Hall H was filled with the sounds of sonic screwdrivers and thunderous applause for the appearance of Matt Smith and Karen Gillan at Comic Con yesterday. The stars were on hand along with former producers Piers Wenger, Beth Willis and writer Toby Whithouse (who is also the creator of ‘Being Human’) to premiere the new trailer for the second half of this season’s ‘Doctor Who’ as well as answer questions from their fans.
With the show currently on hiatus, any news of Doctor Who came like a drop of rain in the drought of having to wait for new episodes. Although no real spoilers were given, they were able to give us a hint of what to expect in the second half of the season. We’ll see an aged Amy, new monsters and a glimpse of the darker side of the Doctor (coming in episode 10).
Two new trailers were released much to the delight of Whovians. First is the trailer for the second half of the series which shows the return of some old favorites: Craig Owens (from ‘The Lodger’ episode), Winston Churchill, the Cyberman, the Weeping Angels and the Silence. And, of course, we will see more of Alex Kingston (River Song) especially as River’s story will play heavily in the first episode ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’. Here are a few glimpses of what to expect:
Toby Whithouse (who wrote the episodes ‘School Reunion’ and ‘The Vampires of Venice’) was there to talk about the episode ‘The God Complex’ which he wrote the script for. While talking about writing for the series, Whithouse commented on how he has been “researching ‘Doctor Who’ all his life” (as he used to watch it as a youngster and still is a big fan) and that he has made a “profession out of geekiness”. When asked about what makes a good Doctor Who monster, both Wenger and Whithouse responded that you need to “find the humanity and sympathy of the monster. Make it a relatable character and find a connection and complexity (that would intrigue the Doctor).” As they explain, the Doctor never really wants to combat the monster. He is more interested in finding the intention and investigate what is going on.’The God Complex’ is set to be the 4th episode to air once the series returns for its season second half but here’s a sneak peak (and a new monster!):
Many fans have been wondering about the fate of the Doctor and his companion but we now know that Matt Smith has signed on to play the Doctor for another 2 years (which will bring him into the 50th anniversary of the series) and Karen Gillan will continue on as his companion for next year’s series. No word yet about the fate of Rory (but I’m sure many of you have your theories.) Next year’s episodes will begin filming at the end of the year and although there has been much debate on the subject, according to Steven Moffat, there WILL BE a full series. As for whether or not there may be a reunion type show with previous Doctors, Toby Whithouse replied, “Ask Steven. But hey, why not? We can make it happen!” David Tennant has said he would love to be involved in something like this (but has not officially been asked as of yet); however, Christopher Eccelston has already made it known that he has no plans on reprising this role.
So start stocking up on jammie dodgers and jelly babies because in true ‘Doctor Who’ form, this season will be filled with revelations, excitement, delight and curve balls in true Moffat style! New episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ will begin airing on BBC America, BBC One and Space starting Saturday, August 27, at 9pm ET/PT.
