The Day of the Doctor - First Teaser

Earlier this evening, two teasers for the upcoming Doctor Who 50th anniversary titled The Day of the Doctor aired on BBC One and BBC One HD, you can watch a combined version of the teasers in the video above. Doctor Whop: The Day of the Doctor is set to broadcast on Saturday 23rd November on BBC One and BBC One HD.

The Day of the Doctor - New Teasers to Broadcast Tomorrow

The BBC have confirmed that two new teaser trailers (or 'stingers') are to broadcast tomorrow night on BBC One, read on for further details:

Tomorrow night, immediately before and after the brilliant Atlantis (BBC One, 8:25pm) there will be ‘stings’ for The Day of the Doctor that reveal the ident which will be used for the episode, plus a hashtag that (hopefully!) you’ll soon be very familiar with…

We recently announced a raft of programmes that will be help celebrate the Doctor’s anniversary but stand by for several surprises en route to the 50th… One of them is a brand new trailer, specially written and shot for The Day of the Doctor. It’s never been seen before and is currently in post-production. Bold, brilliant and unexpected, it promises to be an ideal way to look forward to the big day - 23rd November.

The teasers will also be released online straight after their TV debut. Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor will broadcast on Saturday 23rd November on BBC One and BBC One HD.

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 330

The cover and details of this fortnight's edition of Doctor Who Adventures magazine:

IN ISSUE 330...
50th Anniversary Rumours!
Doctor, Doctor!
10 Must-Have Monster Mates!
Mega Gadget Win!
Alien Babies!
Cyber Secrets!
Scary Comic!
Where's the Doctor?

FREE GIFT: Create your own creatures with this awesome monster mould kit!

Issue 330 of Doctor Who Adventures magazine is on sale now at all good newsagents until 8th October priced £2.99 per copy.

Complete Series 7 Boxset - Exclusive Mini Episodes

The complete Doctor Who series seven boxset - on sale next month - features three new mini episodes of the show titled The Inforarium, Clara and the Tardis and Rain Gods,  you can watch each of them below:

The Inforarium

Clara and the Tardis

Rain Gods

The complete Doctor Who series seven boxset is on sale from 28th October at all good DVD stores priced £51.05 per copy on DVD format and £57.18 per copy on Blu-ray format.

Summer Falls and Other Stories - Cover & Details

BBC Books have revealed the cover and synopsis for a novel collection book, featuring three previously-released Doctor Who stories:

SUMMER FALLS AND OTHER STORIES
Three bestselling Doctor Who e-novellas - now available in one paperback volume.

Summer Falls - by Amelia Williams
In the seaside village of Watchcombe, young Kate is determined to make the most of her last week of summer holiday. But when she discovers a mysterious painting entitled The Lord of Winter in a charity shop, it leads her on an adventure she never could have planned. The painting is a puzzle - and with the help of some bizarre new acquaintances, she plans on solving it...

Amelia Williams is the editor of the famous Melody Malone series of crime novels, and a bestselling author of several books for children. She lives in New York with her husband Rory and their young son, Anthony. They have a grown-up daughter, Melody, who works as an archaeologist.

With a new introduction by Amelia Williams - and a rare interview with the reclusive author

The Angel’s Kiss - by Melody Malone
Detective Melody Malone has an unexpected caller: movie star Rock Railton thinks someone is out to kill him - and when he mentions the ‘kiss of the Angel’, she takes the case. At the press party for Railton’s latest movie, studio owner Max Kliener invites Melody to become their next star. But the cost of fame, she’ll soon discover, is greater than anyone could possibly imagine.

Melody Malone is the owner and sole employee of the Angel Detective Agency in Manhattan. She is possibly married but lives alone usually, and is older than both her parents. Sometimes.

Devil in the Smoke - by Mr Justin Richards
On a cold day in December, two young boys, tired of sweeping snow from the workhouse yard, decide to build a snowman - and are confronted with a strange and grisly mystery. In horrified fascination, they watch as their snowman begins to bleed... The search for answers to this impossible event will plunge Harry into the most hazardous - and exhilarating - adventure of his life.

Mr Justin Richards is a noted author of fictional fantasies concerning the continuing exploits of a mysterious traveller in space and time known only as ‘the Doctor’. He has also chronicled the fantastical events of the Victorian era in his novels The Death Collector, The Parliament of Blood and The Chamber of Shadows.

Doctor Who: Summer Falls and Other Stories is on sale from 24th October at all good bookstores priced £7.99 per copy.

12" Remote Controlled Asylum Dalek Toy

Character Options have revealed a 12" new remote controlled Dalek toy, exclusive to Toys R Us, read on for further details:

12" Remote Controlled Asylum Dalek
When the Doctor, Amy and Rory are captured and brought before the Parliament of the Daleks, they naturally fear for their lives. Expecting to be exterminated, they are surprised to be asked to save the Daleks.

Humankind has somehow managed to enter the Dalek Asylum - a planet where insane and unruly Daleks are dumped. A spaceship has crash landed rupturing a hole in the planet’s defence shield. If humans can get in, then Daleks can get out!

Plus there’s at least one survivor; Oswin Oswald has sent out a distress signal. Facing his most dangerous enemy, the Doctor and the Ponds must enter the Asylum, rescue Oswin and stop the breach before any insane Daleks can escape into the universe. However, the Doctor discovers a heartbreaking truth and realises not everyone can be saved…

Recreate your favourite Doctor Who scenes with this Doctor Who 12" Asylum Radio Controlled Dalek! Perfect for fans of the Doctor Who TV series.

Features Include:
Flashing Lights and Sounds FX
8 Dalek Phrases
Motorised Dalek Movement
Poseable Gun and Plunger Arm
Illuminated Eye

The 12" remote controlled Asylum Dalek is on sale now exclusive at Toys R Us stores priced £49.99 per purchase.

Doctor Who Magazine - Issue 465

The cover and details of the next edition of Doctor Who magazine:

This November sees the release of The Light at the End, a very special audio drama produced by Big Finish, which unites FIVE Doctors and a host of companions. DWM was present at the recording and spoke to the cast…

"It’s very important to celebrate 50 years of Doctor Who," says Sylvester McCoy, "and it’s so exciting, too. It’s really nice that people treat you in a very loving and caring way, and they like to see you. And it’s great to come together with the other actors who played Doctor Who."

"You’re guaranteed that… that energy, and that presence, and that sense of humour," adds Paul McGann, about Doctors uniting.

"To have us all together is a kind of critical mass of uranium," Colin Baker smiles, "that should produce something pretty explosive!"

"I think it’s very important that we do something to commemorate the 50th anniversary,” agrees Peter Davison, "It’s very nice to be a part of something that’s been running for 50 years and is still going strong."

"In Waitrose," adds Tom Baker, "a certain kind of old lady finds me quite interesting…"

ALSO THIS ISSUE:

START WITH A BANG!
Doctor Who‘s showrunner and head writer, Steven Moffat, answers DWM readers’ questions. So how and why did the Tardis explode in The Pandorica Opens? Find out Steven’s reply in his exclusive column.

DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE
The Third Doctor and Jo encounter creatures from the bottom of the ocean in one of the best-loved stories of the 1970s. Discover fascinating new facts and intriguing new insights into the adventure, as The Fact of Fiction digs beneath the surface of The Sea Devils!

BLOCKBUSTERS
DWM rolls back the clock to 2012 - five adventures, each of which could have been a movie! Stand by for action, as DWM takes a nostalgic look at a season filled with dinosaurs, Angels and Daleks as Coundown to 50 continues.

THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME?
The Doctor and Clara visit a futuristic amusement park - one which holds a horrifying secret beneath the veneer of fun. The terror behind the rides is revealed in a brand new comic strip, Welcome to Tickle Town, by Scott Gray with art by Adrian Salmon.

CHANGE, MY DEAR…
Seasoned viewers of Doctor Who are used to the idea of the lead actor changing from time to time. But what’s it like from the perspective of  a child? Jacqueline Rayner shares her experience of how her kids reacted to the announcement of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor in Relative Dimensions.

WHO’S ON THE STAGE
DWM talks to actor, comedian and dedicated fan Toby Hadoke about his candid interviews with the stars of the series, and the forthcoming West End double-bill of his acclaimed one-man shows, Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf and My Stepson Stole My Sonic Screwdriver.

PLACE OF PERFECTION?
The Time Team - Emma, Chris, Michael and Will - see the Tardis take the Doctor, Martha and Jack into the far, far future. What will they make of the mysterious Professor Yana? And will they manage to find Utopia?

SPEAKING DOUBLE DUTCH
The mysterious Watcher provides an elegant explanation of rural accents, champions another Supporting Artist and challenges readers with The Six Faces of Delusion in the most unpredictable page in DWM: Wotcha!

PLUS!
All the latest official news; DVD, CD and book reviews; the latest merchandise previewed; prize-winning crossword and competitions; and much, much more!

Issue 465 of Doctor Who magazine is on sale from tomorrow at all good newsagents until 16th October priced £4.75 per copy.

2011 & 2012 Christmas Specials Soundtrack - Covers & Details

Silva Screen have revealed the cover and track listing for the Doctor Who 2011 & 2012 Christmas specials soundtrack, featuring music from The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe and The Snowmen, read on for further details:

At one time Christmas Day on the BBC meant The Morecambe & Wise Show for families to gather around the TV but in the modern era that mantle has now been taken by the Doctor Who Christmas special.

This release brings together the music of the last two Christmas specials broadcast on Christmas Day 2011 and 2012 and watched by a joint audience of close to 20m. This ninth release in the series brings the full canon of Murray Gold’s prolific output up to date, eight years of elaborately created scores for one of the BBC’s most popular shows worldwide.

The booklet for this release is reverse printed to allow the purchaser to display either of two covers for both soundtracks.

Track Listing:
01. Geronimo
02. Dressed in a Hurry
03. Bumps
04. Ditched at Sea
05. Madge’s Theme
06. Armchair Waltz
07. I Know
08. Quite a Tree
09. Into the Present
10. Baubles
11. The King
12. The Queen
13. Interrogation
14. Lifeboat
15. You’re Fired
16. Flying Home for Christmas
17. Safe Landing
18. Never Alone at Christmas
19. Friendship
20. A Voice in the Snow
21. What’s Wrong with Silly
22. Psychotic Potato Dwarf
23. Remember the Worm
24. Clara Who?
25. Clara in the Tardis
26. Governess Clara
27. Hello Mates
28. One Word
29. Sherlock Who?
30. Antifreeze
31. Clara Lives
32. Whose Enigma

The Doctor Who 2011 & 2012 Christmas specials soundtrack is on sale from 21st October at all good CD stores priced £9.99 per copy.

Doctor Who Adventures - Issue 329

The cover and details of this fortnight's edition of Doctor Who Adventures magazine:

IN ISSUE 329...
Mad Monster Facts!
Two Amazing Comics!
The Twelfth Doctor Secrets!
News and Jokes!
Cool Wins!
Scares!

FREE GIFT: This issue comes with an amazing mystery Who gift. What will you get?

Issue 329 of Doctor Who Adventures magazine is on sale now at all good newsagents until 24th September priced £2.99 per copy.

The Day of the Doctor - First Promo & Press Pack

Following the announcement of the title, the BBC have released the 'movie' poster for the upcoming Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, which can be viewed above, read on for further details on the special:

50 YEARS OF DOCTOR WHO CULMINATING IN THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR
The countdown starts here as the BBC reveals its plans to take over TV and radio to mark the Doctor’s 50th anniversary.

With special programmes planned across the BBC the celebrations will peak on 23rd November with the anniversary episode, revealed as The Day of the Doctor. Starring Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman with Billie Piper and John Hurt, the special for BBC One has been confirmed as feature length with 75 minutes of adventure.  

Matt Smith, who plays the Doctor, said:

“The Day of the Doctor is nearly here! Hope you all enjoy. There’s lots more coming your way, as the countdown to the 50th begins now.” 

Each channel will be home to unique content, celebrating the wealth of history and talent from the last 50 years.

BBC Two will broadcast a number of new commissions, focusing on telling the story behind the show.  For one night only, Professor Brian Cox will take an audience of celebrity guests and members of the public on a journey into the wonderful universe of the Doctor, from the lecture hall of the Royal Institution of Great Britain (1x60mins). Drawing on the latest theories as well as 200 years of scientific discoveries and the genius of Einstein, Brian tries to answer the classic questions raised by the Doctor - can you really travel in time? Does extra-terrestrial life exist in our galaxy? And how do you build something as fantastical as the Tardis?

In an hour-long special, BBC Two’s flagship arts programme The Culture Show presents Me, You and Doctor Who (1x60mins), with lifelong fan Matthew Sweet exploring the cultural significance of the BBC’s longest running TV drama, arguing  that it’s one of the most important cultural artefacts of modern Britain. Put simply, Doctor Who matters. He’ll examine how the show has become a cultural force in its own right and tell the stories of some of the unsung cultural heroes, who pioneered its innovative music, design and storytelling. 

BBC Two wraps up its coverage with the previously announced An Adventure in Space and Time (1x90mins), which will tell the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and the many personalities involved. Written by Mark Gatiss the drama stars; David Bradley (the Harry Potter films); Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity), Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) and Sacha Dhawan (History Boys, Last Tango in Halifax).

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, Doctor Who said:

"50 years has turned Doctor Who from a television show into a cultural landmark. Personally I can't wait to see what it becomes after a hundred." 

BBC Four will introduce audiences to the first Doctor, William Hartnell, with a special re-run of the first ever story, which marked the start of 50 years of history. The four episodes are being shown in a restored format, not previously broadcast in the UK.

There will also be programmes across CBBC with 12 Again (1x30mins) bringing together CBBC’s super fan Chris Johnson, impressionist Jon Culshaw, Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Warwick Davis (Porridge), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Dan Starkey (Strax) Louise Jameson (Leela) and the Seventh Doctor; Sylvester McCoy, to share their memories of watching TV’s top Time Lord when they were young. 

While Blue Peter will launch an exciting new competition giving viewers aged between six and fourteen the opportunity to design a new gadget that will become part of the iconic science fiction series. Two live Blue Peter specials will see presenters Barney, Lindsey and Radzi joined by aliens and monsters, with viewers challenging Matt Smith to answer their Doctor Who questions.

BBC Three will be home to several exciting entertainment commissions. Audiences will be encouraged to get involved and vote in Doctor Who: Monsters and Villains Weekend, as we countdown to the top Doctor Who monster. For those less familiar with the show, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide will introduce fans and viewers to a wealth of archive material and act as a guide to all things Who. A further exciting commission to be announced later this year will see the celebrations finish with a bang.

Danny Cohen, director of BBC Television said:

"Doctor Who is a titan of British television and I’m incredibly proud to have it on the BBC. It's an astonishing achievement for a drama to reach its 50th Anniversary. I'd like to thank every person - on both sides of the camera - who has been involved with its creative journey over so many years.”

It’s not just TV where audiences will be able join in the celebrations, programming across Radio 2, Radio 1 and Radio 4 Extra will each mark the 50th. 

BBC Radio 2 will ask Who is the Doctor? in a 90 minute documentary featuring newly recorded interviews and exclusive archive material. The programme will look at the lasting appeal of Doctor Who and ask how much of its continued success can be attributed to its basic formula. 

In The Blagger’s Guide to Doctor Who, David Quantick will give the iconic Doctor the Blagger’s treatment. He’ll be finding out the answers to questions such as why do. Americans think Tom Baker is still Doctor Who? How many Doctors have there really been? Were the Daleks really named after an encyclopaedia?

Finally, Graham Norton will be broadcasting his weekly Radio 2 show live (Saturday 23rd November, 10:00am) from the Doctor Who celebration in London. In a special three-hour show, Graham will take a ride in the Tardis and will also be chatting with some of the series’ stars and fans.  

Music is a key part of Doctor Who, from the famous theme tune to soaring melodies, but the show has also inspired a whole new phenomenon - Time Lord Rock (TROCK). Radio 1 will look at this genre of music inspired by the Doctor and his journeys through space and time with a 60 minute documentary.

Meanwhile Radio 4 Extra travels back to 1963 with a three hour special programme, Who Made Who?, to look at the world that inspired the television series. Doctor Who may have come from other times, but his roots were very much in the present of 1960s Britain. This distinctive programme combines audio from the archive, new interviews and extracts from audio versions of Doctor Who. Additionally, the station will broadcast readings and dramas featuring the great Doctor.

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor is set to broadcast on Saturday 23rd November on BBC One and BBC One HD and worldwide, an official time is yet to be confirmed.

50th Anniversary - Title Confirmed!

The BBC have revealed the title of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special as:

THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR

The special's length has also been announced to be 75 minutes approximately. The BBC have also announced a list of other television shows and programmes celebrating the anniversary to broadcast around the same time as the special, more details are to be announced. Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor will broadcast later this year on BBC One and BBC One HD.

In other news: Doctor Who has won the Best Drama Series and Outstanding Contribution awards from the TV Choice Awards yesterday. David Tennant - who played the tenth incarnation of the Doctor - also won the Best Actor award for his role in Broadchurch.

Destiny of the Doctor: Death's Deal - Cover & Details

BBC AudioGo have revealed the cover and synopsis of the tenth edition of the Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor audio series, read on for further details:

DEATH'S DEAL - written by Darren Jones, performed by Catherine Tate & Duncan Wisbey
Responding to multiple maydays, the Tardis lands on the planet of Death’s Deal, but the distress calls are old, the final echoes of terrified lost souls. This is an exotic world of lethal creatures, nicknamed ‘The Deadliest Planet in the Galaxy’, and only the brave, foolhardy or greedy would ever dare to visit.

Finding themselves stranded among a motley bunch of space-tourists, the Doctor and Donna must lead a struggle for survival against the frenzied wildlife, as they slowly realise that other members of the group have very different agendas.

And soon the Doctor learns of an even bigger threat hiding on Death’s Deal. Somewhere deep below the surface, is something that must never be unearthed.
Time is running out, and only an impossible survivor holds the key…

Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor - Death's Deal is on sale from 3rd October at all good CD stores priced £10.20 per copy and all digital online MP3 websites priced £3.99 per download.

Series 1-7 Blu-ray Boxset - Cover & Details

BBC DVD have revealed the cover and synopsis for the release of series one-seven of the revival series of Doctor Who in high definition. read on for further details:

"Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do, then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be: the trip of a lifetime." - The Ninth Doctor

Fantastic! Allons-y! Geronimo! For the first time ever, the epic adventures of the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors are brought together in high definition in a special Blu-ray release. The only thing better than watching Doctor Who is watching it in high definition, which is why BBC Worldwide is celebrating Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary with the release of Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Blu-ray Boxset on 4th November 2013 with an RRP of £255.31.

The set includes the complete adventures of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant, Broadchurch, Fright Night), available in newly remastered Blu-ray versions at full 1080p resolution for the first time ever, sitting alongside those of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in this high definition collection.

BBC Worldwide has gone above and beyond to bring fans the best possible Doctor Who experience, and has also fully remastered the complete Tenth Doctor Specials as well as The Complete Fifth and Sixth Series (previously available on Blu-ray), to full 1080p resolution as well. Throw in the new Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series Blu-ray set along with hours and hours of bonus features from the past collections PLUS 120 minutes of bonus material that has never previously been available on disc, as well as more goodies than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at, and this is one blue box that just might actually be bigger on the inside.

With 29 blu-ray discs of episodes, specials and bonus features, this limited edition gift set will keep on giving for years to come. So share it with a friend or keep it for yourself, but don’t miss your chance to pre-order this limited edition set.

NOW IN HIGH DEFINITION:
The Complete First Series
The Complete Second Series
The Complete Third Series
The Complete Fourth Series

NEWLY REMASTERED:
The Complete Specials
The Complete Fifth Series
The Complete Sixth Series
The Complete Seventh Series

EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES DISC:

The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists
From BBC America's The Brit List - BBC American’s pop culture correspondent, Asha Leo, is joined by special guest John Barrowman (Torchwood, Doctor Who) to announce the rankings of the Top Five Companions, Top Five Scariest Moments, Top Five Best Monsters, Top Five Guest Stars and Top Five Things You’ll Only See on Doctor Who. 

Doctor Who at the Proms 2010
Doctor Who’s own Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill host a spectacular evening of music from the series played live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. Includes video projections, appearances by the monsters and a special guest appearance from Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith. For the first time, the collection will include the full 90-minute concert and has been remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound. 

The Best of the Christmas Specials
This previously unreleased special from December 2011 takes an inside look at the very best moments from the incredible Doctor Who Christmas specials that have captivated audiences around the world. A collection of fans from the celebrity, comedy, sci-fi and digital worlds discuss their favorite moments from both David Tennant and Matt Smith era Christmas episodes.

The complete Doctor Who series one-seven Blu-ray boxset is on sale from 4th November at all good DVD stores priced £255.31 per purchase.

2013 Christmas Special - Read Through Promo

The BBC have released the first behind-the-scenes image of Matt Smith, taken after the read through of this year's Doctor Who Christmas special, also Smith's final episode as the Eleventh Doctor, read on for further details:

Matt was in brilliant form at the read through for this year’s Christmas Special, written by Steven Moffat. In fact, seeing him back in action as the Doctor made us want to fast forward to November to see the eagerly awaited 50th anniversary special!

As previously reported, after four incredible years aboard the Tardis, the Christmas episode will be Matt’s swansong as the Time Lord. Lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat has previously commented on Matt’s departure, "…great actors always know when it's time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven."

But there’s a lot more to come before Matt bows out…

The special is set to air this Christmas on BBC One and BBC One HD, however, Doctor Who returns beforehand for the show's 50th anniversary special in November, also BBC One and BBC One HD.

Series 8 - Not to Broadcast until Autumn 2014?

It was originally rumoured that the next full series of Doctor Who wouldn't air until August 2014, but a recent report from Media Guardian's 100 List reveals that it probably won't broadcast until the following Autumn, stating the following:

Doctor Who may not be quite the force it was when it returned with Christopher Eccleston and in its David Tennant heyday in the UK, but has a growing audience in the US on cable channel BBC America.

It will not return next year until the autumn, giving it plenty of time to recharge batteries. And what better way to do that than with a new Doctor?

The eighth series - the first to feature the Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi - is also rumoured to include only twelve episodes, with the 'final' one airing as the Christmas special for the year. All is yet to be official confirmed by the BBC. Filming for the next series will begin in January 2014, however, Doctor Who will return later this year in the show's 50th anniversary special, before current Doctor Matt Smith bows out in this year's Christmas special; both on BBC One and BBC One HD.

The Beast of Babylon - Cover & Details

Puffin have revealed the cover and synopsis of the ninth edition of their ebooks celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, read on for further details:

THE BEAST OF BABYLON - by Charlie Higson
When a girl called Ali pockets a silver orb that falls from the sky, little does she realise it’s her ticket to seeing the universe! Desperate to retrieve the mysterious object, the Ninth Doctor agrees to let her join him on a dangerous trip to ancient Babylon. Together they must join forces to stop a giant Starman from destroying Earth before it’s too late! 

Doctor Who: The Beast of Babylon will be released on 23rd September onto all good digital media outlets priced £1.99 per download and will be available as a physical paperpack in November to co-elide with Doctor Who's 50th anniversary, more information coming soon. In other news: Matt Smith has confirmed that shooting for this year's Doctor Who Christmas special will begin this Sunday (8th September) and he will be wearing a wig due to the actor shaving off his hair earlier this year.

50th Anniversary & 2013 Christmas Specials - Latest News

A round-up of the latest news concerning the upcoming Doctor Who 50th anniversary special and 2013 Christmas special; the last to feature Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor:

WINSTON CHURCHILL TO RETURN?
At a Q&A convention last weekend, actor Ian McNeice who played Prime Minster Winston Churchill in Doctor Who apparently told the audience that he is to reprise the role of the character. A now deleted tweet from the venue stated:

"Ooooo spoilers…. Winston Churchill to return to Doctor Who."

McNeice later denied the rumour, tweeting: 

"There is absolutely a false rumour there is no truth that I am returning to Doctor Who."

All of the above is yet to be officialy confirmed, seeing are plans on both the 50th anniversary and 2013 Christmas specials are being kept airtight for now.

BBC RESPONDS TO COMPLAINTS OF LACK OF 50th ANNIVERSARY ADVERTISING
The BBC has responded to criticisms over the perceived lack of advertising for the 50th anniversary special. They stated on their official Facebook page the following:

"We can assure you our 50th celebrations will in no way be muted - we’ll have details soon but for now, trust us! You won’t miss our celebrations, promise."

They also responded on Twitter, tweeting:

"Oh we’re going to give you so much more than a trailer… patience. It’s worth the wait - we promise."

So the BBC are promising more than a trailer in preperation of the broadcast for the special for fans, though they are yet to be announced.

THE FALL OF ARCADIA TO FEATURE IN ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL?
According the online CV of actor Ankur Sengupta, he will play two minor rolls in the upcoming 50th anniversary special; One as a UNIT soldier and another - more interestingly - as an Arcadian refugee. Arcadia was mentioned by the Tenth Doctor back in the series two final Doomsday, saying:  "I was there at the Fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that." So a visit to Arcadia during the Time War could be on the table for the special. All is yet to be officially confirmed though.

THE CYBERMEN IN 2013 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL?
On Twitter, Darrelle Parker - a professional stunt woman who as worked on Doctor Who - recently tweeted:

"Great to be stunting again for Dr Who in the Christmas special playing a Cyberman."

This rumours a return for the Cybermen in this year's Doctor Who Christmas special. Zygon creator Robert Banks Stewart also claimed that they are to appear in the 50th anniversary special too, the BBC have yet to confirm this.

The Doctor Who 50th anniversary special will broadcast later this year, with Matt Smith's final episode to broadcast at Christmas, both on BBC One and BBC One HD.