Wasn't his head chopped off?

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, writer of In the Forest of the Night, is apparently returning too. Not sure why they thought that was a good idea.

But Dollard and Bartlett should more than make up for it if their previous quality is anything to go by.

So currently it presumably looks like this...

10.01 Steven Moffat
10.02 Frank Cottrell-Boyce
10.03 Sarah Dollard
10.04 Mike Bartlett

And then presumably Moffat will pen the final two and another one in there somewhere. That's seven of twelve episodes determined. Mark Gatiss is writing one so that makes eight of twelve. Jamie Mathieson said he had a good idea for an episode but whether or not we'll see it in Series 10 remains a mystery. Presuming he is then that makes nine of twelve, and with three slots left and one I'm wishing to be a two-parter I'd say I'd go for Toby Whithouse for another standalone, and then either Peter Harness or a newbie like Jane Goldman for the two-parter.

In terms of format I presume this means that Series 10 may hit the ground running with four standalone stories? So long as the series is perhaps broken up by a two-parter in the middle and doesn't repeat the mistakes of Series 7's slur of standalones then this is a good start. I'd say episodes 5/6 as a two-parter would work well. I like the writer line-up (bar Gatiss) so far, even with FC-B whose Series 8 episode wasn't the best ever...I do think he's capable of delivering something better and a lot of the problems with that didn't feel down to the script.

Not too impressed with the news that Matt Lucas is back. He was unoffensive in The Husbands of River Song, but unoffensive at best and still the most annoying thing about the episode. I'll happily be proved wrong but he's not the kind of character I want to be wasting more time on personally.

Sorry your wrong there.... I never said the show wasn't coming back or its the end, of course its not... someone else mentioned about cancellation but that wasn't me, please get your facts right before saying something about someone...

And secondly you say no one is trying to say otherwise... well Abomination is doing a pretty good job of trying to say this gap isn't as bad as other, which is what we were talking about... I find it absurd to say otherwise, its clear as day that this is the worst gap, its the first year without new episodes (bar xmas) the last series aired last September the new one won't be until when May next year, if we are lucky... two xmas episodes in-between one series to the next, that's never happened before..... I can't see how anyone can say this is not the worst position/gap DW has been in since its 2005 return, their just kidding themselves if they say to the contrary.....

For me, Matt Lucas coming back sets an interesting tone for season 10. Perhaps Steven Moffat has decided after two seasons of doom and gloom he wants the Doctor to have some fun. I can't criticise him for that.

But I'm not particularly excited by the writers this year. Sarah Dollard's a great writer, but 'Face the Raven' was surprisingly poor. Frank Cottrell Boyce didn't exactly deliver for season 8 (In the Forest of the Night). And Mark Gattis hasn't produced anything half-way decent since, well, season 1. Still, Mike Bartlett is a bit of a coup.

But to be fair, I didn't enjoy Capaldi/Coleman during seasons 8 and 9 and I guess the writers can only entertain a viewer so much if that viewer fundamentally doesn't like the two leads. I doubt I would have enjoyed "The Unquiet Dead" half as much if it had been the 12th Doctor and Clara rather than the 9th Doctor and Rose.

Can't say I'm excited by the news of having the ITFOTN writer back for another episode... for me that is one of the very worst episodes of DW (old and new) and is a prime example of everything wrong with how DW is being written in recent times.... I genuinely believe episodes like ITFOTN damage the show, if you want to know why DW loses viewers its because of stuff like that, stuff that breaks the belief in the universe/show your watching.... it was an intelligence insulting episode... oh don't worry we'll wishy washy wave our magic hand and everything is fine.. no consequence... and just go along with the whole ludicrous thing/idea....... well no people won't go along with it.....

But hopefully the writer can redeem himself and produce something good....

I think he'd make a more convincing Rose Tyler myself.

The BBC has just released an image of him in costume for season 10.

Happy to see Sarah Dollard back. I thought Face the Raven was the stand-out episode of Series 9.

On the other hand In the Forest of the Night is easily my least favourite Doctor Who episode since 2005 so I can't say I'm pleased to hear that Frank Cottrell-Boyce has been invited back.
I personally think ItFotN is so bad because to me it felt like the writer fundamentally didn't understand Doctor Who (he wrote it like a CBBC show rather than a family adventure show). I hope I'm proved wrong next series, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Not a fan of Matt Lucas either so I can't say I'm excited that Nardole is back either. He was a bit irritating in the Christmas special.

Speaking of Christmas specials, are we actually getting one this year?

If the next series doesn't start til May, it will still be running in August. This doesn't bode well in terms of impact, does it?

Unless....could we be heading for another dreaded split series, with some episodes in the autumn ?!

So Vicky is the new assistant, and - don't tell me - Catherine Tate's Nan is the new Doctor ?

I wish!

A lot to process here.

I didn't like Nardole as a character and Matt Lucas is a bit of a limited actor, so the prospect of more of the character seems odd but it confirms that along with Bill being something of a Donna esque companion that they're going for a lighter tone for Series 10.

He might surprise but I don't think he will though. To be honest, there are better guest characters that Moffat could've brought back for his last series.

The writers - I'm glad that Sarah Dollard is back, intrigued by Mike Bartlett but I hated Frank Cottrell Boyce's previous offering. Maybe he'll do better this time though.

Oh and the Class spoiler from Ness is promising too.

Seems weird Nardole is back after the events of Husbands of River Song.

Depends on the story though. Only a few weeks until filming stars .

Nailed it.

Stephanie Hyam, who was announced in today's press release, is in an episode directed by Lawrence Gough, so Episode One or Two. Her Character's name is Heather.
http://www.theartistspartnership.co....phaniehyam.pdf

Oh dear! Matt Lucas coming back? Really? I didn't think much of him in the Christmas episode (I did like that though) so for him to come back is a little odd. I just don't see what he's got to offer. He's like Vastra, Jenny and Strax. They make sense for returns, he doesn't!

And Frank coming back is hardly filling me with hope either. His last episode was a major mess. Mike Bartlett will be an interesting one, I did watch Dr Foster and was gripped by it, but would he suit the style of Doctor WHo I wonder?

Not that pleased with Frank writing another episode after the utter disaster which was his previous episode.

And Matt Lucas, isn't he a head in that massive armour robot thing, hope that doesn't make a return.

The writer of the forest episode is coming back. Why. Are they trying to lose viewers.
His episode is one of the worst episodes I have ever seen. It was pathetic. I like even the bad ones.

Whilst In The Forest Of The Night is not one of my favourite episodes either it's worth noting that Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a multi award winning screenwriter and author with a large number of very highly acclaimed books and screenplays under his belt.
I'm willing to give him another go.

I think that's fair enough. I struggle more with Gattis, to be honest, commissioned year after year with the quality of his work diminishing with each season. I am very worried he may follow up his threat of a sequel to Sleep No More.

Did he really suggest this?
Again, I didn't suffer the extreme reaction to SNM that some did - I found to be quite an enjoyable filler episode with some clever ideas that didn't always come off - but it really doesn't warrant a sequel.

I think the main problem with Sleep No More, especially in retrospect, is its awkward wedging inbetween two more popular and eventful episodes: The Zygon Inversion and Face the Raven. On its own, I wouldn't say it merits a sequel either and it's nothing special, but I can't really put up with the likes of Love and Monsters, Fear Her, In the Forest of the Night, etc. as episodes that are abomimably dreadful.

In the Forest of the Night would have worked better if it was in a show more fitting to its tone, but it just didn't work or feel right with Doctor Who. Not unless it was one of those DWA comics. It wasn't badly written; it was a nice children's tale... but with DW sprinkled on it, and there was really very little for the adult viewers. Imagine if the Hound and Arya Stark found themselves in what was essentially The Secret Garden (although that would be kind of amazing).

Being positive for a moment, there are some pluses to Lucas coming back ....

1) Two companions in general, which we haven't had since the first half of Series 7.
2) Two companions of different ages, gender, race, time zones.
3) Two companions who likely will be tonally different, personality wise.
4) Two companions that are unlikely to be romantically paired with each other as well.

That being said, I did watch The Husbands Of River Song again last night and Nardole literally has no character to him at all.

BIB: If it had actually been filmed at night, with some actual people representing Londoners it would have helped a lot!

The main problem is the lack of consequences with mankind suddenly finding its home planet has been protected all these years by previously unknown trees with special abilities, which then conveniently go away, never to be seen or mentioned again.

Would have worked far better if the planet had not been Earth and had the people in peril been aliens or human colonists instead.

Similar problem with the moon egg one as well.