For fans of a madman in a blue box, last Saturday was pretty epic. Doctor Who, perhaps the iconic British science fiction series of the last century, celebrated its 50th birthday with a special anniversary episode that was shown simultaneously around the world on TV and in movie theaters.
Add a live simulcast pre-and post-show event that unfolded online and on TV, as well as a massive social media campaign, and you got record-breaking television ratings around the world, including 2.4 million viewers on BBC America (which increased to 3.6 million following an encore screening later in the day).
All of that didn’t happen just by virtue of the show’s history — it was a clever combination of multiple platforms to create a truly global event. Here’s how it was done:
The actual premiere
The aniversary episode, titled “The Day of the Doctor,” featured current series star Matt Smith as well as the returning David Tennant and legendary actor John Hurt, plus additional cameos and in-jokes for long-time fans. Its initial airing took place at 7:50 PM GMT — and 2:50 PM ET, and 11:50 AM PT, and so on around the planet in over 75 countries.
The rest of the story at Gigaom.com.