Promo Images - Doctor Who Series 11, Episode 4 - "Arachnids in the UK"

Promo images for the fourth episode of Series 11, "Arachnids in the UK", have now been uploaded.  Full size images are in the Who-Natic Gallery.  Thanks to farfarawaysite.com for the images.

Video - Series 11 Trailer Released

News: Steven Moffat Leaving - to be replaced by Chris Chibnall

The Radio Times are reporting that Steven Moffat will leave after Series 10 and Chris Chibnall will take over as showrunner.  They also state that Series 10 will air in Spring 2017 following a Christmas Special later this year - which won't be a surprise to many.

Steven Moffat has decided that his “timey wimey” as showrunner of Doctor Who has come to an end and he will step down as the show’s lead writer and executive producer after six series at the helm, RadioTimes.com can reveal. 

Moffatt will hand over the keys to the TARDIS at the end of the next series in 2017 to Broadchurch writer and Doctor Who fan Chris Chibnall. 

BBC1 has decided to air Moffat’s final 12-part series - the 10th of the modern era - in spring 2017. Chibnall’s debut series as head writer and executive producer will launch in 2018. 

A Christmas special WILL air this year overseen by Moffat, though it is unclear whether Peter Capaldi’s new companion will feature. The companion, who will replace Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald, will definitely be in place for the spring 2017 series, say BBC sources. 

Explaining the decision to hold Moffat’s last series until next year, BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore said: “I have decided to schedule Steven’s big finale series in Spring 2017 to bring the nation together for what will be a huge event on the channel. 2016 is spoilt with national moments including the Euros and Olympics and I want to hold something big back for 2017 - I promise it will be worth the wait!” 

It is unclear if the plan is now to make Doctor Who a series which regularly begins its runs in the spring when Chibnall becomes showrunner. “That is all to be decided,” said a BBC source, who pointed out that it began airing in the spring when it was relaunched by Russell T Davies in 2005. 

Moffat said of his decision to quit: “Feels odd to be talking about leaving when I’m just starting work on the scripts for season 10, but the fact is my timey-wimey is running out. While Chris is doing his last run of Broadchurch, I’ll be finishing up on the best job in the universe and keeping the TARDIS warm for him. It took a lot of gin and tonic to talk him into this, but I am beyond delighted that one of the true stars of British Television drama will be taking the Time Lord even further into the future. At the start of season 11, Chris Chibnall will become the new showrunner of Doctor Who. And I will be thrown in a skip.” 

Moore, who next month takes over a super controller’s job at the BBC, paid tribute to Moffat and welcomed Chibnall into the Doctor Who fold.

“I want to thank Steven Moffat for everything he has given Doctor Who – I’ve loved working with him, he is an absolute genius and has brought fans all over the world such joy,” she added. “I will be very sad to see him leave the show but I can’t wait to see what he will deliver in his last ever series next year with a brand new companion. 

“I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Chris Chibnall, a wonderfully talented writer who I know will bring something very special to the hit series.” 

Like Moffat, Chibnall is also a lifelong Doctor Who fan and a multi-award winning writer and executive producer. He has most recently achieved success with the triple BAFTA winning hit ITV series Broadchurch. His other credits include BAFTA nominated The Great Train Robbery, United, Law & Order: UK, Life on Mars and Torchwood. 

He said: "Doctor Who is the ultimate BBC programme: bold, unique, vastly entertaining, and adored all around the world. So it's a privilege and a joy to be the next curator of this funny, scary and emotional family drama. I’ve loved Doctor Who since I was four years old, and I’m relishing the thought of working with the exceptional team at BBC Wales to create new characters, creatures and worlds for the Doctor to explore. Steven’s achieved the impossible by continually expanding Doctor Who's creative ambition, while growing its global popularity. He’s been a dazzling and daring showrunner, and hearing his plans and stories for 2017, it’s clear he’ll be going out with a bang. Just to make my life difficult." 

Polly Hill, BBC controller of drama commissioning, added: “Like Charlotte I would like to thank Steven for his brilliance, which has made Doctor Who a global hit under his tenure. Chris Chibnall is the perfect successor to take over the reins of this incredible show, so I am delighted that his love for Doctor Who has made it impossible for him to resist ! Chris is an incredible writer and his vision and passion for Doctor Who gives it an exciting future and promises to be a real treat for Doctor Who fans across the world.”

Video - Behind the Scenes - "The Power of Three"

The BBC have uploaded a new behind the scenes video - this time it's called "A Writers Tale" and looks behind the scenes of "The Power of Three":

Review - "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship"

This is, most definitely, a "does what it says on the tin" episode. The title alone tells you what kind of episode we're getting: a fun, entertaining romp - and it was needed after last week's rather dark season opener. That's not to say that this episode was pure comedy - it wasn't. There were some rather dark and serious undertones here that weren't out of place in the episode but they certainly made you think.

The plot was fairly simple: the Doctor is called in by the India Space Agency to investigate a spaceship that will enter Earth's atmosphere in 6 hours time ... and get blown to bits by the aforementioned Space Agency unless the Doctor can divert its course. Our hero gathers together a "gang" and discovers that the ship is Silurian and contains the last of the dinosaurs. The ship has been hijacked by an unsavoury character called Solomon who has killed the Silurians and plans to sell the dinosaurs. Can the Doctor and his gang stop him and prevent the ship being blown to smithereens?

See? Simple. But this episode wasn't about plot. This was all about entertainment - it was about moments and characters. It was about Dinosaurs. ON A SPACESHIP! This wasn't "Jurassic Park in Space" though - the Dinosaurs weren't the villains of the piece - they were just another lifeform in danger for the Doctor to try and save. And what a lifeform. The BBC effects department were on top form - they actually made Dinosaurs look real, which is more difficult than you might imagine - just take a look at Doctor Who in 1974 with "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" if you don't believe me. More importantly, the Dinosaurs had character. The Triceratops, for instance, chasing golf balls like some overgrown dog whilst being ridden by the Doctor, Rory and Brian. You have to have been made of stone if you didn't shed a tear when the Triceratops died.



Another big plus for this episode was the strength of the characters - especially the gang the Doctor gathered together. Rory - got to show off his nursing skills; Amy - showed how intelligent she can be; Queen Nefertiti - who managed to be cool and take everything in her stride whilst lusting after the Doctor; Riddell the game hunter - a typically ego-centric, alpha male type and, the coolest character in the episode (with the obvious exception of the Doctor), Rory's dad, Brian. Brian Williams - played superbly by Mark Williams - practically stole the episode. He highlighted really just how used to all this both Rory and Amy are now - as are we, the audience. The show needs characters like this once in a while to give us a bit of a reality jolt. Brian was bewildered by it all - but not overwhelmed. He came up with ideas, he carries a trowel around in his pocket and is quite surprised when Rory doesn't. The scene at the end with Brian sitting on the threshold of the Tardis, munching a sandwich, thermos by his side as he gazed down at Earth was quite beautiful. How can anyone not love Brian? We know the producers do because Brian Williams is back again in the fourth episode of the current run, "The Power of Three".

Season 7 - Two New Episode Titles Revealed.

During the "Doctor Who" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2012, two new episode titles were revealed for Season 7.

Episode 2 - written by Chris Chibnall and starring Mark Williams and Rupert Graves is titled "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship".

Episode 3 - written by Toby Whithouse is the Western themed episode starring Ben Browder. This episode is called "A Town Called Mercy".

More Season 7 Writers Confirmed

Two more writers have been confirmed for Season 7. Along with Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Toby Whithouse ("School Reunion", "Vampires of Venice" and "The God Complex") and Chris Chibnall ("42", "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood") will be joining the writing crew.

Toby Whithouse's episode is described in the new issue of "Doctor Who Magazine" (on sale tomorrow) as a "big blockbuster of a genre piece".

Filming for the new series begins on Monday 20 February 2012.