Posted By John Bowman

Dalek writer Robert Shearman has won a World Fantasy Award for his short story collection Tiny Deaths.

A Doctor Who-related play is coming to Hobart, Tasmania, in February 2009. Who Knows, which is written and directed by Paul McIntyre and centres on a character called Russell Lambert, is billed as "a tribute to the sci-fi classic, bringing TV nostalgia, heartwarming comedy and megalomaniacal machinations from time and space to the Tasmanian stage". It is being staged by The Old Nick Company at an as-yet-undisclosed venue from February 18 to 28. The cast will be at The ABC Shop Centrepoint in Hobart on November 23 from 12.30pm to mark Doctor Who's 45th anniversary and to publicise the play.

Actor John Ringham, who played Tlotoxl in The Aztecs, Blake in The Smugglers and Ashe in Colony In Space, has died aged 80. The Daily Telegraph ran an obituary.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has produced a webcast featuring Jane Tranter who, while Controller, Drama Commissioning, gave the green light to the return of Doctor Who as well as the go-ahead for Torchwood. In the webcast, she talks about her career and the future of TV drama. She also explains how the advancement in TV special effects and the support of Russell T Davies led her to commission a new series of Doctor Who. "Once Russell said he wanted to do it, there was never a moment of looking back," she says. She also presents clips from her most successful programmes. You can view the webcast here.

The Knightsbridge saleroom of Bonhams is holding an entertainment memorabilia auction on November 25, which will see the following up for sale: Jon Pertwee's jacket from Planet of the Daleks, a 1960s Cyberman glove, props from The Moonbase and Arc of Infinity, a rehearsal script from The War Games, a prop that is listed as "The Doctor's Stellar Signal Receiver" from an unidentified story, a quantity of Doctor Who merchandising, annuals and printed ephemera, autographed scripts from The Claws of Axos and The Trial of a Time Lord (it is not stated who signed them), Magnus Greel's robe from The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and a blue-face Terileptil head from The Visitation.

TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have selected The Writer's Tale, by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook, for their Christmas presents book strand, and Stephen Fry will be appearing on Madeley and Finnigan's UKTV Watch show, Richard and Judy's New Position, on November 26 to review it.

Hyde Fundraisers, who appear around Britain in Doctor Who costumes to drum up financial aid for charities and are supported by the likes of Neill Gorton and MFX Replicas, will be appearing at Ashton's Central Library on November 22 to round off their efforts for 2008 and hand over a cheque for 15,000 pounds for BBC Children In Need.

The Series Four episode Midnight has been nominated for a Royal Television Society award for Best Sound - Drama at this year's RTS Craft and Design Awards. Julian Howarth, Tim Ricketts, Paul McFadden and Paul Jefferiesreceive the citation. The ceremony takes place at the Intercontinental Hotel in Park Lane, London, on November 24. It is the only category that Doctor Who has been nominated in this year.

Last Broadcast has done an interview with Elisabeth Sladen in which she tells why she won't be doing any more DVD commentaries for 2entertain. Among other topics, Sladen also talks about hating her new action figure, the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures and the possibility of a Christmas special, plus future SJA cast changes. You can read it here.

Glasgow's Doctor Who exhibition will open on March 27, 2009 and run until January 4, 2010, says the official exhibitions website. It is being held at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and tickets go on sale fromNovember 17. The site also states that the exhibition begins on March 28, so the March 27 date may be a preview.

(With thanks to Viv Dunstan, Dwayne Bunney, Chris Winwood, David French and Kevin Taylor.)

UPDATE (November 17): The Doctor Who News Page has been advised that the Claws of Axos script being auctioned at Bonhams on November 25 is signed by Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney, Bob Baker, Terrance Dicks, John Levene, Barry Letts and Tim Pigott-Smith, while the Trial of a Time Lord script, which is also being auctioned there that day, has been signed by Colin Baker, Bonnie Langford, Nicola Bryant, Michael Jayston, Lynda Bellingham, Tony Selby, Malcolm Tierney, Anthony Ainley and John Nathan-Turner.

FURTHER UPDATE (November 17): In addition, it is now understood that the "Stellar Signal Receiver" being auctioned is from Pyramids of Mars and is the gadget used by the Doctor to decode the message from Mars.

(With thanks to Simon Nuckley and Richard Bignell for the supplementary information.)

The pre-titles sequence of the 2008 Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Next Doctor", which was premiered this evening during the BBC's Children in Need charity telethon, is now available to view here on the Children in Need website.

If you watch the special preview, please do consider donating to Children in Need, which helps disadvantaged youngsters across the UK. You can do so via the website, here.

Posted By John Bowman

A website dedicated to the production of spin-off series K9 has been launched. There is, however, no indication when the show will start airing.

The website has sections for the series' main credits, a photo gallery, guestbook, casting and crew documents (both of which are currently not allowing access), plus locations and key design (which is not displaying anything at the moment).

(With thanks to Tony Clark.)

UPDATE (November 16): Originally, the site invited people to register for e-mail updates, but a statement on the home page now says that access to the pages is only available to those involved with the show's production, and there is no longer any registration facility.

All but one of the pages on the site are now password-protected. The locations section is currently viewable, although this may, of course, stop being the case at some point.

However, the statement adds that a special fan site will be set up in the near future. In addition, Grant Bradley, of project developer Limelight International Media Entertainment, confirmed to The Doctor Who News Page that the show is in pre-production.

Presenter Terry Wogan has reported on his radio show that the next Doctor might be announced in this year'sChildren In Need show. Although nothing has appeared officially to confirm this, Wired suggests that such an announcement would be a good fund-raiser for the event.

David Tennant appeared on BBC's Breakfast on Monday, and during the interview indicated that he wouldn't rule out returning to the show at some point in the future. He also mentioned that Steven Moffat's appointment had almost swayed his decision to leave (something that he and Russell T Davies had agreed upon some months previously). On the inevitable subject of a good female contender for the role, he lightly suggested his former co-star Billie Piper.

Based on the interview, Den of Geek speculated on how he might return to the role, whilst the South Wales Echoconcentrated on the Piper connection - also noting that the odds from William Hill on a female Doctor had now been lowered from 20/1 to 12/1 after the interview. Meanwhile, Lucy Mangan of theGuardian commented on her husband's view of a female in the part and why she thinks it would be a good move for the show. (Other stories related to the Breakfast interview from BBC News, Reuters, Press Association, Wales Online, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Now,Melbourne Herald)

Meanwhile, speculation on who would take up the mantle continues apace in the media!

Back in 1999, DWM ran an article in which well-known fans at the time commented on how they'd like to see the Doctor return. One of those was new head writer Steven Moffat, in which he suggested an older actor for the role, a "grandfather" figure. In spite of a decade between this and the production of Moffat's series next year, this hasn't stopped The Sun from revitalising these anecdotes! (Story also taken up by MyPark Magazine and BBC America'sAnglophenia)

The Mirror reports that ex-EastEnders actor Tom Ellis is under consideration - Ellis was previously seen in the series as Tom Milligan in Last Of The Time Lords. (Story also taken up by RTE and Now)

Additional news on Tennant leaving and speculation on casting can be found in: Evening Post, Wales on Sunday,io9, Guardian. Update: Raising Kids, Den of Geek.

More articles/references to Tennant leaving and other Who news in the media can be found in the dedicated Media Watch thread in the Doctor Who Forum.