Waters of Mars Gets U.S. Airdate

BBC America has finally announced the scheduling of the next between-seasons Doctor Who Special.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars airs on BBC America on Saturday, Dec. 19, just a month after the BBC One broadcast date of Nov. 15. It stars the outgoing Tenth Doctor, David Tennant, in his next-to-last adventure, and British stage and screen actress Lindsay Duncan (Rome, Langford) as Adelaide, billed by the producers as one of his "cleverest and most strong-minded companions," as they arrive on a base on Mars that's being infected by a mysterious water creature which takes over its victims.

Peter O'Brien (Casualty, Neighbours) guest stars as Ed, Adelaide's second-in-command at the base. Waters also features model Gemma Chan (Project Catwalk), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (EastEnders), and a cameo by Timothy Dalton. The special was written by outgoing executive producer Russell T. Davies and Phil Ford and was directed by Who veteran Graeme Harper.

The big event is the final David Tennant story, a two-parter airing in the U.K. at Christmas that is being promoted as the Tenth Doctor's most difficult trial to date. The U.S. broadcast date for this story will be announced in December. The fifth season, to air in the U.K. in the spring, stars new Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith.

The BBC will release The Waters of Mars and the two-part finale on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, February 2, 2010. (The previous special, Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, is already available on DVD and Blu-ray.)

Releasing on February 2 in the U.S. are:

• Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars--DVD SRP: $14.98/BD SRP: $19.89
• Two-part special (2-disc release)--DVD SRP: $24.98 / BD SRP: $29.99
• Doctor Who: Specials Collection (5-disc release)--DVD SRP: $49.98 / BD SRP: $59.99--contains The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, Waters of Mars and the two-part finale.