The recent five episode run to kick off the seventh season of Doctor Who ended with the bittersweet send off of the Ponds. The second longest running companions for the Doctor in the new run, and the thus far only traveling mates of the Eleventh Doctor, the Ponds were fan favorites whose presence on the show will be missed.

That last paragraph contained no spoilers, as it was well publicized that they would be ending their run in the 5th episode of this current season. Going forward there will be spoilers for that episode, so if you somehow missed how the Ponds met their ends you might want to bookmark this story and come back once you watched the episode.

Some how the great Steven Moffat managed to essentially kill these two beloved characters while at the same time giving them the happiest ending possible. Even though they were trapped in the past during a time the Doctor is unable to ever visit (which were sure will be retconned sooner rather than later), they were both given full, seemingly normal lives to live together for decades and decades. The love story of Amy and Rory Williams, which has seen their love forged over thousands of years, over several deaths and over a parallel lifetime finally settles long enough to let them live out the rest of their days in loving peace.

That is where the show left us, a sucker punch to the gut that had the sweetest of aftertastes. However, the Doctor Who writing crew is not one to leave well enough alone, and that has been proven once again in this newly released story board animation of an unfilmed coda scene to that episode.

Check it out after the jump.

The seventh season of the revamped run of Doctor Who will unfortunately be the last for the Ponds. Amy and Rory have been with the Doctor since the beginning of the fifth season, and have been by Matt Smith’s side during his entire run.

So with that info common knowledge, show runner Steven Moffat took to twitter to reveal their choice for the Doctor’s next companion:

We saw a lot of brilliant actresses. But Jenna was the only person going faster than Matt – he had to keep up!

That Jenna of which he speaks is Jenna-Louise Coleman, the stunner on the right. She will be introduced in this year’s Christmas special and finish off the seventh season run in early 2013.

Being the companion during the Doctor’s 5oth anniversary year is a fantastic opportunity for the young actress. The show has retained a high level of popularity over the past seven years and looks to boom in 2013.

In other Doctor Who twitter related news, Moffat did also confirm that this upcoming season will indeed split at the half way point like last year. However, with the split coming around Christmas it will likely only face a small holiday hiatus. Nothing near as excruciating as the summer brake in 2011.

Look for new Doctor Who on BBC America this fall.

“Were sailors! Just like you… except for the gun thing, and the beardiness’

-The Doctor

One of the biggest problems that face shows with season long story arcs is how to fit in the “one-off” episodes that exist in between the larger, grander story episodes. Doctor Who used to be a serial, which meant they didn’t ever really need small single episode stories to keep the thrust of the season afloat. Most of the time there were hardly any definition between the seasons at all, in fact looking back now it would be difficult for most casual Who fans to differentiate between the specific seasons of the original run.

That structure isn’t feasible today, and in 2005 when Russell T. Davies restarted the show he had to take the show into the more traditional season format. This meant that the stories became far more interconnected over the course of a season, and it also meant that every now and then you would get an episode that pretty much exists entirely on it’s own. It is exactly that type of episode that ‘The Curse of the Black Spot” ends up being, and it is one of the better stand alones yet.

This is the point where I warn all you readers who haven’t seen the episode yet to avoid the rest lest ye be spoiled! More after the jump.

“…and one whacking great kick up the backside for the Silence, you just raised an army against yourself!”

-The Doctor

‘Day of the Moon,’ the second part of the season opening two-parter, plays just as much as a season premiere as it does a season finale. There are more answers, more closure, more lose ends connected in these episodes than most of the season finales up to this point. Where this story excels though is where it seamlessly asks new questions and begins new arcs. It is the perfect episode for those wanting answers from season five and for those wanting new puzzles for season six.

Of course had Moffat decided to use these episodes to close season five I, like many others, would have demanded his head. This episode ends on not one, but two (and a half) cliffhangers, and one of them is the most mind meltingly tantalizing Doctor Who twist yet. Having a two-parter end on such a note is telling for the direction Moffat is taking his Doctor. The emotional depth of these characters keeps growing and growing, and it is obvious that something major is about to happen.

Reader beware, after the jump I will spoil the episode for the purposes of review, so if you care at all about the good Doctor and his companions I implore you, see the episode first.

You make be a huge fan of the BBC series Doctor Who and watch it all the time. However, that doesn’t mean you necessarily know the entire history of the show, especially as its been running on TV for over forty years.

Really, to be a fan and watch it now, nobody expects you to know everything. However, if you’re one of those people who just has to know but doesn’t necessarily want to spend all your time doing the research, these guys have got you covered.

YouTube users The Fine Brothers have taken the time, done the work and put together a very comprehensive history of Doctor Who. In fact, you can get the lowdown on the show’s entire historuy in only six minutes. How’s that for a time saver?

Check out the video after the break. You’ll be happy you did.

Although, be careful as it may contain spoilers. Oh and don’t forget the new season of Doctor Who will premiere on BBC America this Saturday, April 23 at 9/8C.