The wait is almost over. The second part of the thrilling new series of Doctor Who begins on 27 August 2011.
The rules have changed, and the game is deadlier than ever. Out in the universe, where the earthly rules of time and space do not apply, Amy and Rory know only too well that their baby daughter needs them. For Melody Pond is destined to become River Song, mysterious archaeologist and convicted murderer – the woman who killed the best man she ever knew...
The Doctor leads Amy and Rory across centuries and galaxies in a desperate search for baby Melody, but a terrible and inescapable date looms large. At 5.02pm on 22nd April 2011, the Doctor will die. These are his last days, and the quest for Melody his final mission.
The search will result in a crash landing in Thirties Berlin and will bring them face to face with the greatest war criminal of all time. And Hitler. Old friendships will be tested to their limits as the Doctor suffers the ultimate betrayal and learns a harsh lesson in the cruellest warfare of all.
A distress call from a terrified little boy will break through all barriers of time and space and lead the Doctor to visit the scariest place in the Universe. George's bedroom. George is terrorised by every fear you can possibly imagine. Fears that live in his bedroom cupboard. His parents are desperate – George needs a doctor. But allaying George's fears won't be easy. Because the monsters in George's cupboard are real.
An unscheduled visit to a quarantine facility for victims of an alien plague – a plague that will kill the Doctor in a day – leaves Amy trapped. Alone, Rory must find Amy and bring her back to the TARDIS before the faceless doctors kill her with kindness. But Rory is about to encounter a very different side to his wife.
In an impossible hotel, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves checked-in but unable to check out. Walls move, corridors twist, rooms vanish and death lies in wait for every visitor. But the Doctor's time has yet to come. He has one last stop to make on his final journey. His old friend, Craig Owens, desperately needs his help – a new and unfamiliar presence is wreaking havoc in Colchester. And then come the Cybermen. But time catches up with us all and the Doctor can delay no more.
By the shores of Lake Silencio, in Utah, all of time and space hang in the balance. And a NASA astronaut is waiting..."
With viewers still reeling from the shocking news that River Song is actually Amy and Rory's baby, Bafta-nominated actor, Matt Smith, provides a sneak-peek at what is coming up in the new episodes of Doctor Who.
"I thought it was brilliant because it's such a great science fiction pay-off," explains Matt as he reveals how he felt when he learnt the truth about River Song. "Steven Moffat set it up so well and it now leaves the story open to go in so many different directions. She's Amy and Rory's daughter which is mad, but yet brilliant, and it's going to be really interesting to see how the dynamic between all of the characters shifts."
Despite Melody Pond being kidnapped at the end of A Good Man Goes To War, Matt says viewers can rest assured that Alex Kingston, who plays River Song, will be back and there are more shocks in store. "We get to learn a lot more about River in Let's Kill Hitler" he explains, "and she's on her best flirty form; the River I love! It's certainly Alex's episode and we had great fun filming the scenes, so hopefully we have some good on-screen chemistry."
New monsters are also set to make an appearance, sending children and adults alike scuttling behind the sofa in true Doctor Who style. "I think it's fantastic the way the show can tap into people's primal fears as children" says Matt, specifically referring to Mark Gatiss's episode Night Terrors. "Mark has come up with a really clever idea by featuring a dolls house with terrifying and creepy dolls – it's a brilliant adventure-packed episode and Danny Mays, who guest stars, is superb in it."
The Tin Tin actor isn't the only high-calibre guest artist to secure a role in Doctor Who. Upcoming episodes also feature funny men David Walliams and James Corden. "James reprises his role as Craig, who appeared in The Lodger last year," explains Matt. "He's back in an episode which also features the Doctor's arch enemies, the Cybermen. We had such fun on set; it was hard to keep a straight face when we were filming.
"David Walliams was also hilarious" continues Matt. "He plays a character called Gibbis and he had to wear a lot of prosthetics for the part. Once he was all made up he looked a lot like a giant Mole, so it was hard to take him seriously!"
However, Matt's tone does become more serious when talking about the fate awaiting the Doctor...
"The Doctor died at the start of the series" explains Matt. "He was shot in the future by someone in a space suit and, despite the adventures he goes on in these next few episodes, inevitably he's moving closer towards his own death. Amy, Rory and River are aware of his fate but they have no way of stopping it. I can't tell you what happens but Steven has set up an explosive finale."
But can he reveal if his Stetson makes an appearance? "Yes, I can tell you the Stetson is back; I do love a good hat!" chuckles Matt. "The Doctor also has a new coat; a long green moleskin one. We always wanted the Doctor's outfit to evolve and the coat certainly kept me warm when filming during the winter.
"I still haven't lost my clumsy streak though," sighs Matt. "We were filming the final scenes last month in a cornfield and, needless to say, I was the one who tripped over and twisted my ankle!" If only there had been a doctor around...
