Series 5 (Doctor Who)

Series 5 of Doctor Who, also known as Season 31 for clarity over Season 5, will begin airing in the Spring of 2010. For the first time since 2008 a full 13-episode season will be broadcast; filming began in July 2009. The season is the first to feature Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and will also introduce Karen Gillan as companion Amy Pond, along with substantial changes to the programme's production team.

According to the official BBC cinema trailer issued on 20th February, the season is scheduled to start on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010. However, according to the Doctor Who News Page, this date was reportedly circulated "in error" and the BBC has yet to officially confirm this. However organizers of the American science fiction convention WonderCon in San Francisco have announced the event will host special screenings of The Eleventh Hour on April 3, increasing the likelihood that this will indeed be the premiere date in the UK.

New production team
In the spring of 2008, it was announced that Steven Moffat, who has written Hugo Award-winning or nominated scripts for the revived series in each of its first four seasons and whose association with Doctor Who dates back to his writing of the Comic Relief parody The Curse of Fatal Death in the late 1990s, would succeed Russell T Davies as head writer and producer of the series. Davies officially retired from involvement with the series after the 2009 specials and at present has no plans to retain any direct connection to the series now Moffat's tenure has begun. However, Davies has announced that he plans to remain involved with production of Torchwood for the foreseeable future, and hopes to see further crossovers with Doctor Who, indicating he may not completely sever his ties with the parent show.

Fellow executive producer Julie Gardner also departed at the end of 2009, and was replaced by Piers Wenger. Beth Willis was added as a third executive producer — giving the show three execs for the first time since Mal Young departed at the end of series 1. The line producer of the series — a position once almost entirely held by Phil Collinson — was split between Tracie Simpson and Peter Bennett, two members of the production staff who had risen to prominence during the 2009 specials.

Other senior members of the production staff, such as production designer Ed Thomas and composer Murray Gold remained at their posts. However, at least one department also underwent a seismic change beginning with The Eleventh Hour. Directors of photography Rory Taylor and Ernie Vincze — who between them had fairly evenly split responsibilities since 2005 — left along with Davies and Gardner. They were replaced by a series of individuals, each handling only one or two episodes of the series.

New numbering system?
According to Issue 410 of Doctor Who Magazine, the BBC intends to begin the numbering of seasons over again to reflect the change of production team; thus, as far as the BBC is concerned, the 2010 season will not be known as Series 5, but rather, once again, Series 1. What this may mean for marketing and availability of the 2005 to 2008 seasons (particularly the previous "Series 1" starring Christopher Eccleston) remains to be seen. A December 2009 announcement by the BBC regarding the show filming in Croatia also refers to the upcoming season as Series 1. Both statements have now been confirmed to be false now that Steven Moffat indicated in Issue 418 of Doctor Who Magazine that this season will be referred to as Season 31. In his column in Issue 417, Moffat addressed the issue in a humourous fashion, suggesting the season be called "Series Fnarg" - "It's a whole new number," he wrote. However, muddying the waters even further, BBC Video has announced that the first DVD release of episodes from the series, scheduled for issue in the UK in June 2010, will be titled Series Five, Volume 1.

New TARDIS team
During his acceptance speech for the award for Best Drama Performance at the National Television Awards on 29th October 2008, David Tennant announced that he would not return for the 5th series. As the Tenth Doctor's companion, Donna Noble had been ostensibly written out at the time, Tennant's announcement set up the possibility that series 5 would begin with a completely new set of starring actors. Aside from the special case of Rose, the only reasonably analogous situation in the history of Doctor Who was the start of Jon Pertwee's first season.

On 3rd January 2009, during a special episode of Doctor Who Confidential entitled "The Eleventh Doctor", the BBC announced that Matt Smith would be playing the Eleventh Doctor. Smith succeeded Tennant in the last scene of The End of Time and Smith's Doctor was last seen crashing towards the Earth in a flaming, badly damaged TARDIS. That scene also confirmed that the Doctor would almost certainly sever connections with previous companions, making way for the introduction of new co-star Karen Gillan, who would play the character of Amy Pond.

Primary Cast

 * The Doctor - Matt Smith
 * Amy Pond - Karen Gillan

Secondary Cast

 * Rory - Arthur Darvill

Confirmed Guest Stars

 * Craig - James Corden
 * Mrs Angelo - Annette Crosbie
 * Vincent Van Gogh - Tony Curran
 * Dorium - Simon Fisher-Becker
 * Hawthorne - Terrence Hardiman
 * River Song - Alex Kingston
 * TBA - Helen McCrory
 * Winston Churchill - Ian McNeice
 * TBA - Bill Nighy
 * Liz Ten - Sophie Okonedo
 * Dr Bracewell - Bill Paterson
 * Nasreen Chaudry - Meera Syal
 * Aunt Sharon - Susan Vidler
 * TBA - Nina Wadia
 * TBA - Melanie Walters

Aliens and Enemies

 * Daleks
 * Weeping Angels
 * Face Tendril - (Unclear whether real name or based on conjecture)
 * "Smilers"
 * Vampire
 * Atraxi

Steven Moffat indicated in the January 2010 edition of the Doctor Who Magazine that there would be no "classic monsters" returning, though it has since been confirmed that the Daleks will appear. However, he did list several new species of monsters that are set to debut in the new series:
 * The Timoreen
 * The Skraskish
 * The Ha'rik

Unconfirmed

 * Cybermen
 * Silurians
 * Sontarans
 * Red People (as seen in New Earth and the Zagizalgul bar)[source needed]
 * Star Whale

Writers
Aside from Steven Moffat, who is writing six episodes of the season (Episodes 1, 2, 4, 5, 12 and 13): all other writers have been confirmed for Season 31 in DWM 417:
 * Steven Moffat
 * Mark Gatiss
 * Toby Whithouse
 * Simon Nye
 * Chris Chibnall (2 episodes)
 * Richard Curtis
 * Gareth Roberts

Filming

 * The BBC has confirmed that at least one episode will be filmed in Croatia.
 * A number of websites have reported a rumor that the BBC is considering splitting Season 31 into two halves, the first half to air in the spring of 2010, and the second half to air later in the year.
 * According to the online resume of one of the show's crewpeople, part of one episode has been filmed in Croatia.
 * Soon after production began on Season 31, images of the new cast on location began to appear in the British media, revealing the Eleventh Doctor's costume, and apparent exterior changes to the TARDIS (most notably the reinstatement of a St. John Ambulance logo which once adorned the TARDIS during the First Doctor era. The media also revealed in July 2009 that Alex Kingston will again portray River Song. It was later said that she will appear in two episodes. It was announced in DWM Issue 417 that she'll appear in episodes four and five.
 * Adam Smith will direct one of the episodes block, Ashley Way will direct Chris Chibnall's two episodes (8 & 9) and Jonny Campbell will direct one episode (episode 10).

Other Production Notes

 * Richard Curtis has stated that Series 5 (Series 1) will be broadcast in February but it has since been revealed that the series will be broadcast in April 2010.
 * Murray Gold confirmed in an interview that he would be staying on for Series 5, and that he would be composing a new theme.
 * On 17th February 2010, Matt Smith appeared on Blue Peter to choose the winner of a contest that asked viewers to design a TARDIS control console. The winning design is expected to be featured in some way in one of the final Series 5 episodes which is to be filmed in the spring of 2010.
 * The first four series were produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (accounts differ as to the extent of any financial support the CBC may have given, with the Doctor Who Information Network fanzine Enlightenment describing it more as an acquisition deal). Series 5 is the first full series to be produced since the end of this arrangement. It has not been reported whether any "co-production" arrangement has been established with another entity or whether Doctor Who is now fully BBC-produced.

Television Stories

 * Episode 1: The Eleventh Hour - Writer Steven Moffat and Directed by Adam Smith


 * Episode 2: The Beast Below - Writer Steven Moffat and Directed by Andrew Gunn


 * Episode 3: Victory of the Daleks - Writer Mark Gatiss and Directed by Andrew Gunn


 * Episode 4: The Time of Angels (Part 1 of 2) - Writer Steven Moffat and Directed by Adam Smith


 * Episode 5: Flesh and Stone (Part 2 of 2) - Writer Steven Moffat and Directed by Adam Smith


 * Episode 6: Vampires in Venice - Writer Toby Whithouse and Directed by Johnny Campbell


 * Episode 7: TBA - Writer Simon Nye and Directed by Catherine Morshead


 * Episode 8: TBA (Part 1 of 2) - Writer Chris Chibnall and Directed by Ashley Way


 * Episode 9: TBA (Part 2 of 2) - Writer Chris Chibnall and Directed by Ashley Way


 * Episode 10: Vincent and the Doctor - Writer Richard Curtis and Directed by Johnny Campbell


 * Episode 11: TBA - Writer Gareth Roberts and Directed by Catherine Morshead


 * Episode 12: TBA (Part 1 of 2) - Writer Steven Moffat and Directed by Toby Haynes


 * Episode 13: TBA (Part 2 of 2) - Writer Steven Moffat and Directed by Toby Haynes

Broadcast Dates
In February 2010 the BBC released a cinema trailer indicating the new season will begin airing at "Easter 2010". This has been widely interpreted as meaning Saturday, 3rd April 2010 and at least one version of the trailer in circulation has this date. However, as of 25 February the BBC had yet to officially confirm 3 April as the start date.

Both BBC America in the US and Space in Canada have announced their broadcasts of Series 5 will commence on 17 April 2010.

Australia's ABC network has also announced it will air the new series starting on the 18th of April, 2010. This marks the first time all of the major markets for Doctor Who will see a new series within the same month.

Two weeks prior to its scheduled BBC America broadcast, The Eleventh Hour is scheduled to be screened on 3 April during the 2010 WonderCon in San Francisco.

Series Changes

 * On 6th October 2009, the BBC unveiled a new series logo which will be launched with Season 31.
 * British tabloid media have reported rumours that Moffat plans a "radical redesign" of the TARDIS interior, both to mark the new era and also because of the show's switch to high-definition production.
 * The most recent promotional picture shows a different special effect for the Time Vortex, similar to swirling water, however it is not known for certain that this depicts the vortex as it will actually be depicted on screen.

Trailers
The first trailer (a series preview) was released on 1st January 2010 It featured several scenes from the upcoming series with several new and old enemies present throughout the trailer.

A 3D trailer promoting the series was released in trailers prior to Alice in Wonderland. . It featured the Doctor and Amy Pond lying on grass, gazing at the stars. Suddenly, the ground opens up and they fall into a blue twisting tunnel whilst within the tunnel they are confronted by; Weeping Angels and Daleks before they return atop the grass. A large snake-like head bursts through the screen at the end of the trailer. The effects and grading of the trailer were completed by The Mill.

Rumours

 * Neil Gaiman would be writing an episode of Series 5. Although this turned out not to be the case, Gaiman subsequently announced that he would be writing an episode of Series 6.
 * In DWM Issue 397, Steven Moffat wrote the "Production Notes" feature. This consisted mainly of an anecdote about how he became the head writer but he also touched upon his plans for Season 31. In particular he wrote "Piers Wenger and I are hard at work on Season 31. I can tell you nothing of our plans (except, obviously, THEY'RE BACK!)". Some have interpreted "they" to refer to the Time Lords, who had been "killed off" as a race during the Davies era. However, others have interpreted this as simply referring to the Daleks, who have become notorious for returning at least once a series since the revival. In a radio interview on 15th December 2009, Steven Moffat confirmed the return of the Weeping Angel; whether these are the species in question that are back is unknown.
 * It is unlikely that this means the Time Lords as they were brought back in DW: The End of Time and dealt with. In his book REF: Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter, Russell T. Davies indicated that he checked with Moffat before writing his script to see if Moffat had plans to return the Time Lords. Moffat's response "take them" would suggest the Time Lords are not returning in the near future.
 * The official BBC trailer for Series 5 includes footage of a Dalek, plus an episode entitled Victory of the Daleks has now been announced.
 * Despite the above, the speculation as to whether "They're back" refers to the Time Lords may intensify with the announcement in September 2009 of a Blue Peter contest in which entrants are being asked to design "a TARDIS console" to be used within the series, which could be interpreted as referring to a TARDIS other than the Doctor's. At the time of the contest's launch in early October, however, the contest description suggested that the console should look like "something the Doctor put together" suggesting a different storyline possibility.
 * "Liz Ten" will be Queen Elizabeth the 10th of a far future United Kingdom.

Episodes Rumours

 * Episode 7 of the series is rumoured to have Amy pregnant, but it's part of a strange dream and she can't work out what is real and what's not.
 * Episode 8 and 9 are rumoured to be called 'Cold Blood' and 'The Ground Beneath Thier Feet'. It is thought to feature the Silurians.
 * In an interview with the Perthshire Advertiser, actress Neve McIntosh stated that she is playing Silurian twins in episodes eight and nine, which are rumored to be titled "The Ground Beneath Their Feet" and "Cold Blood".
 * Episode 11 guest stars James Corden, which features the Doctor, cut off from both Amy and the TARDIS, and left stranded on Earth. The episode also features the Doctor playing football. It is rumoured that this episode will be based on a Doctor Who comic strip The Lodger. It is also rumoured that this episode will be a Companion-lite episode with Amy not appearing fully. There are also pictures online from filming this episode showing Amy bringing a plate of fish outside of the Tardis and the Doctor lunging at it.
 * Episode 12 of the series is rumoured to be titled "The Pandorica Opens" and is rumoured to feature the Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans and various old and new enemies.
 * This theory explains Christopher Ryan's casting as one "Commander Strak". Sonataran's names are often 5-letter words with S in the front, so Ryan may indeed play a Sontaran.
 * Dalek Operators and Nicholas Briggs, the Dalek's voice actor, were spotted filming in a museum.
 * Episode 13 is rumored to be titled "The Big Bang".

Novels

 * Apollo 23
 * Night of the Humans
 * The Forgotten Army
 * Adorable Illusion
 * Nuclear Time
 * The King's Dragon

Audiobooks

 * The Hounds of Artemis
 * The Runaway Train
 * Ring of Steel

DVD Release
Weeks prior to the start of broadcast, Amazon.co.uk was already listing Doctor Who Series Five - Volume One as scheduled for release on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK on 7th June 2010. In keeping with previous releases of this nature, three episodes from the season will be included, though unlike previous "vanilla" releases, a featurette, The Monster Diaries, is also to be included.