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Series 7 of Doctor Who, sometimes known as Season 33 to avoid confusion with the original Season 7, will air on BBC One between 2012 and 2013. Like Series 6, it will be split into two parts.[1] The BBC first announced the new series, which will contain fourteen episodes, on the official Doctor Who site on 8 June 2011.[2]
Series 7 began its run on 1 September 2012 [3] with five regular, stand-alone episodes and a Christmas Special. These will be followed by the remaining eight episodes in 2013. [1]
Overview
Series 7 has been described at being a series of "movies" squeezed into forty five minutes, although The Snowmen was sixty minutes. The first half is about the Doctor deleting himself from the Universe to hide himself from the deadly Silence, who attempted to assassinate him in Series 6 to stop him from answering the Question. During this time, the Doctor regularly visits Amy Pond and Rory Williams and also meets his grandfather-in-law Brian Williams. The Doctor meets his wife, River Song, in the final episode of the first half of the series, which involved the Weeping Angels who separated him from Amy and Rory forever, although River has implied that she and the Doctor will meet again in the future. The Doctor still has not told River his true name, which River was revealed to know in Forest of the Dead.
Also, a mysterious woman named Clara Oswin Oswald has appeared to the Doctor twice in three different lives, first in Asylum of the Daleks, then in The Snowmen, and then again in The Bells of Saint John. She died in the first two episodes, but the Doctor realised that both incarnations of her were the same woman and believed there was another version of her somewhere in the Universe. He went searching for her third incarnation, intending to take her as his companion. He found her in The Bells of Saint John. The reason behind these multiple Claras will be the Story Arc of this series.
Cast
The Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith, will not be leaving; he will stay all Series 7.[4]
Karen Gillan, who played Amy Pond, and Arthur Darvill, who played Amy's husband Rory Williams,[5] returned for the first five episodes, departing in The Angels Take Manhattan[1], which also featured River Song, played by Alex Kingston.[6]
The 2012 Christmas Special saw the introduction of Clara Oswald, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. Coleman had previously played Oswin Oswald in Asylum of the Daleks earlier that year. She returned once more in The Bells of Saint John, playing a third version of Clara, who became the Doctor's newest companion.
Primary cast
- The Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith
Secondary cast
- Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
- Rory Williams - Arthur Darvill
- Clara Oswald - Jenna-Louise Coleman
- Jenny Flint - Catrin Stewart
- Madame Vastra - Neve McIntosh
- Strax - Dan Starkey
Guest cast
- Madge Arwell - Claire Skinner
- Cyril Arwell - Maurice Cole
- Lily Arwell - Holly Earl
- Oswin Oswald - Jenna-Louise Coleman
- Queen Nefertiti - Riann Steele
- Brian Williams - Mark Williams
- Solomon - David Bradley
- John Riddell - Rupert Graves
- Kahler-Jex - Adrian Scarborough
- The Gunslinger - Andrew Brooke
- Isaac - Ben Browder
- Kate Stewart - Jemma Redgrave
- River Song - Alex Kingston
- Voice of the Great Intelligence - Ian McKellen
- Dr Simeon, Great Intelligence - Richard E. Grant
- Latimer - Tom Ward
- Miss Kizlet - Celia Imrie
- Merry - Emilia Jones
- Edmund - Brendan Patricks[7]
- Porridge - Warwick Davis[8][9]
- TBA - David Warner[10]
- TBA - Liam Cunningham [10]
- TBA - Dougray Scott[10]
- TBA - Jessica Raine[10]
- TBA - Diana Rigg[11]
- TBA - Rachael Stirling[11]
- TBA - Tamzin Outhwaite[8]
- TBA - Jason Watkins[8]
Production
Crew
Producers
Before the airing of Series 7, it was announced that both Beth Willis and Piers Wenger would step down as executive producers.[12][13] Willis' last credit was on The Wedding of River Song; however, Piers Wenger stayed for one episode longer, and produced The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.[14]
A new executive producer named Caroline Skinner joined Steven Moffat to produce The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe onwards,[14] but it was announced before the broadcast of the spring half of Series 7 that she was departing the show after just one season and would be replaced by BBC Wales Head of Drama, Faith Penhale.[15]
Writers
Head writer Steven Moffat will write seven episodes. He has written the 2011 Christmas special, episodes one and five in the autumn run, the Children in Need mini-episode, and the 2012 Christmas special. He will also write episodes six and thirteen for the spring run.[16]
Chris Chibnall and Toby Whithouse, who had both written episodes for multiple previous series of Doctor Who, returned to contribute scripts for the Autumn run. Chibnall wrote episodes two and four, while Whithouse wrote episode three.
Mark Gatiss is also returning. He is writing two episodes, which are episodes eight and eleven.[16]
Another returning writer is Steve Thompson, who will write episode ten.[16]
Fantasy author Neil Gaiman (who previously wrote The Doctor's Wife), will write episode twelve, which will feature the Cybermen. [16][8]
Luther creator Neil Cross is set to write two episodes for the second half of the series, making his Doctor Who debut. He will write episodes seven and nine.[17]
Directors
Returning director Nick Hurran directed episodes one and five. Douglas Mackinnon, another returning director directed episode four and will also direct episode eight.[16]
New director Farren Blackburn directed the 2011 Christmas special. She will also direct episode seven.[16]
Saul Metzstein, another director new to Doctor Who, directed episodes two and three. He directed the 2012 Christmas special and will direct episodes eleven and thirteen.[16]
A handful of new directors will direct one episode each in the spring half of the series. These are: Colm McCarthy, Jamie Payne, Mat King and Stephen Wolfenden, who will direct episodes six, nine, ten and twelve representatively. [16]
Filming
Filming for series 7 began on 20 February 2012.[18]
Episode three was filmed in Spain. [19]
Filming for episode five saw the crew return to America. This time, they were filming in New York.[20]
Television stories
Webcast
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Prequel (The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe) |
Christmas special
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe | Steven Moffat | Farren Blackburn |
Mini-episodes
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Good as Gold | The Children of Ashdene School | Reappearance of a Weeping Angel. |
Regular series
Webcast
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Pond Life | Chris Chibnall | Saul Metzstein | Reappearance of the Sontarans and an Ood. |
Autumn half
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asylum of the Daleks | Steven Moffat | Nick Hurran | Reappearance of the Daleks. First introduction and death of Clara Oswin Oswald. |
| 2 | Dinosaurs on a Spaceship | Chris Chibnall | Saul Metzstein | Reappearance of the Silurians. First appearance of Brian Williams. |
| 3 | A Town Called Mercy | Toby Whithouse | Saul Metzstein | |
| 4 | The Power of Three | Chris Chibnall | Douglas Mackinnon | Reappearance of UNIT, Kate Stewart and Brian Williams. |
| 5 | The Angels Take Manhattan | Steven Moffat | Nick Hurran | Reappearance of the Weeping Angels and River Song. Final appearances of Amy Pond and Rory Williams. |
Mini-episodes
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | The Great Detective | Steven Moffat[21] | Prequel to The Snowmen. Reappearance of Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax. |
Webcasts
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Vastra Investigates | Steven Moffat | Prequel to The Snowmen. |
Christmas special
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | The Snowmen | Steven Moffat | Saul Metzstein | Reintroduction of the Great Intelligence. Second introduction and death of Clara Oswin Oswald |
Webcasts
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel | Steven Moffat | ||
| N/A | The Battle of Demons Run: Two Days Later | Steven Moffat |
Spring half
The remaining eight episodes of Series 7 will begin airing on 30 March, 2013.[22]
| Episode Number |
Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | The Bells of Saint John | Steven Moffat | Colm McCarthy | Reappearance of the Great Intelligence. Reappearance of UNIT. Third introduction of Clara Oswin Oswald. |
| 7 | The Rings of Akhaten[23] | Neil Cross[16] | Farren Blackburn[16] | |
| 8 | Cold War[23] | Mark Gatiss[16] | Douglas Mackinnon[16] | Return of the Ice Warriors.[24] |
| 9 | Hide[23] | Neil Cross[16] | Jamie Payne[16] | |
| 10 | Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS[25] | Steve Thompson[16] | Mat King[16] | |
| 11 | The Crimson Horror [26] | Mark Gatiss[16] | Saul Metzstein[16] | |
| 12 | Nighmare in Silver[27] | Neil Gaiman[16] | Stephen Wolfenden[16] | Return of the Cybermen.[8] |
| 13 | TBA | Steven Moffat[16] | Saul Metzstein[28] |
Episode notes
- There will be no two-parters in this series. [29]
- In an interview with SFX, Steven Moffat gave teasers on the episodes leading up to the 50th anniversary, including the second half of series 7. Episodes will include: a Doctor Who take on a modern urban thriller, a base-under-siege story, a brand new, alien planet which he said they have gone 'all out' on and a ghost story. [30]
- The series finale will be seriously "fan-boy pleasing".[30]
- The series finale will also reveal the Doctor's biggest secret.[31]
- Coincidentally, all televised episodes in this series so far feature their names, or a slight rearrangement of words, either in the script or written on-screen.
- Asylum of the Daleks: Darla says, "Have you heard of the Dalek Asylum?"
- Dinosaurs on a Spaceship: The Doctor screams it out in delight upon first view of the dinosaurs.
- A Town Called Mercy: Isaac states, "We called this town Mercy for a reason."
- The Power of Three: Amy says this in an afterword, as an explanation of what "cubed" really means.
- The Angels Take Manhattan: This is the title of one of the chapters in Melody Malone: Private Detective in Old New York Town.
- The Snowmen: This is said multiple times in the episode, including when the Doctor tells Clara to stop thinking about the snowmen and when he was talking to the Great Intelligence.
- The Bells of Saint John: The Abbot says, "The bells of Saint John are ringing!"
- The Rings of Akhaten: The Doctor welcomes Clara to "the rings of Akhaten."
Aliens and enemies
- Daleks
- Dalek puppets
- Dalek Prime Minister
- Solomon
- Robot 1 and Robot 2
- Dinosaurs
- Silurians
- Kahler-Tek
- Kahler-Jex
- Shakri
- Weeping Angels
- Great Intelligence
- Walter Simeon
- Snowmen
- Spoonheads
- Miss Kizlet
- The Mummy
- Vigil
- Old God
- Ice Warriors [32]
- Cybermen
Notes
Adaptations and merchandising
Home media
DVD
| Episode name | Number and duration of episodes |
R2 release date | R4 release date | R1 release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe |
1 × 60 min. | 16 January 2012 | 1 March 2012 | 14 February 2012 |
| Doctor Who: Series 7, Part 1 Asylum of the Daleks Dinosaurs on a Spaceship A Town Called Mercy The Power of Three The Angels Take Manhattan |
1 x 50 min. 4 × 45 min. |
29 October 2012 | 14 November 2012 | 13 November 2012 |
| Doctor Who: Series 7, Part 2 [36] The Snowmen The Bells of Saint John The Rings of Akhaten Cold War Hide Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS The Crimson Horror Nighmare in Silver Episode Thirteen |
1 x 60 min. 8 x 45 min. |
20 May 2013 | TBA | TBA |
| Doctor Who: The Complete Series Seven [37] |
Rumours
- In an interview with SFX, Caroline Skinner hinted at the return of the Zygons.[38]
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chuck Foster (21 March 2012). Jenna-Louise Coleman joins Doctor Who. Doctor Who News. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Fourteen New Episodes!. BBC - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 2 April 2012.
- ↑ The Doctor Who Team (22 August 2012). Asylum of the Daleks Premieres 1st September But They’re Back on Monday!. BBC - Blogs - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Matt Smith to return for new Doctor Who series. BBC News (8 June 2011). Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Mikey O'Connell (24 July 2011). 'Doctor Who' star Karen Gillan set for Season 7: 'I am going to come back!'. Zap2it. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Janice Kay (11 April 2012). Guess Who’s Coming Back To ‘Doctor Who’… Spoilers Sweetie!. ScienceFiction.com. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Brendon Connelly (6 July 2012). Doctor Who Set Pics Take Us Inside Sweetville, Reveal Returning Aliens And Fan Favourite Co-Stars. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 The Doctor Who Team (7 November 2012). Confirmed for 2013: Cybermen and Stellar Cast. BBC - Blogs - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 7 November 2012.
- ↑ Ruther (5 December 2012). @CultBoxTV also Will Merrick as Brains http://unitedagents.co.uk/will-merrick. And Warwick Davis is playing Porridge #pedant. Twitter. Retrieved on 3 March 2012.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Morgan Jeffery (28 June 2012). Liam Cunningham, David Warner to appear on 'Doctor Who'. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Daniel Sperling (2 July 2012). 'Doctor Who' casts Dame Diana Rigg, Rachael Stirling. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Beth Willis On Leaving Doctor Who. BBC - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 2 April 2012.
- ↑ End of the Piers Show. BBC - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 2 April 2012.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Steven Moffat on the New Executive Producer. BBC - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 2 April 2012.
- ↑ Executive Producer Moves On. BBC - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 13 March 2013.
- ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 16.16 16.17 16.18 16.19 16.20 Chuck Foster (18 October 2012). Christmas Special for... Christmas Day!. Retrieved on 24 October 2012.
- ↑ Morgan Jeffery (30 May 2012). 'Doctor Who': 'Luther' creator Neil Cross to write new episode. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ Morgan Jeffery (9 February 2012). 'Doctor Who' to resume filming this month, Saul Metzstein to direct. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ The Doctor Who Team (16 July 2012). New Series: Dinosaurs and Mercy!. BBC - Blogs - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 7 November 2012.
- ↑ "Marcus" (24 March 2012). Production: Convention News. Doctor Who News. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ The Doctor Who Team (14 November 2012). The Doctor Returns for Children in Need. BBC - Blogs - Doctor Who. Retrieved on 18 November 2012.
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Date-Confirmed-for-the-Doctors-Return
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Radio Times New Doctor Who episode posters - first look. Retrieved on 18 March 2013.
- ↑ http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/02/11/sfx-exclusive-official-ice-warriors-return-to-doctor-who-this-year/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DWMtweets/status/316494465084817408
- ↑ Matt Smith interview on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show. Retrieved on 15 March, 2013.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DWMtweets/status/316494714994040832
- ↑ DWM 455
- ↑ Tom Eames (21 March 2012). 'Doctor Who' new series avoids two-part episodes, says Steven Moffat. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Doctor-Who-to-Return-with-The-Bells-of-St-John-First-Official-Picture
- ↑ http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/02/11/sfx-exclusive-official-ice-warriors-return-to-doctor-who-this-year
- ↑ Daniel Sperling (14 June 2012). Doctor Who Steven Moffat teases 'scary' new monster: 'It's a good one'. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO_IBO6ozqw&list=UUUbtxcy1Vy1kBR7Xb-qA4TQ&index=3
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a436955/doctor-who-writer-neil-gaiman-i-want-to-make-cybermen-scary-again.html
- ↑ http://www.bbcshop.com/matt-smith/doctor-who-series-7-part-2-dvd/invt/bbcdvd3802
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C6ACVD6?tag=tvshowsondvdcom&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B00C6ACVD6&creative=373489&camp=211189
- ↑ Jordan Farley (23 February 2012). Doctor Who Worlds In Time: Caroline Skinner Interview. SFX. Retrieved on 23 August 2012.