People Roundup

Catherine Tate (Donna), Mark Gatiss (actor and writer) and David Troughton (King Peladon, The Curse of Peladon, Professor Hobbes, Midnight) are all appearing in the National Theatre production of Alan Ayckbourn's play Season's Greetings, which opens tonight.

John Barrowman has made a number of appearances on television recently, promoting the release on DVD of "John Barrowman Live At The Royal Albert Hall", and the new 3-CD release of his music, "The Collection"; this included a half-hour stint singing songs from the collection live on shopping channel QVC in November. He will shortly be appearing in Aladdin at the Glasgow SECC.

Barrowman has also become newsworthy in the India media, in association with photos of him apparently kissing Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan backstage during Friday Night with Jonathan Ross back in February!

Former producer Phil Collinson has been subject to media speculation in recent months as to what changes he would make to Coronation Street since becoming its producer, and appeared on Lorraine Kelly yesterday morning, as part of coverage of the aftermath from the show's disaster as part of the show's 50th Anniversary. (The show also saw the work of other Doctor Who 'regulars' under Collinson's reign, effects supervisor Danny Hargreaves and CGI company The Mill).

Carey Mulligan (Sally Sparrow, Blink is playing socialite Daisy Buchanan in the film version of The Great Gatsby by Baz Luhrmann. (Though not confirmed, she is believed to be starring with Leonardo Di Caprio as millionaire Joe Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway.)

Mulligan picked up the Best Performance trophy at the Women in Film and TV Awards on Friday (3rd); the event also saw a lifetime achievement award for actress Sheila Hancock (who played Helen A in The Happiness Patrol).

After some eight years in the role, BBC's head of Television Jana Bennett will be moving onto a new role in BBC Worldwide; Bennett is widely credited as the overseer for the return of Doctor Who, and the launch of BBC3 and BBC4, and has recently been acting as controller of BBC1 since Jay Hunt's departure from the role.

And finally, another former BBC1 controller and BBC governor, reformed Doctor Who critic Michael Grade, is in line for a peerage.