According to a Twitter post this morning by BBC America, the upcoming 2011 series of Doctor Who will begin with a two-parter written by showrunner Steven Moffat that is set and actually filmed in the United States for the first time ever. Doctor Who News Page states that the episodes will be filmed in Utah, for a story set in the late 1960s in which the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves on a secret summons that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah – right to the Oval Office itself.
Production on episodes one and two of the new season starts in Cardiff this month and Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will then travel to America in mid November to shoot pivotal scenes. They will also be joined by Alex Kingston who reprises her role as River Song.
Showrunner and lead writer, Steven Moffat, said: “The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually! And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location – and not with a story like this one! Oh, you wait!”Doctor Who has featured several locations set in the States before, but those were creatively shot in other locations made to look like the U.S., such as:
"The Chase," which included scenes set at the top of the Empire State Building, where a young man from Alabama, Morton Dill, tells the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki that it is 1966. This was presumably shot inside a BBC studio.
"The Gunfighters," which was set in 1881 Tombstone, Arizona, featuring the First Doctor, Steven and Dodo becoming involved in the events leading up to the famous gunfight at the OK Corral. This was filmed inside BBC studios.
"Doctor Who: The Movie," which was set in New Year's Eve of 1999 in San Francisco, California, where the Seventh Doctor regenerated into the Eighth Doctor and fought the Master. This was actually filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada.
"Dalek," which was set in 2012 Utah, with the Ninth Doctor and Rose encountering the first Dalek since the mysterious Time War that supposedly wiped them all out. Filming actually took place at the National Museum and Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
"Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks," which was set in November 1930 in New York City, New York, with the Tenth Doctor and Martha taking on the Daleks once again. Outdoor scenes were actually filmed in Wales and using various recorded film.
UPDATE! And it seems BBC America has even provided a short teaser trailer for these episodes...