Doctor Who News

After a painfully slow three month hiatus, the sixth season (or 'series' if you're all British) of Doctor Who returns this Saturday evening with the much anticipated episode "Let's Kill Hitler." As the hours go by and life brings us ever closer to this midseason premiere, I find myself increasingly excited and thus devouring any Doctor-related news that I can find on the internet.

I've found some teasers, future plans, a couple blasts from the past and the official episode descriptions, and I'm here to share and bring you comfort in your time of fevered anticipation.

As I posted earlier in the week, and certainly the most interesting news item I've heard at all, there will be several cameo returns of the Doctor's old companions. (Rose Tyler/Billie Piper, Donna Noble/Catherine Tate, Martha Jones/Freema Agyeman.) That's some pretty huge, exciting, fanboy, continuity, mind-blowing news, but for some inexplicable reason it's not plastered all over the geek websites that I regularly visit. Therefore I've begun adding grains of salt to this expectation, and preparing myself for dissappoint. (Still, how cool would it be to see Rose and Donna again?!)

In a similar vein, through some deliberate quote twisting, I can safely announce that David Tennant still loves the show and would love to come back in some capacity. He recently stated "People keep telling me that they've read online that I'm coming back - but believe me, if that happens I'll be the first to tell everyone. I'll be shouting about it very loudly" I mean, you just can't get any clearer than that. As for his other projects, I would love to see a recording of his recent Much Ado About Nothing, reuniting him with Catherine Tate, and I can't wait to see his role in Fright Night which is getting great reviews.

As for our current TARDIS travellers, both Matt Smith and Karen Gillen have confirmed that they'll be returning for the next full series. Unfortunately, do to some general-sounding BBC budget cuts, there won't be a lot of Doctor Who episodes airing in 2012. Which is ludicrous considering what a cash cow it is. Mismanagement is clearly to blame. Still, at least the finale of this season won't give us any gone-for-good character stories, and while it doesn't really lessen the tension of the Doctor's upcoming death scene, it's quite reassuring to know Matt's not really going anywhere.

Over at DigitalSpy, we get 10 mysterious teasers:

1. There's a new traveler aboard the TARDIS.

2. "You don't know about the Doctor, 'cos you're stupid."

3. Our Time Lord hero's snazzy new coat makes its debut in this episode.

4. "That's what you said when we made Rasputin *****."

5. Top hats are cool.

6. "You will experience a tingling sensation and then death."

7. Bananas are still good.

8. "Take off your clothes!"

9. River's romantic past with The Doctor is (sort of) explored.

10. "You shot my TARDIS!"

And last but not least, the official description from BBC about upcoming episodes:

“The wait is almost over. The second part of the thrilling new series of Doctor Who begins on 27 August 2011.

"The rules have changed, and the game is deadlier than ever. Out in the universe, where the earthly rules of time and space do not apply, Amy and Rory know only too well that their baby daughter needs them. For Melody Pond is destined to become River Song, mysterious archaeologist and convicted murderer – the woman who killed the best man she ever knew…

"The Doctor leads Amy and Rory across centuries and galaxies in a desperate search for baby Melody, but a terrible and inescapable date looms large. At 5.02pm on 22nd April 2011, the Doctor will die. These are his last days, and the quest for Melody his final mission.

"The search will result in a crash landing in Thirties Berlin and will bring them face to face with the greatest war criminal of all time. And Hitler. Old friendships will be tested to their limits as the Doctor suffers the ultimate betrayal and learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all.

"A distress call from a terrified little boy will break through all barriers of time and space and lead the Doctor to visit the scariest place in the Universe. George’s bedroom. George is terrorised by every fear you can possibly imagine. Fears that live in his bedroom cupboard. His parents are desperate – George needs a doctor. But allaying George’s fears won’t be easy. Because the monsters in George’s cupboard are real.

"An unscheduled visit to a quarantine facility for victims of an alien plague – a plague that will kill the Doctor in a day – leaves Amy trapped. Alone, Rory must find Amy and bring her back to the TARDIS before the faceless doctors kill her with kindness. But Rory is about to encounter a very different side to his wife.

"In an impossible hotel, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves checked-in but unable to check out. Walls move, corridors twist, rooms vanish and death lies in wait for every visitor. But the Doctor’s time has yet to come. He has one last stop to make on his final journey. His old friend, Craig Owens, desperately needs his help – a new and unfamiliar presence is wreaking havoc in Colchester. And then come the Cybermen. But time catches up with us all and the Doctor can delay no more.

"By the shores of Lake Silencio, in Utah, all of time and space hang in the balance. And a NASA astronaut is waiting…”

Geronimo, folks.