The CBBC sci-fi adventure series Wizards vs Aliens has been recommissioned for a third series, it was announced today.

The drama - created by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford - follows the young wizard Tom Clarke, played by Scott Haran, and his scientific friend Benny Sherwood, portrayed by Percelle Ascott, as they try to stop the Nekross, who are threatening to destroy all of wizardkind - and the Earth - in their pursuit of magic.

It will start production next month to air in 2014/15, said the BBC, which added:
CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor said: The first series comprised 12 episodes, with series 2 comprising 14. It is currently unknown how many episodes will make up the third series.

Produced by BBC Cymru Wales, it is filmed at the BBC's Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff and on location around the area. Series three will be executive-produced by Ford and Nikki Wilson for BBC Wales and Sue Nott for CBBC.

UPDATE - 5th MARCH: The BBC told News In Time And Space today that the third series would comprise 10 episodes. This will make it the shortest series so far.

The BFI has released an excerpt from its video of the Wizards vs Aliens question-and-answer session following a preview screening to promote the second series.

The event took place on Saturday 26th October, two days ahead of the start of the second run of the CBBC show, and saw co-executive producer Brian Minchin, co-creator and writer Phil Ford, and actors Michael Higgs, Annette Badland, Percelle Ascott, and Scott Haran in discussion with the BFI's Justin Johnson following a big-screen showing of the first two episodes.

Pictures from the new series of Wizard vs Aliens were released by the BBC today.

The 14-part CBBC show begins on Monday 28th October at 5pm and sees Jessica Plummer joining the regular cast as new wizard Chloe Martin.

Guest-starring in the first story - 100 Wizards - is Cyril Nri, who played The Shopkeeper in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The second series of Wizards vs Aliens is to start on Monday 28th October at 5pm.

The CBBC science fantasy drama is back for an extended 14-week run of two episodes a week, following its first series of 12 weeks last autumn, and will comprise seven two-part stories. The first adventure is entitled 100 Wizards and has been written by series co-creator Phil Ford and directed by Beryl Richards. The concluding part will air on Tuesday 29th October at the same time.

The show stars Scott Haran as Tom Clarke and Percelle Ascott as Benny Sherwood, with the voice of Brian Blessed as the alien Nekross King.

The following story is called Vice Versa, written by Clayton Hickman and again directed by Richards, while the third one is The Cave of Menla-Gto, penned by Joseph Lidster, the fourth one is The Curse of Crowe, written by Gareth Roberts, and the fifth one will be The Thirteenth Floor, again by Ford, which was originally intended for the fifth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures but never made as the show was ended following the death of lead actress Elisabeth Sladen. The sixth story is entitled Endless Night, also written by Ford, while the title of the series finale is yet to be revealed, as is the identity of the actress playing Chloe.

The BFI is holding a preview of the first two episodes of the new series on Saturday 26th October at 1.30pm, with Haran, Ascott, and Ford being joined by Michael Higgs, who plays Michael Clarke, and producer Brian Minchin as the special guests. Tickets can be bought via this link.

The scripts for episode 1 and episode 2 of the first series are available to download for free from the BBC Writersroom.

Children's sci-fi fantasy drama Wizards vs Aliens returns to CBBC this autumn for an extended second series and the BBC started revving up the publicity machine for it today.

Created by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford, it brings magic and sci-fi together as 16-year-old wizard Tom Clarke and his scientific friend Benny Sherwood try to stop the alien Nekross from creating massive trouble for all of wizardkind - and threatening the survival of Earth.

The 14-episode series - two episodes longer than the first - sees the return of Scott Haran as Tom and Percelle Ascott as Benny, as well as Annette Badland (Ursula Crowe), Michael Higgs (Michael Clarke), Jefferson Hall (Varg), Gwendoline Christie (Lexi), Dan Starkey (Randal Moon), Tom Bell (Technician Jathro 15), and the voice of Brian Blessed as the alien Nekross King.

New aliens and new wizards are promised, and Davies, who is also the co-executive producer of the show, said: One of the stories - The Thirteenth Floor, written by Ford - will be a reworking of an adventure intended to form part of the fifth, and ultimately final, series of The Sarah Jane Adventures but which was never made because of the tragic death of the show's star, Elisabeth Sladen, in April 2011.

Produced by BBC Cymru Wales in association with FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment, the new series of Wizards vs Aliens was filmed at the BBC's Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff and on location around the area between January and May this year.

The first series aired between 29th October and 4th December 2012. The start date for Series 2 is yet to be announced.

A bumper crop of pictures was released by the BBC today for the final adventure in the current series of Wizards vs Aliens.

Written by Phil Ford and directed by Joss Agnew, The Last Day guest-stars Jennifer Hennessy as Helen.



Part one will air on Monday 3rd December, with the second and concluding part going out on Tuesday 4th December, both at 5.15pm, bringing to an end the 12-part first series.

A second series comprising 14 episodes has been confirmed for next year. It will reportedly include an adaptation of a story originally to have been in Series 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures. The adventure, called The Thirteenth Floor, written by Phil Ford, ultimately was not made for The Sarah Jane Adventures as the show ended following the death of Elisabeth Sladen.