Doctor Who - Discussions on Season 5 onwards

I have heard that the next Doctor Who Special - Planet of the Dead will air in Easter 2009.

Then apparently we have to wait until Christmas 2009 for the next special.

Then there are to be a double bill of episodes in early 2010 which will lead David Tennant leaving the show and having the new doctor appear at the very end of the last of the four specials with a 3 month wait to the start of the full fifth series in Spring 2010.

That is what I have heard and it is so tough trying to get any details of when episodes are to be broadcast from the BBC.

They're keeping it under wraps, which is slightly odd. However, on the latest Doctor Who commentary podcast, they rubbished the Easter 2010 for the last specials story. They could still be early 2010, but the idea that S5 is being pushed back because of it is nonsense.

I don;t think there yet know who it is yet. there still have 6months before there really have to start filming the spring 2010?

The first special will begin filming on the 19th January.

I really doubt they'll have a gap between Easter and Christmas... 5 specials were announced, two of which were The Next Doctor and Planet of the Dead.

So chances are Christmas, Easter, Summer, Autumn, Christmas... the latter of which will be bye bye to Tennant presumably.

It has been suggested that next year's Christmas special will form of a two parter, Part One on Christmas Day and Part Two on New Year's Day. After all, New Year's Day is indeed early 2010 is it not?

Russell did say that there is a 2 part finale

He has not started yet I believe! no idea !

Russell T Davis apparently has said we will still have David Tennant as the Doctor for the Christmas Day special 2009.

I think they will have an Easter Special , Autumn Special and a two parter, one on Christmas Day and maybe one on New Year's Day, that one we will say goodbye to David, and then giving a good three/four month break before Series Five begins, which will probably be April 2010. That is what seems likely.

But apparently there is a rumour that it will be a Easter Special, Christmas Day Special and then a 2 parter in January 2010.

I know it is unreliable, but wikipedia has this down as what is to happen. But I never trust wikipedia to be 100% truthfull.

Don't trust Wonkypedia, it's fiddled with too much nowadays.

IIRC originally it was going to be Easter/May Bank Holiday, August Bank Holiday & a two parter, Part 1 Christmas day & Part 2 New Years Day

However that will probably all change.

The new Doctor will be revealed tomorrow.
Press release from BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/02/doctor.shtml

The BBC confirmed today that it will reveal the identity of the 11th Doctor as part of a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential to be aired on BBC One tomorrow, Saturday 3 January 2009, at 5.35pm (UK time).

Following the announcement in October 2008 that David Tennant would be stepping down from his role as the Doctor at the end of 2009, speculation has been mounting as to who would take over from him for the fifth series of this iconic BBC drama that will air in 2010.

With a new creative team in place for the new series led by Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger, the casting of the new Doctor was job number one to be completed before scripts could be finalised and shooting could begin in summer 2009.

In the Doctor Who special, to be aired tomorrow at 5.35pm, the actor playing the new Doctor will be giving his or her initial reaction to being the new, 11th incarnation of one of television's most loved characters.

Head Of Drama BBC Wales, Piers Wenger, said: "We are so pleased to have been able to cast this person as the new Doctor. We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own – I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is – it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!"

Exciting stuff - it'll get the audience used to who he (or she? ) is. Good to see a lot of time will be devoted to the thinking behind it too on Confidential.