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Thursday, 8 March 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Cast and Crew:

The two episodes currently being directed by Saul Metzstein have been confirmed by Doctor Who Magazine as episode two by Chris Chibnall, and a wild-west themed episode three by Toby Whithouse. The cast for Chibnall's episode included the previously announced Mark Williams, Rupert Graves, and David Bradley, and joining Rob Cavazos for episode three are:

Adrian Scarborough

Adrian Scarborough is listed by agent Curtis Brown as playing Kahler Jax.

Scarborough has appeared in a number of prominent roles on television, having appeared as Mr Jolly in Psychoville, Pete in Gavin and Stacey, Mr Johnson in Cranford, and most recently as Mr Pritchard in Upstairs Downstairs. He has also appeared in films such as Vera Drake and Elizabeth: The Golden Years, and featured as a BBC Radio Announcer in The King's Speech. This won't be his first role in the Doctor Who world, having played Rupert von Thal in Big Finish's The Boy That Time Forgot.

Dominic Kemp

Dominic Kemp is listed by agent Sainou as playing Kahler-Mas.

Kemp has appeared in guest roles in a number of television dramas, including Waking the Dead, Wire in the Blood, Moses Jones (featuring Matt Smith) and most recently in the Christmas special of Downton Abbey. Film-wise, he appeared in Miss Potter, and will be seen with former Doctor Christopher Eccleston in the forthcoming Song for Marion.

Ben Browder

Ben Browder has been confirmed by Doctor Who Magazine.

Browder is no stranger to the sci-fi genre, having played John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG1. More recently he has appeared in Chuck and will shortly play Nick Naught in Naught for Hire.


The character being played by Mark Williams has now been revealed, according to his online CV.
The name of the character could be considered a spoiler and can be read from this article on the news page.


The second recording block, which comprises two episodes by Steven Moffat, will be directed by Nick Hurran, who filmed last year's The Girl Who Waited and The God Complex.


On Location:

If you've ever wondered what a casting call can look like, here's a number of Doctor Who hopefuls in Almeria, Spain queuing up to audition as extras for the episode that would be filmed there - the process of which was politely described as 'chaotic'!

Filming itself kicked off on the 7th at the Oasys Parque Temático del Desierto de Tabernas in the Almeria region. The resort is set in the only European desert, and provides a number of themed areas such as an aquatic zone, wildlife park, and of more interest to Doctor Who of course, a Western theme town known as "Mini Hollywood". The area has played host to a number of renowned films, like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Lawrence of Arabia, and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

In The Media/The Rumour Zone:

Executive Producer Caroline Skinner commented in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine on reading the opening script for the new series: "Once I'm finally on the plane into Heathrow I re-read Steven's scary, thrill-ride of an opening episode. There I am, gasping and laughing away to myself, and kinda wishing planes had sofas - because if there'd been a sofa on this one, I would've hidden behind it."

Today's Sun carries an item on filming in Spain, courtesy of the ubiquitous 'insider':
A BBC spokesman said it was more cost-efficient to film in Spain than recreate the set in the UK, while the weather conditions will also prove sunnier than Cardiff, where Doctor Who is usually shot.

"Matt and Karen are really excited about the episode. Filming on the same set as a lot of western films, together with the Spanish weather, will give it an epic feel."
The paper has also suggested the adversary up against the Doctor:

Possible spoiler on the adversary follows:






The episode will feature a half-human half-robot Terminator-style beast which patrols a Victorian-era western town.

(with thanks to Ruther, Condensador de Fluzo, Diego Armando Alías)




FILTER: - Production - Caroline Skinner - Series 7/33