[Televisionary]

Yep, it's true. After much speculation, BBC has finally named Number Twelve. Peter Capaldi will take over as as the Doctor from Matt Smith, who will depart the role in this year’s Christmas Special. At BuzzFeed, you can read my latest post, "Peter Capaldi Named As The New Star Of Doctor Who ," about the casting of Peter Capaldi as Number Twelve. The TARDIS is getting a new inhabitant in the form of 55-year-old veteran actor Peter Capaldi. After weeks of speculation (and much interest from London bookies), BBC finally announced on Sunday just who will be taking over as the Time Lord at the center of long-running British science fiction drama Doctor Who once current series star Matt Smith leaves in December’s Christmas Special. “The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who’s taking over the TARDIS,” executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat had teased ahead of the broadcast. “For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve.” The news

The 30-year-old actor will depart cult British sci-fi drama Doctor Who after this year’s Christmas Special. Here's what he told BuzzFeed about his decision to leave, the possibility of a female Doctor, stealing socks, and more. At BuzzFeed, you can read my latest story, "The Doctor Is In: Matt Smith On Leaving Doctor Who , A Female Doctor, And More," in which I sit down with Doctor Who star Matt Smith to discuss his decision to leave the British science fiction drama, the possibility of a female Doctor, and what's next for him. Matt Smith is wearing bright turquoise socks. The 30-year-old star of Doctor Who is lolling around on a leather couch deep within the cavernous confines of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, a day before he’s set to appear on a panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of the British science fiction drama at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. When I draw attention to his socks (they coincidentally match the shirt I

Her two previous Doctor Who characters all look alike... and they've all died. Jace Lacob rounds up five facts about new Doctor Who companion Jenna-Louise Coleman. At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Five Facts About the New Doctor Who Companion, Jenna-Louise Coleman," in which I round up five facts about the new Doctor Who companion, Jenna-Louise Coleman, who joins Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor when the show returns to BBC America and BBC One on March 30. Clara... who? The Doctor—the centuries old time-traveler whose 11th incarnation is played by Matt Smith—has had his fair share of companions over the last 50 years, but the Time Lord is about to get yet another in the form of 26-year-old British actress Jenna-Louise Coleman, who steps into the TARDIS officially when Doctor Who's seventh season returns for its back half on March 30. Coleman has turned up on Doctor Who twice already in the past year, playing very different characters w

Alex Kingston reprises her role as River Song in Saturday’s Doctor Who and travels back in time for the new season of Upstairs Downstairs . I talk to the former ER star about River, Downton Abbey , historical lesbians, and more. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Alex Kingston's Journey Through Time," in which I talk to Kingston about Doctor Who and "The Angels Take Manhattan," Upstairs Downstairs (which returns to PBS' Masterpiece on Oct. 7), Downton Abbey , River Song, historical lesbians, and more. Upstairs Downstairs isn’t typically known for its salaciousness. The costume drama’s legendary original run—between 1971 and 1975 on ITV—kept the characters’ sexuality more or less off-screen, but the recent BBC revival series, which returns to PBS’ Masterpiece on Oct. 7, has taken a more overt approach to human sexuality than its predecessor, with one character—Claire Foy’s Lady Persephone—painted as a notorious Nazi sympa

Yesterday, over at The Daily Beast, I ran my interview with Doctor Who head writer Steven Moffat , in which we discussed the shocking identity of River Song (Alex Kingston), criticisms of “bad girl” companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), the tenture of Moffat and series lead Matt Smith, and we dispelled quite a few (false) rumors about Season Seven along way. Not everything from the time I spent with Moffat made it into that interview, so below you'll find some of the outtakes that were cut for length from The Daily Beast Q&A with Moffat. Among the topics: whether we'll see Torchwood 's Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) in the TARDIS anytime soon (and why River is, in some ways, a replacement for Jack), why Moffat seems to relish killing Rory (Arthur Darvill) over and over again, why Season Six was split into two halves for broadcast, how dark the second half of the season gets, and a brief discussion of Doctor Who 's episodic budget. The Daily Beast: What

Once a cult series, British sci-fi drama Doctor Who has become a global phenomenon, and new audiences are embracing the 900-year-old alien time traveler--now played by roughly 29-year-old Matt Smith--with alarming passion. (Witness the rock-star welcome Smith and co-star Karen Gillan got at July’s Comic-Con.) Doctor Who , under head writer Steven Moffat, who replaced Russell T. Davies last season, returns for the second half of its sixth season in the U.S. and the U.K. on Saturday. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Doctor Who ’s Global Takeover," in which I sit down with Moffat in Los Angeles to discuss the shocking identity of River Song (Alex Kingston), criticisms of “bad girl” companion Amy Pond (Gillan), and rumors about next season. Doctor Who returns Saturday, August 27th for the second half of Season Six, kicking off with "Let's Kill Hitler," at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America and at 7:10 pm GMT on BBC One.

I'm not in San Diego for this year's Comic-Con (marking the first year in about six that I haven't traveled south for the annual pop culture confab) for a number of reasons. However, Televisionary correspondent Lissette Lira was on the scene to offer her report on Thursday's TV Guide panel as well as some photos from the fan-favorites sessions. * * * All in all the TV Guide panel was a bit of a mixed bag. While it was great fun seeing such an eclectic group of stars share the stage together, there were so many participants that everyone wound up getting a bit short-changed in the process. Nonetheless, there were still a few memorable highlights, including Zach Levi passionately voicing his agreement with a fan about the need for the TV ratings system to be changed. Levi vowed to write more about the subject on the website Nerd HQ which he was promoting with his baseball cap. Levi also spoke about his hope that CHUCK fans will b

When we last saw Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), they had managed to save the world from a menacing alien incursion that threatened to harvest the world's child population. While Team Torchwood managed to save the day, it came once more at a heavy price: the loss of team member Ianto, the sacrifice of Jack's own grandson, and the discovery that Gwen herself was pregnant. Jack took off for the stars, while Gwen went into hiding. Pyrrhic victories are something of Torchwood 's stock-in-trade, really. The spinoff of Doctor Who , which originally launched in 2006 on BBC Three (and on BBC America here in the States), is far less sunny than its predecessor, more concerned with the darkness of both the extraterrestrial threats to the planet and to that inside its alien hunters. This is a series that revolves around some inherently flawed, damaged individuals who are constantly forced to make some tough choices. It naturally then inhabits the g

With Torchwood: Miracle Day , the British cult sci-fi drama travels across the pond to investigate a global conspiracy. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Torchwood Heads to America," in which I visit the Los Angeles set of the BBC/Starz series (a spinoff of the venerable British science fiction drama Doctor Who ), which premieres July 8 in the U.S., and sit down for breakfast with creator Russell T. Davies. Plus, allow Russell T. Davies to bring you up to speed on who’s who in among Torchwood: Miracle Day 's cast of characters . Torchwood: Miracle Day begins Friday, July 8th at 10 pm ET/PT on Starz.

"I wear a Stetson now. Stetsons are cool." Let's be upfront about one thing, shall we? While Doctor Who is often thought of as children's entertainment, the long-running and formidable science fiction program is anything but child-like. Yes, the show airs in a decidedly pre-watershed hour in the United Kingdom and, yes, the current Doctor, Matt Smith, has his face emblazoned on everything from sheets to trading cards, but under the aegis of head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, Season Six of Doctor Who feels quite adult in the best possible sense. If there's a word to describe the first two episodes of Season Six, which kicks off with an astonishing and taut two-parter ("The Impossible Astronaut" and "Day of the Moon"), it's dark. If there was another, it would be trippy. This is Doctor Who at its mind-bending best, a mix of alien invasion intrigue, self-examination, and bizarro twists that unfurl themselves with insidious menace

With the return of Doctor Who just a few weeks away now (three, if you're counting!), BBC America has released its first trailer for the new season, which sits comfortably beside the creepy one that Auntie Beeb released the other day . Below, you can catch the BBC America trailer, which plays up the Utah desert and White House/Oval Office settings of the upcoming season, which finds the Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy (Karen Gillan), and Rory (Arthur Darvill) heading to the United States. (And, yes, elements were shot on location in Utah.) This trailer plays up the cowboys, River Song ("hello, sweetie"), gunplay (both Western and futuristic), suspicious Secret Service agents, fast-plunging elevators, big explosions, Marc Shepherd, elegant skyscrapers, and, um, skeletons? Season Six of Doctor Who premieres April 23rd on BBC America and BBC One.

"This is the day he finds out who I am..." - River Song Auntie Beeb has released the first full trailer for Season Six of Doctor Who , starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and the incomparable Alex Kingston, who plays River Song, the Doctor's... well, we'll be finding out this season. Below, you can catch the full trailer, which looks absolutely bloody brilliant and features clowns, astronauts, a kiss from River Song, the Utah desert, explosions, pirate ships, Hugh Bonneville, puppets, peepholes, and who knows what else... What do you think of the trailer? How excited are you for the return of The Doctor? Head to the comments section to discuss. Season Six of Doctor Who premieres April 23rd on BBC One and BBC America.

Season Six of Doctor Who might not kick off until next month, but Auntie Beeb is offering a sneak peek at the first episode ("The Impossible Astronaut"), written by head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, with the first of three prequel clips heading your way in the next few weeks. You can view the first prequel clip below, which depicts U.S. President Richard Nixon receiving a rather eerie phone call while he's seated in the White House's Oval Office, a message that urges him to "look behind" him, even as he claims that "there are no monsters in the Oval Office." We'll see about that... Check out the prequel clip below and be sure to catch the start of Doctor Who 's sixth season in April. Season Six of Doctor Who begins Saturday, April 23rd at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

"This is how it ends... Pond flirting with herself." While Doctor Who doesn't officially return until next month, BBC One has given us a little glimpse of the Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), and Rory (Arthur Darville) in Steven Moffat's Red Nose Day mini-episodes, "Space" and "Time," which can be viewed below. Hoping to sneak a peek at Amy Pond flirting with herself, the TARDIS materializing inside itself, and a gag about a skirt, a driver's test, and a glass floor? You've come to the right place. Allon-y! "Space" "Time Season Six of Doctor Who begins with "The Impossible Astronaut" on April 23rd on BBC One and BBC America.

Yes, spring is finally here (or thereabouts, anyway), and that brings warmer weather and, very fortunately, a slew of new and returning television series. Over at The Daily Beast, you can check out my latest feature, "15 Reasons to Watch TV This Spring," which includes a look at such series as Mildred Pierce, Game of Thrones, The Borgias, The Kennedys, Camelot, The Killing, Body of Proof, Upstairs Downstairs, and returning series such as Nurse Jackie, The United States of Tara, Treme, Doctor Who, Top Chef: Masters, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the NBC premiere of the final season of Friday Night Lights . What are you most excited about that arrives on the airwaves between now and May? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be long gone (sadly) and Doctor Who doesn't return for a few more weeks (darn!), but that doesn't mean that you can't smush the two together into something as fun as a jaunty bow-tie. In this case, this means mashing the familiar opening credit sequence of Buffy with the visuals of the Matt Smith-era Doctor and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), with a special appearance by Alex Kingston as River Song, of course. You can watch this lovingly crafted homage to both Buffy and Doctor Who below. Season Six of Doctor Who kicks off on April 23rd on BBC America.

Happy Festivus, everyone! To celebrate today (in addition to the feats of strength and airing of grievances), I rounded up the top 10 nontraditional Holiday television episodes over at The Daily Beast , from Community and Seinfeld to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who . (And, yes, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 's direct-to-DVD special--which just aired on FX for the first time this month--made the list, naturally.) An aside, I could have filled the entire list with just British television shows, from The Vicar of Dibley and Doctor Who (which both made the list) to Gavin & Stacey, Blackadder, Catherine Tate, Absolutely Fabulous , and about a zillion others. But I am curious to know: what is your favorite nontraditional holiday episode/special? Putting aside the traditional Rudolph and Charlie Brown Christmas , what are some of the more out there holiday episodes or specials that add that extra spike to the eggnog? Or make that Festivus aluminum pole shine a li

It seems as though Doctor Who fans in the States are definitely on the nice list. BBC America has today announced that the latest Doctor Who Christmas Special--entitled "A Christmas Carol"--will air on Saturday, December 25th at 9 pm ET/PT. In other words, on Christmas Day itself, a first for the British sci-fi series. The Dickens-inspired installment, written by head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, is described by BBC America thusly: "Newlyweds Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) are joined by Harry Potter ’s Michael Gambon and Opera diva Katherine Jenkins, for what may be the Doctor’s most Christmassy adventure yet." “Oh, we're going for broke with this one," said Moffat in an official statement. "It's all your favorite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And the Doctor. And a honeymoon. And ... oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing mad

We all have the networks--whether broadcast or cable, legacy or newbie--that we gravitate to, but I was wondering this morning about so-called indispensable networks. Given that I write about television, nearly all networks could be said to be indispensable in one way or another, but what I was pondering was that one specific television channel that you can't turn away from, that you automatically switch to when you turn on the television, or which you have on as background while you're doing other things in our multi-tasking obsessed society. Many years ago, that channel was--perhaps not surprisingly for those of you who know me--Food Network, but it was replaced by BBC America around 2000 and for many years that was my go-to network, the one spot on the metaphorical dial that I could always depend on for diverting fare, soothing background noise, or a sense of the familiar and comforting. For whatever the reason, sadly, that's not the case anymore and--shock, horror--I

Sherlock Holmes has an iPhone, Watson blogs: The 21st-century version of Sherlock , a BBC phenomenon, begins Sunday on Masterpiece Mystery . Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Sherlock Comes to the U.S.," in which I talk to Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman about Sherlock and Watson, the similarities and differences between Holmes and Doctor Who 's The Doctor, The Hobbit , and more. Meanwhile, you can read my glowing advance review of the three Sherlock installments here . Sherlock begins tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery . Check your local listings for details.