Comic-Con: ‘Doctor Who’ With Cowboys Out West And Dinosaurs In Space
Doctor Who is coming out West, to Ancient Egypt and taking dinosaurs to space it was revealed at Comic-Con today. The British series (seen here on BBC America) has a Western episode coming this season. Today’s panel showed a brief preview of that as well as longer clip with a Cleopatra character and dinosaurs from another episode. The Western clip had the Doctor stumbling into a saloon brawl. Like Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti Westerns, the Who episode was actually not filmed in the U.S. “We did the one thing you always have to do when shooting iconic American culture, we went to Spain,” joked the series lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat before playing the clip. Moffat, who was otherwise resolutely circumspect about the upcoming season, later revealed that the new Doctor Who would “have more Daleks that you’ve ever seen in one place and a new generation of Daleks,” He added, “I don’t think we’ve ever had a wider variety of episodes than what we are about to show you.” The panel included Who executive producer Caroline Skinner, Moffat, cast members Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill join and to huge applause the 11th Doctor himself Matt Smith.
Related: Comic-Con: ‘Once Upon A Time’ Season 2 Preview
The series, which is coming up on its 50th anniversary, is currently filming its upcoming season in Cardiff in the UK. The announcement earlier this year that Gillan and Darvill will be leaving the show in the fifth episode of the upcoming season was the talk of the panel, with a compilation clip of the characters shown to great cheers. Actress Jenna-Louise Coleman is slated to become the Doctor’s new companion in the Christmas episode. Moffat refused to right the bait to reveal how Gillan and Darvill will say goodbye on the show or if there will be a multiple Doctor episode this season. “I’m not going to tell you,” he laughed. Moffat did tease that the Doctor’s real name may be revealed this season but, beyond joking about “Jeff,” he wouldn’t say what it is. “Welcome to our life, Steven knowing things, withholding it and smiling at them,” said Smith to big laughs. Smith, who will one day be replaced or “regenerated” himself as every Doctor has, noted earlier that as much as he’ll miss the duo, he was perspective. “The show is the star and it will continue without us,” he said “It’s about regeneration and welcoming Jenna,” As has also been announced previously Diana Rigg, who is joining HBO’s Game of Thrones this season it was announced earlier at Comic-Con, will be appearing with her real life daughter Rachael Stirling for the first time in the next Who season. On another note, turns out Dr. Who is a big Breaking Bad fan. Smith admitted during the panel that he “geeked out” over meeting the AMC series’ star Bryan Cranston this week. Everyone’s a fan at Comic-Con, even a Time Lord. The panel ended with a standing ovation for the cast and the producers.
RELATED: ‘Doctor Who’ Star Karen Gillan To Star In Intrepid Pictures Horror Pic ‘Oculus’
Related stories
Comic-Con: ‘Game of Thrones’ Sets March 31, 2013 Season 3 Premiere, Adds Diana Rigg To Cast
Hot Trailer: ‘Oz The Great And Powerful’
Comic-Con: ‘Sons of Anarchy’s Kurt Sutter Would “Love To Do A Prequel”
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
