Doctor Who Series 7 2013: What We Know
A compilation article of everything we know about Series 7 so far. This is continually updated as more info emerges over the coming months until broadcast.
Note: This post contains some mild spoilers.
LAST UPDATED: 30 April 2013
Airdate
- 1 September 2012 – Part 1 (Episodes 1-5)
- 25 December 2012 – Christmas Special
- 30 March 2013 – Part 2 (Episodes 6-13)
Other notes: Filming began 20th February 2012. Filming wrapped December 2012.
Official Description
This series will see the last days of the Ponds with Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill returning for their final, rollercoaster voyage with the Doctor. Amy and Rory have been at the Doctor’s side for more than two series but what will he do after their heartbreaking departure?
Series 7 will then see a dramatic turn of events when The Doctor meets a new friend.
Prepare yourselves for thrills, adventures and dramatic surprises as the show builds towards its enormous, climactic 50th anniversary year. Fourteen big, blockbuster-movie episodes – each a brand new epic adventure featuring new monsters and some familiar foes as you’ve never seen them before.
Main Cast
- Matt Smith – The Doctor
- Karen Gillan – Amy (Episodes 1-5)
- Arthur Darvill – Rory (Episodes 1-5)
- Jenna-Louise Coleman – Clara Oswin Oswald (Episode 1/Xmas onwards)
Returning Cast
- Alex Kingston – River Song (episode 5, finale)
- Neve McIntosh – Madame Vastra (Xmas, episode 11, finale)
- Catrin Stewart – Jenny Flint (Xmas, episode 11, finale)
- Dan Starkey – Strax (Xmas, episode 11, finale)
Guest Stars
- Mark Williams – Brian Williams (episode 2 & 4)
- David Bradley – Solomon (episode 2)
- Rupert Graves – Riddell (episode 2)
- Riann Steele – Queen Nefertiti (episode 2)
- Ben Browder – Isaac (episode 3)
- Adrian Scarborough – Kahler-Jex (episode 3)
- Garrick Hagon – Abraham (episode 3)
- Andrew Brooke – The Gunslinger (episode 3)
- Steven Berkoff – Shakri (episode 4)
- Jemma Redgrave – Kate Stewart (episode 4)
- Michael McShane – Dr Grayle (episode 5)
- Richard E Grant – Doctor Simeon (Xmas, episode 6, finale)
- Tom Ward – Captain Latimer (Xmas)
- Liz White – Alice (Xmas)
- Celia Imrie – Miss Kizlet (episode 6)
- David Warner – Professor Grisenko (episode 8)
- Liam Cunningham – Captain Zhukov (episode 8)
- Dougray Scott – Professor Alec Palmer (episode 9)
- Jessica Raine – Emma Grayling (episode 9)
- Ashley Walters – Gregor Van Baalen (episode 10)
- Diana Rigg – Winifred Gillyflower (episode 11)
- Rachael Stirling – Ada Gillyflower (episode 11)
- Tamzin Outhwaite – Captain Alice (episode 12)
- Warwick Davis – Porridge (episode 12)
- Jason Watkins Mr Webley (episode 12)
Monsters
- The Daleks (episode 1)
- Dinosaurs & robots (episode 2)
- The Gunslinger (episode 3)
- Shakri / Cubes (episode 4)
- The Weeping Angels (episode 5)
- The Snowmen/ The Ice Governess / The Great Intelligence (Xmas)
- The Spoonheads / The Great Intelligence (episode 6)
- The Mummy / The Vigil (episode 7)
- The Ice Warriors (episode 8)
- The Crooked Man (episode 9)
- The Crimson Horror / Mr Sweet (episode 10)
- The Cybermen (episode 12)
- The Whispermen / The Great Intelligence (finale)
Other notes: Producer Marcus Wilson said that a couple of old classics from the 60’s and 70’s will return but will be “moved on a bit.” One of the rumoured monsters is revealed in this post. Caroline Skinner possibly hinted that the Zygons will be back.
Writers
- Steven Moffat (5 episodes including Christmas Special)
- Chris Chibnall (2 episodes)
- Toby Whithouse (1 episode)
- Mark Gatiss (2 episodes)
- Neil Cross (2 episodes)
- Steve Thompson (1 episode)
- Neil Gaiman (1 episode)
Trailers
Series 7: Part 1:
2012 Christmas Special:
Series 7: Part 2:
2013 Episodes (Series 7: Part 2)
706. The Bells of Saint John
Written by Steven Moffat. Directed by Colm McCarthy.
The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where Wi-Fi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a Wi-Fi soup. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.
Described by Moffat as an “urban thriller”. The 2013 opener is set on present day Earth with the main plot centred around “something living in the wifi” which is feeding on humans. This “sentient Twitter” as the Doctor puts it, harvests human minds and also has the power to project an image from your subconscious.
Guest starring: Celia Imrie (Miss Kizlet), Fady Elsayed (Nabile), Dan Li (Alexei Chen), Sean Knopp (John), James Green (The Abbott), Richard E Grant (The Great Intelligence), Eve de Leon Allen (Angie).
707. The Rings of Akhaten
Written by Neil Cross. Directed by Farren Blackburn.
Clara wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.
According to Steven Moffat, the story takes place on the biggest and best alien planet Doctor Who has ever done, an “epic, overwhelming, boiling, red-orange planet.” The title possibly points to some sort of Egyptian connection. “Akhenaten” was an Egyptian Pharaoh and the husband of Queen Nefertiti.
Guest starring: Michael Dixon (Dave), Nicola Sian (Ellie), Emilia Jones (Merry), Chris Anderson (The Chorister), The Mummy (Aidan Cook), Dor’een (Karl Greenwood).
708. Cold War
Written by Mark Gatiss. Directed by Douglas Mackinnon.
The Doctor and Clara land on a damaged Russian Submarine in 1983 as it spirals out of control into the ocean depths. An alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice. With tempers flaring and a cargo of nuclear weapons on board, it’s not just the crew but the whole of humanity at stake!
A “base under-siege” story that is set on a submarine and features the long awaited return of the Ice warriors. Moffat said: “Mark Gatiss is about to explode fanboy hearts”.
Guest Starring: Liam Cunningham (Captain Zhukov), David Warner (Professor Grisenko), Tobias Menzies (Lieutenant Stepashin), Josh O’Connor (Piotr), James Norton (Onegin), Charlie Anson (Belevich),
709. Hide
Written By Neil Cross. Directed by Jamie Payne.
Clara and the Doctor arrive at Caliburn House, a haunted mansion sat alone on a desolate moor. Within its walls, a ghost hunting Professor and a gifted psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well. Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building, but is she really a ghost? And what is chasing her?
Working titles included Phantoms of the Hex and The Hider in the House. A historical ghost story. Moffat described it as “Spooky and clever and even a little bit romantic.”
Guest starring: Dougray Scott (Professor Alec Palmer), Jessica Raine (Emma Grayling), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Hila Tacorian)
710. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
Written by Steve Thompson. Directed by Mat King.
A spaceship salvage team drags the TARDIS on board, sending its systems into meltdown. As the Doctor marshals the motley salvage crew outside, he realises Clara is still trapped within his malfunctioning ship, pursued by a dangerous group of ossified monsters. He has just 30 minutes to find Clara and save his TARDIS before it self-destructs.
TARDIS-heavy story. Ashley Walters plays one of a trio of brothers, an intergalactic salvage crew.
Guest starring: Ashley Walters (Gregor Van Baalen), Mark Oliver (Bram Van Baalen), Jahvel Hall (Tricky Van Baalen)
711. The Crimson Horror
Written by Mark Gatiss. Directed by Saul Metzstein.
There’s something very odd about Mrs Gillyflower’s Sweetville mill, with its perfectly clean streets and beautiful people. There’s something even stranger about the bodies washing up in the river, all bright red and waxy. When the Doctor and Clara go missing, it’s up to Vastra, Jenny and Strax to rescue them before they too fall victim to the Crimson Horror!
Set in a strange 19th century village called Sweetville. The Doctor investigates when people start going missing in a factory that is run by the mysterious Winifred Gillyflower (Diana Rigg). Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax return again.
Guest starring Diana Rigg (Winifred Gillyflower), Rachael Stirling (Ada Gillyflower), Brendan Patricks (Edmund/Jeremiah), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Catrin Stewart (Jenny), Dan Starkey (Strax)
712. Nightmare in Silver
Written by Neil Gaiman. Directed by Stephen Wolfenden.
Hedgewick’s World Of Wonders was once the greatest theme park in the galaxy, but it’s now the dilapidated home to a shabby showman, a chess-playing dwarf and a dysfunctional army platoon. When the Doctor, Clara, Artie and Angie arrive, the last thing they expect is the re-emergence of one of the Doctor’s oldest foes. The Cybermen are back!
Working title was The Last Cyberman. Confirmed to feature redesigned Cybermen. Moffat’s brief to Gaiman was to make them scary again. It also contains a “A Cyber-something else. They are disgusting.”
Guest starring: Warwick Davis (Porridge), Tamzin Outhwaite (Capt. Alice), Jason Watkins (Mr Webley), Calvin Dean (Ha-Ha), Will Merrick (Brains) Zahra Ahmadi (Missy), Eloise Joseph (Beauty) and Eve de Leon Allen (Angie).
713. The Name of the Doctor (Finale)
Written by Steven Moffat. Directed by Saul Metzstein.
Clara is summoned to an impossible conference call, alerting her that the deadly Whisper Men are closing in on Vastra, Jenny and Strax. Someone is kidnapping the Doctor’s friends, leading him toward the one place in all of time and space that he should never go. It’s a deadly trap that threatens to unravel his past, present and future…
Moffat described it as “One that will thrill you a bit, and worry you more. Yes, I think you’ll be just a tiny bit worried where we might be going with this one.” The paternoster gang are back once again. Also features the return of River Song. The Doctor faces the Whispermen and the Great Intelligence. Moffat later promised “it will change the course of Who forever!”
Guest starring: Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Catrin Stewart (Jenny), Dan Starkey (Strax), Alex Kingston (River), Michael Jenn (Clarence), Dr Simeon/The Great Intelligence (Richard E Grant.)
For the 50th anniversary see this post.
[Series 7 Part 1 on the next page]
