Sci-Fi

The BBC has released the first official photos of Doctor Who star Matt Smith on location with brand new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman. Now we can actually get a look at Smith and Coleman together – if not strictly in action –and, I have to admit, this did sort of stoke my excitement for the series’ return. Shooting is well under way on the Doctor’s latest adventure and the second read-through featuring Coleman’s character took place this week at the BBC’s Roath Lock Studios, according to the network.

Doctor Who Series 7 is set to premiere this Fall, with Coleman taking over as the new companion in the TARDIS starting from the Christmas special. It’s been previously revealed that current companions Amy and Rory Pond (played by the fabulous Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill) will be departing the show during a “heartbreaking” storyline in the season’s fifth episode. For me, the jury’s out on Coleman until we see some actual footage. She looks adorable, but I can’t get anything about her character from a couple of pictures (other than the fact that I seriously covet that red bag she’s sporting). She looks awfully young, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it even particularly new ground for this show as far as casting goes. We’ll all have to wait and see.

One snap judgment I do have to share though: I love Eleven's new outfit! Click through and take a look for yourself!

There’s a little science fiction program premiering tonight on WETA UK that some of you might have heard of at some point or other. It’s a show about an alien, some humans, a blue police box and their adventures through time and space called Doctor Who. It’s the best show in the world, in my obviously not at all biased opinion, and I desperately want each and every one of you to give it a try.

Doctor Who’s set to celebrate its 50^th anniversary next year. It’s basically a national treasure in Britain. Half the country’s grown up watching it. And right now, tonight, is the absolute perfect time for you to jump into this show if you’ve never seen it. WETA UK begins Doctor Who with the first episode of what is *technically* Series 28 (I think?), but that doesn’t matter, because this is also the episode that marks the series’ return after a 16 year hiatus. Referred to by fans as the “reboot,” the series was reinvented and restarted for a new audience in 2005 with the introduction of the Ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston. Its initial episode, Rose, basically serves as a second pilot of sorts and explains all the history you’ll need to know to feel completely up to speed on the show’s premise and the Doctor’s backstory.

I promise this system works. Nine is “my” Doctor – fan code for the particular incarnation of the character that gets you hooked on Who – so I didn’t go back and start watching earlier installments (like those featuring Tom Baker, William Hartnell and Peter Davison’s Doctors) until well after I was already a die-hard Whovian. This is a perfect entry point to the series and to the “Whoniverse” as a whole.

But why should you bother? Well, I thought you’d never ask. Doctor Who is not only my favorite television series – of any type, genre or era – it’s a wonderful example of how television can remain smart and interesting and brave and relevant over an extended time frame, without condescending to its audience. It is, quite simply, one of the best television series ever made, and certainly one of the best things airing on any network right now. Great writing, fun adventures, scary monsters and characters that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. TV doesn’t really get a lot better than this.

Click through for some specifics about why, if you’re a person that loves quality television programming, you should give the WETA UK premiere of Doctor Who a chance tonight. And I promise I won’t even say I told you so afterward.

Continuing along with our series of little mini-introductions to some of the great programming you can expect to see on WETA UK, let’s talk about my all-time personal favorite television series of anything that has ever aired, ever. Which we are airing. Which I plan to campaign extensively to convince you all to try. (Fair warning. Just so you know.)

It’s a little science fiction program you might have heard of at some point or other. It's a show about an alien, some humans, a blue police box and their adventures in time and space called Doctor Who.

Click through for a brief (I promise) intro and a fantastic fan-made trailer that will help give those of you who’ve never seen this show a better idea of what it’s about.

The very first official Doctor Who Convention took place over the weekend in Cardiff. Though I personally was engaged in some fairly active wailing and gnashing of teeth over the fact that I wasn’t there to be part of what I assume to be the most awesome event ever, something good did come out of it those of us who couldn’t take part.

As a special sneak peek for fans attending the convention, the first trailer for Series 7 was premiered – and it’s now online! In case you were curious, it also looks awesome (and is so much longer than I expected!). There’s lots of footage from the upcoming Wild West episode, some creepy new monsters, Amy wielding a gun, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of Sherlock’s Rupert Graves, who is guest starring this season.

Click through to see the brand new teaser for yourself and take a look at the first official photo of new Companion Jenna-Louise Coleman while you’re at it!

We’ve known for a while now that current Doctor Who companions Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill would be exiting the TARDIS at some point during this upcoming season and ever since their departure was confirmed rumors have been flying about who their replacement(s) might be.

For a couple of weeks, the consensus online has been that former Who guest star Sophia Myles (better known to many as Madame de Pompadour from Series 4 episode The Girl in the Fireplace) was the frontrunner to replace Gillan, however, as it turns out, that’s not the case.

Click through for more details on the newest addition to the Who family – the good stuff’s under the cut in a (probably vain) attempt to protect those that don’t want to see any spoilers. This news has been everywhere the past 24 hours though, so if you’re one of those people, proceed with caution online for a bit. Onward!

Earlier this week, filming for Doctor Who Series 7 officially kicked off in Cardiff, Wales. This series will see the last days of the Ponds in the TARDIS, as Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return for their final season alongside Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.

Click through for a first look at stars Smith, Gillan and Darvill in costume on the set, as well as an update on some confirmed upcoming guest stars many of you will probably be excited about – particularly if you’re Sherlock or Harry Potter fans.

Having just kicked off its fourth season in the UK, Being Human returns to televisions here in the United States beginning Saturday, February 25.

BBC America has just released the first promo for Series 4 and the way that they’ve chosen to frame up the new season is quite interesting, given the rather extensive behind-the-scenes changes happening to the show this year. Surprisingly, this approach actually sort of works for me, precisely because the tone is a bit unexpected. So, click through and have a look for yourself!

Supernatural drama Being Human returns to BBC Three in the very near future with a fourth series that features a shocking amount of changes, both on and offscreen. (Not to fret, American audiences, we can also freak out about these shifts ourselves very shortly, as Being Human will premiere on BBC America on February 25th). As a public service, all discussion about these changes will stay below the fold to protect those that might not want to know anything at all about the new series. (Though I doubt even the most stringent spoilerphobe has managed to avoid some of this news – better safe than sorry!)

So, click on through to get a first look at the brand new trailer for Series 4 and dish on some of the big changes headed our way.

Fantasy drama Merlin just aired its fourth series finale over the weekend in the UK, but American audiences won’t have to wait very long to see it for themselves. Merlin Series 4 is set to debut here in the States on Syfy this January.

Extra good news for Merlin fans: the show will be returning for a Series 5, though no word yet on when that will air on either side of the pond.

You can watch a full preview for the new series under the fold, as well as a sneak peek clip from season premiere, “The Darkest Hour”. Merlin returns to Syfy starting January 6!

BBC America’s latest addition to their Supernatural Saturday lineup will be fantasy/horror drama The Fades, premiering on Saturday, January 14 at 9pm.

Penned by Skins writer Jack Thorne, The Fades centers on a 17-year-old boy named Paul, who is haunted by apocalyptic dreams no one can explain. Unfortunately, it turns out the Paul’s visions are actually real, and he finds himself caught in a battle between the living and the undead. These undead are the titular “Fades,” or the dead who, for whatever reason, are trapped on earth and unable to pass on.

Iain De Caestecker stars as Paul, and he’s joined by Skins’ Lily Loveless, The Tudors’ Natalie Dormer, Daniel Kaluuya, Johnny Harris and more.

The BBC Three property has gotten strong buzz in the UK, and if you like Being Human, Misfits, or Skins, you’ll probably want to give this a look when it lands here.

Click through to watch BBC America's first trailer for the supernatural thriller.