‘Asylum of the Daleks’, the first episode of the forthcoming seventh season of all-new Doctor Who has received its worldwide premier tonight (14th August) at an exclusive screening event at the BFI on London’s South Bank. With the transmission of the seventh series split across two distinct batches – five episodes in Autumn 2012, a Christmas special and a further eight episodes early in 2013, speculation has been rife for months as to the titles of the remaining episodes in the first half of the season. Starburst can reveal that the titles have now been finalised and revealed at the BFI this evening.

The Dalek season opener (every Dalek ever!!) is followed by two episodes whose titles have been in the public domain for some time. Episode two, ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’ is expected to do exactly what it says on the tin, episode three is the cowboy episode filmed in Almeira in Spain early this year and is entitled ‘A Town Called Mercy.’ Episode four is a traditional ‘invasion Earth’ type story; generally referred to in fan circles as ‘Cubed’ the transmission title is now confirmed as ‘The Power of Three’. Episode five, which sees the departure of the Doctor’s on-off travelling companions Amy (Karen Gillen) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) will be entitled ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’ and sees the return of the resurrected show’s most popular new monsters, the terrifying Weeping Angels. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the currently-filming Christmas special, guest-starring Richard E Grant and Silent Witness’ Tom Ward, will be entitled ‘The Snowman’. 

In other news from the BFI it’s been confirmed that current Doctor Matt Smith, who attended the BFI event along with Gillen and Darvill and show runner Steven Moffat, will remain on board the show for the eighth season (his fourth) which will transmit across 2013/2014, presumably after the much-anticipated 50th Anniversary celebrations which will dominate 2013 before reaching a crescendo in November.

The BBC are expected to release new images from the forthcoming episodes around midnight tonight.

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