Weekend Press Clips

A sampling of press clips and items from the past five days (while your editor was on a business trip):

The Times features an extended interview with/article about Billie Piper and about her role in "Much Ado About Nothing" coming in November. "Piper has packed an awful lot into her tender age (sheÆs 23). 'ItÆs hard to get your head round the size of Doctor Who and the impression it has made,' she says, drama-school tones softened by the burr of her native Wiltshire. So unnerving was the launch, she went into hiding. 'It scared the hell out of me, if I'm honest. But then, when the first one was out and it was just part of Saturday-night viewing, it felt a bit more real.' As Rose Tyler, street-smart companion to the titular Time Lord (aged 953), Piper has been integral to the show's success: it reached 10m viewers at its peak, almost half the audience share. There was talk that she might jump Tardis along with Christopher Eccleston (the Christmas edition marks the full debut of the new Doctor, David Tennant). But no, it was just tittle-tattle. 'I was uncertain how many I was doing, because you have to wait for them all to be written. Now IÆm signed up for the duration of the second series.'" More in the interview on the website.

The Independent features an article about BBC Three Controller Stuart Murphy which mentions Doctor Who: "He has turned to Russell T Davies - alongside Paul Abbott, British television's hottest scriptwriter - to plot the channel's journey into the world of sci-fi. The result is Torchwood, a series of 13 45 minute episodes which Davies himself describes as 'X Files meets This Life'. Murphy can barely contain his excitement when recounting how he persuaded Davies to develop his success with the re-invented Doctor Who by making a post-watershed show for BBC3. 'We think it is going to be amazing,' he says. 'Each episode will be a one-off story and will be funny in a way that Casanova brought humour to period drama.' ... BBC3's ratings were done no harm at all by the opportunity to show repeats of the last series of Doctor Who, and it is not surprising that Murphy is keen to extend the channel's relationship with the Doctor."

The Sydney Morning Herald discussed Whovention, the convention that took place this past weekend, focusing somewhat on the costs of the event. NineMSN mentioned the event: "President of the Doctor Who of Australia Club, Liam Teer, said he was expecting up to 150 people to attend. He said there were a whole range of Doctor Who fans. 'Obviously we have the ones who come along dressed as characters,' Teer said. 'I was also at a trivia quiz once and there was a guy who could quote entire episodes - at that point there was 26 years worth of episodes to know the script to.' This year's Whovention will feature 'guests of honour' from the classic series, actors Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling. Robert Shearman, who wrote the first episode of the new series, titled Dalek, has also made the trip Down Under. He said he couldn't believe the success of the new program. 'We were aware it was its final chance to come back,' Shearman said. He said he would love to see an episode of the show shot in Australia. 'I think that it would be ideal if they could perhaps try and come to Australia at some point,' Shearman said. 'They (the producers) want Doctor Who to be a very cosmopolitan show.'" Other articles on the convention were at Bordermail,Seven.com.au.

The official website has menu screenshots from the forthcoming Doctor Who Series One DVD boxed set. They also (finally) confirmed the casting of Pauline Collins and Sophia Myles, previously reported on Outpost Gallifrey.

Brand Republic says that the BBC "will offer users the opportunity to watch exclusive web previews of upcoming programmes, such as BBC Four's 'The Thick of It' and BBC Three's 'Nighty Night', as well as interactive programmes previously only available under the red button. In addition, users will be able to watch catch-up clips of 'Top of The Pops' and 'EastEnders', previews of seasons like 'The Lost Decade' and clips from classic shows like 'Doctor Who'."

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, Faiz Rehman)