Series 4 (Doctor Who)

Overview
The 2009 Specials will be broadcast between the end of Series 4 and the beginning of Series 5. Four specials will be broadcast at various points in 2009. Of the four specials, one has so far aired at Easter 2009, followed by a second that aired in November. The two remaining specials are expected to air around Christmas 2009 and then in New Year 2010. These four specials will be overseen by Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner, but traditional line producer, Phil Collinson, will not be returning for them. All will star David Tennant. For the 2009 Specials, the Doctor will be traveling alone, each episode starring a one-off companion.

Casting the Eleventh Doctor
David Tennant announced that he would leave Doctor Who after the 2009 specials. Rumoured actors to replace Tennant were:


 * James Nesbitt
 * Robert Carlyle
 * David Walliams (who was the leading choice)
 * Harry Lloyd
 * David Morrissey (who previously played Jackson Lake in the 2008 Christmas special)
 * Paterson Joseph.
 * Bill Nighy has stated he would love to take over from Tennant once he leaves if the producers approach him.

On the 3rd January 2009, it was announced that 26 year old actor Matt Smith would be portraying the Eleventh Doctor for the duration of Series 5 (Doctor Who). It has been revealed, by the director of the specials, Euros Lyn, that the regenration will be at the end of the last special

Television Stories

 * Planet of the Dead (11th April 2009)
 * The Waters of Mars (15th November 2009)
 * The End of Time, Part One (Christmas 2009)
 * The End of Time, Part Two (New Year's Day 2010)

Others

 * DW: Dreamland
 * SJA: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith
 * Tonight's the Night
 * 2009 BBC Christmas idents

The Next Doctor
The status of the 2008 Christmas special The Next Doctor is a matter of debate. Officially, it has been called the 14th episode of Series 4, however as noted below, the 4th series numbering also applies to the specials. Conversely, The Next Doctor was produced during the same production block as Series 4, and also was produced differently than the specials, which were shot in high definition. It remains to be seen if over time The Next Doctor becomes accepted as a 4th season episode, as one of the 2009 specials, or as a complete standalone.BBC Video has also announced that it will be included in the forthcoming Specials box set on DVD and Blu-Ray, placing it with the 2009 Specials; in the past, BBC Video's titling and programming has come to be considered definitive.

Mini-Episodes

 * In May 2009, a BBC talent competition series hosted by John Barrowman entitled Tonight's the Night, ran a viewer contest; the grand prize being the opportunity to play an alien villain in a Doctor Who mini-episode written by Russell T. Davies. The resulting production was more of a skit, with David Tennant and Barrowman appearing out of character. Davies wrote in Doctor Who Magazine that he intended to write a more canoncial story, but chose not to; he attributed the title Tonight's the Night to the mini-episode. It is not considered officially part of the 2009 specials, but it was filmed during production.
 * In December 2009, BBC One broadcast a series of short Christmas idents featuring the Tenth Doctor cavorting with some reindeer.

The Doctor

 * Tenth Doctor- David Tennant

Secondary Cast

 * Lady Christina De Souza - Michelle Ryan
 * Adelaide Brooke - Lindsay Duncan
 * Wilfred Mott - Bernard Cribbins

Guest Cast

 * Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
 * The Master - John Simm
 * Professor Malcolm Taylor - Lee Evans
 * Carmen - Ellen Thomas
 * Ed Gold - Peter O'Brien
 * Mia Bennett - Gemma Chan
 * Captain Erisa Magambo - Norma Dumezweni
 * The Narrator - Timothy Dalton
 * Barclay - Daniel Kaluuya
 * Nathan - David Ames
 * Yuri Kerenski - Aleksander Mikic
 * Andy Stone - Alan Ruscoe
 * Tarak Ital - Chook Sibtain
 * Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King

Introducing

 * Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith

Aliens and Enemies

 * The Swarm
 * Tritivores
 * Macmillan
 * The Flood
 * The Master
 * Rassilon
 * Judoon
 * Ood
 * Ood Sigma
 * Judoon
 * Vinvocci
 * Time Lords
 * Trefusis
 * The Governor
 * Joshua Naismith
 * Sontaran
 * Hath
 * Sycorax
 * Adipose
 * Raxacoricofallapatorians
 * Graske

Filming
Filming of Planet of the Dead commenced in mid-January 2009 and concluded in February. Production of The Waters of Mars began late January 2009, and finished in mid February. Production of the final specials was completed by late spring 2009.

Series Numbering
Although it was initially thought that the "interval" season of specials might come to be known as Series 5, or Series 4.5, however at present it appears that the BBC will not be assigning a series "number" to the specials, much as the previous Christmas specials and mini-episodes do not technically belong to any particular season. This, however, is contradicted by Russell T Davies himself in his book The Writer's Tale, where he calls The Next Doctor the fourteenth episode of the fourth series (likely due to the fact it was produced during the production of Series 4).DWM confirmed the specials would be coded 4.14, 4.15, 4.16 etc. Also, the BBC iPlayer page for The Next Doctor on its Christmas Day release stated the episode was part of 'Series Four'.

Writers
Russell T Davies is solely writing only the Christmas 2008 special and two others. One of the specials will be co-written by Gareth Roberts, and one will be co-written by Phil Ford. These particular specials will be historic in that they will be the first two episodes of the BBC Wales production of Doctor Who to formally credit a co-writer. With the inclusion of Ford, 2009 will mark the fifth straight year that Doctor Who has included at least one new writer for the show, and make Ford the only writer other than RTD himself to write for Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who.

Rumours

 * According to an interview by Russell T Davies in SFX Magazine, at least one of the specials will feature the Ood and possibly tie in with the closing scene of Planet of the Ood, and that the four specials that make up the gap year will form a loose arc, with the final two being a two-parter closely linked to the second special.
 * The Daily Mirror reported that an Episode will be set on Mars. With the Doctor having to battle aliens from Mars. This could possibly mean the Ice Warriors will be in one of the specials, or possibly the Sycorax as they were involved in an incident regarding a British expedition to Mars in The Christmas Invasion
 * On 17th May 2009, the newspaper News of the World reported that Billie Piper would reprise her role as Rose Tyler for the 2009 Christmas Special, and that episode would be the last one to feature David Tennant as The Doctor. That episode will air on New Years Day when Matt Smith's tenure as the Eleventh Doctor will begin. The article can be seen on the link.
 * Timothy Dalton will appear in the final two episodes. He is rumoured to be playing The Monk, as he was seen on set in Time Lord costume.
 * David Tennant has revealed that the final two specials will be set not just on Earth. The Ood Sphere has been confirmed as one of these settings as the Children in Need preview is set on the Ood Sphere. Gallifrey is rumoured to be one of the other settings in this story. This indeed seems possible, seeing how the Time Lords have, through unknown means, survived the Last Great Time War, as seen in part one of The End of Time (TV story).
 * Claire Bloom has been reported by some media as appearing as The Doctor's Mother in the final special, with her manager cited as one source. Members of The Doctor's family will return/appear. As of early December 2009, the BBC has not confirmed this officially. The fact that the name of the charater she is playig - 'The Woman' - sounds renegede Time Lord-like may support this, seeing as she may be a Time Lady from her name. It was not revealed who The Woman was, put rumours are around suggesting that she could be The Doctor mother or Granddaughter
 * The Sun newspaper in the UK reported Paul McGann is to make an appearance as the Eighth Doctor in one of the specials.
 * Recurring rumors include speculation that either Georgia Moffett will return as Jenny, the Doctor's daughter, or that River Song, introduced as a future companion of the Doctor's in Series 4, will return (though spin-off speculates relates as to whether Alex Kingston would return of if a younger actress would be cast). Both have also been cited as potential companions in Series 5, too.
 * Media reports in mid-April 2009 stated that Gillian Anderson had been cast in either one of the specials, or possibly in one of the early Matt Smith episodes of Series 5.
 * The Nimon may return in one of the specials as hinted by Russell T Davies in an excerpt from The Next Doctor Podcast.
 * Fans have speculated and it may have been said by the script writers (evidence needed) that River Song will witness the regeneration of David Tennant into Matt Smith.

UK Releases

 * Planet of the Dead was released in the UK BBC DVD and Blu-ray on the 29th June 2009 -- it is the first Doctor Who story to be released in Blu-Ray.
 * All the specials, plus The Next Doctor and Doctor Who at the Proms (including Music of the Spheres) is scheduled for release in a box set in both Blu-Ray and DVD format on 11th January 2010; The Next Doctor is being upconverted to high-definition for the release.
 * The Waters of Mars and The End of Time will also be available separately on DVD/Blu-Ray on 11th January.

International Releases

 * Planet of the Dead was released in North America on 28th July 2009 in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats -- the first Doctor Who story to be released in high definition.
 * It has been announced that the four specials plus The Next Doctor and Doctor Who at the Proms/Music of the Spheres will be released in North America on both DVD and Blu-Ray in a box set on 2nd February 2010.
 * The Waters of Mars and The End of Time will also be available separately on DVD/Blu-Ray on 2nd February.

Dreamland
As it is not considered one of the 2009 Specials, the 45-minute animated story Dreamland is currently scheduled for separate DVD/Blu-Ray release in the UK in early 2010; no North American release of Dreamland has yet been announced.

Novels

 * The Eyeless
 * Judgement of the Judoon
 * The Slitheen Excursion
 * Prisoner of the Daleks
 * The Taking of Chelsea 426
 * The Krillitane Storm
 * Autonomy