The 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who will be broadcast simultaneously in more than 70 countries.

The Day of the Doctor, which will star the current Doctor Matt Smith and his predecessor David Tennant, will also be shown in more than 200 UK cinemas.

So far TV networks in 75 countries have agreed to air the show on 23 November.

Tim Davie, chief executive of BBC Worldwide, said he hoped to to take "appointment viewing" to "another level".

"In its 50th anniversary year, we wanted to create a truly international event for Doctor Who fans in as many countries as possible," he continued.

"The simultaneous broadcast and cinema screening of the special across so many countries will make for a fitting birthday tribute to our Time Lord."

Smith and Tennant will appear in the 75-minute episode alongside John Hurt, introduced as 'The Doctor' at the end of the last instalment broadcast.

"The Doctor has always been a time traveller," said executive producer Steven Moffat. "Now he's travelling time zones."

The BBC has announced a raft of programmes to celebrate the anniversary of the much-loved sci-fi staple.

Highlights include a BBC Two lecture by Professor Brian Cox on the science behind the show and An Adventure in Space and Time, a drama by Mark Gatiss about the show's inaugural episode.

In addition [to the Nov 23 broadcast of the special], BBC AMERICA will be dedicating an entire week to Doctor Who in November, including the new film An Adventure in Space and Time, marathons and new specials to be announced.

BBC Worldwide is expected to confirm the find at a press screening in London later this week.

BBC America inadvertently revealed a potential time of broadcast for the 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor, when they updated their advance schedules for November online. The (provisional) details indicated that after a week-long celebration of the series, it would premiere on 23rd November at 2:45pm Eastern time, meaning a UK broadcast of the 75-minute special would occupy a prime-time slot at 7:45pm (possibly after Strictly Come Dancing in such a scenario).

However, BBC America have confirmed that the schedule for the week leading up to the anniversary has yet to be finalised, and that the broadcast mentioned above is currently only a 'placeholder' until the BBC lock the exact time down - the BBC themselves are unlikely to confirm such a definite time until much closer to the date (which could be a lead time of just ten days before broadcast!)

As well as episodes and documentaries, other programming planned by BBC America over the course of the week includes: the US premiere of An Adventure in Space and Time (provisionally scheduled for Friday 22nd November at 9:00pm, and not expected to be simulcast with BBC2 in the UK!); Explaining Doctor Who, which UK channel Watch have scheduled for 12th October as part of their Doctor Who Revisited launch day; and other 'talking-head' items including Tales from the TARDIS and a special 15-minute Day of the Doctor Pre-Show (the provisional schedule indicated 7:00pm on the Saturday before a prime-time repeat of the episode).

As noted, all schedules are subject to change.

In a release that went out to press today (October 24), BBC AMERICA announced 3D screening events in the U.S. for “The Day of the Doctor,” Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary special that will premiere November 23. Eleven cities will take part in the global simulcast of the episode on November 23, with additional screenings in 300 cinemas across the country for one night on Monday, November 25.

Tickets are set to go on sale tomorrow (October 25) at 9 am ET for the November 23 simulcast screenings via Cinemark.com and Fandango.com.

To find out if a theater near you is one of the 300 cinemas taking part in the Monday, November 25 events, visit www.fathomevents.com at 9 am ET on October 25 as well.

Here’s the full list of cities and participating theaters for the November 23 simulcast:

Los Angeles
Cinemark Rave 18 + IMAX (Los Angeles, CA)
Century Huntington Beach Bella Terra + XD (Huntington Beach, CA)

New York
AMC Loews Village 7 (New York, NY)
Regal E-Walk Stadium 13 & RPX (New York, NY)

Chicago
Century Evanston + XD (Evanston, IL)
Cinemark at Seven Bridges + IMAX (Woodridge, IL)

Philadelphia
Cinemark Rave University City Penn (Philadelphia, PA)
Cinemark 16 (Somerdale, NJ)

Dallas-Ft. Worth
Cinemark West Plano + XD (Plano, TX)

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
Century San Francisco Centre 9 (San Francisco, CA)

Washington, DC (Hagrstwn)
Cinemark Rave Fairfax Corner + XD (Fairfax, VA)

Houston
Cinemark Tinseltown + XD (The Woodlands, TX)

Atlanta
Cinemark Tinseltown 17 (Fayetteville, GA)

Seattle-Tacoma
Cinemark Lincoln Square Cinema (Bellevue, WA)

Minneapolis
AMC Southdale 16 (Edina, MN)