MICHELLE GOMEZ RETURNS AS MISSY IN BBC AMERICA'S "DOCTOR WHO"

Gomez to appear in two-part season premiere written by Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie Macdonald

Jemma Redgrave to guest star in the season opener

Cardiff, Wales - February 19, 2015 - Michelle Gomez is back as Missy (also known as The Master) in the new season premiere of Doctor Who this fall on BBC AMERICA. She joins Peter Capaldi for his second season as the Doctor and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. Gomez appeared last season on Doctor Who, which was the highest rated season ever on BBC AMERICA. (Watch a scene from season finale)

Michelle Gomez said: "Things have been a little beige since I left Missy behind, so I'm delighted to be putting my lippie back on. I'm positively dying to see The Doctor again!"

The two-part episode, The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar, is written by the show's lead writer Steven Moffat, produced by Peter Bennett and directed by Hettie Macdonald (Blink, the Hugo Award-winning Doctor Who episode).

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, added: "Everybody hide - Michelle Gomez as Missy was an instant hit last year, so she's straight back to plague the Doctor and Clara in the series opener. But what brings her back into their lives is the last thing they'd expect."

Following appearances in Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, and last season's Dark Water and Death in Heaven, Jemma Redgrave returns to the guest cast for the new season. Also guest starring in the season opener are Laurence Olivier Award nominee Kelly Hunter, Clare Higgins and Jaye Griffiths.

Confirmed guest stars for the new season include Daniel Hoffmann-Gill, Jami Reid-Quarrell, Aaron Neil, India Ria Amarteifio, Joey Price, Dasharn Anderson, Harki Bhambra and Demi Papaminas.

Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC One and a BBC AMERICA co-production.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. A joint venture between BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and AMC Networks, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including four Emmy(R) Awards, five Golden Globes(R) and 12 Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in 80 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.BBCAmerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.