The traditional Christmas double issue of the BBC's Radio Times listings magazine has begun to become available in the UK, with full availability across all regions due by Tuesday the 12th. As expected, the magazine devotes extensive coverage to the Doctor Who-related programming available across the BBC over the Christmas period, as well as containing the first part of their free Doctor Who audiobook CD giveaway.

The Runaway Bride special itself, scheduled for Christmas Day at 7pm on BBC One, is previewed in a two-and-a-half page feature, which includes an image of the 3D effects model of the Empress of Racnoss, viewed in profile. Interviewed for the feature, David Tennant names a new villain for the forthcoming third series of the show - the Carrionites.

The "Today's Choices" page for December the 25th features the familiar publicity image of Tennant holding out the sonic screwdriver as Catherine Tate as Donna displays her wedding ring, accompanied by some Robot Santas. The listings page for the evening's viewing on BBC One is topped by a picture of Tate from the special.

The magazine's listings also confirm the main opposition that The Runaway Bride will face in its 7pm timeslot - a repeat of the Queen's Christmas message followed by a repeat of the sitcom Porridge on BBC Two; a special edition of the soap opera Emmerdale on ITV1; the game show Deal or No Deal on Channel 4 and a Royal Institution Christmas Lecture on Five.

The free Feast of the Drowned audiobook CD is affixed to a double-page advertising feature for the release, as well as being trailed with a strapline across the bottom of the magazine's front cover. The Radio Times will be giving away the second part of the story, followed by another Doctor Who audio, in the three issues following the Christmas special.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is highlighted by a brief interview with Elisabeth Sladen, promoting the production. There are also small preview paragraphs for the concluding three episodes of Torchwood on BBC Three.

In radio, the Radio 1 three-hour special presented by Jo Whiley receives only a simple listing on the December 25th radio page. However, the BBC7 audio adventure Blood of the Daleks is promoted with a special illustration in the digital radio listings. The preview for Blood of the Daleks also makes a surprising revelation about the new Eighth Doctor radio series, detailed in the spoiler section at the bottom of this report. [UPDATE: John Ainsworth from Big Finish, who are producing the audio serial, has denied the spoiler from the Radio Times, suggesting that the guiding description of 'set prior to his regeneration' has been taken too literally by someone at the magazine.]

The magazine also highlights the contributions of various Doctor Who alumni to the Christmas schedule. Following theRunaway Bride preview feature is a one-and-a-half page preview of the Billie Piper-starring Philip Pullman adaptationThe Ruby in the Smoke, and a picture of Piper in Victorian dress appears on the "Today's Choices" page for Wednesday the 27th of December. Also on that page, a small picture of Piper and Christopher Eccleston accompanies a box-out mentioning the number of Doctor Who actors featuring across the schedules this Christmas.

Eccleston himself stars in Joe Ahearne's Perfect Parents on ITV1, alongside former Big Finish "Unbound" Doctor David Warner and Warner's Big Finish Sapphire and Steel co-star (and Paul McGann's partner) Susannah Harker.

The Girl in the Fireplace actress Sophia Myles is pictured to promote Dracula, in which she co-stars with Love and Monsters guest star Marc Warren, in the listings for December the 28th.

(Many thanks to David Ryan and Eddie Robson).

The preview for Blood of the Daleks runs:

"In the first of eight new dramas, taking Paul McGann's one-time TV-movie Doctor up to the point where he regenerates into Christopher Eccleston, McGann is struggling not only to reawaken human memories of why Daleks should never be trusted but also has to deal with a mouthy new assistant (played by Sheridan Smith) mysteriously imposed on him by his fellow Time Lords."

Please note that this spoiler has been denied subsequently by Big Finish, who are producing the serial for the BBC.

Today's edition of The Sun follows up yesterday's revelation elsewhere that the Doctor and Martha end up in bed together in the next series.

The article has minor plot and characterisation details, so click below - or on the link above - if you want to find out more.

Yahoo News reports that former EastEnders actor Joseph Millson "will have a major role [in The Sarah Jane Adventures] as the single father of one of the lead characters. Soap fans will remember him as EastEnders' Jason, who once broke Lyn Slater's heart, then returned to her life and attempted to win her back, despite his ex's marriage to Garry Hobbs. Millson also recently appeared in new Bond movie Casino Royale."

Elisabeth Sladen appeared on BBC's Breakfast this morning, discussingSarah Jane Adventures. She mentioned how she became involved with the production, the differences between her original time on Doctor Who and the modern shows, and on how the series will still retain the 'good vs evil' aspects of Doctor Who but will be aimed for children, with a younger cast that she's found to be very good and a delight to work with.

She described the premise of the series from the point of view of events afterSchool Reunion, with the Doctor telling Sarah: "I took you round in time and space all these years, don't waste it girl - there's K9, go on, do what we always did". There was also a small spoiler as to why K9 won't be appearing in every episode of the series.

The article was illustrated with a clip shown from the forthcoming New Year's Day special which featured Samantha Bond as Mrs Wormwood, and also of a younger Sarah from The Hand of Fear.

New research carried out by the financial services company Liverpool Victoria reveals that UK parents will spend £262 on average on each of their children, a grand total of £1.8bn for all the children across the UK.

Easier Finanace detail some of the other statistical findings, including the gifts that children are hoping to receive most of all this yuletide. Top of the list for boys is the Dr Who Cyberman Mask - 21% of all UK boys want this for Christmas.

And it is not just in children's toys that Doctor Who is dominating. The Doctor Who Annual is still topping the Children's Bestselling Books Chart for the fifth week running.

If you live in Scotland, be sure to pick up a copy of this week's The Big Issue. As the cover opposite suggests, it has an interview with David Tennant.

The Big Issue is a magazine sold by homeless and vulnerably housed individuals on the streets of the UK, and gives them the means to earn a legitimate income through sales of the magazine.

There are five editions across the country, though the Tennant interview appears to only be available in the Scottish edition.

(Thanks to lauraaura from our forum)

Ain't it Cool News is featuring an interview with Dan Zeff, director of the series two episode Love and Monsters. The episode is slated to air on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US later tonight; read the interview here.

On Wednesday, Radio 4's PM programme asked why which Who matters, mentioning that David Tennant had won "favourite Doctor" in DWM's 2006 Doctor Who survey.

The piece included the Who theme tune and sound clips from the series of Tennant, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. Eddie Mair then talked to fellow Radio 4 news presenter Shaun Ley (The World at One) about the show's enduring appeal.

Ley, describing himself as a fan, said Doctor Who had been a part of his childhood and that it was the most flexible format in broadcasting. Asked about whether Tennant deserved the accolade, Ley said that people are likely to vote for the incumbent but agreed that he'd given an amazing performance. He went on to praise Russell T Davies, saying it was quite an achievement getting two of the best actors of their generation - Tennant and Christopher Eccleston - for the part. Ley also said he had a real soft spot for Troughton: "He was a proper character actor, gave it real range, an actors' actor."

Mair ended the piece by reminding listeners that Ley was the presenter of The Worlds at One!

ANANOVA NEWS reports that Andrew Simpson, a Doctor Who fan in York, has created a new way to scare off drunk university students where he lives. Over eight months he created a life sized Dalek which he sits inside and waits for drunken students to approach before screaming "I don't like students. You will be EXTERMINATED!"

According to the editorial in the new Radio Times, two audio Dr Who books will be given away free, across the next four issues, starting with the next Christmas Double Issue. The double CD 's, given away a single one at a time, feature stories read by David Tennant and start with part one of The Feast of the Drowned, written by Stephen Cole.