Series 7 (Doctor Who)

Series 7 of Doctor Who is expected to air on BBC One throughout 2012 and 2013. The BBC announced the news of the new series, which will contain fourteen episodes, on the official Doctor Who site on 8 June 2011. Series 7 will begin its run in the Autumn of 2012. "'Okay, here it is – the best answer you can have. I don’t know. If I did know, I wouldn’t tell you. When I DO know, what I know will change, so I won’t really know then either. And then it will change again, so I still won’t really know. And if, secretly, I’d really known all along, I’d still be telling you I don’t know, because everything I said I knew, could be wrong, so I’d never really have known in the first place.' Steven Moffat clarifying Series 7."

Cast
It has been announced that the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith will return for the full series. Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond, will return for the series, as will Arthur Darvill as Amy's husband Rory Williams. The extent of Gillan and Darvill's involvement in Series 7, however, has not yet been confirmed. This series will see the depature of both Amy and Rory Pond, as well as the introduction of a new companion.

Primary cast

 * The Doctor - Matt Smith

Secondary cast

 * Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
 * Rory Williams - Arthur Darvill
 * River Song - Alex Kingston

Guest cast

 * Madge Arwell - Claire Skinner
 * Droxil - Bill Bailey
 * Reg Arwell - Alexander Armstrong
 * Billis - Arabella Weir
 * Walter - Rob Cavazos
 * Kahlet Jex - Adrian Scarborough
 * Kahler-Mas - Dominic Kemp
 * Brian Williams - Mark Williams
 * TBA - Ben Browder
 * TBA - David Bradley
 * TBA - Rupert Graves

Producers
It has been announced that Beth Willis will step down as executive producer, as will Piers Wenger. However, Piers Wenger produced The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.

A new executive producer, named Caroline Skinner will join Steven Moffat. She will produce The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe onwards.

Writers
Steven Moffat, head writer, will be writing five episodes. One of these is the The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. Torchwood writer John Fay will be writing an episode. Mark Gatiss will return to write an episode. He has already written four Doctor Who stories, including two for the Eleventh Doctor, Victory of the Daleks and Night Terrors. Chris Chibnall and Toby Whithouse, who have both already written Doctor Who episodes are also returning. They will each write one episode. Chris is to write episode episode two. Toby will be writing episode three.

Directors
New director Farren Blackburn, directed the 2011 Christmas special Saul Metzstein, another director new to Doctor Who, will direct episodes two and three. Nick Hurran will return to direct.

Filming
Filming for series 7 began on 20 February 2012.

Episode three will be filmed in Spain.

Television stories
The BBC have announced that Series 7 will consist of fourteen episodes, starting with the 2011 Christmas special. The episodes are expected to air through 2012 and 2013. However, Steven Moffat has hinted against this.

Moffat recently announced that it will be unlikely there will be any two-part episodes in the series.

Episode three will have a Wild West theme.

Rumours

 * Mark Williams may play Rory's father.
 * In an interview with SFX, Caroline Skinner hinted at the return of the Zygons.
 * The Sun have reported that episode three will be set in a "Victorian-era western town" and feature a "half-human half-robot Terminator-style beast"