Weeeeeeuhhhhwooooo! New Dr Who starts 19 September!

[VagelinaJolie]

Hooray! Let's hope that this series is better than the last.
Oh look it's Arya Stark! And more Missy!
And PC's hair is madder than ever!
(And I've found the box of exclamation marks!!!!!)
Let's see

No, it was Steven Moffat who was awful to the young man. He actually said "I'm sorry I have autism I find it difficult", he was shaking asking his question on the microphone. I was gobsmacked at what SM said, as were my friends who were there with me. Especially as otherwise we'd noticed and commented upon how inclusive the festival had been otherwise, with fans of all ages and abilities together.

That's awful

To counter-balance: here's Peter Capaldi being beyond lovely

Warning DM link. For those who don't want to click, it's about a surprise visit to a very unwell teenager "I understand you need to see a doctor"

Awww...

There's an interesting blog post about Clara and Ashildr on the BBC site. I don't think it's spoilery but I know what it's making me assume.

Dash it! Link not working. Anyway it's on the Dr Who site.

www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/d566b45d-09bd-4d64-beeb-4436fc4e1ba1

Fanfic fodder, but probably no more - there's already the Coal Hill School spin-off in the pipeline, so I doubt there'll be another.

I haven't seen any trailers for that - is it possible that Clara and Ashildr could be involved?

The blog post definitely looked liked an introduction to me.

www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/953c5b1f-3cc8-4db9-8184-f1b6567260f1

Might be the occasional appearance, in the same way that the various doctors and Jo Grant appeared in the Sarah-Jane adventures, but I wouldn't have thought Maisie Williams would commit to more than that, unless Arya gets killed off (though that's always a possibility given the Game of Thrones death rate)

Noooooooooooooooooo, Arya will not get killed off.

She might learn to change her face though.

Which would give Maisie more free time.

Did anyone watch the Christmas special?

Loved the Capaldi/Kingston combo!

Yes me too. Good match there.

I did! And loved it. Nice to have a simple plot for once and to see River back. Capaldi and Kingston have great chemistry. Especially the last scene [fans self].

Hated it.

Big plastic monster and lots of silly falling through floors? River stuck in vapid mode? And really, the combination of Matt Smith and River was so Heaven-sent - anything else feels false and forced.

I'd say it was a criminal waste of resources - but I guess other people liked it.

I liked the twist of the Doctor as companion in River's plotline. And the scene where he had his go... And her speech about not expecting sunsets to love you back, followed by that gradual realisation.

I still hate Capaldi as The Doctor although he did work a little better with River than he did with Clara. Shame we won't be seeing her again - she didn't know his face or any after this one and he gave her the sonic screwdriver meaning that the next time she sees him is in the library.

I agree with Gruach that the plot was crap and the monster crapper.

I hate when they put a comedian in a big, metal robot suit I hated it when they did it with Mitchell and Webb too . I also thought River's character was a bit odd as though they'd forgotten how to write her. I usually love her. And I'm pretty sad they couldn't have given her a better send-off. She's been a major part of new Who and didn't even get to reminisce or flashback to the other Doctors she met or Amy and Rory. Even Clara got to mention Danny before her fake death scene

Oh, I loved this episode!

River's speech about how The Doctor didn't love her but she loved him and didn't expect him to love her back. So touching. And then Capaldi had a look of such tenderness as he whispered 'Hello Sweetie' to her.

Plus, after they crash-landed, and River's unconscious on the floor, you see Capaldi press a button on the console (his hand fills the screen) and - there's a ring on his wedding finger. Then he walks to the door of the Tardis to go back out, and again, his hand is in the middle of the shot resting on the door, with a wedding band clearly visible. Has Capaldi's Doctor always worn a wedding ring?

Have just watched it on iPlayer and thought it was brilliant - the comics and the villains were a good foil for the love story - yes, a good episode.

iirc Capaldi always wear his own wedding ring no matter the part he's playing so his Doctor has always worn it. (He is a RL sweetie)

I loved it and have watched it twice...and a further three times from 38m to the end ('you don't expect a sunset to admire you back!') I was initially at river having multiple relationships, but I think that was because she felt unloved (explains away affairs) but the ending with just one more night together....that lasted 24 years (happy-tears!) and I loved that he laughed properly when they fell in the snow. I hadn't seen him laugh like that while Clara was around...and how delighted he was to see her.

And I thought that I wanted snogging, but I'm glad there wasn't kissing, it ended at the perfect moment. .

Someone on another forum suggested the 24 years would be enough for them to have a child and bring it up to be the next companion. He's travelled with his granddaughter so why not his daughter?

I'd love that. But I also really want next companion to be shona from last year's Xmas special.

There's a theory that river was pregnant in the episode with the silence, when she went in the tunnel(?) she felt nauseous, as did Amy, who was pregnant with river at the time (...) in which case, she would have already had her baby (& found a way of depositing her with Amy and Rory in the time locked multiverse, sworn to secrecy because of rivers own awful childhood)

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinallly got around to watching.

Almost like two totally different episodes there.

Watched it last night. I too loved the scene where it slowly dawns on River that the Doctor is standing next to her. And I was surprised to be glad they have the possibility of 24 years together even though I am not a River fan.

Am getting more than a little worried we haven't seen the back of smug Ashyldr. Don't like the character.