And so it came to pass that the players took their final places, making ready the events that were to come...

We want to start off by saying just how hard this episode was to preview without spoiling anything; and as you will all know by now, this is the episode that John Simm's Master makes his return. It is this fact that the BBC wanted us all to know about, that we feel is the only real let-down in the whole story. If this could have been kept secret, the reveal would be right up there with Series Three's YANA!

The episode kicks off with one of the most jaw-dropping pre-titles sequences the show has ever had, and a scene which we will no doubt be revisiting thanks to some more timey-wimey magic from Steven Moffat. Yep - that's about all we can say about that!

The main episode itself is the Cyberman story that most fans have been waiting for. We get to see the original Mondasian Cybermen from The Tenth Planet, here, and crikey do they work well! Barely anything has changed - even their voices are exactly the same. These are hands-down the scariest, creepiest version of the Cybermen to have ever hit our screens, and we're so glad they are back!

The Doctor, Missy, Bill and Nardole land on a 400-mile long spaceship, perched at the edge of a black hole. The unique setting is a brilliant concept that means that the front of the ship is at a different point in time to the rear - something that is a key device throughout the story.

There is something quite shocking that happens quite early on, and the consequences of what happens lead to even more shocks that will likely make this episode of Doctor Who one of the most horrific in its entire history. The show quite possibly dips its toe over the line of what it can get away with, but we think it just about works. Yep - that's about all we can say about that!

Once again, Bill (Pearl Mackie) takes up a good chunk of the episode, which dips back and forth to The Doctor, Missy & Nardole. Pearl has been truly amazing in Series 10, so far, and this episode gets her digging deep and delivering everything that's thrown at her. Likewise, Missy (Michelle Gomez) further explores her nicer side, and it seems that The Doctor may have just brought her back to the light. It's so exciting to see this new facet of her character, and the obvious mercurial conflict she is facing within.

Peter Capaldi's Doctor continues to break our heart with the realisation we are just a couple of hours away from his final moments. This man was born to play The Doctor, and he has wiped the floor with all of the naysayers who thought an older actor couldn't carry the role in this modern era of Doctor Who. He actually doesn't have a great deal to do in this episode, but his presence in the scenes he is in adds important grounding and gravitas, which will carry through to The Doctor Falls.

But what about John Simm, you all ask? Well, despite some rumours online, The Master is very much back - not a dream, not a 'Moment-esque' type appearance - he is back, and at his evilest. There were flashes of redemption when he faced The 10th Doctor, and near the conclusion of The End Of Time, it seemed he had made a noble choice. We are still unsure of whereabouts in Simm's Master's timeline this episode sits, but it seems to be set after the events of The End Of Time (we may be wrong, though).

Rachel Talalay delivers another belter on the direction front; full of atmosphere and weight and everything that has always made her episodes stand out. Can we please bring her back for every finale?

As for the musical score, Murray Gold has given us something bigger and bolder, with hints of Series Three (his finest soundtrack in our opinion), and a chilling undertone that haunts throughout the episode. 

World Enough And Time gives us match point for Series 10 of Doctor Who, and it's all eyes on The Doctor Falls as to whether Moffat can cap off one of the strongest and most well-written series in its modern history.

5 Things To Look Out For:

1)  The Doctor emerges from the TARDIS...
2)  "Is your real name Doctor Who?"
3)  Venusian Aikido
4)  "Pain."
5)  "I'm very worried about my future."

+  10.11: World Enough And Time airs This Saturday at 6:45pm on BBC One.

[Source: DWO]

It has been 28 years since Rona Munro's Doctor Who episode, Survival was televised. It happened to be the last episode of the 'Classic Series' of Doctor Who, and in spite of that, the story was strong and seemed to promise us adventures new with those immortal words "Come on Ace! We've got work to do!" echoing out into the cosmos...

We are pleased to confirm that all these years later, Munro's scripts are still of an incredibly high calibre; rich characters, a great storyline - not to mention strong female leads! In fact, the main parallel between the two stories is that the lead female character in The Eaters Of Light is named Kar - and for those of you who remember Survival, the lead female character was called Karra - also a strong, female warrior.

For The Eaters Of Light, Munro takes us on a historical adventure that plays on the real-life disappearance of the ninth legion of the imperial Roman army. The Doctor, Nardole and Bill arrive in Scotland with Bill intent on proving to The Doctor that her knowledge of history on this particular subject, may just be better than his! The TARDIS team split up with The Doctor suggesting he can find proof of their demise by finding their last Battlefield and Bill going to find proof that they didn't disappear and that they can actually be found. What could possibly go wrong? 

Within minutes Bill encounters a young female warrior who gives chase, leading Bill to fall down a big hole (and not for the first time this series). There she encounters a Roman soldier, and it's not long before we are introduced to the big, bad, titular monster of the episode, (who is used sparingly to great effect).

There's some great pacing and suspense throughout, too and the landscapes are just beautiful; kudos to the location scouts for their work on this episode!

We have some lovely moments with The Doctor; Peter Capaldi is so comfortable and at ease in the role, and he has such a quiet power and gentle way of explaining things, and then on another hand there's that unpredictability that he plays so well. Pearl Mackie continues to shine as Bill, and has several lines of dialogue that stand out in particular - there's a great one regarding her sexuality and another regarding the TARDIS' translation system. We cannot leave out Matt Lucas' Nardole, who Munro has written some cracking lines for - not to mention involving him in the plot more, after last week's Nardole-light story.

The main adventure portion of the episode ends with 5 remaining minutes of glorious dialogue between The Doctor and... a certain character (no not that one - well...not technically). 

The Eaters Of Light stacks up well with the high quality of Series 10 episodes so far, and whilst it may not hit you as an instant classic, it will be a 12th Doctor adventure you'll remember with a fond affection, due to the fact you genuinely care about the characters within.

5 Things To Look Out For:

1)  Listen to the crows!
2)  Beware the night!
3)  "Time to grow up."
4)  Roman soldiers are much more liberal that we might think.
5)  "It's time for us to become friends again."

+  10.10: The Eaters Of Light airs This Saturday at 6:45pm on BBC One.

[Source: DWO]

Having seen what The Doctor and his TARDIS are capable of, Bill is given the choice to go into the future or into the past, as the second episode of Series 10 hits our screens this Saturday.

Having chosen the future, and when asked why by The Doctor, Bill retorts: “Why do you think? I want to see if it’s happy!”, and she is about to see just how happy the human race are (and the cost if you're not).

This episode feels like a cross between The Happiness Patrol and Silence In The Library. The emoji-bots, as we've all come to know them as, have more than one similarity with the Vashta Nerada, and we genuinely thought they were going to be revealed as being behind the events of the story, but the emoji bots are something new to the Doctor Who universe, and we can't help feeling this was perhaps an opportunity missed. That being said, there's still something rather sinister in their cute exterior, coupled with the emoji's they display on their faces.

If you were a fan of Bill's TARDIS observations in episode 1, get ready for some more classic one-liners as she critiques the point of the chairs being so far away from the console, and whether there are seat belts! It's great seeing how differently Bill sees things, and, rather amusingly, how The Doctor reacts.

One of the main stars of this episode is undoubtedly the setting, and the Doctor Who locations team deserve a pat of the back for what they came up with in Smile. The main white structure, coupled with the surrounding wheat fields in contrast with the blue sky, make for a striking visual, and you really feel like this could be a futuristic city in a far off world.

Ralph Little's role was much smaller than we were expecting - he only appears about 10 minutes before the end of the episode, but he does a great job - as does Kaizer Akhtar as Praiseworthy! Mina Anwar is also a little underused; she's so loveable and watchable, and you can't help wanting more screen time with her.

Murray Gold's music features a little more in this episode, and it really helps set the scene and pace, further. Without giving too much away in the scene, there's a great piece of music that plays after The Doctor tells Bill to stay away from his browser history. It's the first piece of music this season that we've got really excited about and it was worth waiting for. There's something quite Classic Who about it in feel, and has a touch of Mark Ayres about it.

This is the second offering from writer, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and whilst his first episode (In The Forest Of The Night) divided some fans (not sure why - we actually loved it), this episode should have something everyone likes. There's great Doctor / Companion dialogue, and the main plot point was cleverly constructed, albeit slightly rushed at the end - but this feels more of a production decision than a writing decision.

Smile is a great episode that neatly checks the box for futuristic adventure, and is only let down by the speedy resolution at the end.

5 Things To Look Out For:

1) “You don’t steer the TARDIS. You negotiate with it.”
2) Bill refers to Nardole as 'Little Fella'
3) A magic Haddock!
4) There's something in the fertiliser.
5) Patch.

+  10.2: Smile airs This Saturday at 7:20pm on BBC One.

[Source: DWO]

Going into Series 10 was always going to be a bittersweet situation; there's the excitement of a brand new series, after what feels like an age away from our screens, coupled with the sadness - and reality - that Peter Capaldi will be leaving the show this year. Perhaps, what has made this a particularly bitter pill to swallow, is just how good Capaldi is in this opening episode. He is fully into his groove as The Doctor, and embodies the role with gusto, and you can't help reminding yourself after every little Doctor-y moment, that his days are numbered. Thankfully, we have new companion, Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), to help distract us from the harsh reality of Capaldi's departure.

'The Pilot' takes Doctor Who back to its basics, and, much like 2005's 'Rose' was a companion-centric episode, Bill has a real chance to shine as she takes up the majority of the screen time in the episode. And just how good is Pearl Mackie as Bill?! She positively shines with energy, attitude, intelligence and...yes...that AMAZING hair! The lump in our throats from Clara's departure is very much still there, but hands-down, Bill Potts will win you over before the end titles roll. There's a heart-breaking scene set at Christmas that is played down wonderfully, allowing you to connect your own dots, but it really gets you in the feels, and Pearl plays it so, so well.

Matt Lucas' Nardole is definitely warming to us and he is fast becoming a character that you're glad to have in moments when The Doctor seems a little too 'alien' to Bill's emotions. There's a rather lovely little scene towards the end of the episode that stands out in particular. 

The episode itself delivers in so many ways, and whilst it may not quite live up to the Series 10 opener, it sets up a new direction, a new companion and a new threat, fantastically. A typical device used by Steven Moffat is to take an everyday object and turn it into something sinister, and The Pilot is no exception. Without wanting to give too much away, there's a puddle that's...well....not *quite* a puddle, leading to some moments within the episode that will genuinely make you jump out of your seat. Oh...and taking a shower will never seem quite so appealing anymore. There's a neat little scene that almost mirror's Rose's descent into the basement in 'Rose', and whilst Bill is very different to Rose, you can't help feeling the connection here. Expect a very different reaction from Bill when she sees the interior of the TARDIS for the first time (rather frustratingly for The Doctor), but it's played out very well indeed, to comic effect.

Those of you expecting an all-out Dalek-filled romp will be disappointed as their appearance is fleeting, but you do get a rather nice cameo from some Classic Series characters who have a certain association with them. The scene that featured in the BBC One companion reveal of 'Pearl Mackie as Bill' does indeed find its way into the episode, albeit an edited version to suit the pacing.

What we are missing most from the episode is Murray Gold's amazing scores. Don't get us wrong, there is some new material here from Gold, mostly connected to Bill Potts, but the music isn't as anthemic as it used to be. For the record we absolutely adore Murray Gold's music for Doctor Who, and there's no denying we've been a little spoiled over the years with so many audible treasures, but the days when 'All The Strange, Strange Creatures' or 'I Am The Doctor' became set pieces that followed through the season, seem to be fading. There is a rousing snippet of the 12th Doctor's 'A Good Man?' theme, but it feels a little shoe-horned in, and what this episode is crying out for is something new and bold to push it above and beyond.

Overall we loved the episode and you definitely feel like you've been on an adventure by the end of it. Things feel renewed and refreshed, which goes hand-in-hand with this show and The Pilot wonderfully, and rather aptly creates a new stepping-on point for anyone wanting to start their own journey into the Doctor Who series.



5 Things To Look Out For:

1) A TARDIS trip to Australia!
2) A jar of Sonic Screwdrivers!
3) A present in the wardrobe.
4) What is The Doctor guarding?
5) "I fatted her!"

+. 10.1: The Pilot airs This Saturday at 7:20pm on BBC One.

[Source: DWO]

This Christmas on BBC One, the Doctor joins forces with a comic-book superhero in New York for a heroic special written by Steven Moffat, titled ‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio’. 

The family favourite will return on Christmas Day as The Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, joins forces with an investigative journalist, played by Charity Wakefield (Wolf Hall, The Player) and a superhero to save New York from a deadly alien threat.

Steven Moffat, Writer and Executive Producer, says:

“I’ve always loved superheroes and this Christmas Doctor Who dives into that world. My favourite superhero is Clark Kent. Not Superman, Clark Kent.”

Justin Chatwin (Orphan Black, War of the Worlds) plays Grant in the special, he says:

“Working with the amazing people at Doctor Who has been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I’ve ever had the pleasure of being involved with.”

Matt Lucas (Nardole) will also be joining the cast of the special with Adetomiwa Edun (Lucifer, Bates Motel), Aleksandar Jovanovic and Logan Hoffman.

The 60 minute Doctor Who Christmas Special will air on BBC One and is written by Steven Moffat, Executive Produced by Brian Minchin, Produced by Peter Bennett and Directed by Ed Bazalgette (Poldark), it was shot in Cardiff at BBC Wales Roath Lock Studios.

Watch a special teaser trailer in the player, below:
[youtube:kFcSe0VrbXc]
[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Following his hilarious appearance in The Husbands Of River Song, Matt Lucas returns to Doctor Who from the opening episode of series 10 which starts filming next week in Cardiff (Monday 20th June).

Commenting on his return to Doctor Who, Matt Lucas, said:

“I’m chuffed to bits that Nardole is returning to the TARDIS for some more adventures. I loved acting with Peter and I’m excited to work with Pearl.”

Bringing her energy and zest to the show, Pearl Mackie embarks on her first week of filming as she takes up the role of the Doctor’s companion. In her first major television role following her West End appearance in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, she’ll be bursting on to screens in the opening episode.

Steven Moffat, lead writer and Executive Producer, added:

“Delighted and slightly amazed to be welcoming Matt Lucas back on to the TARDIS - and this time it’s not just for Christmas, he’s sticking around. One of the greatest comedy talents on planet Earth is being unleashed on all of time and space.” 

Stephanie Hyam will play a guest cast role in the new series and is recognised for her performance as Lily Clarke in Jekyll & Hyde. She’s also appeared in Peaky Blinders, Murdered by My Boyfriend, and Sherlock.

The opening episode of series 10 is written by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, executive produced by Brian Minchin, produced by Peter Bennett and directed by Lawrence Gough. The second episode in the new series has been crafted by award winning screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Block 2 writers are Sarah Dollard (writer of acclaimed episode Face the Raven) and Mike Bartlett (multi award winning Doctor Foster).                                                                                                                                                                              

Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales produced drama for BBC One. It will return in December 2016 with a Christmas Special, followed by the new series in 2017.

+ Series 10 of Doctor Who airs in 2017.

The BBC have unveiled the title, full synopsis and 'iconic photograph' from this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special.

The special, which will air on Christmas Day on BBC One is called 'The Husbands Of River Song', and also features Matt Lucas (Nardole) and Greg Davies (King Hydroflax).

Along with the title, the BBC have also supplied us with a promo image featuring The Doctor, River Song and a red robot villain. The eagle-eyed among you will also notice The Doctor is holding a new Sonic Screwdriver! Find out how he gets it in the Series 9 finale '9.12: Hell Bent', this Saturday!

Below is the full synopsis for the episode: 

“It’s Christmas Day on a remote human colony and the Doctor is hiding from Christmas Carols and Comedy Antlers. But when a crashed spaceship calls upon the Doctor for help, he finds himself recruited into River Song’s squad and hurled into a fast and frantic chase across the galaxy.

King Hydroflax (Greg Davies) is furious, and his giant Robot bodyguard is out-of-control and coming for them all! Will Nardole (Matt Lucas) survive? And when will River Song work out who the Doctor is? 

All will be revealed on a starliner full of galactic super-villains and a destination the Doctor has been avoiding for a very long time.”

+  The Husbands Of River Song airs on BBC One on Christmas Day. Time TBA.

[Source: BBC]

The BBC have unveiled the official synopsis for the, as-yet untitled, 2015 Doctor Who Christmas Special.

“It’s Christmas Day on a remote human colony and the Doctor is hiding from Christmas Carols and Comedy Antlers. But when a crashed spaceship calls upon the Doctor for help, he finds himself recruited into River Song’s squad and hurled into a fast and frantic chase across the galaxy.

King Hydroflax (Greg Davies) is furious, and his giant Robot bodyguard is out-of-control and coming for them all! Will Nardole (Matt Lucas) survive? And when will River Song work out who the Doctor is?

All will be revealed on a starliner full of galactic super-villains and a destination the Doctor has been avoiding for a very long time.”

[Source: BBC]