Our worst fears have been confirmed: Doctor Who's next season won't start airing until the fall of 2012, meaning there'll be around a nine-month gap between the upcoming Christmas special and the next installments. This has been rumored for a while, ever since a BBC higher-up hinted the show wouldn't air as usual next year.


So how many episodes will we actually get in 2012? Fans are still speculating that a run of 13 episodes will be split in half, with some airing next fall and some airing in the spring of 2013. A BBC America spokesperson told AOL TV, "14 episodes will start filming and airing in 2012, but when and how they'll play out is to be determined." (You'll notice the spokesperson said "start" airing, not "finish.") More info as we get it. [AOL TV]