Following the success of the first two special screening events, The Daleks’ Invasion of Earth and The Crusades, Riverside Studios and The Doctor Who Appreciation Society (DWAS) have announced a further two events in the run up to the 60 Anniversary celebrations in November.

Hosted at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, these events are held in a screen which was once used as the studio that many Sixties and early Seventies episodes of Doctor Who were recorded in. And just outside is Hammersmith bridge, which was famously used as the stretch of the Thames that the Dalek emerges from at the end of the opening episode of The Daleks’ Invasion of Earth. Sitting in front of the cinema screen, it’s hard to believe that this small and cramped studio was once used to film iconic scenes from the early years of the show. Outside is also a plaque dedicated to the filming of the first regeneration at the end of The Tenth Planet.

There is a sold out event tomorrow (12th August) for The Moonbase, which will see Frazer Hines, and John Levene and Derek Chafer, both of whom played Cybermen; as well as production manager Margot Hayhoe, and cameraman Dudley Darby, who both worked on many episodes of Doctor Who throughout the 1960s.

But don’t worry, if you missed out on The Moonbase: on the 30th September 2023, there is an event for The Tenth Planet, a story which saw the First Doctor, William Hartnell, bow out of the series as well as the introduction of the Cybermen, monsters who we know are still going strong 50-odd years after they first appeared in the show! The Tenth Planet will be hosted by Doctor Who expert Matthew Sweet who many fans will know for the In Conversation documentaries from the Blu-ray Collection sets. He will be giving introductions and providing background information on the making of the story between the screening of the three surviving episodes. (According to Riverside’s website, the cast includes Carole Ann Ford, Maureen O’Brien, and Peter Purves — we know that none of those actors were involved in The Tenth Planet so hopefully they will be guests for the event and will be doing photo opportunities and signings afterwards.)

And then on 14th October 2023, Riverside will be hosting The Sea & Space event, which will be screening The Underwater Menace Episode 2 and The Wheel in Space Episode 6 in a celebration of the Second Doctor. So far, the guests announced for this event include Wendy Padbury who played companion Zoe; Michael Troughton, the son of Patrick Troughton and man who currently plays the Second Doctor on Big Finish; and Makeup Assistant Sylvia James, who worked on the show between 1967 and 1974. Of course, these are only the first announced guests and DWAS normally manages to grab lots of excellent guests so I’d imagine there will be even more announced in the run up to the event.

I was lucky enough to go to the The Crusades event and get a ticket for The Moonbase one too and I can tell you that these events are brilliant. Not only is it a chance to see Doctor Who in a cinema outside of the BFI (which always sells out before anyone can actually grab a ticket), but they are well hosted events too. The folks at DWAS are really lovely; I’ve met quite a few of them over the years and the calibre of guests is always excellent — from meeting the actors to those who worked behind the scenes, they always manage to deliver interesting and exciting chats about the stories they worked on. I’ve made it my mission to meet as many people who have worked on Doctor Who in any capacity for the show so I’m really excited to meet the guests that have been announced so far!

Beginning at 2pm, they normally finish at 5/6pm once you’ve grabbed photos and autographs and then take a little tour around Hammersmith to see some filming locations. Another notable location is The Macbeth Centre in Macbeth Street, which was used extensively in Remembrance of the Daleks; I think I’ll be taking a little trip there when I go!

For tickets to these events, head on over to the Riverside Studios website!