Jenna-Louise Coleman replaces Karen Gillan in 'Doctor Who'
Published Mar 21 2012, 10:36 GMT | By Daniel Sperling
Jenna-Louise Coleman has been announced as the new Doctor Who companion.The Titanic actress is confirmed to be replacing Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) as the assistant to Matt Smith's Time Lord in the BBC sci-fi show's seventh series. Coleman's debut episode will air at Christmas.
© PA Images
© BBC Pictures
> Doctor Who: Jenna-Louise Coleman - The press conference in full
Speaking at BBC's Broadcasting house this morning, she said that she was a "huge fan of the show", commenting: "I'm beyond excited, I can't wait to get cracking; working alongside Matt I know is going to be enormous fun and a huge adventure.
"Matt Smith did my audition with me. It was fun and I felt like we were in it together."
Coleman also revealed that her personal favourite companions were Billie Piper and Karen Gillan.
Showrunner Steven Moffat said: "It always seems impossible when you start casting these parts, but when we saw Matt and Jenna together, we knew we had our girl. She's funny and clever and exactly mad enough to step on board the TARDIS.
"It's not often the Doctor meets someone who can talk even faster than he does, but it's about to happen. Jenna is going to lead him his merriest dance yet. And that's all you're getting for now. Who she's playing, how the Doctor meets her, and even where he finds her, are all part of one of the biggest mysteries for the Time Lord ever."
© PA Images
> Jenna-Louise Coleman: Ten Things about the new Doctor Who star
Moffat confirmed that Doctor Who will air six episodes in 2012 and a further eight in 2013 for the show's 50th anniversary. In total, series seven comprises of 14 big, blockbuster-movie episodes.
The writer also dropped hints about Gillan and Arthur Darvill's departures, claiming that it would involve a final encounter with the Weeping Angels and that not everybody would make it out alive. "And I mean it this time," added Moffat.
Rumours that Coleman, who has also appeared in Emmerdale and Waterloo Road, had been cast in the show first emerged this morning,
Gillan was confirmed to be departing Doctor Who along with co-star and on-screen husband Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) back in December.
© BBC / Adrian Rogers
It is known that they will leave part way through series seven in a "heartbreaking end", and Gillan has teased that her exit will have a "strong impact".
She also described her final Doctor Who storyline as a "damn good" one that will see Amy go out "on a high".
Watch Karen Gillan discuss her Doctor Who departure with Digital Spy below:
Scroll through our gallery of past Doctor Who companions below:
Karen Gillan as The Doctor's latest companion Amy Pond.
As #9 would say, "Fantastic!" I never like saying farewell to one of our heroines, except for Rose who started to seem a little clingy by the end. ;-) I am going to miss Amy & Rory, but if the Angels kill Rory I can understand if Amy needs to then move on in her pain & grief. If Amy dies, it would rip out the Doctor's hearts considering that he started his lifespan @ the very same time as meeting the young Amelia. The show needs a female lead to illustrate the male heroism. So far looks like a stellar choice. Allons-y!
March 22nd 2012 at 11:47am
you're one step away from telling the kids to get off your lawn as you look at thim through your rose tinted glasses
March 22nd 2012 at 10:43am
The companions were always supposed to be the way in for us mortal viewers, characters we can relate to more easily than the enigmatic, alien Doctor. By tying the companions up with all these signs & portents, with each weeks new apocalypse fated to be either caused or averted by the companions, Davies & Moffat have compromised on that important role. It weakens the show.
March 22nd 2012 at 10:30am
Guy Lambert - but Davies & Moffat keep screwing up that dynamic anyway, by having the companions always central to whatever prophecy/apocalypse is going on at the time.
March 22nd 2012 at 10:27am
Unimpressed!
March 22nd 2012 at 8:09am