BARB have released the final ratings for The Pandorica Opens which show that an official audience of 7.57million tuned in for the first part of the series finale.

On BBC One, the penultimate episode of Series 5, written by showrunner Steven Moffat, was watched by 6.94million, with an additional 0.635million on the HD channel.

Doctor Who achieved a 37% share of the total television audience, while its Confidential was watched by 0.85million.

The Series 6 rumour wheel has started spinning today with a report in The Daily Star which claims Eric Cantona will be appearing in Series 6 of Doctor Who.

According to the article, the French footballer-turned-actor will be playing an ‘evil alien’ in the series, and his casting was apparently suggested by Eleventh Doctor actor Matt Smith, as an ‘insider’ explains: “Matt has made a huge impression. The writers and producers all value his input and give his ideas careful consideration.”

They added: “They like the thought of a French baddie and Eric would be perfect. He’s got acting experience and has charisma.”

The shortlist for the TV Choice Awards 2010 has been revealed, with Doctor Who facing competition from Merlin, Wild at Heart and Waterloo Road for the Best Family Drama gong.

In addition, Karen Gillan’s portrayal of companion Amy Pond in the latest series has secured her a place in the Best Actress category, alongside Waterloo Road’s Denise Welch, Keeley Hawes from Ashes to Ashes, and Kaya Scodelario for her role in Skins.

Matt Smith is up against Jack O’Connell from Skins, Philip Glenister from Ashes to Ashes and John Barrowman (we don’t need to tell you who he is…) for Best Actor, while last year’s mini-series of Torchwood, Children Earth, goes head to head with Shameless, Ashes to Ashes and Skins for the Best Drama Series prize.

Voting is open until July 9th, and the winners will be announced at the ceremony on September 6th, which will be hosted by Alexander ‘Mr Smith’ Armstrong.

We’d just like to wish Doctor Who, Torchwood and all its cast and crew the best of luck!

The official Doctor Who site has today posted a new instalment of Big Questions, featuring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

In the last edition of the series, the leading due are asked questions based on the events of the finale, and you can see their respective replies here, but watch out for spoilers.

We also have a big question – what did YOU think of The Big Bang? Let us know in our episode discussion!

Matt Smith made a surprise guest appearance at this year’s Glastonbury last night, taking to the stage with Orbital to introduce their techno remix of the Doctor Who theme tune.

As the iconic music began, the Eleventh Doctor actor told cheering fans, “Let me hear you cheer! Let me hear you roar!” – and that they did! You can watch a clip of the moment on the BBC News site, here, and the full thing is covered in the final night higlights, which can be seen on iPlayer now (around 1 hour 50 minutes).

Unofficial ratings have revealed that Doctor Who was the 2nd most watched programme of Saturday, with an overnight audience of 5.1million tuning in for this year’s long-awaited finale.

4.6million watched The Big Bang on BBC1, with an additional 0.5 on the HD channel, and, with a 31% of the total TV audience share, it was beaten only by World Cup Live: USA vs Ghana on ITV1 (5.7million). Final ratings will be released soon.

What did you think of The Big Bang? Let us know in our episode discussion!

The whole universe seems to be talking about last night’s spectacular finale, The Big Bang, which, according to The Telegraph, was an ”interesting and enjoyable” conclusion to the Eleventh Doctor’s debut series.

The Guardian describe the episode as ”a classic modern fairytale”, while SeenIt are full of particular praise for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, who have “delivered the goods each week”. Metro also enjoyed the episode, noting that it ”captivated and confused in equal measure”.

SFX have given the story a full 5 stars, complimenting its “very, very clever story arc”, and, over on Twitter, write Paul Cornell (Father’s Day, Human Nature, The Family of Blood) tweeted: “Doctor Who triumph. Cheering. Floored fans. Mythic grandeur”.

You too can spill the beans on the finale over at our episode discussion, here.

The Doctor is gone, the TARDIS has been destroyed, and the universe is collapsing. The only hope for all reality lies with a little girl who still believes in the stars.

Just over 3 months ago, the Eleventh Doctor crash-landed in Amelia Pond’s back garden, and ever since that fateful night, they’ve faced non-stop drama and adventure, as they’ve embarked on an epic journey across the stars. Along the way they’ve faced the likes of Smilers, Daleks and Dream Lords galore, but there’s been something else following them, just out of sight… that is, until now!

Tonight’s Big Bang tied up the loose ends that have been developing throughout the previous episodes, and our questions were given their much needed answers, as the cracks that have remained hidden in the shadows were finally explained.

It might have been the final episode, but that didn’t stop Steven Moffat throwing in a last-minute array of the usual shocks, laughs and tears for which he is acclaimed, and it’s safe to say that the showrunner’s first finale was unlike anything we’ve seen before, pushing the boundaries of new Who – and the concept of timey-wimey - itself.

Whether you’ve loved or loathed Matt Smith and Karen Gillan’s portrayals of the Doctor and Amy, it’s now time, as their first tenure in the TARDIS draws to its close, to look back over tonight’s finale and the 12 episodes before it. Whovians know well enough by now that all goods things must come to an end, and, even though we’re saying a fond farewell to our beloved Time Lord for a few months, it means we can set our brains to nostelgia and relive the highs and lows of the Eleventh Doctor’s first series…

The TARDIS closes its doors on another action-packed voyage, so please leave your thoughts on tonight’s finale and the series as a whole below. You can also give the episode a star rating out of 5, and don’t forget to leave your mark in the poll.

Series 5 may be over, but don’t fret – there’s plenty to keep up occupied between now and Christmas, including a brand new adventure featuring Karen Gillan as Amy Pond!

Entitled The History Hunt, the interactive game, coming soon, will involve following a series of clues in order to help out our heroes. The official site promises it will be ‘full of exploration, fun and exclusive videos’.

Stick with us for all the latest, as we get it!

Now that their first series has reached its thrilling conclusion, the official site have posted a special video in which Matt Smith and Karen Gillan thank the fans for their continued support over the last 13 remarkable weeks.

Click here to check it out, but be careful as it contains spoilers for The Big Bang. In the video, Matt promises that this year’s festive instalment will be the best yet, before exclaiming: “Woo-hoo!” Let the countdown begin!