The Doctor is in, big time.
Fans of the cult favorite TV show “Doctor Who” are eagerly awaiting the weekend of Nov. 22, when venues throughout Brooklyn will commemorate the series’s 50th anniversary with costume-heavy viewing parties, sci-fi-inspired bands, and spacey brain busters.
The Way Station, a “Doctor Who”-themed bar in Prospect Heights, complete with TARDIS bathroom, will screen the 50th anniversary episode live at 2pm on Nov. 23 and owner Andy Heidel is expecting so many fans to show up that he is renting out two nearby bars — 706 Bar and Branded Saloon on Vanderbilt Avenue. Heidel says that the program’s popularity is so great that it brings together divergent strains of non-athletic subcultures.
“Doctor Who is a mixing point where a lot of fringe groups of geeks and nerds rally around,” he said.
And the celebration could get even bigger if Heidel gets his way. The bespectacled barman suggested to the New York SciFi and Fantasy group that it petition the Empire State Building to light up in blue and white on Nov. 23 in honor of the show. So far, the organization has collected more than 30,000 signatures.
After the credits roll, the Way Station will host four sci-fi and “Doctor Who”-inspired bands, including Time Crash, Devo Spice, the DeLorean Sisters and the Sky Captains of History. There will also be a costume contest and a raffle.
Across town, both Powerhouse Arena in Dumbo and the cafe Supercollider in Sunset Park will host “Doctor Who” trivia nights on Nov. 22.
“One of the funnest things about it is how intense the fans can get if there’s an ambiguous answer,” said John Clinton, director of events at Pengiun Random House, which is putting on the quiz contests.
There is plenty of one-upmanship when it comes to testing who knows more arcane details of the longest-running sci fi show in the world, such as the characteristics of each of the eleven actors who have played the titular character, referred to by fans as “the Doctors.”
“There’s a lot of material to mine,” said Brad Temple, who will host the trivia at SuperCollider. “We are always challenged to come up with hard questions to separate the super fans from the ultra fans.”
“Doctor Who” trivia at Supercollider [609 4th Ave. between 17th and 18th streets in Sunset Park, www.facebook.com/supercolliderbrooklyn]. Nov. 16 at 7 pm. $5.
“Doctor Who” trivia at Powerhouse Arena [37 Main St., between Water and Front streets in Dumbo, (718) 666–3049, www.eventbrite.com/e/doctor-who-trivia-more-in-celebration-of-the-50th-anniversary-tickets-6332279017]. Nov. 22 at 7 pm. $10–$15.
Simulcast of the 50th anniversary episode of “Doctor Who” at The Way Station [683 Washington Ave between Saint Marks Avenue and Prospect Place in Prospect Heights, waystationbk.blogspot.com], Branded Saloon, [603 Vanderbilt Ave. between Bergen Street and Saint Marks Avenue in Prospect Heights, (718) 484–8704, www.brandedsaloon.com] and 706 Bar [706 Washington Ave. between Prospect and Park places in Prospect Heights, (347) 365–3926, www.706bar.com]. Nov. 23 at 2pm. Free.
