Two Animated 'Doctor Who' Fan Films To Amaze The Timey Whimey Out Of You

I ran across two great short films that are worth checking out for all the loyal Whovians out there in Whoville. Each has its own take on paying homage to the animation genre, one in a classic cartoon style, the other a stop-motion short reminiscent of the iconic Rankin/Bass holiday specials.

Blink To The Future is fun and clever animated mash-up of Doctor Who and Back To The Future, featuring a tricked out TARDIS inspired DeLorean. As creator James Farr puts it on his YouTube Channel: "Somewhere in the jaw-dropping vastness of the multi-verse, I like to think that this cartoon plays at 7am every Saturday morning."

Animator and artist Alisa Stern cooked up the heartwarming stop motion film How The Doctor Puppet Saved Christmas, and created the latest adventure for the Doctor Puppet just in time for the holidays.

SOURCES: JamesFarr.com, Alisa Stern YouTube Page

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INTERVIEW: 'An Unearthly Child' Director Waris Hussein Recalls The Earliest Days of 'Doctor Who'

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to talk with Waris Hussein, the director of the initial ten episodes of Doctor Who, shortly before a special screening of An Unearthly Child, the very first episode of the series. Doctor Who debuted in black and white on the BBC on November 23, 1963 in the direct shadow of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The episode introduced the world to the mysterious grandfatherly Time Lord known only as the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and his iconic time machine the TARDIS.

In my one-on-one interview, Hussein revealed what was involved for Doctor Who to make its mark at a time when televised sci-fi was unheard of in the UK, as both a science fiction series that not only preceded Star Trek to the airwaves by nearly three years, but was also intended to educate children.

We discussed William Hartnell, the first actor to portray the one of the eleven incarnations of the Doctor on TV, whose initial take was that of a sinister Time Lord who also happened to have a granddaughter. Hussein was forthcoming on Hartnell's initial reluctance to take on the role, the hurdles they had to overcome in 1963, and gladly shared his thoughts on the still standing legacy of the show.

Shortly following our interview below, An Unearthly Child was screened for a packed audience at New York's Paley Center for Media, where he also provided live commentary and participated in a Q&A with the fans. He noted that the episode was a multi-camera live-to-tape shoot on the smallest set the BBC had to offer, a converted warehouse. With a mere single day shooting schedule and a budget of £2000, there was little time for elaborate blocking or retakes.

It's also worth noting that BBC announced in August production on An Adventure In Space and Time, a 90-minute TV movie that will chronicle the show's genesis and the various figures involved in Who throughout the years. As part of Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary, we will see many of the behind-the-scenes events spoken about here brought to life on the small screen.

Please set the scene for us when you were approached for Doctor Who. What was the state of televised science fiction like in 1963 Britain?

HUSSEIN: Very very little was known about science fiction apart from the films we actually got from America. I don’t think Britain had many approaches to the subject. I think Doctor Who was one of the very first. All the science fiction we saw were from movies that came out from here.

What was your first reaction to the driving concepts behind Doctor Who?

HUSSEIN: Never skepticism, some degree of intrigue and uncertainty. It’s a very eccentric idea if you think about it. What everyone says about it, and followed later I know by Star Trek, they were all set in ships and things that went into the universe and the outer regions. This is a telephone box which opens into a vast ship. How eccentric can you get? That itself was an intriguing subject matter, and then of course the characters. We should not forget that its not just science fiction, its an educational situation. We were trying to, through this medium and through this format, educate kids by doing one episode in the past and one episode in the future. That’s what the first one was: Fire. Looking for fire. That sort of thing. Then you enter the Daleks, and then you have the second lot which was about the travel across Europe getting to China (Cathay in those days), with Marco Polo. So one after the other, and that format still exists as we know, with much more embellishment.

So among other things, Doctor Who was conceived as televised history lesson for children?

HUSSEIN: Yes, but not to give them lectures, to give them stories with an adventure behind it as well. Marco Polo taught kids all about a civilization that they probably never would have herard about other than that. You know, China.

The backstory regarding the broken chameleon circuit of the TARDIS has given Doctor Who a unique  and now iconic association with the series. Was it from day one always the idea, budget contraints or not, to have the TARDIS permanently remain a police box?

HUSSEIN: This was Sydney Newman who created it, his original idea and was to my mind, genius. Who else would come up with something like this? I think it's brilliant. They are more or less diminished now. In fact it's become an iconic image.

Even at the show's inception, was the Doctor always referred to as only 'the Doctor'? Was there ever a name on even the earliest of the scripts you saw?

HUSSEIN: Never given a name, and that is still kept to this day.

The show in the last year has had many cryptic plot points teasing what the Doctor's actual name is, repeatedly playing with the question: "Doctor who?" Revealing the 'who' seems to spell catastrophic consequences for the universe.

HUSSEIN: Well I sincerely hope they don’t because there is a kind of mystery attached to this character. He’s been portrayed in many ways now, but I don’t think he’s a human being you see, and I don’t think they should make him totally human. He should be unpredictable, and that’s my feeling. That’s how it started anyway.

What was it like working with William Hartnell as the Doctor?

HUSSEIN: William was an eccentric actor as well as a character. He was very conservative in many ways in his approach to life. I think he was somewhat taken aback when he confronted a woman producer [Verity Lambert] because he was very much a male oriented person. And then a British Indian [director] for Heaven’s sakes! I was the very first Indian ever to be doing what I am doing. And I think it must have been a very unusual set of people that he confronted.  We had to woo him and persuade him to be a part of the team. I have to say I am happy he did become a part of it, we was a very good actor.

What was the reception to the show when it aired?

HUSSEIN: The first airdate was the same date when President Kennedy was assassinated, so there was a pall that descended on everything and the BBC had to repeat it. So I think as a result in an odd way we manged to pull ourselves out of this period and it was seen as an innovative show. I think a lot of people reflected this in their reaction. Thinking 'You know, maybe we are facing something unusual and there is a future in it.'

Do you have any particular favorite incarnations of the Doctor or Who moments from over the years?

HUSSEIN: I am reluctant to pinpoint things. I left it after the Marco Polo episodes, and I went on to do other things. So it was rather like giving birth, getting the kid adopted and moving on (laughs). Let someone else carry on the education. It's not easy to pinpoint and say 'Oh by the way I really like so and so,' because I think its unfair in many ways. Each story had its own embellishment and its own creativity. There have been incredible Doctor Who's subsequent, and also to my mind some that didn’t work out. As we know the show at some point was put to bed, and it was only revived by Russell T. Davies. So I do not like to pinpoint, I just think that it's great that it's still going.

What was it like shooting simultaneously with multiple cameras in a studio in addition to the limited visual effects of the time? Did that force you to be more creative?

HUSSEIN: We had none of the facilities of today. Forget computer generated stuff. We had to literally be inventive of what we did. Sand storms by interfering electronically on the monitor. The opening titles of Doctor Who were all shooting into monitors from one camera to another. That's why you get that strange wiggly effect. That's the kind of thing we had to be inventive of about. It was a whole different landscape that we worked in. We were pioneers, and what followed was the growth of something we planted.

Were two versions of the episode produced?

HUSSEIN: No. The pilot and then the main one. The first episode was the one after the pilot. Not two pilots, just the first. There were certain things we kept from the pilot. The script didn't change radically, but certain characteristics changed. We softened the Doctor, we did certain things like that. Dealt with Susan the granddaughter is a different way. Syndey Newman oversaw it and he was there as creator of the show. 

What do you expect from revisiting the episode all these years later tonight, plus providing live commentary to the audience? Is is hard to not rethink your work differently now in your head?

HUSSEIN: Absolutely. Gosh yes. I'm sure to be cringing tonight watching what I did. You know, it's bound to happen isn't it? I have not seen it for a very long time. In a funny way I have just not gone back to it. It's like revisiting something you have a pleasurable memory about. Well tonight we'll see it, and will see.

Are you looking forward to the the 50th Anniversary next year?

HUSSEIN: Absolutely. Yes, I hope they do something splendid with it.

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TRAILER - Doctor Who Christmas Special: 'The Snowmen'

Following the release of the first image revealing the Doctor's darker bow tie-less new look in the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas Special, the title of this year's annual special has been revealed in addition to the full trailer.

Matt Smith and new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman provide a special introduction to the new look at The Snowmen, which is scheduled to air here on BBC America on Christmas Day.

Jenna-Louise Coleman made an unexpected appearance as Oswin in the seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, and apparently playing a completely different character than Clara, the new companion set to be introduced in the Christmas Special.

Smith and Coleman do not ignore this fact in the fun video intro to The Snowmen's sneak peek. And undoubtedly, these pieces will all fit together perfectly in the grand scheme of the Doctor Who puzzle. 

According to BBC: "A new companion, a new look for the Doctor, plus a new monster will all be introduced in this movie-scale episode. Starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and introducing Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion Clara, The Snowmen follows their adventures as they embark on a mission to save Christmas from the villainous Doctor Simeon (Richard E Grant, The Iron Lady, Dracula) and his army of icy snowmen. "

"The Doctor at Christmas is one of my favorite things - but this year it's different. He's lost Amy and Rory to the Weeping Angels, and he's not in a good place: in fact, he's Scrooge. He's withdrawn from the world and no longer cares what happens to it," said Steven Moffat, Who's Executive Producer and head writer in a press release.

"So when all of humanity hangs in the balance, can anyone persuade a tired and heartbroken Doctor that it's time to return to the good fight. Enter Jenna-Louise Coleman...”

Matt Smith added, “For this year’s Christmas special we have the wonderfully villainous Richard E Grant as Doctor Simeon. As well as lizards, Victorian assassins and deranged warriors from the future, who all return to convince the Doctor that he should board the TARDIS again and save the world. Add to that Jenna-Louise Coleman and so begins the Christmas Special 2012. I hope everyone enjoys it!”

The Doctor Who Christmas Special premieres December 25, 9:00pm ET.

  

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Film Review - LOOPER ★★★½☆☆

Time travel adventures tend to be a tough bunch to roll through. The concepts of changing history, running into oneself in the past or future, the ripple of the butterfly effect in the timeline, the disastrous effects of a paradox, and of course, what shape does the time machine take? A plutonium powered DeLorean? A blue '60s style British Police Box? Or why the hell not, how about skipping through time in a hot tub?

Thankfully, Looper manages to get a substantial amount right in concept, execution, and presentation, putting it high on the horse in its handling of time travel. These kind of films are dissected ad nauseam by critics and fan boys alike, whether its on the scientific aspects of it all, or to see if it manages to makes any logistical and plausible sense. Some films execute the concept with a grain of salt, Looper does not.

The one-dimensional ads don’t do justice to this high-concept cat and mouse sci-fi chase. The commercials rely on simply hooking you in on Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a futuristic hit man (a “Looper”), being faced with the unexpected assignment of executing his future self, who is sent back to the past, and played by Bruce Willis. Frankly Looper goes above and beyond that on multiple levels, and soars beyond being a simple cause and effect time travel movie.

What works incredibly well in director/screenwriter Rian Johnson’s film is his investment in moody visuals and rich character development. Nobody in the impressive cast is shortchanged for a meaty part with plenty of depth written into their character.

Looper sucks you in from the get-go with a quick grisly attention grabbing opening scene which brilliantly sets both the stage and tone for the film. Another brilliant sequence follows Levitt for thirty years as he lives out his life of drug fueled violence as a gangster, which leads right up to the point where his older Joe (Bruce Willis) is sent into to past to be killed by younger Joe (Levitt).

To attempt a better plot explanation. In 2072, time travel is illegal and carried out only by the mob in secret. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a Looper in 2044, who is hired by said mob to kill vagrants on a clean slate by sending them tied and blindfolded into the past where their bodies have no record. This simple straightforward lucrative job for Levitt’s Joe is thrown out the window one day when he looks into the eyes of his latest kill, and they are his own. It turns out Joe’s employers have decided to close his loop, which means sending his 30 years future self back in time to be killed by his younger counterpart. Bruce Willis' Older Joe manages to elude execution and attempts to carry out a multifaceted plan that will have major repercussions on preventing a dystopian future. And go...

Why do you need to see Looper? Let's start with the performances. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a star worthy performance as the young Bruce Willis. It's hard to figure out where prosthetics meet the subtle CGI which assist Levitt's morph job, but none of it takes away from the old school homage to Willis he physically and convincingly pulls off throughout the film. It's a performance that eerily mirrors Willis' facial mannerisms so much you wish you could forget the actual decades younger Bruce from Moonlighting and Die Hard.

These days Willis can phone in a performance and simply chalk it up to Bruce just playing Bruce (Cop Out anyone?). But here he plays Bruce the way Bruce is best played: some parts Pulp Fiction's Butch, some parts 12 Monkeys' James Cole, and this makes one bad ass role whose ultimate, overall, and driving motives force you to wonder if he is the hero or villain of the thick story line laid down. Older Joe is a character whose motives in his past border between simply self serving and heroic, and to attain his objective, he must persevere through heart wrenching and reprehensible actions. Willis has lot to work with here, and he knocks the role out of the ballpark.

Emily Blunt as Sara factors in when the film switches pace gears from its brisk opening hour to a grinding halt in its Witness-esque mid-section. But it's the relationship and subplot developed between Gordon-Levitt's Joe, Sara, and her ten year old son Cid (Pierce Gagnon), that gives the center the movie it's heart. The film builds upon that relationship until its threatened for the sake of the greater good, or what could be perceived as the greater good.

While the film generously grabs some of the best aspects of The Terminator, Back To The Future, 12 Monkeys, and even Akira, Johnson's solid screenplay manages to meld it all together into a moody fresh take. As far as its view on time travel, Looper cleverly takes mostly a direct cause and effect when events in the past effect the future, or even people from the future now living in their own 'past.'

To seriously over analyze or logistically dissect Looper  would take away the thought provoking character driven originality the film deserves. As a time travel concept snob, I did myself a disservice in the theater by over thinking the grand scheme of it all. Trying to figure out all the possible twists and turns that you should't be trying to figure out, not the way to go. Its a thinkers movie without question, but let it all flow and sink in as it moves along.

Looper succeeds as a gritty no-nonsense tense mind bender, and pulls no punches in some imagery that may not sit well with everyone. But there are plenty of terrific action sequences, a fantastic supporting cast, well executed drama, and the film isn't afraid to take the edge off a truly tense moment with a little humor every now and again. But its also satisfying that Looper will also stand tall among the notable entries of time travel films.

Looper opens in theaters on Friday, September 28th.

REVIEW RATING:  ★★★½☆☆
Directed By: Rian Johnson
Starring: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels
Studio: Sony Picture
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 119 minutes

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DOCTOR WHO INTERVIEW: Karen Gillan Talks Filming In NYC and Shares Her Final 'Who' Scene Memories

Doctor Who fans are in the final stretch leading to this Saturday's much talked about fond farewell to the beloved Ponds, Amy and Rory, in the mid-season finale, The Angels Take Manhattan.

The fifth and final show that is set to air in 2012 was shot on location in New York City last April, and features the return of the popular villains, the Weeping Angels. Fret not, following the annual Who Christmas Special in December, the second wave of Seventh Season episodes are on-deck for 2013 featuring a new companion for the Doctor played by Jenna Louise-Coleman (who was unexpectedly introduced with questions aplenty in the season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks).

I had the opportunity to sit down with Karen Gillan for a roundtable interview last month shortly before the New York City premiere screening of Asylum at the Ziegfeld Theater. At that time I asked her about her impressions of shooting the Ponds' swan song episode of Doctor Who in the Big Apple, and what she recalled about her final moments on the set before the very last 'cut' was called.

After answering questions from some of the other journalist present, I welcomed Gillan back to the Big Apple (she and Matt Smith attended the 2010 screening of her Who debut episode at the Paley Center For Media, which introduced fans to Smith as the newly regenerated 11th Doctor), and asked her what her NYC filming experience was like. Fan and paparazzi pictures from Times Square and Central Park sets popped up online almost immediately.

"It was just the best experience, it really was. And it’s kind of interesting because when we did that Paley Center thing it was kind of at the beginning of introducing it to America for the first time, and then we were saying how much we’d love to shoot there. And actually, my final episode was shot in New York, which is kind of weird. But it was amazing," she recalled.

"We were in Central Park and we started shooting. Then all these people turned up and we didn’t expect it at all, at all. So we didn’t have any sort of security or anything like that, and then more and more turned up to the point where there was just hundreds upon hundreds of people lining Central Park and just screaming. And they were like, 'Sign my TARDIS!' It was just the most amazing thing."

"And then we ran to Time Square and quickly shot this scene and trying to draw as little interest as possible I guess. It was really funny seeing Matt running around Time Square in his bow tie. I was like, 'Am I imagining this? This is so weird!'" she said.

Before the interview wrapped, I asked her what she could share about shooting her final scene on the set of Doctor Who, which appropriately also featured Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill. Obviously they shoot out of sequence, so Gillan's actual final scene was (most likely) not Amy Pond's final scene in context of the show's continuity.

I was curious to hear her reminisce about the moments right before 'cut' was called for the very last time. Perhaps there was a conscious effort to do whatever it took to keep shooting. Did anyone purposely keep blowing their lines?

"Honestly it was the weirdest, most serene feeling on set all day," she recalled.

"And then it was our last scene walking into the TARDIS. And then we did about twenty takes of it though, which was really weird. Maybe the director was delaying it. It was lovely though because then Matt closed the door, and it was complete darkness and we all just hugged in the dark. It was like, 'It’s done!' It was just the most emotional feeling, it really was," she said.

Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan airs on Saturday, September 29th at 9pm on BBC America.

PICTURES: Karen Gillan Twitter Page,  LA Times, BBC America

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PREVIEW - Doctor Who: The Power of Three

Check out the trailer and some sneak peek images to tomorrow night's fourth adventure from this season's Doctor Who: The Power of Three.

This will be the penultimate episode for 2012, as the fifth episode, the NYC-set The Angels Take Manhattan, will mark the final hour-long adventure of the year, and bid what promises to be a tearful farewell to the Doctor's popular companions, Amy and Rory.

As for tomorrow's episode, here is how the BBC describes it.

"The Doctor and the Ponds puzzle over an unlikely invasion of Earth, as millions of sinister black cubes arrive overnight..."

In some of the accompanying pictures following the trailer below, there seems to be some problems with the Doctor's heart, or at least one his two hearts that is...

Doctor Who: The Power of Three airs on BBC America tomorrow night at 9pm.

SOURCE: BBC America

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Review: DOCTOR WHO: ASYLUM OF THE DALEKS ★★★★☆

The worldwide broadcast premiere of Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks, the Series Seven season opener, is finally upon us. I have been posting quite a lot of Who material this week, having attended the U.S. screening at the Ziegfeld Theatre a week ago today.

I am still quite taken aback as a fan regarding that day's worth of events, from interviewing Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Who Executive Producer Caroline Skinner, to chatting with the eager fans waiting in line outside the theater, to seeing the episode projected on the grand big screen of the Ziegfeld. Then top it all off with the post show Q&A hosted by Chris Hardwick. It was quite a day, and just as important, I'm happy to report that the premiere episode delivers.

I will offer some quick thoughts on what will air tonight, with no spoilers. This will just encourage you to tune in tonight, whether you be a Whovian or not.

First it must be noted how well the episode looked presented in cinematic proportions in New York City's last remaining grand single screen theater. The production value of the show has reached the level that I would be more than happy to watch in geek bliss each 40-odd minute episode in a cinematic setting on a weekly basis. At no point did the directing, cinematography, or special effects scream 'TV show in a movie theater!' It also goes without saying there is something special about watching it with a capacity crowd of enthusiastic Whovians ooh'ing, ahh'ing and laughing in all the right places.

The Steven Moffat-penned episode is a rock solid start as the first of the five new adventures set to air in September before wrapping up 2012 with the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

It's no secret that the fifth episode, The Angels Take Manhattan, will be the last appearance of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as the Doctor's popular companions, and tonight's premiere lays firm groundwork to what fans will slowly see unfold in the coming weeks. There is an edgy dark dynamic set here, and it will be interesting to see how it progresses until Jenna Louise-Coleman is set as the new companion by year's end.

The relentless robotic Daleks, perhaps the greatest villains in the Doctor's rogue's gallery, return tonight with appropriate cause and force the Time Lord's hand into an unholy alliance. The episode doesn't quite pick up straight from the Series 6 finale. Time has passed, the Doctor has perhaps been laying low, relationships have changed, and it starts the year off on a cleaner slate with solid work all around from the cast.

Smith has grown well into mixing heroics, humor, and dead-on bravado when called for as the Eleventh Doctor, who shows a noticeable darker side here. Karen Gillan's Amy Pond has toughened up and grown into a true sci-fi heroine who manages to vamp up her look a notch or two as well. Arthur Darvill remains the emotional anchor as the heart and soul for the time traveling trio, as we wait to see what the Ponds fate ultimately is.

Much of the complex arc from last year is not played upon, making this an accessible episode for newcomers, but will make them only want to go back and see what has preceded it. With a feel of an old school Doctor Who adventure, it hits all the right marks for adventure, wit, and emotional curveball plot twists that fans have come to expect from the show.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

"Kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission – to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter… the Asylum. A planetary prison confining the most terrifying and insane of their kind, the Doctor and the Ponds must find an escape route. But with Amy and Rory's relationship in meltdown, and an army of mad Daleks closing in, it is up to the Doctor to save their lives, as well as the Pond’s marriage."

Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks airs tonight on BBC America at 9 p.m.

REVIEW RATING:  ★★★★☆
Directed By: Nick Hurran
Written By: Steven Moffat
Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill
Studio: BBC

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New 'Fringe' Season Five Promo

The newest 30-second teaser for the upcoming fifth and final season of Fringe has hit the web. Things don't look too good for John Noble's bloody and battered Walter Bishop, all the while his son Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), have a pleasant picnic in the park.

In addition to wrapping up the mind bending story arc of the cult show, the final 13 episodes also promise to follow up on last season's flash forward episode, Letters of Transit, that introduced fans to a dystopian future and the daughter of Peter and Olivia, a member of the resistance force against the mysterious Observers.

From FOX:

"Picking up from the events depicted in last season's flash-forward episode Letters of Transit, the seemingly peaceful Observers seized control of the universe in 2015. Now in 2036, they have become ruthless rulers who will reign supreme. What awaits in the future is the Fringe team's final stand, which will bring together all that they have witnessed in preparation to battle and protect the world."

Fringe season premiere, Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11, is set for Friday, September 28 at 9 p.m. on FOX.

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'Back To The Future' Takes On 'Grand Theft Auto'

Great Scott!! Check out this awesome mod demo for Grand Theft Auto IV that has the 1985 Marty McFly and Doc Brown's time traveling DeLorean zipping through the modern day streets, highways, and bridges of New York City.

All the familiar references are there, the Flux Capacitor, Marty's orange 'life vest,' a rocking guitar version of the Alan Silvestri's Back To The Future theme, and the flaming tire trails as time travel engages.

There is even a clever second pop culture nod at the top of the clip showing the Dukes of Hazzard's General Lee parked on the street next to Marty's plutonium powered ride. Sounds like actual movie dialogue with the voices of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd were included as well.

Of course in Grand Theft Auto IV: Hill Valley, Marty is armed with a shotgun and shoots at the NYPD, but what can you expect when Back To The Future collides with Grand Theft Auto? That's heavy.

SOURCE: Geekologie

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DOCTOR WHO INTERVIEW - Matt Smith Reveals How The Doctor Would Spend A Night Out In NYC

In part two of my selections from Saturday's roundtable interview with Matt Smith that preceded the U.S. Premiere screening of Asylum of the Daleks, the actor revealed what he thought The Doctor might do on a night of fun in New York City.

It seemed appropriate to me to maintain a line of NYC questioning given Smith's enthusiastic love for the Big Apple, and I thought it would be fun to hear about the possible things the 900 year-old Time Lord would do with a few hours to burn.

I asked that this was provided that the Weeping Angels, the eerie popular villains in the upcoming The Angels Take Manhattan, were not hot on his tail to spoil all of the Doctor's fun.

"His ideal night in New York?" Smith contemplated about the iconic character for a moment with a grin, before coming up with a bunch of ideas.

"I think maybe go and play some jazz with Woody Allen for a bit," he speculated, and assumed the Doctor might love to partake in an impromptu slow jam with one of New York City's most prominent film directors at a small time club.

"Perhaps grab a steak at Balthazar," having the insight that the Time Lord's palette has now moved beyond fish sticks and custard.

"Maybe go and stand on the top of the Statue of Liberty somehow."

"Take the TARDIS to the bottom of the Hudson see what's down there."

"I think he'd go back to the '40s or the '20s maybe, hang in Brooklyn and play baseball on the street."

But if there was one thing he was certain of regarding the Doctor's big night out, "He'd do it in a brilliant way," he said.

Doctor Who's seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, is set to air this Saturday at 9pm on BBC America. The Angels Take Manhattan, which took the cast and crew to shoot in NYC for the very first time in the show's near 50-year history, is the fifth episode and final episode of the first half of the season, and will air on September 29th. the Doctor Who Christmas Special picks up the story from there.

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TRAILER: 'Doctor Who' Season 7

BBC released the new trailer to the Seventh Season (or Series Seven as they say across the pond) to Doctor Who, set to debut sometime this fall. While Matt Smith returns as the space hopping Time Lord for his third go round, this season promises a sad goodbye to his long time companions Amy and Rory.

The epsiode, which will air around the midpoint of the fourteen new adventures, was shot in New York City and will feature the fan favorite villains the Weeping Angels, as well and the return of River Song.

The Doctor will find himself a new companion in Jenna-Louise Coleman, who was announced to join the cast earlier this year, and will be introduced in the Doctor Who Christmas Special. There is no set air date for the series premiere or the Christmas Special as of yet, but it all promises to build up for the franchise's huge 50th Anniversary celebration in 2013.

SOUCRE: BBC America

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