This weekend, Doctor Who fans worldwide will gather around an untold number of computer, television and theater screens for an event 50 years in the making.
The quintessential British science fiction series turns 50 this year, and to celebrate this milestone the BBC is pulling out all the stops.
Among the events scheduled is Saturday’s global simulcast of the 50th anniversary special: The Day of The Doctor.
It’s at this point you might be asking yourself: who’s Doctor Who? The Doctor is a 900+ year old alien who travels through time and space in the T.A.R.D.I.S., a blue time machine that looks like a London police box from the early 1960’s.
WATCH: The BBC's trailer for The Day of the Doctor
Jacksonville resident Brad Preuss is a long-time fan of the series.
“I gravitated to it when I was young because it was fantastic. It was like an adult but it was a little kid inside him,” he said.
Preuss laughingly compares fans’ anticipation of Saturday’s Doctor Who special to Broadway afficianados seeing Cats in New York.
“I’m not going to say it’s to that extent, but you’re getting all these different things all together," he said.
"You’re getting a new Doctor. You’re getting an award winning Doctor playing The Doctor. You’re getting David Tennant. I mean there’s just so many things at once, it’s amazing.”
Pruess says his meet-up group, The Jacksonville Doctor Whovians, will be getting together to watch the 50th anniversary special.
The Day Of The Doctor airs at 9 p.m. Saturday night in England, but because Britain is six hours ahead of us, fans here on the east coast can catch the world premier simulcast on BBC America starting at 2:50 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
A pre-show will be streaming live on BBC America's YouTube channel starting Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
You can follow Cyd Hoskinson on Twitter @cydwjctjax.
