Finalized schedules have confirmed all of the Doctor Who Proms-related goodness that will be hitting our screens throughout next week!

As we previously reported, from 8:30PM on Monday 6th September, highlights of the concert will be shown on BBC3 in a 60-minute cut-down programme, and the channel will be repeating it a few hours later at 2:45AM the following day (Tuesday 7th). Meanwhile, on Friday 10th, BBC3 will be airing a 90-minute extended programme from 7:00PM.

Here’s a round up of the schedule so you don’t miss a second of the action!

6/9/10, 8:30PM, BBC3: Doctor Who 2010 Prom highlights (60 minutes)
7/9/10, 2:45AM, BBC3: Doctor Who 2010 Prom highlights (60 minutes) – repeat
10/9/10, 7:00PM, BBC3: Doctor Who 2010 Prom highlights (Extended, 90 minutes)

In addition, ‘VIP access-all-areas’ footage – including backstage interviews and unseen music – will be available to watch via the BBC’s Red Button service from Monday.

Matt Smith has spoken to BBC Newsbeat about his excitement for the next series of Doctor Who.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “What Steven’s planned is so madly inventive, and hopefully we’ll get some fabulous actors. I don’t know anything about who they’re looking to get. I’ve got a couple of scripts coming to me this week that we’re film soon so I’m excited. It’s funny because I’m in the same position as the people who watch the show. I literally don’t know anything until I get the scripts.”

Of his co-star Karen Gillan, who will be back on our screens as Amy Pond next year, he laughed: “She’s great. She just makes me laugh more than most human beings. She’s sort of just a mixture between a praying mantis and a very beautiful China doll, all gangly. We’re great pals and I’m very fond her. She’s gonna hate me for saying that!”

The actor also discusses the Doctor Who Live tour, and confirms that he’ll be making a personal appearance at the launch of it at Wembley Arena (October 8th-10th).

He explained: “It’s gonna play in the arenas around the country and there’ll be all of the monsters and within that there’s a narrative. I’m there on the screen talking directly to the audience, and the whole story just unfolds. Fans can be part of the adventure!”

As confirmed last week, the read-through of Neil Gaiman’s Series 6 episode took place earlier today in Cardiff!

The writer has updated his online journal with a photo of him with Matt Smith, Steven Moffat, and the director of his story, confirmed to be Richard Clark. He wrote: “The table read was pretty amazing, the guest star or stars will be fabulous, Matt’s great, Arthur’s wonderful and I never got to say hullo to Karen (who was amazing).” His episode will be the third episode of the new series.

On Sunday it was announced that next year’s series will air in two halves, with the first 7 episodes airing from Easter 2011. The remaining 6 will follow later in the Autumn.

The official Doctor Who site has been updated with another new short video with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan!

In this, they answer questions relating to the brand new Adventure Game, TARDIS, which was released last week. They talk about journeying into space and whether or not they hoard ’stuff’, and you can watch their answers below! Don’t forget that the game can be downloaded in the UK from the official website, while fans outside the UK can purchase it from Direct2Drive.

The BBC Press Office has today announced that the sixth series of Doctor Who will be split into two halves to accommodate a ‘big plot twist’ halfway through the series.

Confirming reports from yesterday, Matt Smith’s second series will begin over the traditional Easter 2011 period, and will run until Episode 7, when ‘one of the most exciting Doctor Who cliffhangers’ of all time will keep viewers ‘on the edge of their seats’ until the series resumes with the remaining 6 episodes later in the Autumn.

Steven Moffat said: “The split series is exciting because viewers will be treated to two premieres, two finales and more event episodes. For the kids it will never be more than a few months to the next Doctor Who! Easter, Autumn, Christmas.”

Meanwhile, over at The Guardian website there’s a video of the showrunner’s initial announcement at the Edinburgh TV Festival this morning, in which he explains: ”Doctor Who will come back for 7 episodes at Easter, building up to an Earth-shattering climax in Episode 7. There will be a huge game-changing cliffhanger, one we could never do normally at the end of a series. It will change everything for the Doctor, Amy and Rory.”

He continued: ”In order to give you time to recover, we’ll let you go off, have your summer holidays, then come back in the Autumn for another 6 episodes in what will be Series 7, I suppose. We’re not just splitting it, we’re making two separate series.”

What do you think of the news? As always, let us know your thoughts about it below!

Karen Gillan has revealed that there’s plenty of heartache on the menu in this year’s Christmas special.

Speaking to the Daily Mail at a signing event of the Amy Pond action figure in Glasgow earlier today, she teased: “It’s really funny but it’s also heartbreaking and you get a glimpse into Amy and Rory’s honeymoon, which is an interesting one.” She also promised that “a really, really scary” monster will be appearing in the festive episode, which wrapped filming in Cardiff earlier this month.

However, the actress remained tight-lipped when pressed on her future in the series. “Who knows?” she said. “I’m just taking it series by series and I’m just having fun.”

BBC One Controller Jay Hunt has confirmed that the channel is currently deciding whether or not to make changes to the Doctor Who schedule.

Back in June last year it was speculated that Series 5 would be split into two halves, with the first half airing in the Spring and the second half from October. While this has obviously turned out to be false, the rumours have again resurfaced, with it now being claimed that the transmission of Series 6 will indeed be pushed back to Autumn 2011.

“We’re talking about what form Doctor Who will take,” Hunt exclusively told DigitalSpy. “I think the interesting thing with having Steven Moffat running that show now is it will be very much a creative decision. He will decide what he thinks is right for the show.”

She continued: “It’s one of the most terrifying things about being a BBC One controller – to be in charge of a regeneration and to cast the new Doctor Who. For Matt and Karen to have landed as successfully as they have in the audience’s mind, to be as popular and to be as instantly associated with the roles is wonderful.”

What do you make of the news? Do you think a transmission later in the year would benefit the series, or should it stick with traditition at the heart of the Spring schedule?

As always, we want to know your thoughts, so let us know by posting a comment below!

In his latest blog update, Neil Gaiman has confirmed that the read-through of his Series 6 episode will be taking place in Cardiff this coming Tuesday, the 31st of August!

It’s thought that his highly-anticipated story will be the third episode of Matt Smith’s second series, and in his new post the writer confirms: “This morning I was sent the producers’ “this is what we can afford” edited draft of my script. I’ll do a polish on that. And then we’re pretty much done. I think. I hope. I pray.”

He adds: “My Doctor Who episode is Bigger in every way, inside and outside: I’ve asked them for the impossible, and they’ve knocked themselves out to give it to me, and when they can’t they’ve managed to somehow give me the very improbable.)”

Click here to read a cut extract from his script – anyone for Marmite on socks?

The BBC Press Office has announced that ’VIP access-all-areas’ footage from the Doctor Who Proms will be aired on the red button service next month!

From Monday 6th September, viewers will be able to access the exclusive material, offering backstage interviews with hosts Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, as well as music not featured in the concert. There will also be a look at the audience through the eyes of some of the monsters which appeared in the show.

On the same day, highlights of the concert will be airing on BBC Three at 8:30PM.

The highly-anticipated Adventure Game, TARDIS, has at last been unveiled, so head over to the official site now for your chance to explore the iconic police box today!

With the TARDIS caught in a time riptide, will the Doctor be trapped in the void forever? It’s up to Amy Pond to save the day, as a dangerous entity roams the TARDIS corridors.

To mark the release of the game, its writer, James Moran, said: “We’ve got new monsters, a new type of danger for the Doctor and Amy and an area that has never been seen before. Just don’t sit in the Doctor’s chair.”

Once you’ve played, don’t forget to let us know how you got on, as we’ll be updating our Adventure Games guide shortly and will be including a selection of your thoughts!

Feel free to post your reviews below – is piloting the TARDIS your forté?