Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week)
- Publication: TV & Satellite Week
- Date: 2015-09-19
- Author: Brian Minchin
- Page: 6
- Language: English
From ghosts to Vikings, series producer Brian Minchin reveals what we can look forward to in the new series...
'It's so exciting to be back! I can't wait for people to see what we have in store: says Doctor Who producer Brian Minchin. We're doing big adventures, opening up the stories with two-parters and teasing you with big cliffhangers.
'We've got underwater bases and Vikings. We've got ghosts and Highwaywomen. We even have Peter Capaldi doing the first-ever 'single-hander' storyline — the whole episode, just by himself. It's an ambitious series:
Without further ado, here's Minchin's guide to series nine...
EPISODE 1
THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE By Steven Moffat
'The Doctor arrives into the series in a way no-one is going to expect, and Missy is back, as mean and unpredictable as ever, and some terrifying new monsters as well.
EPISODE 2
THE WITCH'S FAMILIAR By Steven Moffat
'The cliffhanger from episode one feels impossible to get out of, so I can't say much about this. We're going to meet the Doctor trapped and alone, facing his greatest enemy and a terrible temptation. We see more of a Dalek city than ever before, and we're going to surprise you with this episode.
EPISODE 3
By Toby Whithouse
'Ghosts on an underwater base! That was the idea Toby came in with. Add in time travel, and we realised that in Doctor Who you could be haunted by your own ghost. A hugely exciting episode with some of our scariest moments yet. A brilliant guest cast with Morvern Christie, Paul Kaye, Arsher Ali. And you won't see the cliffhanger coming:
EPISODE 4
By Toby Whithouse
'Set a few hundred years before episode three, this is where Toby shows quite how clever he is. The Doctor needs to unpick the past to solve the future, but that's fraught with risks. One of our most impressive monsters and also a surprise in the titles: EPISODE 5
EPISODE 5
THE GIRL WHO DIED By Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat
'Vikings! We couldn't believe the Doctor hadn't properly met Vikings before. They find themselves in a small, fighty Nordic village, with the Doctor doing all he can to persuade them not to fight the alien warriors that are menacing them. It doesn't quite work out as he planned. It introduces Maisie Williams as a character I can't tell you much about.
EPISODE 6
THE WOMAN WHO LIVED By Catherine Tregenna
A beautiful episode centred on the Doctor and Maisie Williams' character. There's a Highwayman menacing London, an alien lurking in the woods, and comedian Rufus Hound stealing every scene.'
EPISODE 7
INVASION OF THE ZYGONS By Peter Harness
'You thought Osgood [Ingrid Oliver] was dead? Well, she's back. And so are the Zygons, last seen in Day of the Doctor. Some rogue Zygons are trying to destabilise the peace and start a war between Zygons and humans, and the Doctor is trying to hold it all together. We've gone global on this, with stories split across the world.
EPISODE 8
INVERSION OF THEZYGONS By Peter Harness and Steven Moffat
'The UK has been taken over by shapeshifting Zygons, Clara is in a world of trouble, and the Doctor is going to have to do something very special to get out of this one. It's a bit of an Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and also sees the Doctor battling alien invasions in a way only he can.'
EPISODE 9
SLEEP NO MORE By Mark Gatiss
'This episode is assembled from footage found in the wreckage of a crashed space station. We're just putting it out as it was discovered. Well, that's what Mark told me, and I believe him.'
EPISODE 10
FACE THE RAVEN By Sarah Dollard
'Sarah had an idea about all those little side streets on maps that don't actually exist, but what if they do, and what is actually inside them? Rigsy [from last year's episode Flatline, played by Joivan Wade] is back, and he's in trouble. He woke up with a tattoo on his neck and it's counting down. No-one knows what happens when it hits zero, so he knows he needs the Doctor's help.'
EPISODE 11
By Steven Moffat
'This is a "single-hander", which only features the Doctor and no-one else. It's the first time we've ever done an episode like it. And it's the most virtuoso, fantastic piece of writing from Steven. He really set himself a challenge, though I think he may have regretted it as he stayed up through the long nights, making it work.
EPISODE 12
By Steven Moffat
'It's an epic series finale. We go to somewhere I've always wanted to take Doctor Who, and meet the most brilliant new characters. There are monsters, and battles, and surprises, and I can't tell you any more...'
Captions:
Clara is in a world of trouble, the Doctor faces his greatest enemy, and Missy is as mischievous as ever
Maisie Williams guests in The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived
SCARY MONSTERS, SPECTRAL FREAKS Series nine sees the return of the Daleks and the Zygons while there's a roster of brand new scary monsters have us hiding behind the sofa...
Q&A Steven Moffat
Last year the Doctor kept asking: 'Am I a good man?' What's the big poser this series?
I suppose it's 'Does this ever have to end?' For the Doctor and Clara, these are the glory days. He adores her. He loves running around time and space. But occasionally he's worrying: how does this end? That's a question that always hangs over him. All his friendships are postponed bereavements because he's going to outlive everybody.
Peter Capaldi has said that the Doctor and Clara are being pursued by an 'ever-deepening' shadow. What's that all about?
If people are having glory days on Doctor Who, you can bet something bad is on the way. It's slightly more complex than simply somebody pursuing them. Let's just say fate catches up with them.
What kinds of scares can we expect this series?
Lots of different kinds. There's quite a fun one in the first episode, when a particular alien reveals its true nature. I keep looking at it and thinking, "Wow, that's a-maz-ing".
What's next up?
I'm just writing the Christmas episode [which will see the return of Alex Kingston as Professor River Song].
Can you give us any hints about what will be in it?
Ha ha! No. I've got 12 episodes to hint at first. You'll just have to wait and see.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Minchin, Brian (2015-09-19). Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week). TV & Satellite Week p. 6.
- MLA 7th ed.: Minchin, Brian. "Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week)." TV & Satellite Week [add city] 2015-09-19, 6. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Minchin, Brian. "Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week)." TV & Satellite Week, edition, sec., 2015-09-19
- Turabian: Minchin, Brian. "Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week)." TV & Satellite Week, 2015-09-19, section, 6 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_Who%3F_(TV_%26_Satellite_Week) | work=TV & Satellite Week | pages=6 | date=2015-09-19 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who's Who? (TV & Satellite Week) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_Who%3F_(TV_%26_Satellite_Week) | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 March 2025}}</ref>
