Doctor Who Live : The Afterparty Infamously featuring a disastrously flawed live satellite hookup with the boy band One Direction in Los Angeles , the programme was widely derided by fans . The press were no less disapproving . " Radio Times " panned the show as " that embarrassing BBC3 interlude " , saying " the treatment of the former companion s was unforgivable " and noting that the 15 - second delay on the interview with One Direction created a situation in which " the Moff had his head in hands in horror " . likewise called it a " debacle " . Main subject . The main reason for the gathering was to celebrate " The Day of the Doctor " , and as such the cast and crew of that episode were given pride of place on the interview couch . The people receiving the longest interviews were therefore Matt Smith , Jenna Coleman , John Hurt and Steven Moffat . Also , the presenters made an effort to solicit opinions about the 50th anniversary special from " ordinary fans " who were gathered in what was described as a " social media zone " . International fans from other countries were similarly asked to give their opinions on the episode . Most questions to former companions were also skewed toward getting some comment about " Day of the Doctor " , and how it compared to stories in their era of the programme . Former companions . Many actors who had previously played companions from both " Doctor Who " series were gathered but their treatment by presenters Zoe Ball and Rick Edwards was widely criticised . Many of the actors weren ' t given the chance to speak during the show , and Edwards had to push his way through in order to speak to specific guests . Other actors were referred to only by their characters ' names . Mark Gatiss considered their treatment of the classic series to be disrespectful . One Direction failure . The boy band One Direction ( who were also celebrating 23rd November to be " 1D Day " ) also appeared via a live satellite link - up where they would ask questions about the show . Unfortunately , the band members hadn ' t actually seen " The Day of the Doctor " and so their questions were fairly inappropriate to the occasion . The main problem however was that the sound was delayed , creating a sound loop as those on each side of conversation tried to figure out what the other was saying . At one point , the loop became a wall of noise , and the link had to be severed . This incident was recounted by Zoe Ball in a live Q & A with Peter Capaldi , Jenna Coleman , and Steven Moffat , screened after theatrical showings of the Series 8 premiere , " Deep Breath " , on 23 August 2014 , where she jokingly announced that the live link to One Direction in Los Angeles was up . Moffat laughed , saying that the fandom would never let that one go . Additional topics covered . Another key focus for the episode was in promoting " The Fiveish Doctors Reboot " , allowing Peter Davison , Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy some greater interview time . People interviewed . In credit order — which , oddly , was alphabetised in order of " first " names — the guests who attended were : People appearing by video . A number of " Doctor Who " alum specially recorded segments that were played into the live event , including : In addition some British celebrities not directly associated with " Doctor Who " taped special inserts as well . Perhaps the highest profile ones were Graham Norton and the judges from " Strictly Come Dancing " . Crew . The credits are ambiguous as to the producer and director . While it appears that Victoria Simpson is the piece ' s director , and Russell Minton its producer , the credits additionally have the following , mysterious entry : Home video releases . A Home video release of this event is unlikely , due to the sheer volume of the " cast " and its major technical flaws . Any DVD / Blu - ray release would most likely have been with the 50th Anniversary Collector ' s Edition box - set , and no release of any kind has been announced .