Doctor Who: Lockdown!

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Doctor Who: Lockdown! (also styled Doctor Who: LOCKDOWN!, and originally titled Who at Home[1]) was a project founded by Emily Cook from Doctor Who Magazine who proposed the idea to Doctor Who fans as a simulcast watch-along of the show's 50th Anniversary, The Day of the Doctor, worldwide as a way to pass the time in self-isolation due to worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. The story was shown on 21 March 2020. She added that if the concept gained enough popularity, she would arrange more watch-alongs.[2] which did indeed come to pass.

The event even developed its own website.[3]

Nature

Minisodes and extras

For the first watch-along, Steven Moffat penned a short introductory skit, Strax Saves the Day, which was released on Twitter. The home-produced video starred Dan Starkey as Strax, represented on screen with a stuffed toy of the character, and featured the voice of Neve McIntosh as Vastra.

For the second watch-along Russell T Davies penned a sequel audio story, Revenge of the Nestene, which was released onto YouTube and depicted the aftermath of the Nestene Consciousness's defeat at the hand of the Ninth Doctor. He also released a previously withheld prequel short story, Doctor Who and the Time War, which was released onto the Doctor Who website and depicted an alternate account to the Eighth Doctor's involvement in the Last Great Time War and the Ninth Doctor's origins. This was the first of a series of COVID-era releases on the Doctor Who website, which soon ceased directly tying in with tweetalongs, but were still ultimately part of the same broad phenomenon, with Paul Cornell's BBC website short story The Shadow Passes tying in directly with his contemporary Lockdown! webcast The Shadow in the Mirror.

Such releases continued with each new watchalong, bringing together established DWU writers, actors and/or characters in a variety of new original content, released alongside each instalment of this event. DWM 554 dubbed the impromptu series "the unexpected ‘Lockdown Season’ of Doctor Who in 2020" in an article penned by Steve O'Brien — although the article concerned itself only with the webcast releases, failing to document Spoof Scenes and How The Monk Got His Habit, it did include the non-narrative webcast Lockdown Long Song | Choir-Only Version.

After a Doctor Who: Lockdown! website was created in late 2020, it introduced a new classification, separating video Minisodes, video Singalongs, and prose Extras. Soon after the website's launch, a page entitled Fan Content was also added. This section of the website encouraged viewers to create their own works inspired by the subject of the current tweetalong, as well as posting them on Twitter within the relevant hashtag. A selection of these fan-generated stories and pieces would then get an official release on the website in the Fan Content section.

The Tweetalong phenomenon

"Doctor Who: Lockdown!" was originally conceived of by Emily Cook as an "umbrella term for online Tweetalongs, where fans could revisit old episodes together, alongside some of the people who wrote, made and starred in them". (REF: The Lockdown Season)

Indeed, many tweetalongs with no official connection to the BBC or other right-holders were organised, beginning as a The Five Doctors watchalong (with the hashtag #GameofRassilon) organised by Ellie Collins ("TardisMonkey") was promoted by Emily Cook but was not directly part of the Lockdown! line, and also saw a small scene with Paul Jerricho as the Castellan being filmed and released for the event.[4] Other watchalongs promoted by Emily Cook included The Three Doctors, organised by Ellie Collins[source needed] (which had two short spoofs starring Jon Culshaw and Katy Manning), and The War Games, organised by Pip Madeley.[source needed]

Radio Times organised Torchwood simulcasts with John Barrowman tweeting along[5][6] and Billie-Adora ("Transgirlbillie") organised watchalongs of Class.[7] Big Finish organised a livestream of The Chimes of Midnight (with the hashtag #PlumPudding) with Paul McGann tweeting along.[8] The Doctor Who pages themselves organised a tweetalong of the then-latest episode The Timeless Children on the 23rd November (with the hashtag #DoctorWhoDay).[9] The same DW-pages later organised another tweetalong of the then-latest special, New Year Special Resolution on the 21st December to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the Daleks (with the hashtags #Resolution and #DalekDay).[10]

The tweetalongs were not the only occasion for the release of new webcast Doctor Who content, with Russell T Davies or even the BBC itself releasing new webcasts not connected with a particular watchalong in an effort to spread awareness of various facets of the crisis.

Fundraising and awareness

Doctor Who: Lockdown! minisodes and extras were usually released for free on various online platforms such as YouTube, the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, and the official Doctor Who: Lockdown YouTube channel. As such, they did not constitute charity publications in the conventional sense. However, much like Doctor Who Comic Relief or Children in Need specials, one dimension to their existence was to raise awareness of a charitable cause: the publicity around theLockdown! event was leveraged to encourage Doctor Who fans to donate to the COVID-19 Film and TV Emergency Relief Fund.[11] In addition, the webcast The Best of Days was rewritten late in production to make prominent reference not just to the coronavirus pandemic, but also to the Black Lives Matter movement.[12]

Tweetalongs

Lockdown 1 Tweetalongs

# Episode Hashtag Featured commentary Date and occasion
1 The Day of the Doctor #SaveTheDay Steven Moffat 21 March 2020
2 Rose #TripofaLifetime
26 March 2020
15th Anniversary
3 Vincent and the Doctor #TheUltimateGinger
4 The Eleventh Hour #FishCustard
Steven Moffat
Matt Smith
Karen Gillan
Arthur Darvill
Adam Smith
3 April 2020
10th Anniversary
5 The Doctor's Wife #BiggerOnTheInside 11 April 2020
6 Heaven Sent #HellOfABird
7 The Stolen Earth / Journey's End #SubwaveNetwork
19 April 2020
Anniversary of Elisabeth Sladen's death
8 Human Nature / The Family of Blood #DoctorOfMine 24 April 2020
9 Dalek #TheMetaltron
Robert Shearman
Nicholas Briggs
Barnaby Edwards
30 April 2020
15th Anniversary
10 The Girl in the Fireplace #Clockdown
Steven Moffat
Russell T Davies
Sophia Myles
6 May 2020
14th Anniversary
11 The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion #TruthOrConsequences 10 May 2020
12 The Fires of Pompeii #VolcanoDay 17 May 2020
13 Listen #FearIsASuperpower
Steven Moffat
Douglas Mackinnon
20 May 2020
14 An Adventure in Space and Time #London1963
23 May 2020
"Half-birthday" of Doctor Who
15 Dinosaurs on a Spaceship #ImRiffing
Emily Cook
31 May 2020
16 The Rings of Akhaten #FestivalOfOfferings 26 May 2020
17 The End of the World #BurnBabyBurn
Russell T Davies
30 May 2020
18 New Earth / Gridlock #NewNewYork
Russell T Davies
Anna Hope
19 Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead #HelloSweetie
Emily Cook
31 May 2020

Lockdown 2 Tweetalongs

# Episode Hashtag Featured commentary Date and occasion
20 Blink #DontBlink Steven Moffat 31 October 2020
21 The Husbands of River Song #HelloSweetie Douglas Mackinnon 7 November 2020
22 Turn Left #TrickstersBrigade Graeme Harper 14 November 2020
23 The Pilot #ATimeForHeroes (none) 21 November 2020
24 Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways #BadWolf (none) 28 November 2020

Festive Tweetalongs

# Episode Hashtag Featured commentary Date and occasion
25 Thin Ice #TheBigFreeze Pearl Mackie, Sarah Dollard 5 December 2020
26 The Unquiet Dead #WhatTheDickens Mark Gatiss 12 December 2020
27 The Runaway Bride #SantasARobot Russell T Davies, Catherine Tate 18 December 2020
28 A Christmas Carol #HalfwayOutOfTheDark Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Danny Horn, Laurence Belcher, Steven Moffat 20 December 2020
29 Dark Water/Death in Heaven #HeyMissy Chris Addison, Rachel Talalay 3 January 2021

Lockdown 3 Tweetalongs

# Episode Hashtag Featured commentary Date and occasion
30 Partners in Crime #IJustWantAMate 9 January, 2021[13]

Cancelled

Episode Hashtag Featured commentary Date and occasion
World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls #BlackHolesAndRevelations 6 June 2020 (Cancelled)

Associated releases

Minisodes

Several new short stories and webcasts were released to tie into the watchalongs, or the COVID-19 pandemic in general, some of them on a dedicated Doctor Who: Lockdown YouTube channel.

# Title Featuring Tweetalong Author Release date
1 Strax Saves the Day Strax, Vastra The Day of the Doctor Steven Moffat 21 March 2020
2 Doctor Who and the Time War Eighth Doctor, Ninth Doctor Rose Russell T Davies 26 March 2020
3 Revenge of the Nestene Nestene Consciousness
4 The Raggedy Doctor by Amelia Pond Amelia Pond The Eleventh Hour Steven Moffat 3 April 2020
5 Rory's Story Rory, Amy The Doctor's Wife Neil Gaiman 11 April 2020
6 Farewell, Sarah Jane Jo, Ace, Gita, Luke, Clyde, Rani, Mr Smith The Stolen Earth/Journey's End Russell T Davies 19 April 2020
7 Shadow of a Doubt Bernice Summerfield, Daughter of Mine Human Nature/The Family of Blood Paul Cornell 24 April 2020
8 The Shadow in the Mirror Thirteenth Doctor, Daughter of Mine
9 Sven and the Scarf Sven Dalek Andrew Ireland 30 April 2020
10 Pompadour SS Madame de Pompadour The Girl in the Fireplace Steven Moffat 6 May 2020
11 The Zygon Isolation Osgood, Osgood The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion Peter Harness 10 May 2020
12 The Descendants of Pompeii Lobus Caecilius's descendants The Fires of Pompeii James Moran 17 May 2020
13 Listen Twelfth Doctor Listen Steven Moffat 20 May 2020
14 Fear Is a Superpower Danny Pink, Clara James Peaty
15 Doctors Assemble! The Doctors An Adventure in Space and Time James Goss 23 May 2020
16 The Secret of Novice Hame Hame, Tenth Doctor New Earth/Gridlock Russell T Davies 30 May 2020
17 The Best of Days Bill, Nardole World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls Steven Moffat 7 June 2020
18 U.N.I.T. On Call UNIT, Third Doctor Turn Left Emily Cook, Jon Culshaw 14 November 2020

Extras

# Title Featuring Tweetalong Author Release date
1 Message from the Doctor Thirteenth Doctor N/A Chris Chibnall 25 March 2020
2 Incoming Message Yvonne Hartman N/A Russell T Davies 26 March 2020
3 United we stand, 2m apart Thirteenth Doctor N/A Chris Chibnall 8 April 2020
4 Dalek: Spoof Scenes Ninth Doctor, Rose Dalek Robert Shearman 30 April 2020
5 How The Monk Got His Habit The Monk The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion Peter Harness 11 May 2020
6 Sally Sparrow and the Weeping Angel Sally Sparrow, Weeping Angels Blink Steven Moffat 2 November 2020
7 A Christmas Carol: Draft 1 A Christmas Carol

The Fan Gallery

Starting with the tweetalong of The Husbands of River Song, the Doctor Who: Lockdown! website also included a section entitled "The Fan Gallery". It published stories and artwork submitted privately to, and reviewed by, the Lockdown! team by fans, in contrast to the extras of previous tweetalongs, which usually featured the contribution of one or more crewmember associated with the original story.

Short stories

The fan-fiction posted on the official Doctor Who: Lockdown! website were for the most part unlicensed. However, A Better World saw the start of Jacob Black and Aristide Twain's collaboration with the licensed use of the Auteur - who later appeared in Auteur's Abecedarium and Resurrection of the Author. LINDA United acted as a prequel to The Jack Who Stole Christmas, which was published in the charity anthology Twice Upon A Time Scope in December.

# Title Featuring Tweetalong Author Release date
1 Nardole's Very Bad Day Nardole The Husbands of River Song E. J. Robinson 7 November 2020
2 The Search for the Surgeon Nardole, Twelfth Doctor Andrew Hsieh
3 Expectations Thirteenth Doctor, Bernice Summerfield Philip Scholes
4 A Night on Darillium River Song, Twelfth Doctor, Slitheen family Harry T. Jones
5 Halfway Through The Night River Song, Twelfth Doctor Samuel Johnstone
6 The Final Night River Song, Eleventh Doctor Ben Greenland
7 Ever After River Song, Twelfth Doctor Eliza Tem
8 Goodbye Sweetie River Song Aidan M Phillips
9 The Inevitable End of River's Song River Song Calum Brown
10 Ramone's Story Ramone, River Song, Nardole, Dorium Maldovar Cornelius Blanc
11 Cross Roads Turn Left Aidan M Phillips 14 November 2020
12 Original Matthew Holmes
13 An Alternate Death Of The Doctor Danny Bunyan
14 No One To Stop Him Connor Cahill-Hayes
15 Who's Left Jamie Lawson
16 Project Lodestone Liz Shaw, Rose Tyler, Daniel Claremont, Erisa Magambo Felix O'Kelly
17 Bad Night At The Office Ezekiel Thorp
18 A Star And A Beetle Aisleen Sturrock
19 Matter And Death Matt Jordan
20 A Better World Auteur, Donna, "Wolf-girl", Alice Aristide Twain
21 Turn Back Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, Thirteenth Doctor Chris Newton
22 Turn Left Poem Lauren Gordon
23 A Star In Her Eye Bill Potts, Heather The Pilot Cornelius Blanc 21 November 2020
24 A Most Unfortunate Pit Stop Heather Joel Newton
25 Present and Future Twelfth Doctor, Nardole, The Curator Philip Scholes
26 Visitors to the Vault Sarah Jane Smith, Jo Jones, Twelfth Doctor, Missy Toby Sutton-Long
27 The Substitute Missy Chris Newton
28 Quantum Physics Lecture Twelfth Doctor, Bill Potts Samuel Johnstone
29 The Imposter Bill Potts, Nardole, Twelfth Doctor James Hornby
30 Time After Time Twelfth Doctor, Bill Potts, Daleks, Movellans Jamie H. Cowan
31 A Christmas Gift Bill Potts, Twelfth Doctor, Rosie Danny Bunyan
32 Beyond Normality Twelfth Doctor, Bill Potts Lauren Middleton
33 Susan's Picture Twelfth Doctor, First Doctor, Susan Foreman Taylor Edwards
34 Superiority Twelfth Doctor, Bill Potts, Daleks, Dalek Time Strategist James Hawkins
35 I Bring Life Jack Harkness, Ninth Doctor, Rose, Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways James Morgan Belcher 28 November 2020
36 A Missed Appointment Face of Boe Scott Varnham
37 Jackie's Favour Rose, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith Samuel Johnstone
38 LINDA United Linda Moss Cornelius Blanc
39 Letters From Home Gwen Cooper Aidan M Phillips
40 The Battle of Floor 499 Jack, Daleks Andrew Hsieh
41 The Last Secret of the Emperor Dalek Emperor, Ninth Doctor, Daleks Aristide Twain
42 The Face from the Future Ninth Doctor, Dalek Emperor, Daleks, The Moment Chris Newton
43 Parting of the Cells Daleks James Hawkins
44 The Lone Survivors Jamie Lawson
45 While He Worked Ninth Doctor Felix O'Kelly
46 Donna Noble Prologue Donna Partners in Crime Liam Gradwell 9 January 2021
47 Lost and Found Alex Wakeford
48 The Weight is Over Jamie Lawson
49 An Adipose Adventure Samuel Johnstone
50 Many Hands Make Light Work Cornelius Blanc
51 The Complete Story of My Life (So Far) Toby Price
52 Kevin and Jenny Take on the Universe Aidan Phillips

Comic stories

# Title Featuring Tweetalong Author Release date
1 Turn Left Prequel Comic The Trickster, Fortune teller, Time Beetle Turn Left Nick Lodge 7 November 2020

Documentary features

# Title Subject Released by Release date
1 Vincent and the Doctor's Gallery A collection of fan art YouTube 30 March 2020
2 BBC News | Friday 3 April 2020 Doctor Who: Lockdown! BBC News; YouTube 3 April 2020
3 The Long Song: Fan Cover | How To Get Involved... #LockdownLongSong YouTube 14 April 2020
4 Tests for the Mechanism of Heaven Sent's Confession Dial Early screen tests for Heaven Sent
5 Heaven Sent Previsualizations
6 The Doctors Say Thank You Thanking the NHS 25 April 2020
7 An A-Z of Impressions with Jon Culshaw! Jon Culshaw's impressions 19 May 2020
8 Lockdown Long Song | Choir-Only Version The Long Song 26 May 2020
9 Doctor Who: Lockdown! | Tweetalong Trailers Mega Mix Doctor Who: Lockdown! Tweetalongs 8 June 2020
10 Doctor Who: LOCKDOWN | Lockdown Long Song (with the Doctor's Rings of Akhaten Speech) The Long Song 12 June 2020

Doctor Who: Blackout

Originally, the episodes World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls were scheduled to be shown as the 'finale' of the watchalongs. However, due to events concerning the death of George Floyd, they were pulled due to their content being considered by the fanbase to be badly timed. In their place, fans used the hashtag #DoctorWhoBlackout while watching The Ghost Monument, The Haunting of Villa Diodati, Thin Ice, and Knock Knock. Although the event was not officially organised, it did receive some support from organisers of Lockdown.

External links

Footnotes