Filling The Doctor Who Void- News Roundup (13th-19th February)

A quiet seven days before filming commences.
Well, this could hardly be said to be the busiest week for Doctor Who news of 2012 so far, but at least with the huge shoot on Series Seven commencing tomorrow, things should pick up from here...

• GOOD TIMES: What with the knowledge that Who's seventh season since its return in 2005 (and the thirty-third since 1963!) will commence shooting tomorrow, one might wonder just how long the new series will take to film. Well, Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith has given us a brief outlook on that, confirming that filming on the 2012/2013 run will finish in December. Wow. Filming on the average season takes in between seven and eight months, so throw in an extra two months and the fact that this time things will be going non-stop rather than small breaks being taken intermittently, and you can guarantee that the fourteen confirmed episodes (Series 7 Part 1 due to air this Autumn, a Christmas Special and then Series 7 Part 2 in the Spring) will be just the tip of the iceberg. Expect a few specials leading up to and including the fiftieth anniversary episode once the main season is done, and even then expect more surprises along the way- the Moff won't let Who fade in 2013 like it has somewhat this year, you can count on that!
• AMY'S EXIT CHOICE: Clearly not content with fans being excited enough for the film start date, Karen Gillan has been teasing her character Amy Pond's departure from Who this week, calling it the "best ever" way for a companion to go and she'd "like it to be quite final and for people just to remember it fondly." Sounds to me like Amy won't die then, but what would make her never want to see the Doctor popping round in his TARDIS again? Meanwhile, Karen has also been confirmed as part of the line-up for next month's official convention.
• DOCTOR QUE?: Rumour has it one location Series Seven will shoot is abroad in Spain. Actor Rob Cavozos' resume says he's about to play a character named Walter in a story of the new series set and filmed in Spain. Expect confirmation from DWM on this next month if it's true...
• CRACK THE CODE: Finally, John and Caroline Barrowman have confirmed the name of their upcoming Torchwood novel whilst promoting their new fantasy book Hollow Earth. It's called Exodus Code, and is set to be released this September.