FanX: Doctor Who The Ultimate Experience
“The challenge for me is to do justice to the show’s illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it.”
These were actor Matt Smith’s words upon being cast as the eleventh Doctor on the hit BBC show “Doctor Who” in 2009, and indeed, he had big shoes to fill (Converse high tops, to be specific) when David Tennant left the show. Tennant, a celebrated Shakespearean actor, had brought the Doctor to a level of mainstream stardom unprecedented in the series illustrious history.
“He (Tennant) found the perfect balance between portraying the childlike personality of the Doctor, as well as showing what his dark past had done to his mental state” says Abby Maxwell, a 16 year old devoted Whovian (the popular term for doctor Who fans) who attends Corner Canyon High School. “He made the character more relatable than any other Doctor. “
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Despite initial resistance, Smith’s Doctor was soon embraced by fans. An important part of this was the friendship between The Doctor and a Scottish girl named Amelia “Amy” Pond, played by Karen Gillan. The interplay between the two made endeared Smith’s Doctor to Whovians everywhere. Gillan appeared at Salt Lake Comic Con’s FanX last year, and so many people showed up to see her that a second ballroom was turned into an overflow so that audience members who couldn’t get in could at least watch on a video monitor.
This year, Gillan is returning, with an added attraction: Matt Smith.
“I was so excited I gave myself heartburn” says Provo resident Melissa Smith about the announcement that Matt Smith was coming. “He had such an inviting way way of taking you through each story, where you were as excited as the Doctor was to see what was next and enjoy it.”
In addition to Smith and Gillan, Billie Piper, who played Rose Tyler, who served as a companion to both Christopher Eccelston and David Tennant’s Doctors. The event, entitled “Doctor Who: The Ultimate Experience,” sold out in less than a week, and is the single biggest attraction to hit Comic Con or FanX thus far.
Seating begins at 5 p.m. in the South Ballroom, and the event will begin at 5:30 p.m. sharp. So if you are one of the lucky ones who scored tickets, set your T.A.R.D.I.S. for Friday, January 30th at 5:00 p.m., and don’t forget to bring your sonic screwdriver: you never know when it might come in handy.
Fore more information about FanX go to www.saltlakecomiccon.com.
