The Doctor finally arrives at the Ponds House. But where are they? Here, Pond Life reaches its dramatic climax…
‘Pond Life’ is written by Chris Chibnall, directed by Paul Metzstein, and produced by Denise Paul for BBC Wales.
Pond Life is also available as a full-length omnibus version, with all parts compressed to one.
Domestic life with the Ponds is never dull, as we learn when the Ponds try adjusting to life with an Ood butler…
‘Pond Life’ is written by Chris Chibnall, directed by Paul Metzstein, and produced by Denise Paul for BBC Wales.
Pond Life: Part 5 will be available tomorrow at midday.
This exciting ‘teaser’ trail for Asylum of the Daleks gives us another glimpse into the new series but it also raises an intriguing question…
What do the Daleks want saving from?
The BBC have announced that a brand new teaser trailer for ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ will debut TOMORROW at 8AM on and you can be certain DWF will be posting it then, for your enjoyment, too!
The hotly-anticipated opening episode to Series 7 was shown at the BFI as a press screening, and already shows much promise, following the all-round rave reviews it has received from the media.
A strong message that comes prominently through most reviews and instant responses is that spoilers should be especially avoided in these two weeks preceding the episode’s broadcast, since there are many twists and unexpected plotlines to enjoy, as Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury emphasised, while TV/film critic Boyd Hilton praised the episode and Steven Moffat’s writing…
Actually, one final thought on Spoilers: we really, genuinely do consider this extremely carefully when planning our DWM coverage (1/2)
— Tom Spilsbury (@TomSpilsbury) August 15, 2012
... but if you're super-sensitive (and only you know your own threshold!), it's up to you whether you read it! Take responsibility! x (2/2)
— Tom Spilsbury (@TomSpilsbury) August 15, 2012
Asylum Of The Daleks is a stupendously clever story. Thrilling, scary, emotional, funny, surprising. Classic Moffat.
— boydhilton (@boydhilton) August 14, 2012#DoctorWho
Richard Bacon, who hosted the event, also had this to say...
Just hosted a BFI Q&A with Matt Smith, Steven Moffat, Kaz Gillan & the Dr Who crew. Was really rather funny. Will be on BFI's website soon
— richard bacon (@richardpbacon) August 14, 2012
Remember, the new teaser trailer for 'Asylum of the Daleks' will be posted right here tomorrow at 8AM.
Having joined Doctor Who in the fifth series, Arthur became a regular character in series six and is now set to make his departure alongside onscreen wife Karen Gillan in episode 5. Here he shares his favourite moments, monsters and how you can make Karen scream!
Rather wonderful, the great thing about Doctor Who is that is always tries to better itself and that has really happened this series, Arthur is talking fondly about the upcoming series, it feels like a movie!
What is fantastic is that the Daleks are actually scary in this episode, continues Arthur as he gives his thoughts on Asylum of the Daleks. It was quite an odd experience being on set that day, not only because of all of the Daleks, but because there was generally a lot more people on set as they were so excited about what was about to happen.
Such an amazing title, but to be honest I wasn’t sure how they were going to do it, getting Dinosaurs on a Spaceship! But that episode is made extra special with Mark Williams playing Rory’s dad, he was just hilarious, so lovely and just a funny guy, remembers Arthur. With one of the biggest sets ever built to house the prehistoric creatures, Arthur exclaims, The dinosaurs were huge, going on set was like walking in to a massive aircraft carrier.
So with Amy and Rory’s relationship in a slightly sticky situation in episode 1, how did Arthur find that to play?
Every relationship has their rocky moments, Arthur explains, but it was quite fun to play out a problem in their relationship and it shows a different side to both of their characters and makes them more real. I think that was an important side to show.
It’s Karen Gillan’s last series as Amy Pond. Having travelled through space and time for three years, she is about to hang up her TARDIS key. Here she gives us a glimpse at what is to come in episodes 1 to 3, from Daleks to Dinosaurs, and some thoughts on her departure.
It was AMAZING! We have totally made them scary again. I expect everyone to be watching from behind their sofas, I know I will... Karen is talking excitedly about the return of the Doctor’s most fearsome and famous enemy the Daleks. The opener to series 7, Asylum Of The Daleks, will feature the most Daleks ever to be seen on screen and from the different decades, including a special appearance form Russell T Davies’ Dalek, I am so pleased that he now owns an official Dalek, it was a real honour to act opposite him and I think he is going to go far! she says rather cheekily.
I think my favourite is the 1960s Dalek with the white and blue armour, she continues, there is something more menacing about them as they are smaller and they just look so original. If I was going to own one, it would be one of those, Karen concludes, I would keep it in my kitchen.
This series has been done in really interesting way with five stand alone epic episodes, like a movie a week, all building to the departure of the Ponds!
We actually kick-off the series with Amy and Rory’s relationship in a sticky situation; it is less than marital bliss.
Donning the compulsory tweed for the third time, Matt Smith gets ready for more adventures through space and time as the Doctor. Here he talks about his hopes for the new series, what fans have to look forward to and saying goodbye to the Ponds.
Asylum Of The Daleks is going to be a cracker, states Matt as he talks excitedly about the opener of the new series. Steven has written and absolute belter and we have made the Daleks scary again, something I am not sure we got right before.
With Asylum Of The Daleks featuring Daleks from all of the decades, does Matt have any favourites?
Absolutely! The blue and white ones from the 1960s, I think they are from the Troughton era… they are just kind of groovy, smaller but fantastic. And the lovely Barnaby (Edwards) who operates them. The day we filmed with all of those Daleks there was such an excitable atmosphere on set from cast and crew alike. It was a brilliant few days at work!
With five big adventures for the Doctor and his companions, this series it is set to be epic. We have five of the most exciting standalone episodes, with everything from Daleks to dinosaurs and of course, the fall of the Ponds, explains Matt. So does he have a preferred episode?
Well I love Asylum of the Daleks and episode 5, but I am immensely proud of all of them.
The second episode sees viewers taken on an incredible prehistoric adventure with the unusually titled Dinosaurs On A Spaceship, so what did Matt think when he first heard those four words?
Steven, you are a genius! It’s Doctor Who in a nutshell. I have always wanted to do a dinosaur episode, he continues, so I was very pleased to get the chance. And the Director Saul (Metzstein) has done a fantastic job, with David Bradley playing a cracking villain. I think it is such a fun episode with a wonderfully crafted script by Chris Chibnall.
During this series Matt Smith’s Doctor gets faced with a lot of new challenges. Not only did he get to live out many a childhood dream of becoming a cowboy for the day by riding a horse in the western themed episode, A Town Called Mercy, but he also got the once in a lifetime opportunity... to ride a dinosaur. More painful than you can imagine, Matt gives us an insight in to just what that was like, I had to wear padded trousers! Dinosaurs are a lot lumpier than horses, so it was a painful couple of hours, a laugh though and definitely worth it as it’s going to look great.
As part of the Doctor Who Series 7 press bundle, the BBC Press Office have released an exclusive interview with Steven “The Moff” Moffat…
Head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat gives us an insight in to the monsters and adventures that we can expect from the new series.
So it is back with a bang and with Daleks from every decade. Why did you decide to kick-off the new series with a Dalek filled episode?
We've been off the air for longer than usual, so it was an easy decision to come back with Doctor Who at its most iconic and that means Daleks. Lots and lots of scary Daleks.
There have been many monsters to face the Doctor over the years, but only one that can sum up the whole series just by being there.
Also, it's my first go at writing for them. I LOVE the Daleks, and I've held off till now. But I had what I thought was a good idea, and couldn't resist any longer!!
What else can we expect from the new series?
We have, I think, our biggest range of stories EVER. We've got the return of the Daleks AND the Weeping Angels - both of them poll-topping Doctor Who adversaries - in cracking new stories, we've got Dinosaurs on a spaceship (it's what you've always wanted), we've got a glorious western with a Cyborg Gunslinger, the most unusual invasion Earth story EVER, and location shooting in New York for the Pond finale.
The images tease us with the exciting prospect of the first three episode – ep1 ‘Asylum of the Daleks’, ep2 ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’, and ep3 ‘A Town Called Mercy’. The photos featuring cast members inevitably include more of Matt, Karen and Arthur, though we are given some further glimpses at Rory’s dad Brian (played by Mark Williams), as well as episode three’s Cyborg Cowboy (played by Andrew Brooke). Possibly more exciting for others, however, may be the dinosaurs on a spaceship and, of course, legions and legions of Daleks.
Here are just a few (click images to enlarge)…
See the full range of promotional shots here!
Saturday 1st September
Some of you will be dismayed, having thought it was August 25th. Some may be smug at having believed it was the September 1st all along. Others may pretend to be smug, as they had absolutely no idea. Others, however, may indeed be thinking, “But you already subtly told us the broadcast date in your previous post…” and you, also, were correct. Enjoy that thought!
Disclaimer: yes, that font is big enough.
The opening episode of Series 7 – ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ – has just been premiered this evening at the BFI’s special press screening, at which the special guests included: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Caroline Skinner and Steven “The Moff” Moffat”, who were interviewed by BBC Radio 5Live DJ Richard Bacon.
At the event, Moffat confirmed that the long-awaited and much-rumoured titles of episodes four and five are…
Episode 4: ‘The Power of Three’
Episode 5: ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’
Series 7 will premiere in the UK on Saturday 1st September on BBC One.
Pedants (with a slightly nasal voice): “Isn’t that a little too much like Daleks in Manhattan?”
The actor does, however, already have affiliations with Doctor Who. Grant previously starred in online webcast animation ‘Scream of the Shalka’, in which he voiced the alternate Ninth Doctor (it was made and released before 2005+ Who). His Doctor was recognisably dark, with a distinctly vampire look. In the 2003 online webcast, this alternate Ninth Doctor also picked up a plucky new companion in the form of a London girl named Alison (played by Sophie Okonado – who later became Liz 10 in Series 5’s 2010 episode ‘The Beast Below’.
Richard E. Grant also appeared as a version of the Tenth Doctor (see above) in the Steven Moffat-written comedy-gold episode made for Comic Relief in 1996. His predecessor was Jim Broadbent (Professor Slughorn! …and other more reputable things), and successor was Joanna “Patsy Stone” Lumley.
However, he may well be better known to the general public for his work in television shows Absolutely Fabulous as Eddy’s “dream Justin”, The Hound of the Baskervilles as “Jack Stapleton, US comedy Frasier (‘Goodnight, Seattle’) as “Stephen Moon”. Meanwhile, he has starred in films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula as “Jack Seward”, Gosford Park as “George”, The Iron Lady with his portrayal as Michael Heseltine, and most notably in Withnail and I (as "Withnail") alongside the Eighth Doctor Paul McGann.
With excitement for the upcoming new series of Doctor Who building, fans’ collective blood pressure is getting dangerously high with the mounting excitement. One typically wonderful way our fellow fanatics have found to express this river of anticipation is by releasing it into a fountain of creativity (forgive my momentary and horrific use of metaphor).
One splash of fan-w*nk that I came across recently, following the unveiling of the second official Series 7 trailer, was this fan-made teaser trailer for ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ that is – simply put – brilliant.
If I didn’t have more respect for my own dignity I would have already started a petition to get the guys at the VG934 YouTube channel crowned as the BBC’s profession Doctor Who trailer makers! If you need convincing, you need only watch a few of their other fantastic fan-made trailers.
Very well done to them! Brilliance truly does lie in every area of fandom creativity.
Amazon UK have got in early with their listing of the two-disc DVD set for Series 7 Part 1, which is set for a release date of November 12 release. With this, we also get the approximate dates for the release of the Series 7 Part 2 DVD set, which – along with the complete box set – has a much more vague date given.
However, what we can estimate from this information is that approximate dates of broadcast (in the UK) for the second half of Series 7, which will star Matt Smith and newcomer Jenna-Louise Coleman. It seems that JLC’s (Jenna’s unofficial nickname, don’cha know) half of Series 7 will begin airing no later than late March next year (the latest the DVD could be released and still hit a spring deadline would be May 27).
This is how it seems the broadcasting for Series 7 will be:
With thanks to Hypable.
BBC America are going all out this August to broadcast four specially-made documentary-style specials. Each instalment will focus on a different area of Doctor Who (Science, Women, Timey-Wimey and Destinations) and will precede the broadcast premiere of the new episode of Series 7.
These are the synopses released…
‘The Science of Doctor Who’ – Saturday, August 4
“How much of the science fiction in Doctor Who is science fact?” asks theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku in tomorrow’s BBC America special, The Science of Doctor Who. Science fiction has a long tradition of predicting future technology, and who’s to say Doctor Who will be any exception? Scientists and celebrities join Doctor Who producer and head writer Steven Moffat to explore the how and when of the coolest and most interesting ideas seen on the show. Sonic screwdrivers, parallel universes, and invisibility are just a few of today’s fantasies that could become tomorrow’s reality. Tune in this weekend to find out the answer to Dr. Kaku’s question.‘The Women of Doctor Who’ – Saturday, August 11
As of July 2012, there have been 55 women in space. But none of them have had a ride as awesome as the TARDIS. Women have always been an important part of the Doctor’s universe. Allies, adversaries, friends, lovers, and companions— The Women of Doctor Who explores the various roles women have played both on the show and in the life of the Doctor. Writers and some of the show’s famous fans discuss the most memorable female characters in the history of the show. Most importantly, hear from the women themselves, what it’s like to cross paths with the Doctor or even become first lady of the TARDIS.‘Timey Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who’ – Saturday, August 18
If time travel were possible, speculated astrophysicist Carl Sagan, “history would become an experimental science.” The subject is so complex and compelling, it gets its own special treatment from BBC America. The special takes its name from series 3 episode “Blink,” wherein the tenth Doctor describes time as “a big ball of wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey stuff,” and that “stuff” has made decades of adventure possible for the Doctor and his companions. But what is possible for all of us? What happens to humanity if we start experimenting with our own history? Scientists and Whovians of all stripes tackle these questions in The Timey Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who.‘The Destinations of Doctor Who’ – Saturday, August 25
“All of time and space; Everywhere and anywhere; Every star that ever was. Where do you want to start?” That’s what the Doctor offers, and who could say no to such a sales pitch? Take a guided tour through the Doctor’s travel diary. Earth in the year 5 million, spaceships named Titanic, impossible planets, and telepathic hotels could all be on the itinerary. The worlds of Doctor Who are only limited by imagination.
From this we can gather that the opening episode of Series 7 – ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ – will likely broadcast (in the UK) on 1st or 8th September, and will air very soon after in the US on BBC America, as well.
So get ready for Daleks galore, real, proper amazing Dinosaurs (ON A SPACESHIP!!), Dalek ships ahoy, and – oh, who am I kidding? You probably skipped right past this text to watch the trailer. Rightly so…
Enjoy this awesomeness!
So. So. So. So. So. Exciting.
> UPDATED with high-resolution.
Depicted, we see many of the wide variety of Dalek generations promised for this episode. In the latest Doctor Who Magazine, Matt Smith also teased that the 2010 Paradigm Daleks have undergone some sort of "change", which you can just about see in the darkening of the red colour tone on the Paradigm Drone Dalek just behind the Special Weapons Dalek - which, might I add, excites me a lot. The official (bigger and far more detailed) version of this image is set for online release at midnight TONIGHT, and you can bet DWF will be here to give it to you.
‘Asylum of the Daleks’ broadcasts some time this Autumn on BBC One; most probable date is Saturday 7th September, for the UK.
New Zealand’s Prime TV network have premiered their trailer for overseas drama to be broadcast later in 2012.
The trailer for predominantly British and US dramas include HBO’s racy American vampire hit series True Blood and their medieval fantasy Game Of Thrones, as well as Starz Original’s Camelot (written by Doctor Who and Torchwood writer Chris Chibnall).
Original British-exported BBC dramas featured in the trailer also include Prisoner’s Wives starring Jonas Armstrong, Death in Paradise starring Ben Miller, and – of course – Doctor Who! There are no new clips, but it is nice for UK-ers, such as myself, to see the context that Doctor Who is shown on overseas channels.
“It’s uplifting.
It’s striking.
It’s emotional.”
It’s coming very soon…
Doctor Who will once again make history on Friday 27 July when the world’s longest running sci-fi television show features on the cover of influential US entertainment magazine, Entertainment Weekly. Incredibly, it will be the first British television show to command a spot on the cover, further highlighting Doctor Who’s growing U.S. fan-base.
Entertainment Weekly was granted behind the scenes access to the cast of the upcoming series, and the cover story features interviews with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and Executive Producer Steven Moffat. This fantastic coup for the brand follows on from other notable shout-outs on The Late Late Show, Greys Anatomy and Criminal Minds.
Doctor Who Series 6 was the most watched series ever on BBC America, while the same series was also the most downloaded show on U.S. iTunes last year, eclipsing celebrated shows such as Mad Men and Glee.
Many thanks to BBC Worldwide.
> Entertainment Weekly
The BBC also confirmed today that episode three, filmed on location in Spain, is the western cowboy town episode, written by Toby Whithouse (writer and creator of BBC Three’s amazing hit series Being Human) and directed by Saul Metzstein (also director of episode 1 ‘Asylum of the Daleks’), the episode co-stars Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey) and Ben Browder (Farscape).
The episode was widely rumoured to be called ‘The Gunslingers’ (as reported by DWF), but it seems that was possibly just a working title. The real, confirmed title is…
Doctor Who Series 7 commences its broadcast of the Ponds’ final five episodes in late August – date to be confirmed nearer the time.
> DWF – ‘Series 7 Episode 3 Title Revealed?’ (28th Feb 2012, 11:00AM)
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