Quite the celebration is being put together for the 50th anniversary of the immensely popular BBC show Doctor Who.  BBC America announced today that David Tennant and Billie Piper will return for the special alongside John Hurt, Jenna-Louise Coleman, and current Doctor Matt Smith.  Fan-favorite Tennant starred as the Doctor in three series beginning in 2005 before he was replaced by Smith.  The new special will be written by current showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Nick Hurran, with filming set to begin this week in the UK.  No word on when the special will air.

Hit the jump to read the full press release, and click here to read our interview with Moffat regarding all things Doctor Who and Sherlock.  An eight-episode run of new episodes of Doctor Who begins tonight on BBC America at 8pm ET/PT.

Some new images from the seventh season of Doctor Who are now available.  The new pics show off looks at stars Matt Smith as the titular character and his new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.  Guest starring in the upcoming season will be Dougray Scott, Warwick Davis, Celia Imrie, Richard E Grant, Jessica Raine, Tamzin Outhwaite, Dame Diana Rigg and Rachael Stirling.  Doctor Who premieres Saturday, March 30th, 8:00pm ET on BBC AMERICA, followed by the series premiere of Orphan Black and Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist as part of Supernatural Saturday.  Hit the jump to view the new images.

With his crime comedy Identity Thief opening this weekend, Jason Bateman is already setting up his next film.  Bateman will co-produce Game Night, an ensemble comedy acquired by New Line Cinema from a pitch by Mark Perez (Accepted).  The premise centers around a group of couples who have regular get togethers to play games, but one deadly night turns into a murder mystery.  Deadline reports that the dark comedy is said to be in the vein of Horrible Bosses.  Bateman’s Aggregate Films, responsible for Identity Thief and Bateman’s directorial debut Bad Words, will co-produce the picture.

For news on (Doctor) Who is joining Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, How to Catch a Monster, hit the jump. 

Big Finish Audio has announced they have their own plans to celebrate the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary this year.  While most of the BBC’s plans for the celebration are still a secret, Big Finish has said they will be bringing together the Fourth (Tom Baker), Fifth (Peter Davison), Sixth (Colin Baker), Seventh (Sylvester McCoy) and Eighth (Paul McGann) Doctors together in a new 100-minute story.

The new adventure, which will be called Doctor Who: The Light at the End, will deal with the potentially imminent destruction of the Time Lord in his many incarnations.  For more on the special and who else will be included, hit the jump.

Big things are already underway for the upcoming 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, the latest of which is the release of a collection of “eshorts.”  Eleven tales from well-known children’s authors will chronicle each of the eleven Doctors, featuring each regeneration of the Doctor from William Hartnell to Matt Smith (and yes, even Paul McGann‘s Doctor).  The first author will be named on the Doctor Who Facebook page January 7th.

A paperback of the stories will be published by Puffin in November, but the first eshort will come on January 23rd.  The contributing authors are being kept tightly under wraps, but given the resurgence in popularity of the franchise in recent years, some great names are sure to be involved.  Hit more for the specifics of the project, plus more of what’s in store for the anniversary. 

The Whovian ranks seem to be growing steadily, as this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special episode “The Snowmen” brought in 1.4 million viewers for BBC America.  While those numbers may not seem huge in the scheme of things, it’s quite a coup for the cable channel, and makes it the second most-watched episode in its history.  The special went up 54 percent from last year overall, and up 60 percent among adults in the highly targeted 24-to-54 age demographic.

There’s plenty more in store for the series, which returns in April with the back half of its seventh season.  For one, Jenna-Louise Coleman‘s character Clara looks to be a little more interesting than fans originally thought, as Matt Smith‘s Doctor’s new companion.  Hit the jump for the trailer, as well as a few thoughts about the upcoming episodes (spoilers if you haven’t seen the Christmas Special!).

Though it’s not quite December yet, the countdown is on for the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Snowmen.  The most important element of this new special will be the introduction of Jenna-Louise Coleman as Matt Smith‘s new companion.  The special was written by executive producer Steven Moffat (also of the BBC’s Sherlock series), and will tackle some very serious emotions for the poor Doctor.  Hit the jump for more on what to expect from The Snowmen, along with the trailer, poster and still images.  The special airs Tuesday, December 25 at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

No one weirds up the holidays like Doctor Who, as this new trailer for the Christmas special, Doctor Who: The Snowmen, makes quite clear.  Matt Smith and newcomer Jenna-Louise Coleman introduce a sneak peek at the holiday special that will also serve to introduce Coleman as the Doctor’s new companion. This will be the first second episode featuring Coleman, though perhaps she’ll be playing a different character entirely.

Written by executive producer Steve Moffat, the special also features the return of Silurian Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh) and her cohort Jenny (Catrin Stewart). Doctor Who’s The Snowmen airs Tuesday, December 25 at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America. Hit the jump to check out the sneak peek. 

At last weekend’s London Comic-Con, I was able to participate in a very small roundtable interview with Matt Smith for Doctor Who.  While many were nervous when Smith took over the role from David Tennant, I think he’s done an incredible job and I’m glad he’s committed to being the Doctor for at least a few more years.  During the interview Smith revealed:

• When he first got the job, a little boy gave him a very small Dalek that can fit in his jacket pocket and he always has it with him when he wears that coat.
• He’s open to a Sherlock crossover/cameo, but he’s pretty sure Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are against it.
• The upcoming Christmas episode features Richard E. Grant as the villain and we’ll meet a very important new character.
• They filmed the first episode of season 7 part 2 and they’ve got five more weeks of filming.
• Neil Gaiman is writing an upcoming episode and Smith says, “he’s going to do something brilliantly reinventive.”
• With next year being the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, Smith says, “I think we’re going to make it a big year for Doctor Who on the BBC.”

Hit the jump to listen to or read the full interview.

Two of my favorite shows are Sherlock and Doctor Who.  Both star amazing actors, feature brilliant writing, film in the United Kingdom, and share some of the same creative team (specifically Steven Moffat).  Since Doctor Who is currently filming part two of season 7 and Sherlock will be filming its third season starting in January, I thought now would be the perfect time to make my dream happen: I want to see the Doctor (Matt Smith) walking behind Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) in a scene, or vice versa. I think having the characters cameo on each other’s show would be a very cool nod to the fans.  Keep in mind, I’m not looking for a full scene.  I’m looking for a second or two.  I’d just like to see they are in the same universe.

Cut to a few days ago.

At London Comic-Con this past weekend, I got to participate in a small roundtable interview with Matt Smith where I asked his thoughts on making my dream happen.  He didn’t sound optimistic: “I think Mark (Gatiss) and Steven (Moffat) kind of hate the idea of Doctor Who and Sherlock ever meeting.”  But Smith did admit, “I’m not averse to it.  I’m kind of open.  I’m like yeah, because I just think they would find each other so remarkable.”  Hit the jump for more.

A quick Google search shows that there is a ton of Doctor Who/Lord of the Rings crossover fan fiction, as you might expect from two of the most devout fanbases on the planet.  This news goes out to the large intersection of that Venn diagram.  Doctor Who star Matt Smith mentioned to the Waikato Times [via AICN] how much he’d like to shoot an episode in New Zealand, especially if Rings director Peter Jackson were involved.  The Times got Jackson on the phone, and the Kiwi filmmaker was happy to entertain the idea:

“I’m a huge Doctor Who fan, and I think Matt’s fantastic. Just name a time and place, and I’ll be there!”

Will it ever happen?  Probably not!  But the door is open.  Steven Moffat and Co. have to at least ask now, right?  Imagine the possibilities (preferably in the comments).

Just yesterday we brought you these new episode posters and trailer for the upcoming seventh season of Doctor Who, along with four of the five installments of the mini-adventures known as “Pond Life.”  Today, we can bring you the good news that Doctor Who Series Seven Part One is now available for pre-sell, with an order date of October 9th and a street date of November 13th.  The DVD/Blu-ray will feature the first five episodes of the new season plus bonus features such as “The Science of Doctor Who,“ Doctor Who at Comic-Con and bonus scenes! Hit the jump to check out the promo art as well as the final installment in the mini-adventures leading up to the debut of season seven of Doctor Who on Saturday, September 1st on the BBC and BBC America. 

Doctor Who fans are likely waiting with bated breath for season seven to kick off this weekend.  Luckily, we have five new episode posters, a trailer and installments of a series of mini-adventures to share with you.  While the latest season will feature the continuing exploits of The Doctor (Matt Smith), this year will also mark the departure of fan favorites Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill).  On the bright side, the Christmas special will introduce The Doctor’s new companion, Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) so hopefully the fans give her a chance to win their affections.  Season seven of Doctor Who starts September 1st on the BBC and BBC America.  Hit the jump to see the new episode posters, trailer and mini-adventures. 

The all-new season of Doctor Who will premiere later this year on BBC America.  In the meantime, the cast and creative team headed down to Comic-Con for a presentation and panel, and to debut footage for the show’s loyal and dedicated fans.  This season will see the last days of the Ponds, with Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) returning for their final rollercoaster voyage with The Doctor (Matt Smith), and then see a dramatic turn of events when The Doctor meets a new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.

During this interview, actor Matt Smith talked to the press about what fans can expect from the new season, how exciting it was to get to have dinosaurs on the show, how hard it was to tell the story of Amy and Rory’s goodbye, what the new companion (Jenna-Louise Coleman) is adding to the show, what Doctors he would love to see return for the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who, and whether there could ever be a big screen movie.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Moderator Chris Hardwick guided a packed Hall H through the approach of the next season (series, if you’re British) of Doctor Who and the coming departure of companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill).  Gillan and Darvill were joined on stage by the Doctor (Matt Smith), Showrunner Steven Moffat and Executive Producer Caroline Skinner.  Fans were treated to clips from two upcoming episodes as well as some teases for what’s in store.

In addition to a look back on a powerful scene between Gillan and Darvill from The Girl Who Waited, fans were also shown clips from A Town Called Mercy (a Western-themed episode shot in Spain) and Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (which includes both the lovelies mentioned in the title as well as Rory’s father accompanying the Doctor’s gang). More after the break.