And the new series begins on August 27th

[SiHart]

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine has announced the likely airdate for Series 6 of Doctor Who.

As expected, the show is set to return of the Easter Weekend, with Episode One airing on Saturday 23rd April, and Episode Two airing as soon as Sunday 24th April - although that point is nothing more than a rumour at this moment in time.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

*scribbles in diary*

Good oh!

[Si Hunt]

We'll be marooned at Gatwick on that day due to Spanish Airline strikes, so we won't see it live.

Good times.

Si.

[SiHart]

From the Doctor Who newspage:

BBC America have announced in association with Entertainment Weekly that the sixth series of Doctor Who will be premiering in the United States on Saturday 23rd April, at 9pm EST (8pm Central).
Doctor Who is coming to America in a spectacular two-part season premiere on BBC AMERICA. Part One premieres Saturday, April 23 at 9/8c. The mysterious time traveler, the Doctor (Matt Smith), and his companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill), find themselves on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah - right to the Oval Office in1969. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks about this two-parter penned by ‘Who supremo’ Steven Moffat (Sherlock) and featuring guest star Mark Sheppard (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica). Also set to return this season, Alex Kingston (ER, Flash Forward), as the irrepressible River Song.

The BBC Press Office have yet to officially announce a date for the new series commencing in the United Kingdom, but Doctor Who Magazine has indicated that it will be over the Easter weekend.

Si xx

[Darren]

So with Eps 1&2 shown in two days, the first part of the series will be over by the third week in May.

[Simon R]

But will it be on the same day as Eurovision this year? If not they can drag it out an extra week.

[SiHart]

We might be getting excited here too early. DWMtweets have tweeted:

Just to be clear, whatever it says on @digitalspy, the BBC hasn't confirmed the UK launch date in DWM. As ever, dates are subject to change.

Si xx

[Jon Masters]

Hmmm - I detect the odour of bovine faecal material here.

Translate:

As ever, dates are subject to change

Means: Yes, like if The Event were to happen there might be no TV on at all, and we'd all huddled in our rags and wonder what the new series would have been like.
The BBC not know when their flagship BBC1 Saturday night programme is going to be on ? They'll have built the whole spring and summer schedule around it.

Translate:

the BBC hasn't confirmed the UK launch date in DWM.

Means: The BBC want to keep ITV guessing, so it doesn't put anything too big up against it over its first weekend.

[SiHart]

You could well be on to something there Jon...

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

We'll be marooned at Gatwick

Just pop round to ours and watch it and then head back to Gatwick.

[Anthony Williams]

BBC America have announced that they'll be premiering the series on April 23rd.

I really can't believe that it will air in America before the UK. So, either it'll start in the UK that weekend, or the one before. I'd say the 23rd is the most likely.

Ant x

[Si Hunt]

I don't believe it would ever air in the US first, simply because they wouldn't want downloads and DVD-R's winging their way accross the Atlantic ahead of the UK premiere.

As we know, some people just wouldn't be able to wait!

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

As we know, some people just wouldn't be able to wait!

Ant x

[Larry]

TBH, I'm more interested in when the 2nd half of the series will start and what effect it will have on series 4 of Merlin.

[Si Hunt]

I don't think that could be further from my mind, Larry.

Si.

[Jonno]

I'm fairly sure they announced that the next series of Merlin would air in 2012 and have a reduced episode count (10 or 8 IIRC).

Incidentally if Who S6 does start on Easter weekend it won't get the now customary Radio Times front cover as that week will have a Royal Wedding front cover.

[Si Hunt]

Gah! Put Who on the cover I say, and put the Royal Family at the back as a little box out!

Si.

[J.R. Southall]

I'm fairly sure they announced that the next series of Merlin would air in 2012 and have a reduced episode count (10 or 8 IIRC).

Incidentally if Who S6 does start on Easter weekend it won't get the now customary Radio Times front cover as that week will have a Royal Wedding front cover.

Well spotted, that man!

I expect they'll probably do what they at Christmas, then, and give Doctor Who the cover the week before it comes back...

[Larry]

I'm fairly sure they announced that the next series of Merlin would air in 2012 and have a reduced episode count (10 or 8 IIRC).

.

Merlin's will apparantly be 13 episodes but with all these cuts at the BBC, you do wonder if series 7 of Doctor Who will have a reduced number of episodes.

[Stuart Wallis]

Gah! Put Who on the cover I say, and put the Royal Family at the back as a little box out!

Someone's obviously wanting some big, burly beefeaters to drag them off to the Tower...

They'll probably just get shot at by Prince Philip knowing their luck!

[Perry Vale]

I'm excited.

Not just because my favourite Tardis team are returning, but also because we get a two-parter to open the series. It's about time.

[Larry]

well with about 4 weeks to go they should be starting to show a few more trailers on BBC 1 soon.

[SiHart]

Trailers begin next Saturday apparently.

Si xx

[J.R. Southall]

Trailers begin next Saturday apparently.

Si xx

I think next Saturday they're showing the full "preview" thing, possibly on the red button.

[SiHart]

And don't forget there'll be more action very soon as we're be launching the Prequel to the series' opening two-parter imminently. It's an eerie sequence written by Steven Moffat (Doctor Who's Lead Writer, Executive Producer and writer of the opening story) that sets the scene in scary and mysterious style. It introduces us to the world the Doctor will collide with in the next adventure and watch carefully... was that the new monster..?

The Prequel to the opening episode is the first of three prequels that will premiere on this site over the course of the new series. Each offers an exclusive preview of the action and intrigue ahead and they've been made by the Doctor Who production team - so you know they're going to be special!

The first prequel stars Stuart Milligan and introduces us to story strands that will bind the Doctor - and enthral his audience - throughout the weeks ahead. We'll bring you more details soon, but be warned, it's a scary one...

Si xx