Poll: Favourite Series 7: Part 1 Episode

As Series 7: Part 1 has drawn to a close, I have put up a poll so you can decide what your favourite episode was.

We had five big blockbuster episodes, but which one was your favourite?

• Were the Daleks 'eggs'cellent enough to claim the top spot in Asylum of the Daleks?

• We had DINOSAURS in SPACE but were they on top form in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship?

• Did the Gunslinger, sling to the top of your list of favourite episodes in A Town Called Mercy?

• Were the cubes POWERful enough in The Power of Three to gain the top spot?

• Finally, we had a Pond Farewell in The Angels Take Manhattan but will the angels also TAKE the top spot in this poll?

So if you want to vote in our poll, it is on the top right of this page.

Voting closes on 23rd December 2012 and results will be revealed on Christmas Eve.

Series 7: Title Changes - Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

As revealed by the BBC recently, Series 7 of Doctor Who will have themed titles and change each episode.

Today, the titles for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship were released and can be seen below as well as last weeks logo for Asylum of the Daleks.

Asylum of the Daleks

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Asylum of the Daleks Review

So Asylum of the Daleks has been shown and Series 7 is underway so that means it is time for the review...

Overview
An excellent episode which featured a great monster, a great story and a great series opener!

Continuity
Asylum of the Daleks was a very good episode for Continuity. Here's what they were:

• Amy's modeling career was touched on again, last seen in Closing Time

• The Eleventh Doctor mentions '11'

• Amy said, "Who's scared? Geronimo!". A reference to the Eleventh Doctor's catchphrase

• Oswin mentions some Dalek battles that centred around some classic Doctor Who stories

• Rory is nicknamed 'The nose' again

• The 'Doctor Who' theme/arc is a big thing at the end of this story and I speak about this below

Story Arc

'Doctor Who?' was a big theme in this episode. I really liked the big reveal of the question by Dorium at the end of Series 6, but in this episode I feel it was used a little too much. I really liked how Oswin made all the Daleks forget the Doctor and the scene in the Parliament at the end of the episode where all the Daleks are asking, "Doctor Who?" was a nice touch. But the last scene of the episode was where I feel it was not necessary: The Doctor prancing around the TARDIS asking to himself, "Doctor Who?", multiple times, was not a good ending to an otherwise great episode.

Story

The story was very good and for a Moffat story, quite simple! (Don't get me wrong, I love Moffat's complicated storylines). It was all about the Doctor trying to turn of the forcefield to the Dalek Asylum and ultimately, trying to escape the Daleks. A very well thought out story and no plot holes what so ever. Well apart from one...

Problems

I loved this episode and I think it is the best series opener since Doctor Who began back in 2005. But the thing, that bugged me about this episode, was how it featured Skaro. I actually liked it appearing, but what wasn't said was, where was this in Skaro's timeline? During the Time War, perhaps? I thought it was made clear that Skaro was destroyed in the Time War...

Oswin

I absolutely fell in love with Oswin, as soon as she appeared! I think all Doctor Who fans' hearts skipped a beat when she came onto the screen. Also, this has made me really look forward to the 2012 Christmas Special to see where this all comes into Oswin's story...

Every Dalek

The whole 'Every Dalek ever' thing was, as Moffat said, just for publicity. The appearance of the classic Daleks was minor and most Dalek's that appeared were the Bronze. However, I did like the Daleks in this episode, but I have one question, why did the Dalek that self-destruct not use the same method as last seen in 2005's, Dalek?

Conclusion

Monsters - 4.5/5 - The Every Dalek ever thing let it down and the self-destruct change

Story - 5/5 - Very simple and entertaining! Fantastic!

Doctor - 5/5 - Matt Smith was brilliant in this episode and the Doctor was given some very good bits

Companion - 4.5/5 - Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill were absolutely fantastic in this episode and Gillan especially, gave an outstanding performance. What let them down a bit was the slightly cheesy scene where they get back together

Arc - 4/5 - Good use of 'Doctor Who?' but was ruined at the end

Continuity - 4.5/5 - Almost flawless, except for the no explanation as to where in Skaro's history was the scene at the beginning shown?

Asylum of the Daleks (overall) - 27.5/30 - Fantastic

So that's it for my Asylum of the Daleks review. I hope you enjoyed reading it and agreed with me on most points!

Next Week - Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Overall Mark Comments

30 - Outstanding

25 - 29.5 - Fantastic

20 - 24.5 - Great

15 - 19.5 - OK, nothing special

10 - 14.5 - Bad, very poor

5 - 9.5 - Shocking, turned off after 10 minutes

1.5 - 4.5 - Worst thing to be shown on TV ever

0 - 1 - Doctor Who is over

Series 7: iTunes America Asylum Prequel

iTunes has released another 'prequel' to Asylum of the Daleks for Season Pass subscribers in America only, for some reason.

Fortunately, the prequel can be seen in the video below. It features the Doctor and a Headless Monk.

Series 7: New Title Sequence

A new title sequence was revealed last night for Series 7.

Some major changes such as: Actor's name font, episode name font and Doctor Who logo.
Some minor changes such as: Vortex tinted green

Also, each episode will feature a different Doctor Who logo that has something to do with that episode.

You can watch the Asylum of the Daleks titles below.

Series 7: Asylum of the Daleks Behind the Scenes

The BBC have released a video taking a look at behind the scenes in Asylum of the Daleks. It also features interviews with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Steven Moffat.

Series 7: Asylum of the Daleks Hours Away

So after months and months of waiting, Asylum of the Daleks is just hours away!

If you just can't wait until then, you can catch The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe (2011 Christmas Special) on BBC iPlayer. Pond Life has also been added to BBC iPlayer.

So make sure you are on your couch at 7:20pm tonight, to catch the Series 7 opener available on BBC One in SD or on BBC One HD in well you guessed it, HD!

Tomorrow, I will publish a review to the episode and new clips and trailers for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

Express your excitement for Asylum of the Daleks in the comment box below.

Series 7: Asylum of the Daleks One Show Clips

Karen Gillan was a guest on last night's edition of the One Show. Below you can see her interview which features slightly extended versions of some previously released clips for Asylum of the Daleks.

Series 7: ABC Asylum of the Daleks Pictures

ABC have released 15 new pictures for Asylum of the Daleks. They can be viewed below.

WARNING: Some pictures may be considered to be slight spoilers.

Asylum of the Daleks: New York Screening Clip

BBC America have released a new video from last week's Asylum of the Daleks screening in New York. It can be watched in the player below.

The videos just keep on coming today, don't they?!

Series 7: Daybreak Preview

Daybreak previewed Asylum of the Daleks earlier today. The video below shows new clips plus interviews from Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

Series 7: BBC News Clips

Earlier today new clips were released from Asylum of the Daleks. The video below shows new clips and interviews with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

Series 7: New Posters

Movie style posters have been released by the BBC for episodes 2-5 of Series 7. They can be seen below and the other released about a week ago for Asylum of the Daleks can also be seen.

Series 7: Episodes 1-3 New Details

Issue 451 of Doctor Who Magazine is released tomorrow and features episode guides for episodes 1-3. Below is a short summary for Asylum, Dinosaurs and Mercy.

Asylum of the Daleks

According to legend, somewhere in the universe, hidden away, the Daleks have a dumping ground. An entire planet where they lock up the Daleks that go wrong. The battle-scarred. The insane. The Daleks in the Asylum are lost in rage. They despise all things, even themselves…

Dalek Prime Minister: “Does it surprise you to know the Daleks have a concept of beauty?”
The Doctor: “I thought you’d run out of ways to make me sick, but hello again! You think hatred is beautiful?”
Dalek Prime Minister: “Perhaps that’s why we’ve never been able to kill you.”

• There is one scene where the Doctor is trapped outside and begging for someone to open the door as insane Daleks advance on him.

• Amy and Rory know themselves a lot better than before.

• The Asylum is a bit like an outer-space concentration camp – but a lot worse…

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

2367 AD. A spaceship the size of Canada is on a collision course with the Earth. Oh, and there’s dinosaurs on board…

Brian: “Sorry. Sorry. Are you saying dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?“
The Doctor: “Brian, please! That would be ridiculous. They’re probably just passengers. Did I mention missiles?“
Brian: “Missiles?!”

• Riddell is Edwardian

• Rory and Brian don’t really understand each other at the beginning.

• Amy references a certain 1993 Spielberg flick – “Jurassic Park all-nighter at Leadworth Cineworld,” she tells Riddell adding, “It’s a wonder I ever married that man,” to which Riddell replies, “I have no idea what you just said.”

A Town Called Mercy

When the Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a town called Mercy, in the American Old West, the Gunslinger is watching – and the Doctor is next on his hit list…

Jex: “Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking into a mirror. Almost. There’s rage there, like me. Guilt, like me. Solitude. Everything but the nerve to do what needs to be done. Thank the Gods my people weren’t relying on you to save them…”
The Doctor: “No. But these people are."

• There’s a crucial scene – you’ll know it when you see it – which shows the Doctor in an entirely new light…

• The Doctor dons his Stetson, Amy goes for her gun and Rory tries to keep them both out of trouble. But the time-travelling trio aren’t the only strangers newly arrived into town…

DWM #451 is officially out tomorrow priced £4.50.

Series 7: Poster Episodes 2-5 at Midnight

The BBC have revealed they will release a movie style poster for episodes 2-5 of Series 7 at midnight tonight.

The poster for episode 1, Asylum of the Daleks, can be seen above. The official information for the posters can be seen below.

At midnight tonight we’ll be releasing four incredible pieces of artwork for episodes 2-5 of the new series!
The new poster-style artwork presents striking imagery for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three and The Angels Take Manhattan.

I'm getting really excited for Series 7 now! Are you? Leave your comments below if you wish.

Series 7: New Zealand Airdate

New Zealand will get Series 7 on channel Prime starting on Thursday 13th September at 8:30pm. 

Below is Prime's synopsis for Asylum of the Daleks.

Join the Doctor, the Ponds and numerous friends on their latest escapades through time and space in this brand new series, where they puzzle an unexpected invasion of Earth, save a spaceship full of dinosaurs, and even don Stetsons in a Wild Wild West adventure. Tonight, kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter... the Asylum. A planetary prison confining the most terrifying and insane of their kind, the Doctor and the Ponds must find an escape route. But with Amy and Rory’s relationship in meltdown, and an army of mad Daleks closing in, it is up to the Doctor to save their lives, as well as the Ponds' marriage.

DWM #451: Full Details

Issue 451 of Doctor Who Magazine is out on Thursday and below is the full details of the magazine as well as the three collectable covers.

• Asylum of the Daleks – DWM takes over the Asylum for Doctor Who's most ambitious episode yet. Matt Smith shares his thoughts on the Doctor’s arch enemies, Steven Moffat on the challenges of keeping the Daleks fresh and how Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan feel about the beginning of the end for Rory and Amy.
• Dinosaurs on a Spaceship – it’s an episode of Doctor Who packed to the rafters with dinosaurs. On a spaceship! Writer Chris Chibnall, reveals how his script lived up to that title, and what challenges did the FX team face on bringing so many dinosaurs to life?
• A Town Called Mercy – guest stars Adrian Scarborough and Ben Browder on how thrilled they were to join Doctor Who for an adventure into the Wild West, how the crew enjoyed their time on location in sunny Spain, and what writer Toby Whithouse thought of being out of his comfort zone.

The show's executive producer, Steven Moffat, also teases the ultimate fate of the Ponds:

As you’ll be able to tell from the end of Episode 5, I’ve had the very last moment of Amy Pond in my head for quite some time...

Also in this issue:


The Usual Suspects – the writers of the new series are given the once over by Doctor Who’s executive producer, Steven Moffat (including himself!) in a curtain-raising Production Notes.
Gulity as Charged? John-Nathan Turner was Doctor Who’s most colourful and controversial producer, guiding the show to dizzying heights, but perhaps a few lows too. Luminaries and experts from Doctor Who past and present assemble for the first in a two-part feature to assess the work of the series’ longest-serving producer in The Trial of John Nathan-Turner.
Cold Front - the Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in Prague in the dying days of the Cold War. Revolution is on the horizon, but the Doctor senses something unreal in the air. What is the significance of the book The Sorrows of Prague, and why will Yuri Azarov and his terrifying companion stop at nothing to retrieve it? Part One of The Broken Man, the latest comic strip written by Scott Gray with art from Martin Geraghty.
Is This Death? - companions come and go, but should they ever die? Johnny Candon and Toby Hadoke weigh up the pros and cons of crash-landing to Earth in an out-of-control freighter, or heading off into the sunset to marry Brian Blessed in A Battle of Wits.
Take Art - DWM’s intrepid Time Team – Chris, Emma, Michael and Will – go for gold as the Doctor and Rose land in an ordinary housing estate where extraordinary things are happening as children are going missing, trapped in the drawings of Chloe Webber. Will the Doctor make it to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics as The Time Team views Fear Her.
Coming of Age ­– Doctor Who’s 21st year saw a season packed with exciting cliff-hangers, companion departures, a tour de force performance from the leading man, andarguably the finest Doctor Who story ever made. Countdown to 50 reaches 1984 and Series 21.
All in the Mind – mind-sucking alien parasites, prison riots, a nerve-gas missile and the Master at his most scheming – find out how the Third Doctor, Jo and UNIT fought The Mind of Evil in this month’s Fact of Fiction.
Light my Fire – the Watcher warns of the pitfalls of predicting the near future as A History of Doctor Who in 100 Objectsreaches number 22 – the Olympic Torch. Was the 2012 of Fear Her remotely like the real thing? Also stare into the eyes ofThe Six Faces of Delusion, flick through The Stockbridge English Dictionary and marvel at the Supporting Artist of the Monthin Wotcha!

PLUS! All the usual features, latest official news, TV and merchandise reviews, previews, competitions, and prize-winning crossword.

DWM #451 is out tomorrow priced £4.50.

Series 7: Moffat Radio Times Preview

Radio Times along with other television magazines are out in force this week celebrating the return of Doctor Who. 

Radio Times has dedicated a cover to Doctor Who and comes with a Dalek wallchart free inside.

Also, Steven Moffat has previewed the first 5 episodes of Series 7. They are summarised below.

Asylum of the Daleks

The Doctor is summoned by the mysterious Darla Von Karlsen with and a plea to rescue her daughter, it leads him to the Dalek Asylum.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

A giant spacecraft is plunging to Earth and all humanity is imperilled. But this is no ordinary space craft - it’s ancient and so is the cargo.

A Town Called Mercy

The Doctor finds himself in a crossfire between a cyborg killer and an alien fugitive. He’s in a moral dilemma, but doesn’t seem to care.

The Power of Three

The human race discovers the world has been overrun by… small black cubes. Which then proceed to… do nothing much at all. The Doctor has to wait it out and moves in with the Ponds.

The Angels Take Manhattan

In New York, the Weeping Angels are waiting for the Doctor and co. Not even River Song can save them from the terrible events to come. Heartbreak is always a terrible thing. But imagine if you had two of them….

You can read the whole interview in the Radio Times, out now.

Series 7: Asylum of the Daleks Radio Trailer

A radio trailer has been released by the BBC of Asylum of the Daleks. You can hear it via YouTube.

APOLOGIES: Video Services were down at time of the publishing of this post.

Series 7: Yet More Asylum Pictures

7 more pictures have been released of Asylum of the Daleks. They can be seen below.