unable to land a TARDIS in the Black Archive, instead use the stasis cube technology to enter a painting. They exit the painting in the present and use the archive 's mind - wiping equipment to render the UNIT members and Zygons temporarily unaware which of them are which. The countdown is stopped and all present negotiate a perfectly fair peace treaty, as they no longer know which way to skew it. The War Doctor, now convinced that detonating the Moment will save many more lives in the longer term, is returned to his time by the Moment. The other two Doctors follow him in their TARDISes with the intention of helping him so as to share his burden. After Clara reminds them of their choice of the title `` Doctor '' and what it stands for, the Doctors devise an alternative solution. They plan to use the stasis technology to freeze the entire planet of Gallifrey in a single moment in time, which would be kept in a pocket universe. When Gallifrey disappears, the surrounding Dalek warships would obliterate themselves in the inevitable crossfire and both species will appear to have been wiped out. The Doctors relay their plan to the Time Lords and then surround Gallifrey, which erupts in a bright light. `` I have a new destination. My journey is the same as yours, the same as anyone 's. It 's taken me so many years, so many lifetimes, but at last I know where I 'm going. Where I 've always been going. Home, the long way round. '' -- The Eleventh Doctor The Doctors and Clara return to the Gallery, unsure whether the plan worked. The War Doctor is content to think that he failed in doing the right thing before realising that neither he nor the Tenth Doctor will remember what happened and will continue shouldering the guilt. The War Doctor departs in his TARDIS and begins to regenerate. The Tenth Doctor departs in his TARDIS after persuading the Eleventh Doctor to reveal that he is going to the planet Trenzalore. The Eleventh Doctor, now alone, begins to muse about retiring to become the museum 's curator, when he is interrupted by the museum 's actual curator. As they talk, the curator reveals that the painting 's title, which was thought to be either No More or Gallifrey Falls, is in fact Gallifrey Falls No More. In the closing scene, the Doctor describes a recurring dream in which he and his previous incarnations are looking together upon Gallifrey and states that he is going home. Continuity As the show 's 50th anniversary special, the episode contains multiple references to previous episodes. It opens with the title sequence and theme arrangement used at the series ' debut in 1963. Echoing the opening of `` An Unearthly Child '', the first episode of the first Doctor Who serial, a policeman is shown walking past the sign for I.M. Foreman, the scrap merchant in whose yard the TARDIS was located, and its first few seconds are in monochrome ( as had been the case in The Two Doctors ( 1985 ), the last time more than one Doctor had featured in an official story ). Coal Hill School, which the Doctor 's granddaughter Susan Foreman attended when they were on Earth in 1963 in the very first story, also featured in the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks. According to the school sign, the chairman of the school governors is now Ian Chesterton, one of the First Doctor 's original three companions and a science teacher at the school, and the headmaster is W. Coburn, a reference to Waris Hussein and Anthony Coburn, who respectively directed and wrote An Unearthly Child. Clara rides out of Coal Hill School on the Eleventh Doctor 's anti-gravity motorcycle from `` The Bells of Saint John '' at 5 : 16, the time An Unearthly Child originally aired on BBC TV ( the first broadcast began 1 minute 20 seconds after its scheduled time of 17 : 15 GMT on 23 November 1963 ). When the TARDIS is picked up by UNIT, the call sign used by the helicopter to refer to UNIT is `` Greyhound leader '', reflecting that of Brigadier Lethbridge - Stewart, whose daughter Kate is now portrayed as having his role as commander of UNIT. Lethbridge - Stewart was a central character in the Third Doctor 's era and also several of his successors ', originally appearing in the Second Doctor serial The Web of Fear ( 1968 ) and making his last appearance in Doctor Who in Seventh Doctor serial Battlefield ( 1989 ), which is also referenced. An image of the Brigadier is seen alongside images of various companions of the Doctor. The UNIT dating controversy, regarding whether the Third Doctor era stories took place in the 1970s or 1980s, is alluded to in dialogue by Kate Stewart, when she mentions that events occurred in `` the ' 70s or ' 80s depending on the dating protocol used ''. The Tenth Doctor 's era is also heavily revisited. His marriage to Queen Elizabeth I, mentioned in `` The Shakespeare Code '' and The End of Time, is finally depicted. The Tenth Doctor mentioned the Fall of Arcadia in `` Doomsday '' ( 2006 ). When the Eleventh Doctor tells Clara that the situation is `` timey - wimey stuff, '' and the War Doctor ridicules him for it, the Tenth Doctor remarks, `` I have no idea where he picks that stuff up '' ; the Tenth originally used the phrase in `` Blink '' ( 2007 ). When he leaves after learning of Trenzalore, the Tenth Doctor remarks, `` I do n't want to go... '', his incarnation 's final words from The End of Time ; the Eleventh Doctor tells Clara that `` he always says that '' after his TARDIS leaves. The Moment device was originally mentioned in The End of Time, but had not been explored in depth until now, where it takes the form of `` Bad Wolf '', a seemingly omnipotent being and personalisation of the Time Vortex itself, which manifested in Rose Tyler when she absorbed the Time Vortex in the first series finale, `` The Parting of the Ways '' ( 2005 ). During the negotiations with the Zygons Kate mentions the Sycorax from `` The Christmas Invasion '' ( 2005 ). The Black Archive, containing alien artefacts collected by UNIT, has photographs of the Doctor 's many companions. Additionally, River Song 's high heels from `` The Time of Angels '' / `` Flesh and Stone '' ( 2010 ), the mass canceler from second series finale `` Doomsday '', a Supreme Dalek head from fourth series finale, `` The Stolen Earth '' / `` Journey 's End '' ( 2008 ), a Dalek tommy gun from `` Daleks in Manhattan '' / `` Evolution of the Daleks '' ( 2007 ), the restraining chair which held both the Master and the Doctor in The End of Time, and a Cyberman head are contained within the Archive. The vortex manipulator in the Archive was donated to UNIT by Captain Jack Harkness, a companion of the Ninth Doctor who was reunited with the Tenth Doctor on multiple occasions. The Black Archive was also seen in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Enemy of the Bane ( 2008 ). Other references are made to previous multi-Doctor anniversary stories, The Three Doctors ( 1973 ) and The Five Doctors ( 1983 ). The Eleventh Doctor 's dismissal of the Tenth Doctor and War Doctor as `` Sandshoes and Grandad '' to mock their respective footwear and age echo the First Doctor 's description of his two successors in The Three Doctors as `` a dandy and a clown ''. ( The War Doctor 's initial incredulous reaction upon seeing his future selves also reflects this moment. ) Likewise, a Time Lord says, `` I did n't know when I was well - off. All twelve of them. '' which recalls the Brigadier 's line from The Three Doctors : `` Three of them, eh ? I did n't know when I was well off. '' More of the Brigadier 's dialogue from the latter serial is alluded to when Kate asks for an incident report code - named `` Cromer '' ; in the earlier story, upon being transported to another universe, the Brigadier initially believes himself to be near the coastal Norfolk town. A line from the First Doctor from The Five Doctors is also reused near the end as the Tenth Doctor tells the Eleventh, `` It 's good to know my future is in safe hands '' ( which the First told the Fifth in the earlier story ). When the War Doctor appears, Clara remarks, `` I think there 's three of them, '' to which Kate responds, `` There 's a precedent for that, '' in reference to The Three Doctors. Lines from past serials reappear in the special. The Eleventh Doctor resurrects the phrase `` reversing the polarity '' associated with the Third Doctor, to comical effect. In trying to compensate for the presence of three Doctors who utilise different console rooms, the Tenth Doctor 's TARDIS console briefly changes to the War Doctor 's console room, seen again later in the episode, before settling on the Eleventh 's. The Tenth Doctor comments upon the Eleventh Doctor 's TARDIS console, `` Oh you 've redecorated ! I do n't like it '', a line originally used by the Second Doctor speaking to the Third in The Three Doctors and later reused by the Second and Eleventh Doctors respectively in The Five Doctors and `` Closing Time '' ( 2013 ). One of the War Doctor 's final lines of dialogue prior to regenerating is ``... wearing a bit thin '', echoing some of the First Doctor 's final words prior to regenerating at the end of The Tenth Planet ( 1966 ), `` this old body of mine is wearing a bit thin ''. The description of the TARDIS 's sound as a `` wheezing, groaning sound '' by `` The Moment '' ( Rose Tyler ) is a reference to its description in the Terrance Dicks novels. Cast The Doctor Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Excluding flashbacks and archive footage, Tennant had not appeared in Doctor Who since his final regular appearance as the Doctor in the concluding scenes of The End of Time, broadcast on 1 January 2010. John Hurt as the War Doctor, the Doctor 's warrior - like forgotten incarnation. The War Doctor came between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors, and renounced the title of Doctor. Christopher Eccleston, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell as the Ninth, Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, Fifth, Fourth, Third, Second and First Doctors respectively. Archive footage of all the actors was used. Collectively credited as `` The Doctor ''. John Guilor provided some voice work for the First Doctor, imitating William Hartnell 's voice. He was credited as `` Voice Over Artist ''. Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor is seen in a fleeting and uncredited appearance ( eyes and forehead only ) ; he took over the lead role from Smith in the 2013 Christmas special, `` The Time of the Doctor ''. Other cast members The Zygon costume and makeup, as shown at the Doctor Who Experience. Jenna Coleman as companion Clara Oswald. The special was the first time the actress was credited on the show simply as Jenna Coleman, dropping the Louise part of her name seen in previous episodes. Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, whose likeness is used as the interface of The Moment, a sentient Gallifreyan weapon of mass destruction. Piper has not portrayed Rose as a series regular since `` Doomsday '', although she reprised her role in various episodes of the fourth series and appeared briefly in The End of Time. Jemma Redgrave as the Brigadier 's daughter Kate Stewart, who previously appeared in `` The Power of Three '', having been originated by actress Beverley Cressman in the direct - to - video spin - offs, Downtime and Dæmos Rising. Redgrave also portrays the Zygon impersonating Stewart. Joanna Page as Queen Elizabeth I and her Zygon duplicate. Page is the third actress to portray Elizabeth I on Doctor Who, following Vivienne Bennet ( The Chase ) and Angela Pleasence ( `` The Shakespeare Code '' ). Ingrid Oliver as Osgood and her Zygon duplicate. Throughout the special, Osgood is seen wearing a copy of the Fourth Doctor 's iconic scarf. Peter de Jersey as Androgar, a Time Lord. Ken Bones as the General of Gallifrey. Jonjo O'Neill as McGilliop. Aidan Cook and Paul Kasey as the Zygons. Nicholas Briggs as the voice of the Daleks and the Zygons. Barnaby Edwards and Nicholas Pegg as Daleks. Tom Baker also makes an uncredited appearance as the Curator, a mysterious character who informs the Eleventh Doctor of Gallifrey 's survival at the end of the episode. His resemblance to the Fourth Doctor is alluded to, but left unexplained. Production Casting Both David Tennant and Billie Piper returned to appear in the 50th anniversary special On 30 March 2013, a distribution error occurred, and many subscribers to Doctor Who Magazine received the issue five days before the official release date. The issue of the magazine included the official announcement that David Tennant and Billie Piper, who previously played the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler in Doctor Who respectively, were lined up to appear in the special, along with actor John Hurt. Moffat did not want to bring Rose the character back because he felt her story was wrapped up and did not feel comfortable adding to Davies ' arc. However, he liked the concept of bringing back her Bad Wolf persona and felt that Piper needed to be in the special as she symbolised the rebirth of Doctor Who. John Hurt did not actually audition for the part, but had been asked by the production team and `` said yes with remarkable speed ''. His costume was meant to signify that he was `` rougher, tougher '', and had been around for a while ; the audience had missed a lot. Hurt 's request to keep his beard adds to this effect. Christopher Eccleston discussed plans for the anniversary episode with Moffat, but eventually declined to return as the Ninth Doctor. Sylvester McCoy, who played the Seventh Doctor, claimed that none of the surviving actors who portrayed the Doctor prior to Eccleston were contacted regarding the special. Colin Baker confirmed this while being interviewed on Australian television alongside McCoy and Paul McGann. However, McGann went on to say that he could still be in the 50th but at the last moment. Radio Times reported rumours that a Doctor from the classic era ( pre-2005 ) would feature in the special, citing unknown sources. Freema Agyeman and John Barrowman, who played Tenth Doctor companions Martha Jones and Jack Harkness, respectively, both stated they would not be in the 50th, but may return to the show at some point. Barrowman stated that he would have liked to be in it, but speculated that the producers wanted to try some different things. Writing `` The Day of the Doctor '' was written by Steven Moffat, the then head writer of Doctor Who, and produced by Marcus Wilson with Nick Hurran directing. Moffat was developing ideas for the 50th anniversary episode as early as late 2011, when he stated that the team `` knew what ( they ) want ( ed ) to do '' and were `` revving up '' for the episode in an interview discussing his work on the 2011 film The Adventures of Tintin, and began writing the script for `` The Day of the Doctor '' in late 2012, announcing that, as a security precaution, he had not produced any copies, instead keeping it on his computer `` under lock and key '' until it was needed. Moffat stated prior to the episode 's release, `` Most things that have been said about the 50th are not true... Normally I am responsible for the disinformation and the rubbish rumors -- I usually put them out myself, but I have n't needed to for this one. '' On the importance of the episode, Moffat has stated that it will `` change the narrative '' of Doctor Who. Moffat stated in an interview with Doctor Who Magazine that he initially began the story process with the idea that it would be the Ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston, that would have been the incarnation that ended the Time War, in spite of misgivings in his own mind regarding it : Yes, but do you know, I was always nervous of that one, because it does n't fit with `` Rose '' at all. He is a brand new Doctor in `` Rose '', he 's absolutely, definitely new. It could n't have been is ( sic ) who pushed the button in the Time War, cos that 's a new man, very explicitly, in that episode. I also had trouble, I have to be honest, imagining it being Paul McGann 's Doctor Once it became clear that Eccleston would decline to appear, Moffat turned to an alternative concept he had been formulating, featuring a `` mayfly Doctor '' who appears for a single episode, asking, `` Would it be weird in the run of the series to have the 45th Doctor turn up and be played by Johnny Depp or someone ? Would that be a cool thing to do ? ''. He also indicated that the `` classic Doctor '' he would most like to feature in a new story was William Hartnell 's First Doctor, stating, `` You 'd want him to come and say ' What in the name of God have I turned into ? ' That 's the confrontation that you most want to see, to celebrate 50 years. Going round and round in circles on it I just thought, ' What about a Doctor that he never talks about ? ' And what if it is a Doctor who 's done something terrible, who 's much deadlier and more serious, who represents that thing that is the undertow in both David and Matt. You know there 's a terrible old man inside them. Well, here he is, facing the children he becomes, as it were. '' Moffat felt that it was important to bring something different to the return of Billie Piper, as she had returned as Rose Tyler in various cameo appearances throughout series 4, most prominently in the finale `` The Stolen Earth '' / `` Journey 's End '' ( 2008 ), in which she had a central role, and The End of Time ( 2009 -- 10 ). This led to the development of the Moment, which had previously been referenced in The End of Time. Piper agreed with Moffat 's sentiments, despite loving the character of Rose. Although Smith and Tennant ended up starring in the episode, neither actor was under contract for the series at the time, and at one point Moffat devised a plotline featuring Coleman as the sole regular cast member in case either declined. Knowing that Matt Smith was planning to leave, Moffat wrote the special specifically with the brief appearance of the Twelfth Doctor during the sequence of all of the Doctors uniting to save Gallifrey, prior to casting anyone in the role. Moffat later stated that it was his `` plan from the start '' that all the Doctors would fly in to save Gallifrey, and he knew there would be a new one at that time. He wrote it before knowing who would be cast. Typically, Doctor Who 's anniversary stories are named after the number of returning Doctors, as with The Three Doctors ( 1973 ) and The Five Doctors ( 1983 ). Moffat explained his choice of title to SFX magazine, commenting that ``... it 's very rare in Doctor Who that the story happens to the Doctor. It happens to people around him, and he helps out -- he 's the hero figure who rides in and saves everybody from the story of the week. He is not the story of the week. In this, he is the story of the week. This is the day of the Doctor. This is his most important day. His most important moment. This is the one he 'll remember, whereas I often think the Doctor wanders back to his TARDIS and forgets all about it. '' Filming Because `` The Day of the Doctor '' was filmed in 3D, the episode took longer than usual to shoot, and every CGI shot had to be rendered twice. `` The Day of the Doctor '' took approximately five weeks in 2013 to film ; regular filming began on 28 March 2013 and ended on 4 May. The first three days of shooting -- 28 March, 29 March, and 1 April -- took place entirely at the show 's Roath Lock studios in Porth Teigr, Cardiff Bay ; some of the scenes set in the National Gallery and the Eleventh Doctor 's TARDIS were filmed in the period. Filming for the episode 's outdoor scenes began on 2 April 2013. The first outdoor scene was filmed at the Ivy Tower in Tonna, Neath. The outdoor section of the scene involving Clara driving her motorcycle into the TARDIS, as well as the beginning of the sequence in which UNIT airlifts the TARDIS via helicopter, was filmed on Gelligaer Common Road in Bedlinog. The remaining of the latter scene was later filmed on 6 April at MOD St Athan, and on 9 April in Trafalgar Square, London. On 17 April 2013 Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and David Tennant filmed scenes in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, and some scenes were shot in Chepstow Castle. On 2 May 2013, scenes in Cardiff were being filmed for scenes that take place at Totter 's Lane and Coal Hill school, locations which had previously featured in the first 1963 serial An Unearthly Child, the 1985 serial Attack of the Cybermen, and the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks. Filming for the special was completed on Sunday 5 May 2013. From 4 -- 5 May 2013, Paul McGann returned to Doctor Who to record `` The Night of the Doctor ''. The final piece of filming for the special took place on 3 October, five months after principal photography wrapped, with Peter Capaldi filming his cameo, concurrent with filming his official first appearance for `` The Time of the Doctor '' ( 2013 ). Miniatures constructed by Mike Tucker and his company The Model Unit were used in filming for the Time War sequences, including a model of a Time Lord staser cannon and the War Doctor flying his TARDIS into and subsequently destroying several Daleks. The Dalek models used were 18 - inch voice interactive toys produced by Character Options. The technique of using Dalek toys as models for filming was a common method of presenting entire armies in the classic series. Marketing Publicity `` The Night of the Doctor '', an additional 7 - minute special, was released on 14 November 2013, and featured the Eighth Doctor ( Paul McGann ) 's regeneration into the War Doctor ( John Hurt ). Another 4 - minute special, entitled `` The Last Day '', was released on 20 November 2013 and saw the start of the Fall of Arcadia. On 4 November 2013, the BBC released the official synopsis : `` The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th anniversary special. In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London 's National Gallery ; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England ; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor 's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him. '' Trailers The first trailer for the special was shown to attendees of San Diego Comic - Con in July 2013. The BBC 's decision not to release the trailer online to international fans was met with controversy. On 26 July, the BBC responded to criticisms by saying the trailer was intended to be exclusive to Comic - Con attendees and that content for all other audiences would be forthcoming at a later date. On 28 September, the BBC revealed that the trailer for the special had been shot and was in post-production. On 19 October 2013, a specially made teaser trailer, directed by Matt Losasso, was shown on BBC One, and was then subsequently posted online. It contained icons from the history of the show and had a monologue by Matt Smith, as well as body doubles and CGI to create shots of previous Doctors. A clip from `` The Day of the Doctor '' was shown at the BBC 's Children in Need show on Friday 15 November. The official trailer for the episode aired in the United Kingdom at 8 pm GMT on 9 November. Due to the leak of a trailer earlier on 9 November on BBC Latin America 's Facebook page, the BBC officially released it ahead of schedule. A second official trailer was shortly released later. Furthermore, before the release of the main trailers, a short clip previewed the Eleventh Doctor and Clara examining a seemingly impossible painting. On 10 November 2013, a short clip of the Eleventh Doctor announcing `` The clock is ticking '' interrupted a BBC One ident. This was followed on Monday 11 November by another ident interruption, with the Eleventh Doctor stating `` It 's all been leading to this... '' Viral marketing On 28 September, the BBC unveiled a Twitter hashtag ( # SaveTheDay ) and an ident that was used to promote the special. Respectively, the hashtag and the ident were shown before and after the premiere of Atlantis on BBC One. The hashtag was used to reveal all subsequent promotional material. On 7 November 2013, a video starring Smith in character as the Doctor was released promoting the hashtag, promising exclusive content. A website was launched to reveal the content. Broadcast and reception Countries that screened `` The Day of the Doctor '' simultaneously. Countries that screened on TV. Countries that screened in cinemas. Countries that screened both on TV and in cinemas. The BBC broadcast the episode in 94 countries simultaneously, to avoid plot leaks. It earned a Guinness World Record for the world 's largest ever simulcast of a TV drama. While not a technical simulcast of BBC One, a number of non-English translations were also transmitted at the same time as the BBC 's broadcast. The British Board of Film Classification rated the episode PG for mild violence and threat. The Australian Classification Board also rated the episode PG for `` mild science fiction themes and violence '', noting there was `` very mild impact '' with regards to sexual themes. The episode broadcast at 7 : 50pm in the UK, and was preceded and followed by other Doctor Who related programmes and broadcasts, including broadcast of an after - party. Canadian provincial film censors rated `` The Day of the Doctor '' PG in Alberta, G in Manitoba and G in Quebec. The episode aired in over 100 countries on either 23 or 24 November 2013 in cinemas and on television. Television The episode originally aired on BBC One, BBC One HD, and in 3D on BBC One HD Red Button. It aired on Prime in New Zealand, BBC America in the United States, ABC1 in Australia, and on Space in Canada. In English speaking Asia and Africa, it was released by BBC Entertainment. Cinemas The episode was originally released in Cineworld, Vue, Odeon, and independent cinemas. It was released in Hoyts, Event, Village and limited independent cinemas in Australia. It aired in Cineplex cinemas in Canada and in Event Cinemas in New Zealand. In the United States it was released in AMC, Century, Cinemark and Regal cinemas. In Mexico, the episode was released exclusively in 20 select Cinemark 3D theatres. The cinema version played with an introduction featuring Dan Starkey as Strax and John Hurt, David Tennant and Matt Smith as the Doctors, respectively. Critical reception `` The Day of the Doctor '' received mostly positive reviews. Ben Lawrence of The Daily Telegraph gave the special five stars, calling it `` charming, eccentric and very, very British. '' Den of Geek 's Simon Brew praised the special, calling it `` terrific '', and stating that it was `` pulsating with comedy, ambition, and top to bottom entertainment. '' Jon Cooper of The Mirror gave the episode five stars, stating that it `` not only gives hardcore fans a beautiful reinvention of their favourite show but also gives casual viewers a stonking story and a reminder why we all love this show so much. '' SFX gave the episode five out of five stars, noting that it was not perfect but those were `` churlish niggles ''. The magazine praised the three Doctors and commented on how it linked the past, present, and future of the show. Jim Shelley of The Daily Mail called the episode `` a clever, chaotic, infuriating combination of nifty, knowing tiny detail and big, hollow, pompous bluster. '' He disliked the effects, accusing the BBC on pandering to the American audience, as well as disliking the Zygons, deeming them not `` scary enough, '' and naming Matt Smith and David Tennant `` irritating '', though he praised John Hurt 's performance and Tom Baker 's cameo. Mashable 's Chris Taylor stated that the episode is `` one designed to please fans and newcomers alike, '' and that it `` shows why the Doctor is finding his way into ever more homes and hearts. '' The Guardian 's Viv Grospok criticised various elements of the episode, though concluded that `` it was all worth it. '' Social analytics website SecondSync revealed that Doctor Who generated almost 500,000 `` tweets '' on Twitter during its broadcast, with the peak number of tweets occurring at the beginning of the broadcast, at 12,939 tweets per minute. Ratings Overnight figures revealed that the episode had a total of 10.18 million viewers for the live broadcast in the United Kingdom. When time - shifted viewers were taken into account, the figure rose to a total of 12.8 million viewers, which makes it the highest rating since `` The Next Doctor '' ( 2008 ), which had a total of 13.1 million viewers. The box office takings for the cinema screenings totalled £ 1.7 m ( US $2.2 m ), which placed it at number three in the UK film chart for the week, behind The Hunger Games : Catching Fire and Gravity. In addition, `` The Day of the Doctor '' became the most requested show within 24 hours on BBC iPlayer with 1.27 million requests, which rose to 2.9 million by 3 December 2013. It was named the most - watched drama of 2013 based on the final viewing figures. It received an Appreciation Index of 88. The live simulcast on BBC America had a total audience of 2.4 million viewers, briefly becoming the largest audience in the channel 's history, until the broadcast of `` The Time of the Doctor '' just over a month later. Worldwide, cinema screenings brought $10.2 million at the box office. The cinema screenings in the USA, on a total of 660 screens nationwide, took a total of US $4.8 m ( approx £ 3m ) at the box office. The special had a total of 1.95 million viewers for its two broadcasts in Australia, with 590,000 watching the live broadcast on ABC1, and another 1.36 million watching the repeat at 7 : 30pm, while the cinema box office takings totalled AU $1.54 m, putting it at number three in the Australian film chart. In addition, the episode received 51,000 plays on the online ABC iview in a single day. A total of 42,000 viewers watched the simultaneous screening in New Zealand, with a total of 177,510 viewers watching the 8.30 pm repeat, which was Prime 's highest rating show for the day. The figure includes live and timeshifted viewers. This means there was a total of 219,510 viewers for all screenings. A total of 1.7 million viewers watched the two broadcasts on Canadian channel Space, making it the most watched entertainment programme in Canada on the day, with the 1.1 m watching the live broadcast at 2.50 pm EST being the channel 's largest ever audience. Awards and nominations `` The Day of the Doctor '' won the publicly voted Radio Times Audience Award at the BAFTA Awards in May 2014. `` The Day of the Doctor '' was also nominated for the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation ( Short Form ). In a poll conducted by Doctor Who Magazine, `` The Day of the Doctor '' was voted as the most popular story in the 50 years of the show. Home media `` The Day of the Doctor '' was released on DVD and 3D Blu - ray on 2 December 2013 in the UK. It was released on 4 December 2013 in Australia, and on 10 December 2013 in North America. The special was re-released on DVD and Blu - ray on 8 September 2014 as part of a `` 50th Anniversary Collectors Boxset '' alongside `` The Name of the Doctor '', `` The Night of the Doctor '', `` The Time of the Doctor '', `` An Adventure in Space and Time '' and `` The Five ( ish ) Doctors Reboot ''. This re-release features new footage of the specials ' read - through. The special is streamed on Amazon Prime. Soundtrack Further information : Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor / The Time of the Doctor ( soundtrack ) Selected pieces of score from `` The Day of the Doctor '', as composed by Murray Gold, were released on 24 November 2014 by Silva Screen Records. The album includes material not used in the final episode. In print The Day of the Doctor Author Steven Moffat Series Doctor Who book : Target novelisations Publisher BBC Books Publication date 5 April 2018 Pages 232 ISBN 978 - 1785943294 A novelisation of this story written by Steven Moffat including `` The Night of the Doctor '' storyline was released in paperback and digital formats on 5 April 2018 as part of the Target Collection. See also The Five ( ish ) Doctors Reboot, a parody tie - in to this episode. References Jump up ^ `` The Day of the Doctor, Doctor Who - BBC One ''. BBC. Jump up ^ Radio Times Staff ( 10 September 2013 ). `` Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special title revealed ''. RadioTimes. Retrieved 10 September 2013. Jump up ^ BBC News ( 10 September 2013 ). `` Doctor Who 50th anniversary schedule announced by BBC ''. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013. 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Jump up ^ Howe, Stammers, Walker ( 1994 ), p. 54 Jump up ^ `` An Unearthly Child ''. BBC. 16 August 2012. ^ Jump up to : Wilson, Dan ( 24 November 2013 ). `` 16 nostalgic classic Doctor Who hat - tips in the Day of the Doctor -- what did you spot ? ''. Metro. Retrieved 30 November 2013. ^ Jump up to : Cho, Kassy ( 27 November 2013 ). `` List of References and Easter Eggs in `` The Day of the Doctor '' ``. WordPress. Retrieved 7 December 2013. Jump up ^ Russell T Davies ( writer ), Euros Lyn ( director ), Tracie Simpson ( producer ) ( 25 December 2009 -- 1 January 2010 ). The End of Time. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. Jump up ^ `` 14 hidden details you missed in ' Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor ' ''. Hypable. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014. Jump up ^ Johnston, Rich ( 23 November 2013 ). `` Fifty Thoughts About Doctor Who : The Day Of The Doctor ( Update ) ''. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 7 December 2013. 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Jump up ^ `` 50th Anniversary Specials : What We Know ''. DoctorWhoTV.com. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013. Jump up ^ Jeffery, Morgan ( 9 April 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' 50th video : Jenna - Louise Coleman, Jemma Redgrave on set ''. Retrieved 9 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` BBC One -- Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor ''. BBC.co.uk. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` First 50th Anniversary Casting ''. Doctor Who TV. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013. ^ Jump up to : Setchfield, Nick ( 7 November 2013 ). `` Exclusive -- Steven Moffat Talks John Hurt and The Day of the Doctor ''. SFX. Retrieved 10 November 2013. Jump up ^ Jeffery, Morgan ( 5 April 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' 50th : BBC denies Christopher Eccleston ' quitting ' rumors -- Doctor Who News -- Cult ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 5 April 2013. Jump up ^ Jeffery, Morgan ( 4 April 2013 ). `` Sylvester McCoy on ' Who ' 50th : ' Past Doctors have n't heard anything ' ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Jump up ^ Cole, Tom ( 10 April 2013 ). `` Doctor Who : Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann confirm anniversary special non-involvement ''. Radio Times. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Jump up ^ Harp, Justin ( 12 April 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' Paul McGann : ' Anniversary role could come at last minute ' ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 April 2013. Jump up ^ Dowell, Ben ( 22 July 2013 ). `` New Doctor likely be announced in August, according to sources ''. Radio Times. Retrieved 24 September 2013. Jump up ^ Harp, Justin ( 4 March 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' : Freema Agyeman not in 50th anniversary special ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 April 2013. ^ Jump up to : Curtis, Beth ( 22 April 2013 ). `` John Barrowman : ' I 'm upset to miss out on Doctor Who 50th anniversary ' ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 April 2013. Jump up ^ Tarley, Rachel ( 7 December 2013 ). `` Doctor Who 50th anniversary director named as Nick Hurran Metro News ''. Metro.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` Moffat `` Revving up '' for 50th Anniversary ``. Retrieved 28 October 2014. Jump up ^ Brown, David ( 18 March 2013 ). `` Steven Moffat : Doctor Who 50th anniversary script is kept under lock and key ''. Radio Times. Retrieved 19 October 2013. Jump up ^ Doctor Who ( 13 May 2013 ). `` Steven Moffat Laughs Off 50th Anniversary Rumors ! ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Day of the Doctor to `` change the narrative '' of Doctor Who says Steven Moffat ``. The Mirror. The Mirror. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` What if Eccleston Had Returned for 50th ? ''. Doctor Who TV. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013... Jump up ^ Setchfield, Nick ( 14 October 2013 ). `` Steven Moffat talks John Hurt 's Doctor ''. SFX. Retrieved 19 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Piper Up for Rose / Meta - Crisis Ten Spin - Off ''. Retrieved 28 October 2014. Jump up ^ Mulkern, Patrick. `` Steven Moffat finally reveals why John Hurt replaced Christopher Eccleston in the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special ''. Radio Times. Retrieved 5 December 2015. Jump up ^ Jeffrey, Morgan ( 25 November 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' Moffat on Capaldi cameo : `` It was the plan from the start '' ``. Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 November 2013. Jump up ^ SFX magazine, issue 241 ( October 2013 ). Jump up ^ Jeffery, Morgan ( 21 February 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' Steven Moffat on 50th : ' There 's more than one 60 - minute film ' ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 October 2013. Jump up ^ Dex, Robert ( 9 April 2013 ). `` Matt Smith lands the Tardis lands in Trafalgar Square for Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode ''. The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Jump up ^ Fitzmaurice, Sarah ( 18 April 2013 ). `` How are they going to explain that then ? David Tennant and Matt Smith seen on set together as they shoot 50th Anniversary special of Doctor Who ''. Daily Mail. Retrieved 22 April 2013. Jump up ^ Kelly, Stephen ( 3 May 2013 ). `` Spoilers ! Doctor Who 50th anniversary filming pictures suggest nod to first ever episode ''. RadioTimes. Retrieved 6 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Producer Marcus Wilson on Twitter ''. Cultbox. Retrieved 6 May 2013. Jump up ^ Benjamin Cook, `` The Clock Strikes Twelve. '' Doctor Who Magazine # 469, January 2014, p. 19 Jump up ^ Neil, Oseman ( 4 December 2013 ). `` The Miniature Effects of ' Day of the Doctor ' ''. Neil Oseman. Retrieved 15 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Night of the Doctor ( Additional material, Doctor Who -- The Day of the Doctor ) ''. BBFC. Retrieved 3 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Last Day ( Additional material, Doctor Who -- The Day of the Doctor ) ''. BBFC. Retrieved 2 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Day of the Doctor Official Synopsis ''. BBFC. Retrieved 4 November 2013. Jump up ^ Anders, Charlie Jane ( 21 July 2013 ). `` The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Trailer is an Amazing Thrill Ride ''. io9. Retrieved 26 July 2013. Jump up ^ Kelly, Stephen ( 22 July 2013 ). `` Doctor Who 's 50th anniversary trailer : should UK fans have seen it first ? ''. RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 July 2013. Jump up ^ Jefferies, Mark ( 23 July 2013 ). `` What harm would putting the Doctor Who 50th trailer up on a BBC website do now ? ''. RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 July 2013. Jump up ^ Fletcher, Alex ( 22 July 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' fans angry at Comic - Con exclusive 50th anniversary video ''. DigitalSpy. Retrieved 26 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` 26 July : Press statement issued -- trail for Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode ''. BBC. 26 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` BBC Confirms The Day of the Doctor Trailer Soon ''. Doctor Who TV. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013. Jump up ^ Dowell, Ben ( 19 October 2013 ). `` Doctor Who : Dazzling Day of the Doctor trailers airs on BBC1 -- see it here ''. Radio Times. Retrieved 19 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who 50 - year trailer : Behind the Scenes ''. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who at Children in Need 2013 ''. Doctor Who TV. Retrieved 2 November 2013. Jump up ^ Day of the Doctor : Second trailer released early digitaljournal.com. Retrieved 28 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ident Interruption -- The Day of the Doctor -- Doctor Who 50th Anniversary -- BBC One ''. BBC on YouTube. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ident Interruption 2 -- The Day of the Doctor -- Doctor Who 50th Anniversary -- BBC One ''. BBC on YouTube. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013. Jump up ^ Brew, Simon ( 28 September 2013 ). `` BBC releases picture, teaser sting for The Day of the Doctor ''. Dennis Publishing Limited. Retrieved 29 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Show Your Support for the Doctor and Unlock Sneak Previews of the 50th Anniversary Special ''. BBC. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Millions tune in for Doctor Who 50th anniversary show ''. BBC News. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` 50th Anniversary to be Simulcast in Over 75 Countries and Cinemas ''. Doctor Who TV. Retrieved 2 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who -- The Day of the Doctor ''. British Board of Film Classification. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013. Jump up ^ Australian Classification Board ( 1 November 2013 ). `` The Day of the Doctor ''. Australian Government. Retrieved 22 November 2013. Jump up ^ Doctor Who Official ( @ bbcdoctorwho ) ( 8 November 2013 ). `` Breaking News : # DoctorWho : The Day of the Doctor is on @ BBCOne at 7 : 50pm on Saturday, 23 November. # SaveTheDay '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ `` Classification Report Review ''. Alberta Film Ratings. Retrieved 22 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dr. Who : 50th Anniversary Special : The Day of the Doctor ''. Manitoba Film Classification Board. Retrieved 22 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who -- 50th Anniversary Special : Day of the Doctor ''. Régie du cinéma Québec. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Day of the Doctor on TV and in Cinemas ''. BBC Worldwide. Retrieved 2 November 2013. Jump up ^ Itzel Hernández Valladares, Clara ( 24 October 2013 ). `` ¡ Doctor Who tendrá estreno en cines 3D en México ! ''. cinepremiere.com.mx ( in Spanish ). Retrieved 20 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Day of the Doctor - Hilarious Pre-Movie Theater Introduction ''. YouTube. Retrieved 28 October 2014. Jump up ^ Lawrence, Ben ( 23 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor, BBC One, review ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ Brew, Simon ( 23 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who : The Day Of The Doctor review ''. Den of Geek. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ Cooper, Jon ( 23 November 2013 ). `` The Day of the Doctor review : Celebration and remembrance -- we got both ''. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who `` The Day of the Doctor '' TV Review ``. SFX. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013. Jump up ^ Shelley, Jim ( 23 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who 's 50th anniversary episode reminds us why Matt Smith and David Tennant were so irritating ''. The Daily Mail. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ Taylor, Chris ( 23 November 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' Review : The Day That Changed Everything ''. Mashable. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ Grospok, Viv ( 23 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor -- review ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ SecondSync ( @ SecondSync ) ( 23 November 2013 ). `` Over 200k Tweets so far for # TheDayOfTheDoctor # DrWho '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ Marcus ( 24 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who News : Day of the Doctor -- Press Review ''. Doctor Who News. Retrieved 24 November 2013. Jump up ^ Golder, Dave ( 24 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who `` The Day of the Doctor '' Overnight Ratings ``. SFX. Retrieved 25 November 2013. Jump up ^ Marcus ( 1 December 2013 ). `` Day of the Doctor -- Final Ratings ''. Doctor Who News. Retrieved 2 December 2013. Jump up ^ Weight, Anthony ( 26 November 2013 ). `` The Day of the Doctor makes UK box office top 3 ''. Doctor Who News. Retrieved 26 November 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Doctor Who 50th is the Most Watched Drama in 2013 ''. BBC. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` Day of the Doctor -- Appreciation Index ''. Doctor Who News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( 25 November 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' ratings break BBC America record ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 November 2013. Jump up ^ Deen, Sarah. `` Doctor Who Christmas special The Time of the Doctor breaks BBC America ratings record ''. Metro. Metro. Retrieved 11 January 2014. Jump up ^ Cunningham, Todd ( 27 November 2013 ). `` ' Doctor Who ' Anniversary Theatrical Run Scores $10.2 M at Worldwide Box Office ''. The Wrap. Retrieved 28 November 2013. Jump up ^ Setchfield, Nick ( 27 November 2013 ). `` The Day of the Doctor Triumps at US Box Office ''. SFX. Retrieved 30 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Day of the Doctor -- A Hit Down Under ''. Doctor Who News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013. Jump up ^ Foster, Chuck ( 26 November 2013 ). `` The Day of the Doctor box office success for Australia and New Zealand ''. Doctor Who News. Retrieved 26 November 2013. ^ Jump up to : Ellis, Scott ( 25 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who sets world record with The Day of the Doctor ''. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2013. Jump up ^ Knox, David ( 25 November 2013 ). `` Doctor Who : iview plays, deleted scene, Guinness World record ''. TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` TV Ratings : 24 November 2013 ''. Throng. Retrieved 28 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Time Shifted TV Ratings : 24 November 2013 ''. Throng. Retrieved 28 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Canadian Ratings -- Day of the Doctor ''. Doctor Who News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` 2014 Hugo Awards ''. World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 29. Jump up ^ `` The First 50 Years : The Results in Full ! '' Doctor Who Magazine # 474, May 2014, p. 62 Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor 50th Anniversary ( DVD ) ''. BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who : The Day of the Doctor -- 50th Anniversary ( 3D Blu - ray ) ''. BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who DVD news : Announcement for Doctor Who -- The Day of the Doctor : 50th Anniversary Special ''. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doctor Who : 50th Anniversary DVD Collection ''. Doctor Who TV. Retrieved 23 July 2014. Jump up ^ Silva Screen Music. `` Doctor Who - The Day Of The Doctor / The Time Of The Doctor - Original Television Soundtrack ''. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2014 - 10 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies are writing special Doctor Who novels ''. Radio Times. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017. Jump up ^ Moffat, Steven ( 16 April 2018 ). `` Doctor Who the Day of the Doctor ''. BBC Books -- via Amazon. Filming locations All filming locations are extracted from Doctor Who Magazine 's Special Edition Volume 38 : The Year of the Doctor : The Official Guide to Doctor Who 's 50th Anniversary. Jump up ^ BBC Studios, Roath Lock ( Eleventh Doctor 's TARDIS, National Gallery, Tower of London dungeon, Black Archive vault, Gallifreyan barn, Gallifrey War Room ) : 51 ° 27 ′ 46 '' N 3 ° 09 ′ 23 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.4627 ° N 3.1565 ° W ﻿ / 51.4627 ; - 3.1565 ﻿ ( BBC Studios, Roath Lock : Eleventh Doctor 's TARDIS, National Gallery, Tower of London dungeon, Black Archive vault, Gallifrey barn, Gallifrey War Room ) Jump up ^ Ivy Tower, Tonna, Neath ( Ivy Tower, castle field ) : 51 ° 40 ′ 35 '' N 3 ° 46 ′ 23 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.676389 ° N 3.773056 ° W ﻿ / 51.676389 ; - 3.773056 ﻿ ( Ivy Tower, Tonna, Neath : Ivy Tower, castle field ) Jump up ^ Gelligaer Common Road, Bedlinog ( countryside outside London ) : 51 ° 39 ′ 48 '' N 3 ° 16 ′ 32 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.663284 ° N 3.275693 ° W ﻿ / 51.663284 ; - 3.275693 ﻿ ( Gelligaer Common Road, Bedlinog : countryside outside London ) Jump up ^ MOD St Athan ( airlifting of the TARDIS ) : 51 ° 24 ′ 17 '' N 3 ° 26 ′ 09 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.404722 ° N 3.435833 ° W ﻿ / 51.404722 ; - 3.435833 ﻿ ( Trafalgar Square : Trafalgar Square, National Gallery ) Jump up ^ Trafalgar Square, London ( Trafalgar Square, National Gallery ) : 51 ° 30 ′ 29 '' N 0 ° 07 ′ 41 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 51.508056 ° N 0.128056 ° W ﻿ / 51.508056 ; - 0.128056 ﻿ ( Trafalgar Square : Trafalgar Square, National Gallery ) External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Eleventh Doctor `` The Day of the Doctor '' at the BBC Doctor Who homepage The Day of the Doctor on Tardis Data Core, an external wiki `` The Day of the Doctor '' at Doctor Who : A Brief History of Time ( Travel ) `` The Day of the Doctor '' on IMDb The Day of the Doctor at Box Office Mojo The Day of the Doctor at Rotten Tomatoes Official Doctor Who 50th anniversary website Automatic time zone conversion of first airing from timeanddate.com Hidden items in the 19 October 2013 trailer Doctor Who episodes 1963 -- 1989 episodes 2005 -- present episodes Original series ( 1963 -- 1989 ) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 1996 film Doctor Who Revived series ( 2005 -- present ) 2008 -- 2010 specials 5 6 7 2013 specials 8 9 10 11 Episodes 840 ( 97 missing ) Stories 276 2013 specials Specials `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` The Time of the Doctor '' Supp. `` The Night of the Doctor '' `` The Last Day '' Doctor Who : Multi-Doctor stories Television stories The Three Doctors The Five Doctors The Two Doctors The Trial of a Time Lord ( The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids, The Ultimate Foe ) `` Time Crash '' `` The Stolen Earth '' / `` Journey 's End '' `` Amy 's Choice '' `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` Twice Upon a Time '' Minor instances `` The Name of the Doctor '' `` Deep Breath '' `` Listen '' `` The Doctor Falls '' Audio stories The Sirens of Time Project : Lazarus Zagreus The Wormery The Kingmaker The 100 Day of the Doctor The Four Doctors Peri and the Piscon Paradox The Light at the End Trial of the Valeyard The Eleven The Last Adventure ( The End of the Line, The Red House, Stage Fright, The Brink of Death ) Cold Fusion ( audio adaptation ) The Eye of the Storm Dumb Waiter Novels Timewyrm : Genesys Timewyrm : Revelation All - Consuming Fire Who Killed Kennedy Cold Fusion The Eight Doctors Alien Bodies Players Interference -- Book One Interference -- Book Two Heart of TARDIS The Colony of Lies Wolfsbane Comics Emperor of the Daleks Happy Deathday Four Doctors Supremacy of the Cybermen The Lost Dimension Assimilation2 Video games Dalek Attack Destiny of the Doctors Doctor Who Legacy Doctor Who Infinity See also The Brain of Morbius Dimensions in Time The Curse of Fatal Death See also : Regeneration Doctor Who : Dalek television and film stories First Doctor The Daleks The Dalek Invasion of Earth The Chase `` Mission to the Unknown '' The Daleks ' Master Plan Second Doctor The Power of the Daleks The Evil of the Daleks Third Doctor Day of the Daleks Frontier in Space Planet of the Daleks Death to the Daleks Fourth Doctor Genesis of the Daleks Destiny of the Daleks Fifth Doctor Resurrection of the Daleks Sixth Doctor Revelation of the Daleks Seventh Doctor Remembrance of the Daleks Ninth Doctor `` Dalek '' `` Bad Wolf '' / `` The Parting of the Ways '' Tenth Doctor `` Doomsday '' `` Daleks in Manhattan '' / `` Evolution of the Daleks '' `` The Stolen Earth '' / `` Journey 's End '' Eleventh Doctor `` Victory of the Daleks '' `` The Big Bang '' `` Asylum of the Daleks '' `` The Time of the Doctor '' Twelfth Doctor `` Into the Dalek '' `` The Magician 's Apprentice '' / `` The Witch 's Familiar '' Minor appearances The Space Museum The Wheel in Space The War Games The Mind of Evil Logopolis Mawdryn Undead The Five Doctors Doctor Who `` Army of Ghosts '' `` The Waters of Mars '' `` The Beast Below '' `` The Pandorica Opens '' `` The Wedding of River Song '' `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` Hell Bent '' `` The Pilot '' `` Twice Upon a Time '' Other Dr. Who and the Daleks Daleks ' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Doctor Who : The Curse of Fatal Death `` The Last Day '' Doctor Who : Regeneration television stories The Doctor Regeneration The Tenth Planet The War Games Planet of the Spiders Logopolis The Caves of Androzani Time and the Rani Doctor Who `` Bad Wolf '' / `` The Parting of the Ways '' `` The Stolen Earth '' / `` Journey 's End '' The End of Time `` The Night of the Doctor '' `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` The Time of the Doctor '' `` Twice Upon a Time '' Post-regeneration The Power of the Daleks Spearhead from Space Robot Castrovalva The Twin Dilemma Time and the Rani Doctor Who `` Doctor Who : Children in Need '' `` The Christmas Invasion '' `` The Eleventh Hour '' `` Deep Breath '' Other characters Planet of the Spiders The Deadly Assassin Underworld Destiny of the Daleks Shada Mawdryn Undead The Five Doctors `` Utopia '' `` Day of the Moon '' `` Let 's Kill Hitler '' `` Hell Bent '' See also The Curse of Fatal Death `` The Impossible Astronaut '' / `` Day of the Moon '' `` The Wedding of River Song '' `` The Angels Take Manhattan '' `` The Witch 's Familiar '' `` The Lie of the Land '' `` World Enough and Time '' / `` The Doctor Falls '' Doctor Who : Zygon stories Television episodes Terror of the Zygons `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` The Zygon Invasion '' / `` The Zygon Inversion '' Minor appearances Logopolis Mawdryn Undead `` Attack of the Graske '' `` The Power of Three '' Audio The Zygon Who Fell to Earth Death in Blackpool Zygons Books The Body Snatchers Sting of the Zygons Spin - off Zygon : When Being You Just Is n't Enough Doctor Who : UNIT television stories Second Doctor The Invasion Third Doctor Spearhead from Space Doctor Who and the Silurians The Ambassadors of Death Inferno Terror of the Autons The Mind of Evil The Claws of Axos The Dæmons Day of the Daleks The Time Monster The Three Doctors The Green Death Invasion of the Dinosaurs Planet of the Spiders Fourth Doctor Robot Terror of the Zygons The Android Invasion Seventh Doctor Battlefield Tenth Doctor `` The Christmas Invasion '' `` The Sound of Drums '' / `` Last of the Time Lords '' `` The Sontaran Stratagem '' / `` The Poison Sky '' `` Turn Left '' `` Planet of the Dead '' Eleventh Doctor `` The Power of Three '' `` The Day of the Doctor '' Twelfth Doctor `` Death in Heaven '' `` The Zygon Invasion '' / `` The Zygon Inversion '' Torchwood `` Fragments '' Children of Earth The Sarah Jane Adventures Enemy of the Bane Death of the Doctor Minor appearances Colony in Space The Mutants The Time Warrior The Seeds of Doom The Five Doctors `` Aliens of London '' / `` World War Three '' `` The Stolen Earth '' / `` Journey 's End '' The End of Time `` The Bells of Saint John '' `` The Magician 's Apprentice '' `` The Coach With the Dragon Tattoo '' `` The Return of Doctor Mysterio '' See also The Web of Fear Mawdryn Undead Dimensions in Time Scream of the Shalka Wartime Downtime Auton trilogy UNIT ( audio drama series ) History of UNIT List of UNIT personnel Doctor Who : Gallifrey stories Television stories The War Games The Deadly Assassin The Invasion of Time Arc of Infinity The Five Doctors The End of Time `` The Last Day '' `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` Hell Bent '' Minor appearances Colony in Space The Three Doctors `` The Sound of Drums '' / `` Last of the Time Lords '' `` The Name of the Doctor '' `` Listen '' `` Heaven Sent '' Doctor Who audio dramas The Sirens of Time The Apocalypse Element Death Comes to Time Shada ( Big Finish version ) Neverland Omega Zagreus Unregenerate ! Urban Myths Human Resources `` Sisters of the Flame '' / `` Vengeance of Morbius '' Dark Eyes Doom Coalition Day of the Vashta Nerada The Eighth Doctor : The Time War Gallifrey audio series Weapon of Choice Square One The Inquiry A Blind Eye Lies Pandora Insurgency Imperiatrix Fractures Warfare Appropriation Mindbomb Panacea Reborn Disassembled Annihilation Forever Emancipation Evolution Arbitration Extermination Renaissance Ascension Intervention Earth Enemy Lines Time War Unbound audio plays Auld Mortality He Jests at Scars... Novels Cat 's Cradle : Time 's Crucible Nightshade Blood Harvest Goth Opera A Device of Death Lungbarrow The Eight Doctors Legacy of the Daleks The Infinity Doctors Dead Romance Divided Loyalties The Shadows of Avalon The Ancestor Cell Warmonger World Game Engines of War See also Time Lords Eye of Harmony Regeneration Time War Doctor Who episodes by Steven Moffat Ninth Doctor `` The Empty Child '' / `` The Doctor Dances '' Tenth Doctor `` The Girl in the Fireplace '' `` Blink '' `` Silence in the Library '' / `` Forest of the Dead '' Eleventh Doctor Series 5 `` The Eleventh Hour '' `` The Beast Below '' `` The Time of Angels '' / `` Flesh and Stone '' `` The Pandorica Opens '' / `` The Big Bang '' Series 6 `` A Christmas Carol '' `` The Impossible Astronaut '' / `` Day of the Moon '' `` A Good Man Goes to War '' `` Let 's Kill Hitler '' `` The Wedding of River Song '' Series 7 `` The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe '' `` Asylum of the Daleks '' `` The Angels Take Manhattan '' `` The Snowmen '' `` The Bells of Saint John '' `` The Name of the Doctor '' Specials `` The Day of the Doctor '' `` The Time of the Doctor '' Twelfth Doctor Series 8 `` Deep Breath '' `` Into the Dalek '' `` Listen '' `` Time Heist '' `` The Caretaker '' `` Dark Water '' / `` Death in Heaven '' Series 9 `` Last Christmas '' `` The Magician 's Apprentice '' / `` The Witch 's Familiar '' `` The Girl Who Died '' `` The Zygon Inversion '' `` Heaven Sent '' `` Hell Bent '' `` The Husbands of River Song '' Series 10 `` The Return of Doctor Mysterio '' `` The Pilot '' `` Extremis '' `` The Pyramid at the End of the World '' `` World Enough and Time '' / `` The Doctor Falls '' `` Twice Upon a Time '' Mini episodes `` Time Crash '' Meanwhile in the TARDIS `` Space '' / `` Time '' Night and the Doctor `` The Night of the Doctor '' `` The Last Day '' Other episodes Doctor Who : The Curse of Fatal Death Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Day_of_the_Doctor&oldid=856298692 '' Categories : 1560s in fiction 2013 British television episodes 2013 in Canadian television Screenplays by Steven Moffat Eleventh Doctor episodes Tenth Doctor episodes War Doctor stories Twelfth Doctor episodes Doctor Who multi-Doctor stories Dalek television stories British television specials Cultural depictions of Elizabeth I of England Space warfare in fiction Anniversary television episodes Doctor Who pseudohistorical serials Doctor Who stories set on Earth 3D television programs UNIT serials Doctor Who novelisations Eighth Doctor novels Hidden categories : CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Use British English from January 2014 Use dmy dates from January 2014 Pages using deprecated image syntax Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from February 2017 All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Comics articles needing issue citations Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013 Pages to import images to Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Polski Português Русский Türkçe 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 24 August 2018, at 07 : 22 ( UTC ). 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Question: when does day of the doctor take place
Answer: the last day of the Time War