Series 9 - looking ahead...

We're about at the 6 month's mark before the next series of Doctor Who begins, and the production team is about half way through making it as well, so let's see what we know so far about Season 9.
Two parters are back big time - including the season opener. This sees the return of Michelle Gomez as the Missy / Master. It was at least partly filmed on Lanzarote - seemingly playing itself once more. A new alien was revealed - a blue faced, red eyed humanoid. Need not necessarily be a significant character of course. Episode titles are The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar. Both titles could refer to Clara, should she fall under Missy's spell.
As season opener, the writer is naturally show-runner Steven Moffat. This is one of at least two stories to feature UNIT's Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave). Claire Higgins, who played Ohila in Night of the Doctor also appears. Lanzarote once played Sarn - might it also now play Karn?
Probably not... Just put that in for the rhyme.

Episodes three and four are also a two parter - written by Toby Whithouse. This is the one supposed to be set around an army base - possibly a Russian one. Paul Kaye is the main guest star, along with Colin McFarlane, who appeared in TW: Children of Earth.

And episodes five and six seem to be yet another two parter - certainly having the linked titles of The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived. Again - does this refer to Clara, or might it be young Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones who is one of the main guest artists?
This is the one that was filmed at the Iron Age village reconstruction and has actor David Schofield appearing as someone called Odin - so expect Viking-esque goings-on. These massive robotic creatures were unveiled as a new monster for these episodes. The writer is Jamie Mathieson, who gave us a couple of cracking stories last year. Other guests include Struan Rodger (voice of the Face of Boe), Rufus Hound and Tom Stourton of Horrible Histories.

And so we reach episodes seven and eight - and it seems this is yet another two parter. This is the other story which features Kate Stewart of UNIT and, despite having being quite cruelly killed at the end of last season, we are also going to see the return of Osgood (Ingrid Oliver). Seems the Zygons are back as well - so the obvious thought is that it is the Zygon-Osgood we will be seeing. However, this would contradict Terror of the Zygons where the original had to be alive for the Zygon to copy the body-print. Moffat has either thrown this notion out, or this may be Osgood in flashback, to events immediately after Day of the Doctor. These might just possibly be UNIT heavy / Doctor lite episodes.
The writer is Kill The Moon's Peter Harness.

The only other things we know about Series 9 at this stage are that Moffat is going to explicitly address the fact that the Twelfth Doctor looks not unlike Caecillius from The Fires of Pompeii. He stated as much in the most recent issue of DWM. Also, that Mark Gatiss has written a story. Another two-parter? Remember, more stories are commissioned for each series than are actually filmed, so we still have to get confirmation that his will be made - but it is pretty obvious it will be. Assuming Moffat is also writing twelve and thirteen, only three episodes are left unaccounted for.
Is this finally the start of a rest period for the Daleks as well?