OK, I've taken a while getting round to asking this question about the first episode, but here goes:

Who does everyone think "the woman in the shop" is? I.e., who is the woman who gave Clara the Doctor's phone number?

"'The best helpline out there - in the Universe.', she said". Hmmmm...

The odds-on favourite has got to be River Song, but I'd really love it to be Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan)...

I think it's likely to be River Song as she is in the last episode in the current series. Although many people would like it to be Sally Sparrow, Carey Mulligan is unlikely to return as she's moved into films. Her next film is Baz Lurhmann's The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio. Then she's in a Coen Brothers film.

I've got some serious catching up to do before I watch last week's episode. I've just watched The Widow and The Wardrobe episode (and cried and cried!) and now I am watching the episode about the Cubes.

It's tough work !

Oh my, Rexi, You're miles behind!

I know I will do two more tomorrow

Oh, blimey - I'm being slow this week...

I was just about to ask you if River's appearance had been confirmed, only to notice that it was mentioned in the Radio Times series preview!

Also, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that Clara's children's book, "Summer Falls", was written by Amelia Williams - better known to us as Amy Pond...

You're quicker than me.... I kept trying to read something into the name, but I never noticed who wrote it!    I love the little things like that about Dr Who too

The young girl in today's episode is played by Emilia Jones, daughter of Aled who came to fame for Walking in the Air in The Snowman which has no connection with the Christmas special The Snowmen.

BUT....If so, how and why was she there, in the right place at the right time?

If it was her then maybe the final episode in this series will answer that.

I would expect so.

Anyone notice the Doctor's passing comment about his granddaughter? That presumably refers to Susan, the girl who accompanied the Doctor when the series first began back in 1963 in the very first episode An Unearthly Child. Like the Doctor she was a Time Lord born on Gallifrey. She was in the first couple of series before she left and was last seen in the 20th year anniversary story The Five Doctors.

The actress who played Susan was Carol Ann Ford. A television film called An Adventure in Space and Time is currently being made about the creation of the original series. Carol Ann Ford will be in that playing a character called Joyce.

I noticed the granddaughter reference, El.

All in alll, I found this week's episode rather apropos of nothing, apart from the bit where the Doctor was checking up on Clara.

There's some speculation elsewhere that as Susan is the Doctor's granddaughter, that her grandmother is River Song. One problem with that is that if Susan was born on Gallifrey, and Gallifrey has been destroyed, that makes it a bit difficult. And who is River Song's daughter or son / Susan's mother or father. And other problems to solve to make this plausible.

But they are time-travellers. Anything's possible.

And right from the start (way back in 1963) there's always been the question of who were Susan's parents.  

There was also the question as to whether he was really her grandfather, or whether they just said that they were grandfather/granddaughter because of the apparent age difference and to avoid complicated explanations.

Interestingly, I'd been going back over the broadcast history of Susan, because she was one of the names that cropped up in relation to the "woman in the shop" question.

Carole Ann Ford has said that at the time, there was no doubt of her character being the Doctor's natural granddaughter, and these suggestions only came about in the 90s. It was also generally just taken for granted that she was Gallifreyan, 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...onship_to_the_Doctor

IMO, Susan has been one of the big "elephants in the room" with the new series. Right from the reboot, we were told that Gallifrey was destroyed, the Time Lords were no more and the Doctor was alone: so what happened to his Granddaughter, then?

As far as I know, Susan was only seen with the first doctor. So what happened to her, even back then?

Mmm....didn't she fall in love with an 'earthling'?

Yeah: she left with David, a 22nd-Century Londoner in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth". However, she also turned up in the 20th anniversary special "The Five Doctors", which was during the Peter Davidson era.

Susan's life story has been pieced together on this site:

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Susan_Foreman

Wasn't keen on all the singing last week.  I'm not saying they were bad singers.  But is Dr Who really the right setting for a good old sing-song?  I don't think so.

I was out last week and missed this weeks, so already I'm losing interest. The singing sounds weird for Dr Who. Straws, clutching comes to mind.

The singing wasn't maybe as bad as spider's post might give the impression.

Tonight had an old adversary - you might want to make the effort to catch up.  

Though I have to say thatafter the first 10 minutes or so of last week's episode you won't really be missing anything if you don't watch the rest.

I will probably do iPlayer and see what's what. The first episode was not the most inspirational for me. I will do the ironing and watch it then 

Just watched The Rings of Akhaten. I can see why they used the singing as part of the narrative, but I kinda seen the Doctor making a heartfelt speech to his adversary just a little too often, yep we know the Doctor has seen and experienced many things, we don't need telling that two or three times a season!

I also think that this is one of those filler episodes. Lots of CGI, very little location shooting and minimal sets. Cheaper to produce so they can save money for some more expensive episodes.

3/10

Edit: Tuesday 16th April - iPlayer catch-up episode 3.

Just watched the third episode which I liked much more. I was pleased to see the Ice Warrior back (loved them as a kid). Loved the references to Ultravox and Duran Duran, who would have thought Russians would have been in to Ultravox!

For some reason the episode seemed to fly by, maybe the pacing was better and it kept my interest levels up. I kept wanting to see what the Ice Warrior looked like "in the flesh". Strangely I wanted them to be more evil, but that's not what usually happens in Dr Who.

6/10

Doctor Who writer Robert  Banks Stewart has hinted that fans should expect a multitude of  monsters in the 50th special.
Stewart created shape-shifting aliens the  Zygons, who  have been confirmed to return in the anniversary episode.

Robert Banks Stewart

© BBC

The Zygons return in 'Doctor Who' 50th special.

"The  Zygons are in there with all the others - particularly the Daleks and the  Cybermen," Banks Stewart - who was promoting his new crime thriller novel The Hurricane's Tail - told Digital Spy.
"[But]  nobody yet knows what the plot of the 50th will be - Steven Moffat and his team  in Cardiff, they are quite rightly keeping it all secret."

Banks Stewart previously penned classic Who stories 'Terror of the Zygons' (1975) and 'The Seeds of Doom'  (1976).
However, the writer explained that while he agreed to let the BBC  use his creations, he feels the current Doctor Who episodes are "too  adult".
"My own personal opinion is that the modern Doctor Who  should be aimed more at children," he said.
"People very fondly  remembered being scared by Doctor Who - now the plots seem to me a  little too adult."

Voice from the past in Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS (SPOILERS)

More pics:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-...graphed-on-

I would be more than happy with a decent story. I would like to see something involving the Dr. possibly a regeneration (not being a fan of the current incumbent).

Bringing back one or two of the older monsters would also be good, but don't just fill the programme with them, be selective.

I always loved The Master.

Oh you tease!  I opened the link - but then I shut it before I read anything 

I thought I was following tonight's episode OK....'til the end.

I thought I followed it.   What bit got past me? 

How the Doctor figured out that the 'monster' needed saving too!

the way I saw it.. when the psychic and the ghosthunter said 'what do we do now' he told them to hold hands - then he remembered that 'something' held Clara's hand back in the house when she thought it was him (and we got a glimpse of the monster in the corridor)  - he knew the monster in the other universe was trying to follow him back and he realised then it was trying to get back to its mate.

Ah, right! I remember all these things, just hadn't connected them....obviously!

The BBC has unveiled three new Doctor Who 'iconic image'  posters.
The first image is for 'Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS' by Steve Thompson- airing  on Saturday, April 27 on BBC One.

© BBC

Poster for 'Journey To The centre of The Tardis'

'The  Crimson Horror' - Mark Gatiss's second Who episode of 2013, which  features guest star Diana Rigg- is the subject of the second  picture.

© BBC

Poster for Doctor Who's 'The Crimson Horror'

The final  image showcases 'Nightmare in Silver'. Neil Gaiman's latest Doctor Who  script will reintroduce  classic monsters the Cybermen.

© BBC

Poster for Doctor Who's 'Nightmare in Silver'

Artwork  has not yet been unveiled for the final episode of Doctor Who's current  run. Yet to be given an official title, the episode has been written by Steven  Moffat and is expected to reintroduce  the character of River Song (Alex Kingston)

I enjoyed the last episode and thought it well done in style and plot.  Much in contrast to rather weak preceding episode. 

Yep - agree with that ^^^