No sooner had Gallifrey One chucked us out into the cold when filming kicked off in Cardiff, Wales for Doctor Who‘s seventh series, the third with the Eleventh Doctor. Monday, the 20th, began the production of what promises to be biggest, most block-bustery series in the Moffat era. This series will see the last adventures of Matt Smith with Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) and by all accounts it’s going to be a heartbreaking departure. From the press release:

On returning for his third season as the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith says: “It’s thrilling and exciting to be back and working with two of my closest friends.” Karen Gillan adds: “It’s just brilliant to be back on the TARDIS with Matt and Arthur for our craziest adventures yet.”

New guest stars so far confirmed to star will include David Bradley (Harry Potter), Rupert Graves (Sherlock), and Mark Williams (Also Harry Potter). Season 7 will then see a dramatic turn of events when The Doctor meets a new friend. Prepare yourselves for thrills, adventures and dramatic surprises as the show builds towards its enormous, climactic 50th anniversary year.

Fourteen big, blockbuster-movie episodes – each a brand new epic adventure featuring new monsters and some familiar foes as you’ve never seen them before.

Steven Moffat (Tintin, Sherlock) is lead writer and executive producer, Caroline Skinner (The Fades) is executive producer and Marcus Wilson (Whitechapel) is producer. Toby Whithouse (Being Human) and Chris Chibnall (Law & Order: UK) will be writing episodes for the new season. Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales Production for BBC ONE.

I am very eager to hear more about the new series as it unfolds, but it seems to me that this will officially put Series 7 in both the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, with the fourteen episodes likely including the Christmas special. We’ll get a new companion, the first since 2010, who will presumably be around for the 50th anniversary in November of 2013. As much as I don’t want Matt Smith to go any time soon, if he was going to regenerate, the 50th would be a pretty cool time to do it.

Thanks to our friends at BBC America for the press release and photo.

-Kanderson likes Doctor Who. Shocker, I know. Follow him on THE TWITTERS