The 50th anniversary hype helped both the Bond film Skyfall and the Doctor Who special.
Doubtful.
The Who Anniversary only helped the Who Anniversary special. It's effect on the series itself was minimal.
And, with
Skyfall, there's a lot of speculation just how much of an impact the anniversary really had. It was going to be a super success with or with out it. It was this generation's
Goldfinger. It had the song, the looks, the action, and the style. It was bound to be huge with or without the anniversary. I wouldn't be surprised if two of every three people who went to see it only dimly aware of the anniversary. It it probably had no weight what-so-ever in their decision to buy a ticket.
EON learned its lesson with DAD, where they made the celebration part of the film. And it was a disaster. With
Skyfall, they kept the anniversary stuff secondary to the film itself--like the Who special. Other than the DB5 (which is in a lot of films anyway), there were no celebratory gestures at all.
I'm not saying Paramount and CBS shouldn't do something special--like the who event. Or something like the
Everything or Nothing film. But keep it away from the movie itself. Because, if they don't, there are two real possibilities:
1.) They fill the film up with homages, cameos, call-backs, and Livingston the fish, and it all completely takes everyone out of the film. Look at all the blow back from the radiation scene, and that actually had a thematic and artistic purpose. If they start doing that stuff solely to celebrate the anniversary, the internet will blow up. Literally. There will be so much nerd rage that the kinetic energy from the keyboard pounding will transfer to and accumulate in every server in the world causing them to explode.
2.) They rush the film before it's done just to meet the 50th date and it's shit. Bad Robot has a lot on its table the next five years. The worst thing Paramount can do is push them (with or without Abrams) to get the film out if it isn't ready. That's not to say they can't, but it's already a lot closer than you think.