Matt Smith as the Doctor. Publicity image.
Intergalactic wowsers! The next, seventh series of time-travelling, alien-busting Doctor Who is almost upon us, and the interweb is practically thrumming with rumours. Popculture says that the series will be split over 2012 and 2013, with six this year (including the Christmas special), and eight next. The Ponds, Amy and Rory, will leave the show in series 5, (which Periscope, for one, privately, is quite happy about.) The shows’ arguably most terrifying aliens, the Weeping Angels, will return and bring death in their wakes. Hurrah! Oh, and the Daleks will be back, too. Possibly multicoloured. We know they can fly already, so who knows what they’ll be able to do this time? Make you a nice cup of tea? Solve the Palestine / Israel crisis? Who knows, and who can dare to dream.
Yay! So what are the other rumours?
Mad movie! First off, writer Steven Moffat has said that the next series won’t have a story arcing over the whole series, but will comprise standalone episodes. ”As ever, there’s a bit of both,” he said to the Radio Times. “But this time we’re moving closer to stand-alone stories. At this point, we’re not planning any two-parters. So, every week is going to be like a different mad movie.” He also says to watch out for Episode Two, which will be a “belter”, though Periscope is also hoping that Episode One will be a belter. And the rest of them.
But is Matt Smith going to leave? No, no, no, no no. Matt Smith isn’t going to leave off being the Doctor. Phew! Fans of the goggly-faced Time Lord can relax.
But what we really want to know is: WILL BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH BE IN IT? There were whispers that he might be playing The Master?
Well? So will he? WILL HE? Well, probably not. Sherlock and Doctor Who shoot at the same time, said Steven Moffat. But Moffat didn’t say that Cumberbatch would never be in it. We can live in hope. In the meantime, we can content ourselves with pictures of otters that look like Benedict Cumberbatch. Huzzah!
Are there any solid rumours? Yes! The Emmerdale actress Jenna-Louise Coleman is all set to replace Karen Gillan as the Doctor’s assistant. The 25-year-old actress, who played a lesbian in the soap opera between 2005 and 2009, apparently impressed everyone with the chemistry between her and Matt Smith. There are also rumours that she may be playing a non-human. But then the Doctor’s not a human, either, so maybe there might be a bit of love in the air.
