New 'Doctor Who' details, along with posters

The Doctor is riding back on March 30...Courtesy BBC-A
It is less than two weeks away from the March 30 return of Doctor Who, and the anticipation is making both our beats beat rapidly. That thumping increased four-fold today when BBC America released new details about upcoming episodes.

In a press release, the BBC teased that The Doctor will launch the second half of the seventh season "by searching for his companion Clara – an Impossible Girl he’s already lost twice ... Together they find themselves battling monsters on distant alien planets, trapped in a Russian submarine with a deadly passenger, chasing terrifying ghosts, delving into the heart of the TARDIS, facing the Crimson Horror in Victorian Yorkshire, and coming face to face with an army of upgraded Cybermen."

Whew, that's a lot, not to mention the warning that "The Doctor’s oldest secret" (his name?) "threatens to be revealed as the world’s longest running science fiction series builds toward its explosive 50th anniversary in November 2013."

A breakdown of the first three episodes follow -- which include Indiana Jones & James Bond-esque adventures, along with a haunted house ep -- but beware, thar be minor spoilers ahead...





The Bells of Saint John
Episode 6
The Doctor’s search for Clara Oswald brings him to modern day London, where Wi-Fi is everywhere. Humanity lives in a Wi-Fi soup. But something dangerous is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. As Clara becomes the target of this insidious menace, the Doctor races to save her and the world from an ancient enemy.
Episode credits: Written by Steven Moffat, directed by Colm McCarthy (Ripper Street, The Tudors), and produced by Denise Paul (Taggart).

The Rings of Akhaten
Episode 7
Clara wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.
Episode credits: Written by Neil Cross (Mama, Luther), directed by Farren Blackburn (Luther, The Fades) and produced by Denise Paul

Cold War
Episode 8
The Doctor and Clara land on a damaged Russian Submarine in 1983 as it spirals out of control into the ocean depths. An alien creature is loose on board, having escaped from a block of Arctic ice. With tempers flaring and a cargo of nuclear weapons on board, it’s not just the crew but the whole of humanity at stake!
Episode credits: Written by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and directed by Douglas Mackinnon (Silent Witness).

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Episode 9
Clara and the Doctor arrive at Caliburn House, a haunted mansion sat alone on a desolate moor. Within its walls, a ghost hunting Professor and a gifted psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well. Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building, but is she really a ghost? And what is chasing her?
Episode credits: Written by Neil Cross and directed by Jamie Payne (The Hour, Call the Midwife).

-Aaron Sagers