Doctor Who: Mid-season 6 review – Slouching towards Thatcham Doctor Who: Mid-season 6 review *** WARNING: SPOILERS! (Well, it does feature River Song after all) *** Season six (or season 32, if you’re a traditionalist) of Doctor Who reached its mid-season finale last night with the astonishing A Good Man Goes To War, an episode which promised to answer one big question – Who is River Song? – and yet also left other important questions unanswered and posed several new ones. As the series now enters an unfamiliar summer hiatus, it leaves at least one faithful viewer scratching his head at a seven-episode run which has varied between the sublime and the mediocre, and also signalled a distinct turn towards a darker, more horror-based approach which is likely to send younger viewers (and some older ones) scurrying behind the sofa and watching from behind their hands. Stetsons are cool … and so are the scares Nowhere is this ramped-up scare quotient more apparent than in the opening Steven Moffat-penned two-parter, The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon.

One of the most ambitious Who stories ever in many respects – including location filming at the iconic Valley of the Gods in Utah – this story sets the template for what was to follow. Moffat mixes in moments of extreme silliness – such as the Doctor extravagantly waving hello to Rory and Amy from various points in history and his Stetson-wearing reappearance – before launching into a succession of shocks and horrors which left viewers reeling. From the Doctor’s death at the hands of an unseen assailant in a NASA spacesuit to the realisation that Earth has long since been manipulated by an invading species, the Silence, who are forgotten the moment you look away from them, there is a distinct step away from the sense of whimsy which was never far from the surface in the Russell T Davies era. Moffat has a talent for turning everyday things into genuinely scary ones (image courtesy of bbc.co.uk) Davies based much of his drama on the Doctor’s angst as the last of the Time Lords; Moffat finds his in an altogether more visceral combination of visual and psychological horrors.

The children’s home which Amy and Canton Delaware (a wonderful guest turn by Mark Sheppard) search is like something lifted straight out of the genre, while the use of tally marks on the faces and arms of Amy, Rory and River (to record their encounters with the Silence) is thoroughly chilling and one of this season’s enduring visual images. In true Moffat style, the tale plants several seeds to be returned to at a later date, and leaves us with two genuinely puzzling conundrums. What is the deal with Amy’s Schrödinger’s cat pregnancy? And how is the mysterious girl able to regenerate at the end of the story? It’s not quite the perfect start – particularly because the basic premise of the Silence is a bit too close to the Weeping Angels, arguably Moffat’s finest creation – but it is nonetheless an energetic and thrilling start to the season. Tricorns are cool … pirates aren’t Sadly, two of the next three stories – the Pirates of the Caribbean-style The Curse of the Black Spot and Life On Mars‘ Matthew Graham‘s two-parter The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People – are, at best, workmanlike.

All five previous seasons of new Who have had their fair share of these – Boom Town, Graham’s Fear Her and The Vampires of Venice, to name but three – but in a truncated half-season run like this, their presence was felt all the more keenly. Aside from a pleasing performance by Downton Abbey‘s Hugh Bonneville as Captain Henry Avery, Black Spot is a by-the-numbers tale of pirate clichés with a ‘villain’ (supermodel Lily Cole) whose true identity is lifted straight from Star Trek Voyager, when we finally discover she is actually an emergency medical hologram. The setting of a becalmed pirate ship failed to shiver my timbers in terms of delivering a sense of claustrophobia, not least because of the silliness of much of the script. However, it did achieve the laudable aim of being a relatively low-cost episode, allowing the budget to stretch further for the location shoot in Utah and other effects-heavy episodes to follow. That’s about the most positive thing I have to say about this story, however.

Tricorns are cool, but The Curse of the Black Spot was lukewarm at best (image courtesy of bbc.co.uk) The Rebel Flesh was in many ways a throwback to classic Who tropes of old, combining the traditional base-under-siege story with an examination of the treatment of an all-but-human under-class – in this case the Gangers, who are duplicates manufactured from the replicating Flesh. It’s an interesting if well-worn premise, but what follows is two episodes of philosophical pontificating, running up and down dark, dank corridors, and a final, unexplained metamorphosing human-head-on-a-monster-body which was too similar to The Lazarus Experiment. Not to mention the fact that – in another lift from a Star Trek series – the Gangers’ appearance bore more than a resemblance to Odo and his fellow Changelings from Deep Space Nine. And all to demonstrate an obvious lesson – that there is no reason to treat doppelgängers as different and somehow less than human when even Amy is fooled by the real and Flesh Doctors, and both humans and Gangers are equally capable of both monstrous and heroic acts.

There were some lovely touches here – not least the surfacing of the Doctor’s previous incarnations in his Ganger version, the discarded pile of ‘malfunctioned’ Gangers and the macabre wall of eyes – but overall there was far less than a double episode’s worth of plot here, and what could have been a taut 45 minutes instead felt like a poorly padded 90. The Gangers have a team huddle before making their next move (image courtesy of bbc.co.uk) The TARDIS is sexy … and Neil Gaiman is a proper Whovian Thankfully, in between those two pillars of mediocrity shone a beacon of light touched with, literally, a little bit of Stardust. Penned by the acclaimed fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, The Doctor’s Wife personifies the TARDIS matrix in the human form of Idris (a perfectly cast Suranne Jones).

What starts out as a story of the grandest scale – with an antagonist, House, who eats TARDISes (or, at least, their Artron energy) for breakfast – actually becomes an intimate examination of the relationship between the Doctor and his “sexy” ship, complete with almost casual moments which cast the series’ established continuity in a new light. Idris reveals that the TARDIS stole the Doctor as much as he stole it, that she hasn’t always taken him to where he wanted but always to where he needed to go, and pokes fun at the way he pushes the TARDIS front door despite the instruction ‘pull to open’. The Doctor meets his perfect match in the form of TARDIS-as-Idris (image courtesy of bbc.co.uk) In between times, Rory and Amy takes us on a quick run around the TARDIS corridors as House plays gruesome tricks on them (such as forcing Rory to wait 2,000 years for Amy again), and the Doctor manufactures a makeshift TARDIS from an old Fairy liquid bottle and some sticky-backed plastic (the central console he builds was designed by a Blue Peter competition winner).

The Doctor’s Wife is an indulgent luxury – a standalone episode which contributes something not inconsiderable to the series’ mythos but little to the overall season arc – but as a piece of fantastical wonder it is true Gaiman, who reveals himself to be a Who fan through and through. Demons run when a good man goes to war Which brings us neatly to the small matter of the mid-season finale, and what is to come when the series returns in the autumn. Let me start with a simple statement: A Good Man Goes To War is an astonishing piece of television. Only five minutes longer than a standard episode – and therefore considerably shorter than a Christmas special – there is an immense amount of plot squeezed into 47 minutes which bring the first part of the season to a satisfying end while setting up the second with a labyrinthine series of twists which demands a second viewing. The story actually begins with the final scene of The Almost People, where it is revealed that the Amy we have seen with the Doctor and Rory is merely a Flesh avatar. The real version, who is about to give birth, is being held captive by the eyepatch-wearing Madame Kovarian (Frances Barber).

Madame Kovarian (centre, played by Frances Barber) has fooled the Doctor not once, but twice (image courtesy of bbc.co.uk) The pre-credits teaser is a reward for those of us who have always seen Rory as the Last Centurion rather than the lesser half of the Pond-Williams marriage. Dressed once again in his centurion’s outfit, he single-handedly storms a Cyberman control centre to deliver a message from the Doctor and a question from himself: Where. Is. My. Wife? As the Doctor’s message is conveyed in the form of an exploding Cyber fleet behind him, Rory makes a simple, steely reiteration: Would you like me to repeat the question? At this point, we are launched into a rollercoaster ride. The Doctor calls in debts from a variety of familiar faces and races: the spaceborne Spitfire pilots (Victory of the Daleks), the blue-skinned merchant Dorium (The Pandorica Opens), Captain Avery, Sontaran warrior-turned-nurse Commander Strax (a nice counterpoint to fellow soldier/medic Rory – and also to the Doctor himself) and the lesbian Silurian Vastra.

River Song, however, refuses Rory’s call, stating she cannot be present at Demon’s Run until events have played out. If the episode falters anywhere, it is here. Moffat crams so many characters and ideas into the plot – such as Vastra having just dispatched Jack the Ripper – that there is an element of gilding the lily here. But, having accused the Flesh two-parter of being short of plot ideas, it would be churlish to bemoan the point too much. It is far easier to enjoy the considerable amount which Moffat gets absolutely spot on, as the Doctor seemingly manages to outwit an entire Cleric army without spilling a drop of blood, only to be fooled by a doppelgänger for the second time in as many episodes, as Kovarian escapes with Amy’s newborn baby while leaving a Flesh substitute in her place. A few personal highlights: The Headless Monks – surely, with their hooded cloaks and weapons which look suspiciously like lightsabers, a nod and a wink to Star Wars‘ Jedi? The Doctor labelling the hapless Colonel Manton as ‘Colonel Runaway’.

“I speak baby.” Lorna Bucket, touched – like Amy – by a brief meeting with the Doctor as a child, who ultimately loses her life for the opportunity to meet and fight alongside him. The Doctor does not appear at all for the first 20 minutes, although his presence infuses every scene even when he is not there – which just serves to underline what Manton, Lorna and River all state, that even the briefest contact or the mention of his name has a profound effect on people across the universe. The importance of meaning and context – Lorna’s people associate ‘Doctor’ with ‘mighty warrior’, as opposed to the more traditional connotation of a healer, which foreshadows the final revelation … … That River Song is, in fact, a later version of Rory and Amy’s daughter Melody Pond (a commonly held theory for some time in Who fandom). The same Melody who has now been spirited away by Kovarian. The same girl who Amy tried to shoot at the end of The Impossible Astronaut.

The girl who becomes the woman who will be locked up in the Stormcage prison for killing “the best man I’ve ever known” (either an allusion to the death of the Doctor in The Impossible Astronaut, or something more sinister still). And, most teasingly, a being with hybrid human/Time Lord DNA, who we have seen apparently regenerating (at the end of Day of the Moon). So many questions, so long to wait for answers. We will start to unravel these continuing mysteries in the second half of the season, which will kick off with the mischievously titled Let’s Kill Hitler. A few reflections Continuing the trend started in Moffat’s first year in charge, it has certainly been a darker and more gruesome season to date. It has also been more heavily serialised, with far fewer standalone stories. Virtually every story is intertwined with the others in some way. Whereas his predecessor Davies often dropped a series of loosely repeating themes akin to a trail of breadcrumbs in his season arcs – such as Bad Wolf and Harold Saxon – Moffat’s overarching ideas are woven in a far more complex fashion, more like a cat’s cradle – you cannot pick at one strand without pulling on several others.

This style of storytelling is altogether more satisfying for the committed fan, but also runs the risk of alienating casual viewers. Certainly audience numbers have been in gradual decline, but that is universal for all long-running series and the increasing impact of time-shifted viewing and migration to other platforms such as iPlayer further muddies the waters as to the impact that such changes are actually having on audience numbers. It could also be argued that the series is gradually shifting towards a slightly older audience in a way that mirrors the maturation of its viewers. Ten-year olds who were first introduced to Who via the Ninth Doctor are now 16-year olds watching Matt Smith‘s Eleventh Doctor. Why shouldn’t the story-telling be a bit more ‘adult’ as a result? Fundamentally, children have always been at the heart of Who. Moffat himself often talks about his writing in reference to his own children, or what terrified him as a child, and there has always been a direct relationship between his characters and stories and children. Amy first met the Doctor as a seven-year old and, of course, has now given birth to her own baby. And this entire season to date has been peppered with references to children.

The Impossible Astronaut is the child Melody/River. The Curse of the Black Spot hinges on the importance of Captain Avery wanting to be a positive role model for his son. And the Gangers are effectively ‘born’ from their human masters. Everywhere you look, Moffat is writing directly to and for child viewers, and opening a door to the magical world of the last of the Time Lords, and this pays off in spectacular style in A Good Man, with a child becoming a key weapon in the war Kovarian is waging against the Doctor. Under Moffat’s guidance, Who continues to grow up. As do we all. I will enjoy my summer, but when it comes to Who autumn cannot come soon enough.

Doctor Who: season 6 ratings (out of 10) 6.01/6.02 The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon – 9 6.03 The Curse of the Black Spot – 4 6.04 The Doctor’s Wife – 10 6.05/6.06 The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People – 6 6.07 A Good Man Goes To War – 10 Overall – 8/10 Frances Barber - IMDb IMDb Actress | Soundtrack Frances Barber has worked in a string of award-winning productions for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, taking roles as diverse as Eliza in Pygmalion and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Among her film appearances are roles in Stephen Frears ' Prick Up Your Ears (1987) and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), Dennis Potter 's Secret ...

See full bio » Born: DOCTOR WHO | For Whovians across the World For Whovians across the World Menu Doctor: Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor) Companions: Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) Arthur Darvill (Rory Pond) Lenght: 50 Minutes Originally broadcast: 27th August 2011 Plot: Amy and Rory summon the Doctor to Leadworth, and he admits he has not found Melody. They are met by Mels ( Nina Toussaint-White ), their childhood friend responsible for Amy and Rory’s relationship and whom Amy named Melody after. Mels hijacks the TARDIS and causes it to spin out of control and crash into Hitler ‘s office in 1938 Berlin . They accidentally save Hitler, as they disrupted a Teselecta , a shapeshifting robot piloted by miniaturised people to punish criminals, from killing him. Before Rory locks him away, Hitler shoots at the Teselecta but hits Mels instead. Instead of dying, however, Mels begins to regenerate into another incarnation which they recognise as River Song.

She attempts to kill the Doctor several times before she kisses him; he discovers her lipstick was laced with poison that will kill him in 32 minutes. The Teselecta identifies River as responsible for the Doctor’s death and thus a criminal, but Amy and Rory plead they not torture her and turn the Teselecta’s security robots against the crew, who promptly teleport out. River saves the dying Doctor by using her regenerative powers. by dwho11 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment The BBC announced on the 1st of June 2013. that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show. Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas special. During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role. Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season.

He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012. Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone! Continue reading → Lenght: 50 Minutes Originally broadcast: 4th June 2011 Plot: The Doctor assembles an army and he and Rory infiltrate the asteroid base Demon’s Run, where Amy is held captive and her newborn child, Melody Pond, has been taken by the Eye Patch Lady, Madame Kovarian. River Song refuses to join the Doctor, explaining that she cannot be there until the end, when he discovers her identity. The Doctor and Rory secure the base, free Amy, and take back Melody. The Doctor’s allies discover that Melody contains both human and Time Lord DNA, a result of her being conceived on the TARDIS on Amy and Rory’s wedding night (“ The Big Bang “). As Rory and the rest of the Doctor’s allies battle the Headless Monks , the Doctor learns that he has been tricked: Melody has been replaced by a Ganger duplicate, and he is too late.

River Song arrives communicates her identity to the Doctor and he races off in the TARDIS, promising Amy and Rory that he will get their daughter back. River then informs the couple that she is in fact their daughter; “River Song” is a translation of “Melody Pond” in the Gamma Forest where her captors are from. Lenght: 45 Minutes (2nd of a 2-part story) Originally broadcast: 28th May 2011 Plot: Amy does not trust the Flesh version of the Doctor but accidentally tells it about his future death at Lake Silencio. Jennifer’s Ganger, leading the war against the humans, kills her human counterpart and creates another Ganger, manipulating Rory into imprisoning the humans in an acid storage room. The Doctor’s Ganger persuades the Gangers to liberate the humans, but they are pursued by Jennifer’s Ganger, who has transformed herself into a monster. The Doctor reveals that Amy was actually distrusting the real version of him, and his Ganger and Cleaves’ Ganger stay behind to destroy the monster. Amy begins experiencing contractions, and the Doctor explains she is going into labour an had been replaced by a Ganger which her real self is controlling.

He disintegrates her Flesh form and she awakes in her real body fully pregnant in a white tube, watched over by the “ Eye Patch Lady ” ( Frances Barber ), who instructs her to “push”. Lenght: 45 Minutes Originally broadcast: 21st May 2011 (1st of a 2-part story) Plot: Caught in a “solar tsunami”, the TARDIS crash-lands on a 22nd century monastery which been turned into a factory for pumping the deadly acid off an island. The crew of the factory, headed by Miranda Cleaves ( Raquel Cassidy ), creates doppelgängers (called “ Gangers “) of themselves using a self-replicating fluid known as the Flesh, which they can safely operate through dangerous duties and are disposable. Cleaves refuses to heed the Doctor’s warning about the solar storm until she receives official orders. The Doctor attempts to disconnect the solar connector, but an electrical strike knocks everyone unconscious and have caused the crew’s Gangers to become sentient, and the Gangers are planning on killing the humans.

As the Doctor herds the humans to a safe place in the monastery, Rory leaves to find Jennifer ( Sarah Smart ), whose estranged Ganger is hunting her. In the chapel, Amy and the Doctor discover a Flesh version of the Doctor. Lenght: 45 Minutes Originally broadcast: 14th May 2011 Plot: A distress signal from a Time Lord sends the Doctor, Amy and Rory outside the universe to a junkyard on an asteroid. They are introduced to the place’s strange inhabitants — Auntie ( Elizabeth Berrington ), Uncle ( Adrian Schiller ), an Ood known as Nephew, and an excited woman named Idris ( Suranne Jones ), who seems attracted to the Doctor. An intelligence called “House” (voiced by Michael Sheen ) is controlling the asteroid. The Doctor discovers that other Time Lords have been lured to the asteroid and killed so House could feed off the energy. Upon learning that the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, House takes possession of the TARDIS to escape to the regular universe, with Amy and Rory trapped inside. The Doctor learns that House has trapped the personality of the TARDIS inside Idris, causing her body to fail quickly.

The two decide to build a makeshift TARDIS out of the scraps in the junkyard to pursue Amy, Rory and House. As they materialise inside the TARDIS, Idris releases the TARDIS’s matrix, destroying House and liberating the TARDIS. Lenght: 45 Minutes Originally broadcast: 7th May 2011 Plot: Following a distress signal , the TARDIS lands on a 17th century pirate ship captained by Henry Avery ( Hugh Bonneville ) whose crew is terrorised by a Siren -like creature ( Lily Cole ) who marks crew members with black spots when they are injured and then seemingly disintegrates them. Rory receives a cut and Amy and the Doctor keep him away from the Siren. Discovering that the Siren uses reflection as a portal, they rid the ship of any reflective surfaces. When Rory and Avery’s son Toby ( Oscar Lloyd ) are taken by the Siren, the Doctor, Amy, and Avery prick themselves and the Siren teleports them on an invisible alien spaceship which occupies the same spot as the pirate ship.

There they find a sickbay where Rory and Toby are kept; Amy and the Doctor pull Rory off life support and Amy performs CPR to revive him. Doctor Who Cast & Crew Guide: The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (+ prelude) The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (+ prelude) A Silent? The Silents? The Silence? Aaargh!

One episode (untitled on screen) First broadcast Mar 25 2011 (online) Cast: Stuart Milligan (President Richard Nixon), Sydney Wade (Little girl) and Marnix Van Den Broeke (The Silence); see below Crew: Steven Moffat (writer), Toby Haynes (director), Marcus Wilson (producer); see below The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon Two episodes (The Impossible Astronaut, Day of the Moon) First broadcast Apr 23 to 30 2011 Average audience for story: 8.08m (9.91m with iPlayer) CAST Matt Smith (The Doctor) Born Oct 28 1982 Doctor Who credits Played: The Doctor in The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below, Victory of the Daleks, The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone, The Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood, Vincent and the Doctor, The Lodger, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor, A Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The

 Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan, The Snowmen, The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten, Cold War, Hide, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver, The Name of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor (2010-13).

Return appearance in Deep Breath (2014) Matt also played the Doctor in Doctor Who: The Adventure Games (2010-11), various video games (2010-12), Space/ Time (2011), Night and the Doctor (2011), Good as Gold (2012), Pond Life (2012), An Adventure in Space and Time (2013) and various other cameo appearances and DVD extras between 2010-13. Career highlights Matt made his debut playing Jim Taylor opposite Billie Piper in The Ruby in the Smoke (2006), a role he reprised for 2007's The Shadow in the North.

Other work includes Party Animals (2007), Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007, again with Billie Piper), The Street (2007), In Bruges (2008, deleted scene), Moses Jones (2009), Womb (2010), Christopher and His Kind (2011), Bert and Dickie (2012), Lost River (2014), Terminator Genisys (2015), Patient Zero (2015) and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016). He also directed an episode of Playhouse Presents called Cargese in 2013. Facts Matt was nominated for a BAFTA in 2011 for Best Actor for Doctor Who (he lost to Daniel Rigby, but was the first to be BAFTA-nominated for playing the Doctor). Matt was discovered by acting agent Wendy Padbury (who played companion Zoe in Doctor Who 1968-69)). In May 2012 Matt carried the Olympic Torch through Cardiff, an honour the Tenth Doctor has in the TV episode Fear Her (2006).

Matt's sister Laura Jayne was a dancer in the music video for Eric Prydz's 2004 song Call On Me .

Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) Born Nov 28 1987 Doctor Who credits Played: Soothsayer in The Fires of Pompeii (2008) Played: Amy Pond in The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below, Victory of the Daleks, The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone, The Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood, Vincent and the Doctor, The Lodger, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, A Christmas Carol, Space/ Time, The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Good As Gold, Pond Life, Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan (2010-12). Return appearance in The Time of the Doctor (2013).

She also provided the voice for Amy Pond in The Doctor Who Adventure Games (2010-11) and played Amy in the various Night and the Doctor shorts on the Series 6 DVD. Career highlights Karen debuted in Rebus (2006), then found roles in Harley Street (2008), Stacked (2008), New Town Killers (2008), The Kevin Bishop Show (2008-09), Outcast (2010), We'll Take Manhattan (2012), Not Another Happy Ending (2013), Oculus (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), A Touch of Cloth (2014), Selfie (2014) and 7 Days in Hell (2015). Facts Karen has leant her vocal talent to TV commercials for eHarmony , Warburtons bread and the Royal Bank of Scotland . Her cousin is actress Caitlin Blackwood, who played the younger version of Amy Pond in Doctor Who. Her father is singer John Gillan .

In 2008 Karen modelled at the launch party for the Dainty Doll make-up range, "created" by Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts. She can also be seen in the 2014 music video for TV on the Radio's Happy Idiot .

Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) Born Jun 17 1982 Doctor Who credits Played: Rory Williams in The Eleventh Hour, The Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, A Christmas Carol, Space/ Time, The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Pond Life, Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan (2010-12) He also provided the voice for Rory Williams in The Doctor Who Adventure Games (2011) and played Rory in the various Night and the Doctor shorts on the Series 6 DVD.

Career highlights Arthur made his screen debut in He Kills Coppers (2008), followed by Little Dorrit (2008), Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010), Robin Hood (2010), Pelican Blood (2010), The Paradise (2012), The White Queen (2013) and Legends of Tomorrow (2016). He also played Reverend Paul Coates in Broadchurch (2013-15). Facts Arthur's mother Ellie is also an actress, as well as a puppeteer, and was the voice behind Why Bird in children's series Playdays in the late 1980s (here she is on Twitter ). His father Nigel is a member of Ricky Cool and the In Crowd and has in the past played keyboards and performed backing vocals for the likes of Duane Eddy, Edwin Starr, the Fine Young Cannibals and Runy Turner.

Arthur is also a singer and songwriter and has written scores for stage shows such as Artefacts (2007) and The Frontline (2008); in 2009 he co-wrote a musical with Che Walker called Been So Long , and in 2013 The Lightning Child (in October 2012 Arthur lost all the music for the play's score in a house burglary and had to start from scratch). He was also a member of the band Edmund in his teenage years (named after the CS Lewis character Edmund Pevensie). Arthur, who collects taxidermy, is also on Twitter .

Alex Kingston (River Song) Born Mar 11 1963 Doctor Who credits Played: River Song in Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead (2008), The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone (2010), The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang (2010), The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (2011), A Good Man Goes to War (2011), Let's Kill Hitler (2011), Closing Time (2011), The Wedding of River Song (2011), The Angels Take Manhattan (2012), The Name of the Doctor (2013), The Husbands of River Song (2015) Alex also appeared as River Song in the DVD extras Night and the Doctor (2011), and voiced her in the video game The Eternity Clock (2012).

Career highlights Alex made her screen acting debut at the age of 17 in Grange Hill (1980), playing Jill Harcourt, then took roles in Henry's Leg (1986), Hannay (1989), The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989), Soldier Soldier (1993), Crocodile Shoes (1994), The Knock (1996), The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1996, for which she was BAFTA-nominated), Croupier (1998), Warrior Queen (2003), Alpha Dog (2006), Lost in Austen (2008), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2008), Sordid Things (2009), Hope Springs (2009), Ben Hur (2010), FlashForward (2009-10), Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2009-10, spookily playing Miranda Pond!), Marchlands (2011), Upstairs Downstairs (2012), NCIS (2012), Chasing Shadows (

2014) and Bukowski (2015).

Alex also played Dr Elizabeth Corday in 160 episodes of ER (1997-2004/09) and Dinah Lance in Arrow (2013-14). Facts Alex's first husband was fellow actor Ralph Fiennes between 1993-97, whom she met at drama school. In an interview she said she considered committing suicide following her separation from Fiennes, which was triggered by Fiennes having an affair with actress Francesca Annis (Fiennes and Annis stayed together for 11 years). Alex appeared in a TV commercial for QC sherry in 1990. Mark Sheppard (Canton Delaware) Born May 30 1964 Career highlights Mark is one of the most prolific character actors - particularly in genre television - working today.

His earliest credit was for Silk Stalkings (1992), followed by roles in In the Name of the Father (1993), The X-Files (1993), MANTIS (1995), Sliders (1999), Star Trek: Voyager (2000), JAG (2000), The Invisible Man (2001), New Alcatraz (2001), Megalodon (2002), Charmed (2002), Firefly (2002), Las Vegas (2004), 24 (2006), Medium (2005-06), Bionic Woman (2007), Burn Notice (2009), Dollhouse (2009), Chuck (2010) and Sons of Liberty (2013).

He has had a good many recurring roles too, including Christopher "CJ" Yates in Soldiers of Fortune (1997-98), Romo Lampkin in Battlestar Galactica (2007-09), Jim Sterling in Leverage (2008-12), Curtis Hagen in White Collar (2009/13-14), Benedict Valda in Warehouse 13 (2009-10/14) and Crowley in Supernatural (2009-15). In 2001 he wrote, produced and directed his own film, Room 101, and was also co-producer on Xtinction: Predator X (2010). He is occasionally credited as Mark A (for Andreas) Sheppard. Facts Mark is the son of actor William Morgan Sheppard, who appears in this Doctor Who story as his older self. As a teenager he became a session musician (drummer) for touring bands and artists, including The Soft Boys' Robyn Hitchcock, Light a Big Fire, and The Television Personalities. Since 2010 Mark has been the voice of BBC America's promos.

Here he is on Twitter .

William Morgan Sheppard (Old Canton Delaware) Born Aug 24 1932 Career highlights William debuted in the 1962 British film Strongroom, then took roles in Marat/ Sade (1967), The Roses of Eyam (1973), Crown Court (1974), Antony and Cleopatra (1974), The Sweeney (1975), The New Avengers (1976), London Belongs to Me (1977), When the Boat Comes In (1977), Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson (1979), A Family Affair (1979), The Professionals (1979), Shogun (1980), The Elephant Man (1980), Hawk the Slayer (1980), The Day of the Triffids (1981), The Keep (1983), Return to Treasure Island (1986), Cry Freedom (1987), Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991),

 Quantum Leap (1993), Frasier (1995), Babylon 5 (1994/95), Iron Man (1995), Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996), American Gothic (1996), Timecop (1997), JAG (1998), Star Trek: Voyager (1999), Days of Our Lives (2000-01), Gods and Generals (2003), Alias (2005), The Prestige (2006), Transformers (2007), Star Trek (2009), Meeting Spencer (2010), Legend of the Seeker (2010), Mad Men (2010), Dexter (2011) and April Apocalypse (2013).

Regular roles include Blank Reg in Max Headroom (1985-88), the Professor in SeaQuest 2032 (1993-94) and the voice of Lawrence Limburger in Biker Mice from Mars (1993-96 & 2006-07). He is occasionally credited as W Morgan Sheppard or Morgan Sheppard. Facts William is the father of actor Mark Sheppard, who appeared as the younger version of Canton Delaware in this Doctor Who story.

Stuart Milligan (President Richard Nixon) Born Sep 10 1953 Doctor Who credits Played: Tannoy voice in The Sarah Jane Adventures: Warriors of Kudlak (2007, uncredited) Played: Colonel Stark (voice) in Dreamland (2009) Played: President Richard Nixon in The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (2011) and its prelude Career highlights Boston-born Stuart made his acting debut in Secret Army (1979), followed by Oppenheimer (1980), Outland (1981), Juliet Bravo (1982), The Fortunate Pilgrim (1988), A Quiet Conspiracy (1989), Josie (1991), Prague Duet (1998), The Knock (2000), Crossroads (2003), The Romantics (2006), Lewis (2007), Land Girls (2011) and The Assets (2014). He also regularly played Adam Klaus in Jonathan Creek (1998-2010).

Chukwudi Iwuji (Carl) Born 1975 Career highlights Nigerian born Chukwudi debuted in the 1996 short Short Change, then The Lane (2004, which he also wrote), Proof (2005), Exam (2009), Wizards vs Aliens (2012), Murder in Manhattan (2013), Crossing Lines (2015) and The Vote (2015). Facts Chuk was born in Nigeria, schooled in the UK, studied economics in the United States, and also trained as an actor in the US before moving back to the UK to work. Mark Griffin (Phil) Born Feb 25 1968 Career highlights Mark rose to prominence on the Saturday night game show Gladiators, playing Trojan between 1993-97 and in the 2008-09 reboot.

Between 1995-96 he also played the title role in the TV series Action Man, and later found roles in Dr Dolittle 2 (2001), Daddy Day Care (2003), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004), NCIS (2005), Days of Our Lives (2005), Mama's Boy (2007), The Smoke (2014), Dragons of Camelot (2014) and Strike Back (2015). Facts Former squash player and bodybuilder Mark has a daughter with fellow former Gladiator Kate Staples (Zodiac). Here's his fan club on Twitter .

Marnix Van Den Broeke (The Silence) Born Feb 24 1976 Doctor Who credits Played: The Silence in The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (2011) and its prelude, The Wedding of River Song (2011) Career highlights Dutchman Marnix, who is 6ft 7in tall, debuted as the werewolf in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), then went on to play Death in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (2006) and The Color of Magic (2008), and also played The Shadow in Inkheart (2008) and Mr Pump in Pratchett's Going Postal (2010). Facts Marnix trained as a ballet dancer and also provides life coaching using cognitive therapy and neuro-linguistic programming.

Sydney Wade (Little girl) Born Sep 20 2001 Career highlights Sydney's first credit was in The Royal in 2007, aged six, followed by The Royal Today (2008), The Damned United (2009), Marchlands (2011), 360 (2011), Bedlam (2012), Sherlock (2012/14), Happy Valley (2014), North v South (2015) and Offside (2015). She also played Jade Hollis in Rocket's Island (2012-14). Facts Nancy Baldwin (Joy) Born 1956 Career highlights New Yorker Nancy's earliest credit was The Mumbo Jumbo (2000), followed by Mad About Alice (2004), Mamma Mia! (2008), Some Dogs Bite (2010), Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) and The Night Manager (2016).

Kieran O'Connor (Prison guard) Career highlights Kieran debuted as Lenny Scott in daytime soap Doctors (2009), then took roles in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Get Some (2014). Adam Napier (Captain Simmons) Adam's other work includes Disembraced (2004), Dance With Me (2010) and Folie a deux (2012). Henrietta Clemett (Matilda) Career highlights Debuted in The Bill (2004), then Ultimate Force (2005), Run, Fatboy, Run (2007), Doctors (2010) and Alleycats (2015). Paul Critoph (King Charles II) Career highlights Paul's debut came in Great Escape: The Untold Story (2001), then The Bill (2002), Kinky Boots (2005), Casualty (2007), PhoneShop (2011) and Down the Road (2013). Facts Here's Paul's review blog , where he scores films and videogames in Pauls out of Critoph...

Emilio Aquino (Busboy) Career highlights Full name Hermeilio Miguel Aquino, Emilio was born in the Bronx and made his credited debut in Lower East Side Stories (2005), then The Empty Hands (2011) and Four One Nine (2012). In 2015 he wrote, directed and produced the short Macro. Kerry Shale (Dr Renfrew) Born Jun 17 1958 Career highlights Canadian Kerry debuted in the sitcom Sorry!

in 1981, after which his career became prolific (often in voiceover roles), with turns in Yentl (1983), Labyrinth (1986), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Superman IV (1987), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988), Club X (1989), Time Riders (1991), Sharpe's Rifles (1993), The Tomorrow People (1994), Dr Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop (1994), Budgie the Little Helicopter (1994-96), Jude (1996), Fierce Creatures (1997), Dennis the Menace (1997-98), 102 Dalmatians (2002), Believe Nothing (2002), The Jacket (2005), Love Soup (2005), MI High (2007), Not Going Out (2007), Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009), The Trip (2010), Arthur Christmas (2011), Red Dwarf (20

12), Hello Carter (2013), Blood Moon (2014), Moonwalkers (2015) and New Tricks (2015).

He has also provided several voices for both the UK and US versions of Thomas and Friends since 2010. Facts Kerry is a prolific audiobook narrator and video game voice artiste. Here he is on Twitter . Glenn Wrage (Gardner) Born May 25 1959 Career highlights Debuting in MIA (1996), American Glenn 's further work includes Saving Private Ryan (1998), Wilderness Men (2000), Dark Realm (2001), Thunderpants (2002), Shane (2004), Captain Scarlet (2005), The Philanthropist (2009), Dani's House (2010), Cleanskin (2012) and Veep (2014). He has also provided several voices for the US version of Thomas and Friends since 2010. Facts Glenn is a prolific video game voice artiste, and has also been a model . Peter Banks (Dr Shepherd) Born 1943 Career highlights Peter was born in New York, educated in Canada and emigrated to the UK in 1968.

He made his debut in Carry On England in 1976, followed by Suez 1956 (1979), Escape (1980), Juliet Bravo (1980), Dreamchild (1985), Death Wish 3 (1985), Highlander (1986), Chalkface (1991), In Suspicious Circumstances (1994), The Shaft (2001), The Murder Room (2005) and Any Human Heart (2010). Ricky Fearon (Tramp) Born 1960 Doctor Who credits Played: Foreman in Torchwood: To the Last Man (2008) Played: Tramp in Day of the Moon (2011) Career highlights Debuted in Casualty (2006), then took roles in Break Clause (2010) and Julius Caesar (2012). Facts Ricky is fellow actor Ray Fearon's brother.

Frances Barber (Eye Patch Lady/ Madame Kovarian) Born May 13 1957 Doctor Who credits Played: Eye Patch Lady/ Madame Kovarian in Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot (uncredited), The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song (all 2011) Career highlights Frances debuted in the 1978 short Wings of Ash, then found work in The Missionary (1982), Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983), A Zed & Two Noughts (1985), Castaway (1986), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Behaving Badly (1989), Red Dwarf (1989), Inspector Morse (1992), Chef!

(1994), Space Precinct (1995), Rhodes (1996), Real Women (1998-99), Shiner (2000), Gimme Gimme Gimme (2001), Manchild (2002), Having It Off (2002), My Family (2003), According to Bex (2005), Funland (2005), Hustle (2007), Casualty (2008), The Fattest Man in Britain (2009), Pete Versus Life (2011), Great Expectations (2011), The Spa (2013), Silk (2012-14), Psychobitches (2013-14), Mr Holmes (2015) and Flack (2015). Facts When Frances studied drama at Bangor University she was dating fellow alumni, director Danny Boyle.

She has worked with the Pet Shop Boys twice - she appeared in their 2001 musical Closer to Heaven, and also sang live at one of their concerts in 2006 (the song Friendly Fire ). One of her closest friends is actor Ian McKellen (whose voice can be heard in the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas special), and he funded a library in her name in India. Here she is on Twitter . Jeff Mash (Grant) Career highlights Jeff debuted in Eve (2009), then Breakout (2010), Spooks (2011), Resident Evil: First Hour (2011), Red Lights (2012), Dark Shadows (2012), Byzantium (2012), Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) and You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015). Tommy Campbell (Sergeant) Born Oct 6 1978 Career highlights Canadian Tommy's earliest credit was providing the English translation for Kosei Hida in the anime series Angel Links aka Seiho tenshi Angel Links (1999).

The following year he dubbed the English voice of Aki Mikage in the anime series Ayashi no Ceres. Subsequent acting work includes Coil (2001), The Dark Knight (2008), Green Zone (2010), Spooks (2011), The President's Staff (2013), Supernatural (2014), Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Arrow (2014). Between 2011-14 Tommy provided the voice of the title character in the animated series The Mad Hatter Chronicles. Facts Tommy , who is also a stand-up comedian, making a name for himself for his spontaneous responses to @UberFacts on Twitter, is married to actress Samantha Glenn (best known as Jessica Davenport in soap Family Affairs), making him actress Wendy Glenn's brother-in-law. Here's his Twitter .

CREW Steven Moffat (writer) Born Nov 18 1961 Doctor Who credits Wrote: The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances (2005), The Girl in the Fireplace (2006), Blink (2007), Time Crash (2007), Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead (2008), The End of Time Part Two (additional dialogue, uncredited, 2010), The Eleventh Hour (2010), The Beast Below (2010), The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone (2010), The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang (2010), A Christmas Carol (2010), The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (2011), A Good Man Goes to War (2011), Let's Kill Hitler (2011), The Wedding of River Song (2011), The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011), Asylum of the Daleks (2012), The Angels Take Manhattan (2012), The Snowmen (2012), The Bells of Saint John (

2013), The Name of the Doctor (2013), The Night of the Doctor (2013), The Day of the Doctor (2013), The Time of the Doctor (2013), Deep Breath (2014), Into the Dalek (co-writer, 2014), Listen (2014), Time Heist (co-writer, 2014), The Caretaker (co-writer, 2014), Dark Water/ Death in Heaven (2014), Last Christmas (2014), The Magician's Apprentice/ The Witch's Familiar (2015), The Girl Who Died (co-writer, 2015), The Zygon Inversion (co-writer, 2015), Heaven Sent/ Hell Bent (2015), The Husbands of River Song (2015) As well as being writer of these TV episodes, Steven has also written several of the minisodes and preludes accompanying them, as well as the 1999 Comic Relief special, The Curse of Fatal Death.

Executive producer: The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below, Victory of the Daleks, The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone, The Vampires of Venice, Amy's Choice, The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood, Vincent and the Doctor, The Lodger, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, A Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan, The Snowmen, The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten, Cold War, Hide, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver, The Name of the Doctor, The Night of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor, Deep Breath, Into the Dalek, Robot of Sherwood, Listen, Time Heist

, The Caretaker, Kill the Moon, Mummy on the Orient Express, Flatline, In the Forest of the Night, Dark Water/ Death in Heaven, Last Christmas, The Magician's Apprentice/ The Witch's Familiar, Under the Lake/ Before the Flood, The Girl Who Died, The Woman Who Lived, The Zygon Invasion/ The Zygon Inversion, Sleep No More, Face the Raven, Heaven Sent/ Hell Bent, The Husbands of River Song (2010-15) As well as being executive producer of these TV episodes, Steven has also produced several of the minisodes, preludes and Adventure Games accompanying them, as well as Doctor Who Confidential (2010-11).

Career highlights Steven's writing career stretches back to Stay Lucky in 1990, after which he wrote Exam Conditions (1992), 43 episodes of Press Gang (1989-93), Joking Apart (1991/93/95), The Office (1996), Chalk (1997), Murder Most Horrid (1994/96/99), Privates (1999), 34 episodes of Coupling (2000-04), Jekyll (2007), The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and Sherlock (2010-17). He has also acted as producer on Chalk, Coupling, Jekyll, Sherlock and An Adventure in Space and Time (2013). In 2001 he acted as script editor of Office Gossip.

Awards 1991: BAFTA TV Award for Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/ Drama) (Press Gang) 2008: BAFTA TV Award for Best Writer (Doctor Who) 2008: BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Screenwriter (Doctor Who) 2011: BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series (Sherlock) 2012: BAFTA Special Award 2012: BAFTA TV Award for Best Writer (Sherlock) 2014: Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special (Sherlock) 2015: Officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama Facts Steven is married to TV producer Sue Vertue (whose mother is TV producer Beryl Vertue). Toby Haynes (director) Doctor Who credits Directed: The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang (2010), A Christmas Carol (2010), The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon (2011) Toby also directed the TARDIS scene shown on screens at the 2010 Doctor Who Prom.

Career highlights Toby's directing debut came with the short Looking for Al Bowlly (2003), followed by Lost and Found (2003), Hollyoaks (2007), MI High (2007-08), Spooks: Code 9 (2008), Being Human (2009), Five Days (2010), Sherlock (2012), The Musketeers (2014) and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (2015). Facts Toby is the first director ever to helm three consecutive Doctor Who stories (The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang; A Christmas Carol; The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon - actually equalling five consecutive episodes, plus the Proms TARDIS scene in the middle!).

Marcus Wilson (producer) Born Jul 4 1973 Doctor Who credits Produced: The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, A Town Called Mercy, The Power of Three, The Angels Take Manhattan, The Snowmen, The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten, Cold War, Hide, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver, The Name of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor (2011-13) Career highlights Marcus's earliest screen credit is as unit manager on soap Emmerdale in 1997, followed by floor manager on Verdict (1998) and production manager on Cutting It (2002) and No Angels (2004).

He also acted as first assistant director on At Home with the Braithwaites (2000-01), Heartbeat (2000-02), The Royal (2003), No Angels (2004) and All the Small Things (2009). Other producing work includes Cutting It, No Angels, Life on Mars (2006-07), True Dare Kiss (2007), Whitechapel (2009), Paradox (2009), Taggart (2010) and Our Zoo (2014). Facts Marcus's wife is film and TV sound recordist Helen McIlveen (she was sound recordist on the Doctor Who story Closing Time). Here he is on Twitter .

Caroline Henry (script editor) Doctor Who credits Script edited: The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, Let's Kill Hitler, The Girl Who Waited, The Wedding of River Song, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (all 2011; credited as script executive on last episode) Career highlights Caroline's other script editing work includes Ultimate Force (2006), Midsomer Murders (2007), The Bill (2008-10) and Inspector George Gently (2012). She was also assistant producer on the 2013 TV movie Lawless.

Lindsey Alford (script executive) Doctor Who credits Script edited: Daleks in Manhattan/ Evolution of the Daleks, Human Nature/ The Family of Blood, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Revenge of the Slitheen, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Eye of the Gorgon, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Warriors of Kudlak, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?, The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Lost Boy, Partners in Crime, Planet of the Ood, The Doctor's Daughter, The Unicorn and the Wasp, The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End, Torchwood: Adrift, The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Eleventh Hour, The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone, The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood, The Lodger, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, A Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut/ Day of the Moon, The Curse of the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife, The Rebel Flesh/ The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Closing Time, The Wedding of River Song (2007-11; credited as script executive from A

 Christmas Carol onwards) Lindsey also script edited Doctor Who - The Adventure Games (2010) Career highlights Lindsey's script editing career has been largely confined to the Doctor Who universe, although she did work on Casualty in 1992, 2001 and between 2004-06.

Facts Lindsey is married to Brian Minchin, who became an executive producer on Doctor Who in 2013. Posted by My Old School Books at

Question: Who played the eye-patch wearing Madam Kovarian in the UK television series ‘Doctor Who’?
Answer: Frances Barber