Doctor Who
Season 8, Episode 7 “Kill The Moon”
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst
Written by Peter Harness
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Ellis George, Hermione Norris
BBC America
Air Date: Saturday, October 4th, 2014

Doctor Who has a long, long history with “the base under siege.” Introduced to the series as a way to save money when the show was forced back into smaller production facilities because of lower ratings in the late 1960s, it provided a way to produce a lot of multi-week serials on a small number of standing sets.

The formula generally includes: the Doctor and companions arrive at a base (or other solid structure) in some remote location, they discover the inhabitants, the base comes under attack, the politics and conflicts among those in the base come to the surface, the Doctor and/or the companions are put in jeopardy, the jeopardy is resolved, and the Doctor uses his unique skills to save the base. Two of the most memorable recent stories of this type are “Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead” and “The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People.” Notice that those stories are two episodes. This one isn’t.

It’s Doctor Who Week of Geek here at Geeks of Doom, where we’re counting down to the launch of Doctor Who Series 6!

Joining us for our preview of Series 6 episode of the TARDISblend is Andy Sorcini aka MrBabyMan, co-host of The Drill Down. We kick off the show speculating on what can be expected in the opening episode of the season, The Impossible Astronaut, directed by Toby Haynes and written by showrunner Steven Moffat.

The first episode is part one of a two-part adventure, which concludes in episode 2 entitled Day of the Moon. The adventure sees Matt Smith‘s Eleventh Doctor facing new villains The Silents, who are tied into the “Silence/Silents Will Fall” meme from last season. It also sees the return of Alex Kingston as River Song, and of course Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill reprising their companion roles as Amy Pond and Rory Williams respectively.

We also discuss how much attention the new season is getting, and the amazing promotion BBC and BBC America are pushing behind the show. The level of anticipation among fans is at an all-time high. Additionally, we talk of new fans coming to the show, and debate what Classic Doctor Who episodes they should consider checking out.

We run through the episode list for the season, and also briefly touch on Torchwood: Miracle Day. All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!

The promotion by BBC for the upcoming series of Doctor Who is continuing in high gear, as they have released yet another video, this time an episode-specific trailer. The opening episode of Doctor Who Series 6 is called The Impossible Astronaut, and is the first part of an adventure that will conclude in the second episode of the season, Day of the Moon. You can see the trailer, and another clip with Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith, at the bottom of this post.

The Impossible Astronaut kicks off the season with a reunion between The Doctor and his companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill), and the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston). The group is soon pulled into an adventure that begins with deadly consequences, and pits them against the new villains known only as The Silents.

The BBC has released two new clips from the first episode of Doctor Who Series 6, entitled The Impossible Astronaut. Directed by Toby Haynes, written by showrunner Steven Moffat, and filmed on-location in the United States, The Impossible Astronaut is the first part of an adventure that concludes in the second episode, Day of the Moon. You can view the preview clips at the bottom of this post — but be warned again, for more spoilery goodness is abound!

The videos released by BBC seem to be near the beginning of the episode, featuring a reunion between the Stetson-wearing Doctor and his companions, and a deep but dark conversation between the heroes inside the TARDIS as they ask the Doctor for his help “without asking why.” There’s a wonderful reference in the second clip to the moment of when Amy first met The Doctor, which is a nice touch. Those after clues to the opening episodes might want to make note that the Doctor is only wearing the Stetson in one of the clips… In the words of River Song herself, “Spoilers…!”

The BBC has just released a prequel video to The Impossible Astronaut, the first episode of Doctor Who Series 6. Kicking off the new series on April 23, The Impossible Astronaut is the first chapter in a two-part adventure set in the United States. In the lead up to the premiere, show runner Steven Moffat has released a short prequel teaser to give fans a taste of what we can expect. You can see the video at the bottom of this post.

The first two episodes of Doctor Who Series 6 (or Season 32 if you’re a classic fan!) feature the return of Matt Smith and his portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor. Reprising their roles as his companions are the married couple Amy Pond and Rory Williams, played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill respectively. The enigmatic River Song also appears in these two episodes, played by Alex Kingston, who will be featuring prominently in this series and — according to Moffat — her mysteries and relation to the Doctor will be revealed during the course of the season as well.