Can the cinema change how we see TV and art?

Doctor Who was shown in cinemas around the UK last Saturday.

Doctor Who was shown in cinemas around the UK last Saturday. This event was widely received by fans across the ages, myself included, but how is showing television programmes and arts productions in cinemas changing the way we watch our favourite programmes and theatre shows?

 

 

The showing last Saturday of Peter Capaldi playing the Doctor for the first time, was a packed, sold-out affair. Fans came in their masses, of all shapes and sizes, across a wide age span.

 

Not only was the excitement for the new episode apparent, it was embraced. Many fans dressed up and everyone was prepared to dedicate the evening to Doctor Who, watching extra scenes and a live Q&A as well as the show itself.

 

 

For us, it was a night of joy, watching a new episode of one of our favourite shows amongst a crowd of like-minded fans simply increased the excitement and added to the atmosphere of the show. Cinemas often harp on about the ‘cinematic experience’ but many of us associate that ‘experience’ with uncomfortable seats, annoying background chit-chat or other, let’s just say ‘noises.’

 

Yet in showings such as this one, people are engaged. They are there for a reason and it’s not back-seat fondling. Instead, these people make the ‘cinematic experience,’ simply through the collective want to fully engage and enjoy what is no longer merely a 60-minute TV show, but an event.

 

Nobody was sneaking onto Facebook or chatting noisily with their mates. We were immersed in the night, with the only noises being cries of shock, giggles at innuendos and the occasional buzz of a sonic screwdriver.

 

 

For many fandoms, showings like this one not only add excitement, they also add a social element to watching your Saturday night guilty pleasure. Everyone knows that watching something with friends is more enjoyable than watching it solo.

 

These events give you a chance to meet people with similar passions, or unite with people that you’d usually never speak too, simply because you know you have something in common. A shared interest to bond over.

 

 

Famous theatre productions like Billy Elliot are now also being shown in cinemas, and I think it’s brilliant. With the West End slowly dying, cinema showings are a welcome silver lining. Such showings mean that no matter where you are, you enjoy and experience theatre, without forking out to travel all the way to London for the day.

 

Not only does this make it cheaper, as days out to the West End soon rack up huge expenses, but it also means that you can go after work. Having showings at your local cinema, means greater ease of access to the theatre.

 

 With most of us leading hectic busy lives, it’s far easier to pop down to your local cinema, then book a days holiday to travel to London for a 2-3 hour showing.  

 

Before I went to the Doctor Who showing, I had never been to the cinema to see anything other then, well… a film. Now however, I would recommend showings (or should I say experiences) like this to anyone.