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A present for 'Doctor Who' fans: 2016 'Christmas Special' will get 2 nights in theaters

By Rick Marshall November 18, 2016

doctor who christmas special theater run — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fans of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who will have a little something extra to look forward to this holiday season, now that there are plans to bring this year’s Christmas Special to theaters for a two-night run.

This week, BBC Worldwide North America and Fathom Events announced that “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” — this year’s holiday-themed special episode of Doctor Who — will be screened for two nights after Christmas in just shy of 400 theaters nationwide. Big-screen showings of the 60-minute episode will be accompanied by a pair of behind-the-scenes features that won’t air during the December 25 broadcast of the episode on BBC America.

Written by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Ed Bazalgette (Poldark), “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” has The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) teaming up with an investigative journalist played by Charity Wakefield (Wolf Hall) and a mysterious superhero to save New York City from a dangerous alien. The episode’s cast also includes Justin Chatwin (Orphan Black, Shameless), Matt Lucas (Alice in Wonderland), Adetomiwa Edun (Lucifer, Bates Motel), Aleksandar Jovanovic (Collide), and Logan Hoffman (V).

The theatrical screenings of “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” will be held at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, December 27, and Thursday, December 29, at participating theaters. Tickets can be purchased at the website for Fathom Events.

An annual tradition for fans, the Doctor Who Christmas Special airs each year on December 25, and often sets the stage for the events to come in the next season of the long-running series. The holiday episodes also traditionally offer an adventure featuring The Doctor with a companion other than the one he travels with throughout the season, and frequently feature cameos from well-known actors from both television and the big screen.

“The Return of Doctor Mysterio’ will be an excellent way for fans to celebrate the holidays in true Whovian style,” said BBC Worldwide North America’s Soumya Sriraman in a statement accompanying the announcement.

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