Series Two Date, Titles and More News

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, reaching subscribers today, has confirmed rumors that Series Two will debut on Saturday, April 15 at 7:00pm. Widely rumored as the target date by fans and even the press as early as last November, this is the first official confirmation anywhere of the date of transmission of the first new episode, "New Earth".

Also revealed in the issue are the final three titles for the season. The Impossible Planet is the name of episode 8, the first half of the two-part story taking place on an alien world which is followed up by episode 9, "The Satan Pit". Fear Her is the title for episode 11, written by "Life on Mars" writer Matthew Graham. Finally, the magazine confirms the titleLove & Monsters (using the ampersand, in fact, not the word "and"), which was reported last week in various newspapers during the episode's filming. (Other sites reported different titles for episodes 8 and 11, despite our earlier reports here that they were false.)

Additionally, DWM has revealed that, following each broadcast, Doctor Who Confidential - the documentary series about the making of the program - will air on BBC with writer Mark Gatiss ("The Unquiet Dead," "The Idiot's Lantern") narrating the documentary series, replacing last year's narrator Simon Pegg.

Finally, a few miscellaneous items of note about series two: writer Marc Platt, who wrote the Big Finish audio "Spare Parts" which inspired the Cyberman two-parter being seen this year, will receive a fee but the producers stress the story is not a rewrite. Also, "In the interview with Julie Gardner and Phill Collinson, they state that they are in their busiest period now, and that the script for the final episode is awesome. There is also a quote in the news section that allays the fears of the Barbara Windsor and Trisha Goddard cameos stating they are 'clever.'"

(Please note: Outpost Gallifrey held off reporting this information from DWM, which leaked earlier this week onto the Internet -- out of respect to the magazine's editors -- until the magazine began being received by paid subscribers today.) (Thanks to Steve Barnet, Daniel Hirsch, Michael Noth)