Monday Press Items

The BBC official Doctor Who website has a short piece from Wales Today on the start of production of the second series; the video is playable with Windows Media or Real Player.

A new BBC News report today confirms the start of production last week. "New Doctor Who star David Tennant said it was 'pretty daunting' to play the sci-fi character, as filming of new episodes began in Cardiff. Ex-Casanova star Tennant, 34, said it was an intimidating role because 'the series is so huge. I'm aware of all that but I try to keep it in my back pocket and just get on with the job,' he added. A 13-part series of the BBC TV show will follow a Christmas special, with scenes shot in London on Friday. Tennant, a long-term Doctor Who fan, also said he was excited about beginning work on the show. 'It's great - you get to play a Time Lord and have a Tardis. You can't knock that,' he said. ... The 60-minute Christmas special tells of the earth being under threat from alien Sycorax and features actress Penelope Wilton. The Cybermen will return in the new series, and the Doctor and Rose will meet Queen Victoria and an evil race of Cat Women. One episode will be written by comedian Stephen Fry while The League of Gentleman star Mark Gatiss will once again contribute to the writing." Meanwhile, the Irish Examiner and Manchester Online ran much the same story, but noted that "the makers of the hit TV series took over a restaurant in the Mermaid Quay area of Cardiff Bay for a morning shoot."

In addition to the Newsround video interview above, the CBBC Newsround website features an interview with Tennant. "It's great to get to play a TimeLord and have a Tardis," he told CBBC, adding that he was also a bit scared.

BBC Radio 4's PM had David Tennant on radio today, along with Billie Piper praising him and a short statement that filming in a Chinese restaurant in Cardiff today is standing in for a nightclub in the year five billion! It's on the Radio 4 website(under Listen Again for PM; it's at 53:48 to 56:36 approximately.)

There was also a short two minute feature on the filming in Cardiff today on BBC Five Live's midday news; it didn't reavel much, but does have a short chat with David Tennant. Listen to it on the Five Live website (under Listen Again for Midday News MON, the Doctor Who piece is at the end at 00.56.31.)

There were several more mentions today of the SFX reader poll voting "Doctor Who" the best UK fantasy series of all time, including in The Sun, Female First,

In today's Daily Star: "Billie's A Real Doll. Doctor Who babe Billie Piper left toy bosses panting when they were ordered to make a doll of her. They spent hours working out the shapely star's measurements so the toy version of Rose Tyler looks just like the real thing. Show bosses have lined up a series of special moveable models of Rose and the Doc in time for the Christmas rush. And their greatest enemies The Daleks and the Slitheens will also be flying off the shelves. Workers at Character Options, who had the task of making a model of 22-year-old Billie, had the best job of all. One joked: 'Let's just say the sculptors particularly enjoyed creating Rose. I can't think why!' However, fans will spot one glaring error. The Doctor doll is of Christopher Eccleston, 41, who quit as the Timelord to be replaced by David Tennant, 34. Toy manufacturers have to work months in advance and made their figure before they heard he had left. A doll of Tennant will be released next year."

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Jamie Austin, Ian Potter, Mike Humphreys, David Traynier)