Doctor Who - Series 7B

“AND the Doctor’s greatest secret will be revealed.”

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat speaking at a London press conference last Friday morning.

The content of which was embargoed until now, just after midnight in the early hours of Monday, together with the new pics which also feature on this page.

We were shown The Bells of Saint John – the opening episode of series 7b – written by Steven Moffat.

To be screened on BBC1 and BBC America on Saturday March 30.

The media preview was followed by that Q&A with Matt Smith (the Doctor), Jenna-Louise Coleman (Clara) and Steven Moffat.

You can read my full transcript further down this blog, edited to remove any major spoilers.

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2012

“NOT my problem.”

Doctor Who: The Snowmen finds an apathetic and reclusive Time Lord (Matt Smith) living in Victorian isolation.

On a cloud, to be precise.

Still mourning the loss of Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), he has given up on helping anyone who might need him.

“The universe doesn’t care,” he maintains.

“Those were the days,” he tells Clara, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, when they first meet outside The Rose & Crown pub.

Having forgotten that they met once before…

Steven Moffat (centre) makes the announcement tonight.

WE knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

But it’s sad news all the same.

Doctor Who stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who play Amy and Rory Pond, are to leave the show in the next series.

The revelation came out of the blue in the middle of a Q&A session at BBC TV Centre in west London tonight (Thursday).

DOCTOR Who supremo Steven Moffat:

“There are more beginnings and more endings this series than you’re perhaps ready for.”

“Assuming an intelligent audience is a good idea. Clearly going by our ratings it’s a successful idea. They are clever. They will get it.”

“I think you’ve got to be challenging and difficult and on the edge all the time.”

Lead writer, executive producer and showrunner Steven after last night’s exclusive big screen preview of Let’s Kill Hitler.

Or in other words, Doctor Who series six, episode eight to be broadcast by BBC1 on Saturday August 27 after the mid-series break.

With Mr M revealing: “My younger son said, ‘Won’t Hitler be offended?’”

River Song, Rory, The Doctor and Amy

MATT Smith summed it up at tonight’s press launch for the new series of Doctor Who:

“I think that’s great television – it’s certainly not a part I want to give up anytime soon.”

Episodes one and two of season six provide the darkest – and scariest – opening ever to a Doctor Who series.

Ninety minutes of sometimes quite astonishing television containing secrets that cannot yet be told.

Gathered at London’s Kensington Olympia, current home of the Doctor Who Experience, we were shown the two-part opener – The Impossible Astronaut and Day Of The Moon.

Followed by a 30-minute on stage Q&A with writer and showrunner Steven Moffat, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Alex Kingston (River Song) and Arthur Darvill (Rory), chaired by the Daily Telegraph’s Neil Midgley.

You will find some spoilers below but, I hope, nothing major to detract from your enjoyment of watching these two episodes for yourself.


“HALF way out of the dark…”

The BFI Southbank in London tonight for a preview screening of the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas Special – A Christmas Carol.

Followed by a Q&A – chaired by journalist Caitlin Moran – with Matt Smith, who plays the 11th Doctor, Katherine Jenkins, who guest stars as Abigail Pettigrew, plus lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat.

Which was later thrown open to the audience, including a fishy question from Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) in the stalls.

Matt and Karen at last night's launch

MATT Smith reflected: “To my mind, it’s the greatest part in British television.

“I’m fortunate to have it.”

With new executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat describing the show as: “The most entertaining thing that British television has ever done.”

The world premiere in Cardiff last night of the latest Doctor Who series.

Featuring Matt in his full debut as the 11th Doctor and the Time Lord’s first meeting with new companion Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan.

Wilf, The Doctor and The Master

“WAIT for the New Year’s Day episode.

“Your brain will blow up,” promised Russell T Davies.

Tonight I was among a lucky few hundred people invited to BBC TV Centre to see Doctor Who: The End Of Time…part one.

Followed by a Q&A with Russell, John Simm and Bernard Cribbins.

marsnew500
The Doctor and Adelaide

THE end of an era for Doctor Who approached on a screen in central London today.

“It’s been something that I’ll be forever proud of,” David Tennant told us afterwards.

“Filming the very, very final scenes was very sad.”

The Waters Of Mars is as dark and as thrilling an episode of Doctor Who as any I’ve ever seen.

It’s the second of four farewell specials starring David as the tenth Time Lord.

And it foreshadows his departure in a final two-part story to be screened at Christmas.

The hour-long episode, premiered at the press launch today, will be broadcast on BBC1 at 7pm on Sunday Nov 15.

There’s a full transcript below of this morning’s post-screening Q&A with David and outgoing Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

But first a little background.


SO now we know the identity of the new Doctor Who.
A flurry of late bets put Matt Smith’s name firmly in the frame to play the 11th Time Lord.
Within the last hour, the BBC confirmed his casting as the youngest ever actor to play the Doctor – and web forums are already in meltdown.
Many appear never to have heard of Northampton-born Matt, 26.
Which means they must have missed him as Danny in BBC2’s cruelly axed Party Animals.
Or as Jim, alongside Billie Piper in The Ruby In The Smoke and The Shadow In The North.
Not to mention the guest role of Ian – one of two cousins caught up in an incident with a taxi driver – in the second series The Street.