The BBC have released some publicity images to promote this year's Christmas special, The Time and The Doctor, featuring Matt Smith as the Doctor, with Jenna Coleman as Clara.


A further set of images will be published on Saturday.

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The evening line-up for British television on Christmas Day shows that this year Doctor Who is up against its old adversary, Coronation Street, also on between 7:30pm and 8:30pm on ITV. Other programming on the main channels include The Two Ronnies 1987 Christmas Special on BBC2, the film Home Alone 2 on Channel 4, and a repeat of The Greatest Ever Christmas Movies on Channel 5. The BBC/ITV 'battle' then continues with Eastenders (8:30pm) and Mrs Brown's Boys (9:30pm) up against Downton Abbey.

In case you need something to watch as your Christmas lunch settles, BBC2 will be repeating this year's Doctor Who at the Prom at 3:15pm, and the anniversary drama An Adventure in Space and Time at 4:30pm.

The BBC have confirmed that the world premiere of Matt Smith's final adventure starring as the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor, will be broadcast on BBC One at 7:30pm on Christmas Day. The one-hour festive adventure will also herald the much-anticipated debut of Peter Capaldi in the title role.


The Christmas Day line-up sees Doctor Who preceded by a festive episode of Call The Midwife, and evening entertaiment including Eastenders and a Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special.


The only other channel to confirm a time so far is FOX in Germany, which will broadcast the episode just over an hour later at 9:35pm CET (8:35pm GMT).

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff has now opened its Day of the Doctor exhibit.

Props that feature in the exhibit so far, include:

• Matt Smith's TARDIS, David Tennant's TARDIS, John Hurt's TARDIS plus their costumes from the anniversary episode
• The Time Lords’ War room and costume
• Billie Piper’s costume
• Joanna Page’s Elizabeth 1st costume
• Moment Box
• The returning Zygons

The experience is open throughout the Christmas holidays (excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Full details here.

Just two weeks after the twelve cover issue of Radio Times celebrating fifty years of Doctor Who, the Time Lord once more graces the front of the magazine, this time promoting the Christmas Episode, The Time of the Doctor, and the end of Matt Smith's tenure as the Doctor.

The magazine is on sale from today, Saturday 30 November 2013.

Tributes have been paid to Doctor Who in the House of Lords, the upper house of the UK Parliament.

The debate was That this House takes note of the contribution of broadcast media to the United Kingdom economy, moved by Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, a Liberal Democrat peer who has worked for both the BBC and Channel 4.

In the debate Baroness Grender, in her maiden speech, referred to Doctor Who and its record breaking weekend. Lord Birt, former BBC Director General John Birt, also paid tribute to The Doctor. Baroness Humphreys, who is President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, paid tribute to the BBC investment in Wales, in particular at the drama centre of excellence on Cardiff Bay. Lord Gardiner of Kimble mentioned the weekend global simulcast. In closing the debate Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury looked back to the past and directed a question directly at Lord Grade, previous Director of Programmes at the BBC Michael Grade. Lord Grade nodded vigorously to indicate the affirmative.

The full debate can be viewed via the Parliament TV site and the transcript is available from Hansard.

The Doctor Who Cuttings Archive is returning to the internet, courtesy of the Gallifrey Base forum.

The highly-praised website, which consists of newspaper cuttings related to Doctor Who, was launched by Roger Anderson in 1998. Earlier this year, Anderson, who ran the original website from 1998 through to its closure in 2010, agreed to provide his collection of newspaper and magazine articles to Steven Hill, co-owner of Gallifrey Base, in order to make them available again to the public.

Although the transfer of Anderson's materials is still in progress, the new Cuttings Archive is available now with over 200 articles. The new archive curator is John Lavalie, whose focus has been on making the information accessible and useful. Articles are being converted to text so the entire archive can be searched.

Technical support for the new Doctor Who Cuttings Archive is provided by Hill and Dennis Kytasaari, who is a co-owner of epguides.com, a well-known television episode guides site.

The Doctor Who Cuttings Archive can be found at cuttingsarchive.org.

The BBC is looking for runners to work on Doctor Who in Cardiff.

Floor Runner
The floor runner supports the assistant director team on the floor reporting any conflicting priorities to the 3rd Assistant director whilst co-ordinating with the production office for the distribution of packages, scripts, re-writes etc to the cast and crew on the floor. The successful candidate will provide hospitality for crew and artists (tea/coffee making) along with undertaking the transport of crew and artists as required and act as a first point of contact for a range of both internal and external callers and visitors ensuring that these are given a positive image of the BBC and the department.

Applicants must have previous drama experience working on the floor, and need to be used to transporting artists. They need to be able to cover for the 3rd AD as required, and demonstrate they have the stamina required for this demanding role.

Office Runner
The office runner provides full support to the Line Producer and Producer reporting any conflicting priorities to the Production Co-ordinator whilst being able to prioritise and manage all incoming requests for assistance in a polite, helpful and informative manner. They will undertake general office duties including typing, taking messages, photocopying, responding to correspondence, answering telephones, faxing, filing and issuing sides along with making (and collecting) local building deliveries inc. urgent mail/packages etc. They will also act as a first point of contact for a range of both internal and external callers and visitors ensuring that these are given a positive image of the BBC, including escorting them to and from reception, and providing beverages.

Applicants should have previous running experience in television or film production with the ability to use proficiently a range of software packages including Word, Excel, Outlook, Screenwriter and Final Draft with interpersonal and communication skills sufficient to establish and maintain effective working relations with a wide range of internal and external contacts. They will have the ability to express oneself concisely both orally and in writing along with excellent telephone skills, effective time management and organisational skills and the initiative to work both independently and as part of a team. They should also be able to prioritise a conflicting workload efficiently and to maintain standards of accuracy and attention to detail when working to deadlines or changing priorities.

Closing date for both jobs is 1st December with interviews taking place on the 5th. For full details click the links above.

FOX appear to be the first channel to announce their broadcast of the Christmas adventure The Time of The Doctor, which is due to be seen in Germany at 9:35pm CET on Christmas Day.

In their press release for December highlights, the channel said:

The time should not be used as an indication that the UK premiere will be at 8:35pm, as there is no intention to simulcast the festive adventure as with the Anniversary last weekend. The actual broadcast time will certainly be confirmed within the next couple of weeks, as the Radio Times "legendary Christmas double issue" (21 Dec - 3 Jan) is due to be published in limited numbers on 7th December and countrywide from the 9th.

With just under a month to go, the BBC have revealed the title of this year's Christmas Day adventure to be The Time of the Doctor, accompanied by two versions of their festive image representing the Doctor's final outing in the guise of Matt Smith!



A teaser trailer for the episode was released at the weekend.

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has been talking to Radio Times about the future of the Doctor, given the character is now dangerously near the end of his regeneration cycle as spelled out in the 1976 story The Deadly Assassin.

The story stated a Time Lord can only regenerate twelve times, and Moffat considers the Doctor is now in his thirteenth and final body. John Hurt is now officially a Doctor, sitting between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors, and David Tennant used up an extra regeneration during his stay. The writer was clear about the future, and how the Doctor is now at the end of his cycle - something that could cause problems when Matt Smith turns into Peter Capaldi in the 2013 Christmas episode. "The 12 regenerations limit is a central part of Doctor Who mythology - science fiction is all about rules, you can't just casually break them.."

To add to the confusion and despite the number of bodies the Doctor has had, Moffat is clear that Matt Smith is still the Eleventh Doctor. He told a press conference at London's Excel arena that the addition of the John Hurt Doctor to the series does nothing to alter the numbering of the other incarnations.

"He's just The Doctor, Matt Smith's Doctor is the 11th Doctor, however there is no such character as the 11th Doctor – he’s just the Doctor – that's what he calls himself. The numbering doesn't matter, except for those lists that you and I have been making for many years. So I've given you the option of not counting John Hurt numerically - he's the War Doctor."

Moffat also talked of how he found it irresistible to put Tom Baker into the 50th Anniversary story. "Tom didn't want to come and do a long thing and he didn't want to put the old costume on. He didn't want to do any of that, but his agent said that he wasn't against the idea of doing a short appearance."

Baker was the longest-serving Doctor, appearing from 1974-1981. Moffat said it would have been impossible to include all the surviving Doctors in the episode. "You can't have scenes around 11 or 12 people - you can't do it. To have the longest-standing Doctor make an appearance and be the one who briefs the new Doctor on where to go . . . well, it's irresistible, isn't it? You get to hear that voice again! It was just wonderful."