Deep Breath - Leicester Square screening

After all the anticipation of the day, and having seen the episode already in Cardiff, now it is finally time to watch it in a simultaneous broadcast on tv and at cinemas up and down the UK.

The excitement and buzz in the cinema was amazing. Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for the show to start.

On the big screen of the Leicester Square Odeon, where so many blockbuster films have had their premiers, there was a slideshow reminder of the world tour Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat have just completed.

I was at the Cardiff screening on the 7th of August, which formed the first stop on their seven cities over twelve day global tour.

From Cardiff they had rushed down to the BFI for the London leg, before flying to Seoul in South Korea for their screening two days later on the 9th of August.

They then took in Sydney on the 12th of August for the Australian stop-off, prior to heading to the United States and New York for the 14th August.

They then took in South America with Mexico City on the 17th August, followed the next day by the final stop in Rio De Janerio.

It must have been a gruelling trip but an incredible commitment on the part of the BBC to back the launch of the Twelfth Doctor to this extent.

From the look of the photos in the slideshow they had a great time and enjoyed every minute of it.

It wasn’t long before the lights went down and the episode started to the rapturous appreciation of the audience.

I had specially booked to come to THIS screening, as it was due to be followed by a question and answer session with Peter, Jenna and Steven. This would be broadcast live to the other cinemas around the UK showing the episode - but here is would be LIVE!

There was a bit of a gap between the episode and the Q&A, during which some Cybermen marched up and down the aisles, scaring the children.

I had managed to nab some seats within the first five or six rows of the stalls, which meant our view for the Q&A was second to none.

Peter, Jenna and Steven made their entrance in dramatic style. The Odeon Leicester Square is one of the few London cinemas which still has its Wurlitza organ at the front of the screen. This rises up on a platform through a trap door - and it was on this that the trio rose ethereally to the applause of everyone in the cinema.

The Q&A was hosted by Zoe Ball, who almost precisely a year ago hosted Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, when Peter Capaldi was revealed to the waiting fans at BBC Elstree, barely a mile from where I live.
She had also hosted the disastrous Doctor Who After Show Party at the BFI where things didn’t entirely go to plan.

Luckily this was more organised and we enjoyed a good half hour of conversation with the stars with questions submitted by members of the audience from across the UK.

All in all its been an awesome month to launch the latest Doctor, and by the looks of things the role is in safe hands.
I look forward to seeing what the rest of his first season has to bring us.