Could we be seeing another Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who Special this November? Radio Times seems to think so!

Quoted from their website, RT says: 

"Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary show will feature one of the five former doctors who wielded the Sonic Screwdriver before the Eccleston reboot, RadioTimes.com understands.

According to sources, one of either Colin Baker, Paul McGann, Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy or Peter Davison will be in the feature length special episode alongside Tennant’s Doctor and the current incumbent Matt Smith."

If true, this means we would see at least 4 Doctors in the special; Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt and the as-yet, unannounced actor.

At this year's Comic Con, Steven Moffat admitted he has "lied my arse off about the 50th", so could the fourth actor in fact be Christopher Eccleston? More news as we get it!

[Sources: RadioTimes.com]

Matt Smith has recorded a Thank You video to the Doctor Who team and the fans, whilst on location in Detroit.

Watch the video in the player below:

Smith can be seen in the upcoming Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special on 23rd November, before bowing out in the, as-yet untitled, 2013 Doctor Who Christmas Special.

[Sources: BBC Doctor Who Website]

Confirmation on who will play the role of The 12th Doctor will be confirmed this Autumn, RadioTimes.com reports.

BBC insiders have told RadioTimes.com that filming on the Christmas special – to be followed by the full series – will not take place until the autumn – probably August, or even September.

According to sources the identity of The 12th Doctor is almost certain to be announced just prior to filming, which means that it is very likely that the new incarnation of the Time Lord will not be unveiled until late summer.

Initially the BBC had hoped to begin filming the Christmas special earlier, with some sources suggesting July as a potential date.

“Suffice to say we are completely on track” said a spokeswoman.

[Sources: RadioTimes.com]

The BBC have quashed the recent rumours circulating online that an announcement on the casting of the 12th Doctor is due imminently.

The rumours, which began via Science Fiction magazine; Starburst, stated:

"Sources have indicated that a Sunday newspaper is intending to scoop the BBC by announcing the name of the new Doctor this weekend. And in order to pre-empt the scoop, the BBC look set to announce the name tomorrow evening, just a single short week since the announcement of Matt Smith’s departure, and hardly time enough for that bombshell of a news story to sink in.

[UPDATE]

Starburst's sources have now come up with three names, apparently the front-runners in the bidding to be the new Doctor. Whether it's one of these three that has in fact been chosen to play the part, we cannot be sure. We can't really be sure that these three are in the running at all - but that's what we've been told! One thing that's guaranteed, however, is that this new "information" will get people talking!

The three names are: Domhnall Gleeson, Daniel Kaluuya, and Dominic Cooper."

BBC Publicist, Jenni Pain, tweeted the following this morning denying the rumours:

"For all those wondering, there is no #doctorwho announcement planned today"

This was then further echoed by the @BBCOne Twitter channel:

"@bbcdoctorwho fans, contrary to rumours there is no #DoctorWho casting announcement today."

Also via Twitter, Doctor Who DVD Director, Ed Stradling appeared to have official word from Steven Moffat on the rumours:

"Steven Moffat says this morning "I haven't a clue who it is, we've barely started." So no #doctorwho announcement this evening I fear!"

The DWO View:

The BBC will keep the casting of the 12th Doctor as close to their chests for as long as possible. Over the next few days, weeks and possibly months, you will no doubt hear a multitude of names - male and female - thrown into the ring, but as with Matt Smith, the BBC are likely to cast someone who possibly hasn't even been mentioned yet. Watch this space!

+  Follow @DrWhoOnline on Twitter!

[Sources: Twitter; Starburst]

The BBC has today announced that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show.

Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary Special in November and regenerating in the Christmas Special.

During his time as The Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.

Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.

Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!

Matt Smith says:

"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.

Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!

It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says:

"Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently.

And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him - sometimes literally - his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.

But great actors always know when it's time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt - bow ties were never cooler.

Of course, this isn't the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now - all unknowing, just going about their business - is someone who's about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that's still so exciting!"

Jenna Louise Coleman, adds:

"I could not have imagined coming into the show without Matt as my Doctor, holding my hand, really, quite literally. I totally lucked-out in having a creative, generous, clever, and lovely fella to work alongside day after day.

I feel so privileged to have been part of Matt's reign, to have to been companion to what is and what I think always will be one of our greatest Doctors.

He is so in love with the show, he works tirelessly hard, surprises me every day, always creating and discovering something new about the Doctor. A true gent, a leading man and a very special friend.

I know it will be a very difficult goodbye for me, but I for one can't wait to see where his career takes him next.  And of course with the same welcome I was brought in with, I look forward to welcoming the next Doctor. BUT it's not over till it's over. See ya at the big 5-0!"

Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Louise Coleman), Matt's Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting 'run' and 'Geronimo', through Matt's Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination - fish fingers and custard!

Matt's spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23 November 2013 - TUNE IN!

[Source: BBC Press Office]

 DWO's Senior Art Editor and Editorial Team Member, Will Brooks has put together a rather nifty infographic explaining River Song's (rather complicated) time line. Click on the image below for a larger version.

DWO's Senior Art Editor and Editorial Team Member, Will Brooks has put together a rather nifty infographic explaining River Song's (rather complicated) time line. Click the image below for a larger version, or click HERE to open a super high-res copy.

The character of River Song (played by Alex Kingston) first appeared in the 2008 two-part story Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead, opposite David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. At the time, she was played as a somewhat mysterious character from the Doctor’s own future, with a battered diary styled to resemble the TARDIS. Following her first appearance, there was a great deal of speculation as to just who River Song may be. In his book The Writer’s Tale, then-current showrunner Russell T Davies even commented that;

“I’ve read [Silence in the Library], and it has a character in it who I’m just sure is the Doctor’s wife (!!!)...”

Since then, River has returned to Doctor Who on several occasions, opposite Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. She’s faced off Weeping Angels (twice!), Daleks, the Silence, and even gets to take the credit for being ‘the woman who killed the Doctor’. Oh, and they get married, of course. 

While River Song’s story has been more closely tied to the most recent few seasons of the programme (and specifically to the Doctors former companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams), we’ve not always encountered her in the same order that she experiences events. 

The above timeline tracks her movements through the Doctor’s life, taking in all their adventures from her birth (in 2011’s A Good Man Goes to War) through to her death in the Library (during her very first appearance in the series). It charts all of her televised adventures with the Doctor, plus the 2012 video game story The Eternity Clock, and scenes made exclusively for the Series Six DVD/Blu-Ray release, plus several unseen adventures that River has recorded in her little blue book.

River’s timeline in relation to the Doctor’s may not be the most straightforward in the programme’s history, but it’s kept us guessing over and over again. The Name of the Doctor sees her finally being able to let go of the man she loves, but not before she promises him that there’s still a few more ‘spoilers’ to come... 

[Sources: DWO; Will Brooks]

The BBC have released a behind-the-scenes interview with Matt Smith and David Tennant.

The video, which teases some of the fantastic chemistry we can expect between the two of them, can be viewed below:

+  The 50th Anniversary Special airs on Saturday 23rd November on BBC One.

[Source: BBC]

Owing to a BBC America Distribution error, some American customers are reporting that their copies of the Series 7 Part 2 Blu-ray box-set has turned up early - before the finale has even been televised.

The news has prompted Twitter statements by the BBC, rightfully urging fans to keep the secrets of the finale until after broadcast:

The tweets promise a treat for fans if they remain vigilant, in the form of a special video featuring Matt Smith and David Tennant.

There is a chance that the episode could leak onto torrent sites, and DWO would just like to echo the BBC's words of helping to keep the spoilers off the internet.

If you are given any information regarding torrents or sharing of details from 'The Name Of The Doctor', please contact the BBC at: thedoctor@bbc.co.uk. 

[Source: BBC]

Speaking to RedCarpetNewsTV at this year's BAFTA awards event, Steven Moffat talked about the tribute and refused to be drawn on specifics about the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who special.

Moffat, who can be seen in the interview view below, also added:

"Oh, I love you all, Doctor Who fans, but honestly, now and then, don't believe everything you hear or don't hear." 

[Source: RedCarpetNewsTV]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.12: Nightmare In Silver.

The episode achieved a figure of 4.7m viewers, with an audience share of 21.4%, and Doctor Who was the fourth most-watched programme for Saturday, once again Doctor Who won its time slot for the evening.

it is worth noting that Doctor Who was up against the FA Cup Final on ITV1, so the 4.7m figure is a respectable one.

Top Overnights - Saturday 11th May:

1 - 10.9m - Britain's Got Talent - ITV1 (Includes +1)
2 - 7.4m - The Voice - BBC One 
3 - 4.7m - Doctor Who - BBC One 

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

Series 7 Part 2 Final BARB Ratings roundup:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John = 8.44m
7.7: The Rings Of Akhaten = 7.45m
7.8: Cold War = 7.37m 
7.9: Hide = 6.61m
7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS = 6.50m
+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Paul Clough]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.11: The Crimson Horror.

The episode achieved a figure of 4.61m viewers, with an audience share of 25.2%, and Doctor Who was the third most-watched programme for Saturday, once again winning its time-slot for the evening.

Top Overnights - Saturday 4th May:

1 - 10.13m - Britain's Got Talent - ITV1 (Includes +1)
2 - 7.99m - The Voice - BBC One 
3 - 4.61m - Doctor Who - BBC One

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

Series 7 Part 2 Final BARB Ratings roundup:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John = 8.44m
7.7: The Rings Of Akhaten = 7.45m
7.8: Cold War = 7.37m 
7.9: Hide = 6.61m

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

DWO’s spoiler-free preview of episode 7.12 Nightmare in Silver:

When The Doctor takes Clara, Artie, and Angie to Hedgewick’s World of Wonders, the greatest theme park in the galaxy, they find themselves in a run-down world, where a group of soldiers stand guard, and the only attraction is a shabby collection of ‘wonders’ from across the stars. But the time travellers aren’t the only visitors to this world. Unusual insects climb the walls, relaying data to ensure the re-emergence of the Cyberiad… 

It may seem like an odd decision to pit The Doctor against The Cybermen in the penultimate episodes of both the Sixth and Seventh series, but the role they play in events are wildly different between the two stories. Whereas 2011’s Closing Time features a group of tin soldiers who were on their last legs, Nightmare in Silver is very much about looking to the future, and creating the next phase of The Cybermen. 

Writer Neil Gaiman recently commented that he was asked to write the episode with a brief to make The Cybermen scary again:

"I thought, 'Let me see what I can do when I take the 1960s Cybermen and [incorporate] everything that's happened since'. So that's what I'm trying to do. I don't know if it will work."

We're pleased to report that not only does it work, but it works brilliantly. The episode is littered with references to the Cybermen’s past - with design elements from The Tomb of the Cybermen bleeding through into the new design of a Cyber-ship, to references concerning the creatures’ previous allergies and leaders. For a fan of the 20th century version of Doctor Who, this episode is a real treasure trove. 

The Cybermen themselves have had a complete design overhaul, too, which makes them more streamlined that the version the programme has used since 2006. This new design takes in elements from the earliest versions of the creatures, while fully updating them to look sleek and modern. The design also brings with it some new forms of attack, and takes the opportunity to re-appropriate the idea of a Cyberman ‘upgrade’.

But the new-look Cybermen aren’t Nightmare in Silver’s only big draw. The episode boasts a fantastic cast, including Jason Watkins (best known for his role as vampire leader Herrick in Being Human), and a long-overdue appearance in the series for Warwick Davis, Who shines in the role of ‘Porridge’. 

As ever, the episode allows plenty of time to showcase its two lead stars, even giving Matt Smith plenty of time to share the screen with himself, as he battles with the impending threat of a cyber-war. Jenna-Louise Coleman gets to show us what Clara is really made of, when The Doctor leaves her in charge of a platoon of soldiers with two simple instructions - stay alive, and don’t let anyone blow up the planet.

Stephen Woolfenden makes his directorial debut for Doctor Who with this episode, having worked as a second unit director on four of the Harry Potter films, and as a First Assistant Director on Gaiman’s Neverwhere in the 1990s. He brings a bold new look to the series with this episode, and it’s hard not to get swept up in the epic style of the episode. 

Speaking of Nightmare in Silver at the MCM Expo Comic Con in London last year, Matt Smith predicted that the episode would be a ‘fan’s favourite’, and we don’t think he’s going to be wrong!

Five things to look out for...

1) It’s not the Moon.

2) “We all know there are no more living Cybermen…”

3) The Doctor encounters the 699th Wonder of the World.

4) Time Lords invented chess.

5) Nobody needs rescuing from anything. 

[Sources: DWO; Will Brooks]

BBC Cymru Wales has announced that Brian Minchin is to be the new Executive Producer of Doctor Who, alongside showrunner Steven Moffat.

Brian Minchin is an Executive Producer in BBC Wales drama, currently working on The Game, a new Cold War spy thriller from Toby Whithouse for BBC One, and Wizards Vs Aliens, Russell T Davies’ hit show for CBBC. He has also worked as BBC Executive Producer on Dirk Gently and Being Human.

Brian produced the RTS award-winning and BAFTA nominated series The Sarah Jane Adventures, as well as the UK sections of Torchwood: Miracle Day and was Assistant Producer on Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Brian, who grew up in Aberystwyth, joined the department in Cardiff in 2005 as a Script Editor working on BBC One Wales drama Belonging, before moving on to network dramas Doctor Who and Torchwood in the same role.

Brian says:

“I'm thrilled and excited to be joining Steven Moffat on a show that has meant so much to me over the years. I've watched in awe as Steven has taken Doctor Who to wild and imaginative places and I can't wait to get started on many more adventures with the Doctor.”

Faith Penhale, Head of Drama Wales, says:

“I've no doubt Doctor Who will enjoy a very exciting time with Brian at the helm working alongside Steven. Since joining BBC Wales in 2005, he’s proved he has a fantastic eye for story and a sharp awareness of what makes a drama like Doctor Who unmissable."

Steven Moffat, Lead Writer and Executive Producer, adds:

"When I first took over Doctor Who, Brian was there as script editor, and in the most difficult time of a new Doctor and a new era, was completely brilliant. We lost him to producing The Sarah Jane Adventures at the end of our first run. Rising talent keeps rising, is how I comforted myself back then - but now I am beyond happy that Brian has risen all the way back to Doctor Who, in his new role of Executive Producer. I look forward to getting hopelessly lost in space and time with him."

Brian will start in his new role with immediate effect.

[Source: BBC Press Office]

The overnight viewing figures are in for 7.10: Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS.

The episode achieved a figure of 4.9m viewers, with an audience share of 26.68%, and Doctor Who was the third most-watched programme for Saturday, once again winning its time-slot for the evening.

Top Overnights - Saturday 27th April:

1 - 9.3m - Britain's Got Talent - ITV1 (Includes +1)
2 - 7.9m - The Voice - BBC One 
3 - 4.9m - Doctor Who - BBC One

Final BARB ratings will be available within the next 10 days.

Series 7 Part 2 Final BARB Ratings roundup:

7.6: The Bells Of Saint John = 8.44m
7.7: The Rings Of Akhaten = 7.45m
7.8: Cold War = 7.37m 
7.9: Hide = 6.61m

+  What did you think of the episode? Rate / Discuss in the DWO Forums!

[Source: Andy Parish]

DWO’s spoiler-free preview of episode 7.11 The Crimson Horror:

“When the end of days is come, and judgement rains down upon us all...”

When Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax are alerted to a spate of strange deaths in the north of England, it’s the last sight of a dead man that grabs their attentions. Sweetville has been established as a place for people to come and repent, opting for a chance to be saved from the coming apocalypse. But there’s something sinister at the heart of this ‘perfect’ community, and the Paternoster Row team aren’t the only ones intrigued by the mystery of Mrs Gillyflower and her ‘silent partner’, Mr Sweet... 

Having made such a hit as a team in The Snowmen last Christmas, the return of Vastra, Jenny, and Strax has been one of the most anticipated points of the 2013 series. Thankfully, Mark Gatiss’ The Crimson Horror does not disappoint. 

The story in places almost serves as a ‘Doctor-lite’ episode, with much of the early focus of the episode being squarely on the guest cast. We almost open mid-story for the Doctor and Clara, and discover the secrets of Sweetville through the eyes of our returning heroes, as they make their way deeper into the sinister new mill, uncovering secrets as they go. Vastra’s advice of how to find the Doctor - to ignore any ‘keep out’ sign, and actively look for danger - is fitting, and it’s wonderful to see these characters given room to breathe. 

The stand out has to be Dan Starkey, returning as Strax for a third time. As during the christmas episode, the character is played purely for comic relief, but all his humour hits just the right spot. The more we see of the trio together, the more we’re desperate for them to front their own spin-off series. This episode seems to perfectly showcase that they could carry it off, with mysteries being brought to their attention, ready to be investigated. 

The other major guest stars for The Crimson Horror come in the form of Diana Rigg and her daughter Rachel Stirling. They play mother and daughter in the episode, too, with Rigg taking on the part of Mrs Gillyflower, owner of the new Sweetville Mill, and her blind daughter, Ada. The pair are fantastic casting and really set the screen alight when they share it.

The direction of the episode, by Saul Metzstein (who also directed our unusual Victorian investigators last Christmas), is as fantastic as we’ve come to expect from him, and there’s an interesting use of flashbacks to catch us up with the story when needed. 

The only question now... when will Vastra, Jenny, and Strax be getting their own spin-off?

Five things to look out for...

1) “Did you think I’d forgotten you, dear monster?”

2) “Just when you think your favourite lock-picking Victorian chamber maid will never turn up!”

3) “Brave heart, Clara...”

4) “Horse! You have failed in your mission!”

5) “I’m the Doctor, you’re nuts, and I’m going to stop you.



[Sources: DWO; Will Brooks]