The Week's Press Clips

Is Stephen Fry's episode (currently slotted as #11) going to be delayed until next year? According to the weekend's Sunday Times, there is "more intrigue at Dr Who, where Stephen Fry's episode may be delayed. My mole in the Tardis assures me it is 'good' and 'very Stephen Fry', but that it needs so many special effects, it could prove to be too expensive, at least for the next run." The paper continues: "At least Fry got the chance to contribute. Shopping and F***ing playwright Mark Ravenhill was so annoyed about not being asked to contribute an episode, he almost considered buying up the rights to the less celebrated children's sci-fi drama from the 1970s, The Tomorrow People, as revenge."

SFX Magazine will soon be running a feature in a future issue regarding readers' "behind the sofa" memories of Doctor Who. "What's the moment of the original series that's still burned into your memory decades later? Did the Daleks give you a pant-wetting accident? Did you suffer nightmares for weeks afterwards? Were you terrified of plastic toys after seeing the Autons? Did your mum ban you from watching the show? We want to hear your stories - the more personal, the better. And if you've got photos of you dressed up as Doctor Who, or monster drawings from your childhood exercise books, send us copies of them too! Drop us a line by emailingsfx@futurenet.co.uk - please title your email DOCTOR WHO MEMORIES - or write to us at SFX, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW."

The new Radio Times (last one before the Christmas special), covering 10-16 December, interviews David Tennant, who considers himself "the dullest actor ever to have played the Time Lord." Says Tennant, who insists he leads a boring life, "I've no hobbies or pursuits. I live in north London and drive a Skoda. I'm afraid that's as interesting as it gets." Tennant also notes that he is avidly anti-Conservative and cannot believe anyone in showbiz would ever vote for the Tories: "When I started working in theatre in England, I would meet people and they would say, 'Oh, I voted for Margaret Thatcher'. The first time I heard someone saying that, I honestly thought they were joking. I'd be thinking, 'I have never met anyone from your world. What's it like? Do you roast children over open fires?' I still find it impossible to believe that anyone in the arts votes Conservative." The actor describes himself as a "skinny streak of nothing" but admits to having the odd moment of vanity. "I've been known to wear moisturiser, which may mean I'll be stopped on the Paisley boundary next time I go home." Tennant notes that before filming Casanova, he decided to work on his six-pack: "I thought I'd feel more confident in the role if I was feeling more confident physically, so I worked out every single day for five weeks. And then I didn't get to take my shirt off until week 10 of filming, by which time it had all gone to pot." The son of Presbyterian ministers, Tennant added his Christian faith helps him to cope with fame - but he claims to avoid any "preachy tendency". "It's a question of humanity with that element of not necessarily putting oneself first." The story has also been picked up and run in the Mirror, icWales,This is London, WaveGuide, Daily Record, ITN.

Also in the new Radio Times, E. Jane Dickson speaks to Tennant about his new ITV drama "Secret Smile", his career and background and of course taking on the role of the Doctor. There's also a small preview of "The Christmas Invasion" in a sidebar on the second page of the interview, and a picture of the TARDIS with a caption telling the reader to turn to that page for more information in an earlier section previewing the top programmes to watch this Christmas. Finally, the next issue preview at the back makes mention of the forthcoming Dalek competition and the 10-page Doctor Who special included with the Christmas edition.

icWales is reporting that protestors staging a demo at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary brought a replica TARDIS with them as they campaigned for the re-opening of the facility, with one of their protest slogans being "CRI Wants Real Doctors Not Doctor Who".

CBBC News is running a competition: "Meet Doctor Who! - Have you ever wanted to travel through time?? You could fast forward through time and see the Christmas episode of Doctor Who before anybody else does! We're looking for one Press Packer to report for Newsround from the premiere screening of the Christmas episode, The Christmas Invasion. David Tennant is the 10th Doctor Who and appears for the first time on Christmas Day in a one-hour show, where he finds himself under attack from a band of rogue Santas. Your mission will be to interview The Doctor and Rose and ask them all the questions you're dying to know. And, you will get the chance to see the Christmas episode before anybody else!! You'll need to be free for all of the day on Monday, 12 December so make sure you speak to your parent or guardian before entering this competition. To be in with the chance of winning this out of the world prize, all you have to do is tell us which point in history (or the future!) you would like to travel to in your Tardis. You might choose to do battle with the dinosaurs or fast forward to when we can live on the moon! Only your imagination is the limit - oh, and 50 words! The competition closes on Wednesday, 7 December 2005 at midday." Of course, this is only open to children...

The Sunday Mail ran a piece in which David Tennant predicted he would play the TV time traveller... in a school essay written 20 years ago. "The 14-year-old sci-fi nut was so obsessed with the show he got his gran to knit him a long, multi-coloured scarf - just like his favourite Doctor, Tom Baker. The scarf featured regularly in his essays until English teacher Moira Robertson warned him to 'exterminate' the references or he could end up failing his exams. Moira, who taught David at Paisley Grammar School, was so impressed with him that she kept a copy of his story 'Intergalactic Overdose'. It reads 'I had a habit. It was as bad as it could get. I needed help to stop, but I didn't care. I wanted more and more. You see, I was a junkie, a Doctor Who junkie. When I was old enough, I was convinced that I was going to play the part of the Doctor on TV.' Moira said: 'He must have been calling on his powers as a Timelord because he was so utterly convinced that he would be Doctor Who. I was unaware that the bright wee boy I was teaching had the amazing power to shift time and predict the future... but he certainly did.' Moira revealed David first showed his acting talent while at the school, adding: 'Although he was very talented, he certainly didn't act 'I'm the greatest.' But if there was one boy who had star quality... he was it.' Tennant, 34, who will star in a two-hour Dr Who special on Christmas Day, last night paid tribute to his old teacher. 'She made me first realise the possibilities of great literature - J.D. Salinger, Harper Lee, Orwell and Arthur Miller. And it was Moira who first guided me towards a dim understanding of what Shakespeare could be about.'"

The SF Crows Nest site has run an interview with science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, who notes that he thought the new season of Doctor Who was "absolutely terrific. I've got a total crush on Billie Piper, who I gather is a pop star in the UK. I'd never encountered her before the new series started airing. And I'm really sorry that Christopher Eccleston has left; I thought he was great. Episodes like Dalek and Father's Day absolutely blew me away. I'm looking forward to the next season. As you know if you read the ending credits, the new Doctor Who is a co-production with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and I got to do a lot of commentary for the CBC's documentary The Planet Of The Doctor, which was tremendous fun. By the way, since people are always curious, my favourite classic Doctor was Jon Pertwee." Sawyer was interviewed by CBC for their six-part web documentary "Planet of the Doctor" that was released earlier this year in conjunction with their airing of the show.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver)