Doctor Who News [spoilers for next year]

[Graham Kennedy]

You may not want to read this... big, big spoiler for next season.

Source

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill - who play Doctor Who companions Amy Pond and Rory - are to leave the show during the next series.

Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat made the announcement at a screening of the Christmas episode at BBC TV Centre in London.

"The final days of the Ponds are coming," Moffat said.

"I'm not telling you when or how, but that story is going to come to a heartbreaking end."

He said the Doctor, played by Matt Smith, was going to meet "a new friend". It is believed that role has not yet been cast.

On the departure of Gillan and Darvill, Matt Smith said: "We had the most incredible journey. We took over the show and we've really had to hold hands and help each other through it.

"So it's very disappointing, but one has to remember that this show is about change and regeneration, and that's what galvanizes it and pushes it forwards."

[IanKennedy]

I heard an interview with her on the radio a while ago and she was hinting that she "wouldn't be with the show forever", which was I took to mean that she was leaving fairly soon.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Heartbreaking... if they pull a Donna Noble I will be MOST pissed.

[colmquinn]

Personally I will shed half a tear

Rory was cool, hell he walked through a Cyber fleet and got to ask his question twice

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

He better not have a permanent death, or Amy either.

[Captain Seafort]

Why not? The whole point of DW is that it's a revolving door of both companions and Doctors - only the Tardis and the Doctor's fundamental nature are constants. Besides which, it's been over forty years since they killed off a companion (permanently) without triggering mass celebrations. It's about time they properly made the point that travelling with the Doctor is a dangerous business.

[Graham Kennedy]

I have mixed feelings on that, really. On the one hand, I am fed up of them dangling "death of a companion" and then cheating out of it at the last second. Both Rose and Donna had long periods of "You will die!" only to find that "Well we didn't mean DIE die, we meant..." Then they did the same with the Doctor himself. You can do that once and get away with it, twice and it starts to get lame, three times is just too much.

That said, it raises a character issue for the Doctor... if a companion dies, okay, we can say he didn't expect it, show how devastated and guilty he is. There's good drama to be had from that. But then having had that... he gets another companion and takes her along too? Knowing now that it might be the death of her? That pretty much makes him a douche. How does the audience root for him knowing he is doing that?

You could argue that this bridge has already been crossed with Adric, of course.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I have always felt for major characters, death has to mean something and not be random. I hate random deaths.

[Tsukiyumi]

I have always felt for major characters, death has to mean something and not be random. I hate random deaths.

I don't like them either, but they do happen in reality...

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I have always felt for major characters, death has to mean something and not be random. I hate random deaths.

I don't like them either, but they do happen in reality...

Yeah... in reality. And trust me, Tsuki. After this year I am well aware of that. It's why I try to escape into fiction.

[Tsukiyumi]

There is an argument to be made for that, for sure.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Yeah, my argument. It's just how I am, dude. It's what I prefer.

[Mikey]

While

I will certainly miss looking at Karen Gillan,

I can't say that I'm surprised considering how the last season ended. I'd be curious to see if and how they continue with

River

considering that, however.

And certainly, the issue of conscience with the Doctor which GK mentioned has been addressed. Both in the more prosaic sense and in "The Girl Who Waited."