The Doctor Who Restoration Team has updated their site with an article about the restoration of the four extant episodes, and the three individual episodes from missing stories ("The Web of Fear" episode 1 and "The Faceless Ones" episodes 1 and 3), being included in the VHS boxed set The Reign of Terror Collectors' Edition. The article includes technical details about the restoration of the episodes, including the clean-up and VidFIRE process. You can read the article at their website; click "VHS Releases" at left, then "Reign of Terror Box Set". (Thanks to the Restoration Team)

Veteran UK television comedian Bernard Spear died on May 9. While he was apparently well known in the UK by face, if not by name, among his many roles he played the "Man with Carrier Bag" in the sixties' film "Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD". His obituary can be read here. (Thanks to Steve Stratford and the Death Comes in Time site)

According to a press release from TV Zone, the longest-running Cult Television magazine, issue #164 names the Top 100 Cult TV Programmes Ever. "With many surprising winners and programmes ranging from the classic Quatermass television series of the Fifties to present-day programmes, Doctor Who, celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, managed to come top, beating all newcomers. Colin Baker, the sixth actor to play the time-travelling Doctor said: 'The readers of TV Zone are clearly endowed with great taste, discernment, wisdom and long memories! For a TV series that has not been in production for 14 years to pip to the Galactic Post modern series like Buffy and Stargate is quite remarkable. As one of the actors lucky enough to be associated with Doctor Who I salute your readers, your magazine and thank them for their continuing devotion to the good Doctor and his adventures. I just wish I was as good looking as Spike or Jack OÆNeill and that Doctor Who had benefited from the budgets of their programmes - but there again it wouldnÆt have been the same, would it?'" (Thanks to Jan Vincent-Rudzki)

Big Finish has revealed more details on its forthcoming 'season' of Paul McGann audios. No mention has yet been made as to who stars in these audios other than Paul McGann as the Doctor (leaving the fate of Charley Pollard, aka actress India Fisher, up in the air) and Conrad Westmaas as new companion C'Rizz. Also released today: the cover illustration for Jonathan Morris' Flip-Flop starring Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford, with cover illustration by Lee Binding (with Slithergee CGI by Chris Gregory); and two covers, not one, for Project: Lazarus by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright... instead of the one cover (which has been online for a while), two different covers will be offered, one with Sylvester & one with Colin. All three covers are below; click on each for a larger version. Further details on the new McGann stories:

• Scherzo by Rob Shearman "has no incidental music at all," says producer Gary Russell. "Only Rob could give us a music-themed play with no music!" This story was recorded last in the batch and was recorded completely in order in one session, and looks to be quite unusual indeed.
• The Creed of the Kromon by Philip Martin (note the slight variation in the title) stars Brian Cobby (the Oroog), Stephen Perring (the Croaker), Jane Hills (L'da) and Daniel Hogarth & Stephen Perring (Kromon voices). Cobby "for the last fifteen or more years has been the voice you hear when dialing the Speaking Clock here in Britain." The story is a "four-part Doctor Who romp with insectoid aliens. My only other criteria was that I didn't want it to feature Sil."
• Jim Mortimore's The Natural History of Fear was recorded first, and was according to McGann "one of the best scripts he'd ever read." It features Geoff Searle, Alison Sterling, Sean Carlsen, Wink Taylor, Jane Hills and Ben Summers.
• The final story, Will Shindler's The Twilight Kingdom features special guest stars Michael Keating (Vila of "Blake's 7") as Koth and Alan Rothwell ("Picture Box") as Janto, with Ann Carus-Wilson (Vayla), Dale Ibbetson (Quillian), Jeremy James (Bryn), Vivien Parry (Tysus), Alison Sterling (Koth's Wife) and Stephen Perring (the Croaker, returning from "Kromon").
• A new bit of information: Doctor Who Magazine will release Living Legend in November, their fourth CD special featuring the Eighth Doctor. The one-episode CD, written by Scott Gray (DWM comic strip author) and starring Paul McGann, will be on the cover of issue #336.