BBC News have published an article looking into the circumstances leading to the cancellation of the 1979 Tom Baker story Shada.

The piece is written by Shaun Ley and is in conjunction with his Radio 4 programme Shelved, due for transmission this weekend.

The article provides new insight as to why the programme was abandoned. In the BBC Official History, being written by Professor Jean Seaton, it is suggested that the programme was sacrificed deliberately to make a political point regarding the effects of industrial action by the Broadcasting Unions.

The full programme can be heard on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday.

The previously-reported cover feature of the Christmas double issue of the Radio Times is by no means the only exposure Doctor Who is receiving from British TV listings magazines this Christmas. Most prominently, two other such publications have also produced Doctor Who-themed covers for their festive specials. TV & Satellite Week has a cover based around "The End of Time", while Total TV Guide's cover shows Father Christmas hand-painting TARDIS toys. The TV Times also features Doctor Who on its cover in a less prominent role, with an inset image of a Dalek promoting their own "Win a Dalek" competition.

Inside, the Radio Times is filled with Doctor Who-related material and previews. There is an in-depth interview with David Tennant, where the actor speaks about his thoughts on moving on to the next phase of his career. "Doctor Who has meant so much to me," he tells the magazine. "It's great to sign off with a flourish." Both parts of "The End of Time" are highlighted in the "Today's Choices" preview section for their respective days, with part one "Pick of the Day" for Christmas Day, described by the magazine's TV editor Alison Graham as a "thoughtful story." In the radio listings section, David Tennant's turns as interviewee (on Sunday 27th December's "Desert Island Discs") and interviewer (of Russell T Davies, on Tuesday 29th December's "Who on Who?") are also picked out as highlights of their respective days.

Both TV & Satellite Week and Total TV Guide also speak to Tennant about how he feels to be giving up the role of the Doctor. "Being a celebrity doesn't sit easily with me," he tells the former. "It's part of the job, but if that died down it would be OK." In Total TV Guide, he says of his successor Matt Smith that "I think he'll be good for the role because he has an unusual look. He could be either 18 or 40. I hope that doesn't offend him!" Both magazines make "The End of Time" their Christmas Day highlight, with TV & Satellite Week saying that "there's no doubt this year's two-part story will top all previous offerings," while Total TV Guide calls it "a fitting farewell for David Tennant's incarnation of the Time Lord." Both magazines also speak to Catherine Tate about her own Christmas special; she tells TV & Satellite Week of her appearance in "The End of Time" that: "It was sad, but I was delighted to be in the episodes. David is a brilliant actor and has brought everything he could to the role."

You can keep track of all major Doctor Who-related programmes on British TV and radio this Christmas with our broadcast summary.

The Christmas edition of the Radio Times contains details of another Doctor Who-themed addition to the already-packed schedules of the BBC. On Saturday the 26th of December at 8pm, BBC Radio 4 will broadcast the one-hour documentary Doctor Who: The Lost Episodes, as part of its Archive on 4 strand. The documentary is produced by Shaun Ley, the same man responsible for the previously-reported documentary "Shelved", which looks at the abandonment of several 1970s television productions, including the 1979 Doctor Who serial Shada, and airs on Radio 4 this Saturday.

"Doctor Who: The Lost Episodes" will look at how 108 episodes of the classic series came to be missing from the archives, and how efforts have led to the recovery of several more that were also previously thought lost. The programme will also be repeated, in a shortened 45-minute form and on FM frequencies only, on Radio 4 at 3pm on Monday the 28th of December. It will also be available internationally on the BBC website.

You can keep track of all major Doctor Who-related programmes on British TV and radio this Christmas with our broadcast summary.

Here is a summary of some of the main Doctor Who-related programming across British television and radio over the forthcoming festive period. For a more comprehensive summary of all Doctor Who repeat broadcasts also taking place over the coming weeks, please see our sister site This Week in Doctor Who.

Updates since 30th December have a red border.

UK Broadcast Schedule

Monday 7th December	10.35-11.20pm		The Graham Norton Show	Appearance by Catherine Tate
Tuesday 8th December	1.30-2.30am		Loose Women	Bernard Cribbins (repeat from 12:30pm Monday)
Thursday 10th December	11.00-11.30pm		Chain Reaction	David Tennant interviews Richard Wilson (Repeat)
Friday 11th December	8.50-9.00am		BBC Breakfast	June Whitfield interview
Friday 11th December	5.30-6.00pm		Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf	Part One (Repeat)
Friday 11th December	7.00-8.00pm		The One Show	Ricky Tomlinson's Christmas TV Picks (End of Time clip)
Saturday 12th December	10.30-11.00am		Shelved	Documentary on abandoned programmes, including Shada
Saturday 12th December	5.00-6.00pm		An Hour With Jon Pertwee	(Repeat) Repeated at 11pm and 4am
Saturday 12th December	5.15-6.00pm		Doctor Who - Dreamland	(Repeat)
Monday 14th December	3.00-4.00pm		Alan Titchmarsh Show	Interview with Bernard Cribbins
Tuesday 15th December	4.35-5.00pm		Blue Peter	Joel Defries tracks down David Tennant
Tuesday 15th December	7.00-7.30pm		The One Show	Catherine Tate guests
Tuesday 15th December	9.15-10.00pm		Night Waves	Interview with Steven Moffat
Wednesday 16th December	10.00-10.30pm		Never Mind The Buzzcocks	David Tennant hosts, Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate guest
Thursday 17th December	~8.45am		BBC Breakfast	Christmas TV Shows Review
Thursday 17th December	6.00-7.00pm		Sisters of the Flame	Paul McGann Big Finish Audio Repeated 12.00am
Thursday 17th December	~6.25pm		BBC 6'O Clock News	The End of Time preview
Thursday 17th December	7.15-7.45pm		Front Row	Catherine Tate interview
Friday 18th December	5.30-6.00pm		Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf	Part Two (Repeat)
Friday 18th December	6.00-7.00pm		The Vengeance of Morbius	Paul McGann Big Finish Audio Repeated 12.00am
Saturday 19th December	10.00-10.45am		Doctor Who - The Infinite Quest	(Repeat)
Saturday 19th December	10.00-11.30am		Saturday Kitchen	Catherine Tate guests.
Saturday 19th December	Various/Online		E24	Christmas TV Highlights, including Doctor Who
Sunday 20th December	10.00-11.30am		Something for the Weekend	End of Time clips
Monday 21st December	~12:15pm		This Morning	Catherine Tate interview
Monday 21st December	~3:15pm		Colin Murray	Christmas Television discussion
Monday 21st December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading Miki
Monday 21st December	10.35-11.20pm		The Graham Norton Show	Best Of
Tuesday 22nd December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading How High is the Sky?
Tuesday 22nd December	7.00-8.00pm		Doctor Who – The Next Doctor	(Repeat)
Tuesday 22nd December	7.15-7.45pm		Front Row	Article on David Tennant's Hamlet
Tuesday 22nd December	9.00-10.00pm		Ruth Jones's Christmas Cracker	Russell T Davies guests
Tuesday 22nd December	9.30-10.00pm		Never Mind The Buzzcocks	(Repeat)
Wednesday 23rd December	10:30am-12:30pm		This Morning	June Whitfield interview
Wednesday 23rd December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading Small Mouse Big City
Wednesday 23rd December	7.00-7.30pm		The One Show	Bernard Cribbins guests
Wednesday 23rd December	7.00-8.00pm		Doctor Who – Planet of the Dead	(Repeat)
Thursday 24th December	9.30-10.15am		Doctor Who - Dreamland	(Repeat) Red Button Commentary
Thursday 24th December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading The Christmas Bear
Thursday 24th December	7.00-8.00pm		Doctor Who – The Waters of Mars	(Repeat)
Thursday 24th December	10.00-10.30pm		QI	David Tennant panellist
Friday 25th December	~7.35am, ~8.35am		Breakfast	John Simm, David Tennant/Catherine Tate interviews
Friday 25th December	11.15-12.10pm		The Sarah Jane Adventures	The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Repeat)
Friday 25th December	6.00-7.00pm		The End of Time - Part One	Also on BBC HD
Friday 25th December	7.00-8.00pm		Doctor Who Confidential	Also on BBC HD at 8:00pm
Saturday 26th December	3.00am-4.00am		The Commentaries	The End of Time: The Doctor Who cast and crew discuss episode 1 of The End of Time.
Saturday 26th December	10.00am-1.00pm		David Tennant and Catherine Tate	sitting in for Jonathan Ross
Saturday 26th December	5.05-8.10pm		Hamlet	David Tennant stars
Saturday 26th December	8.00-9.00pm		Archive on 4 - Doctor Who: The Lost Episodes	Documentary on the missing episodes of Doctor Who
Sunday 27th December	11.15am-12.00pm		Desert Island Discs	David Tennant
Sunday 27th December	1.30-2.00pm		On the Outside it Looked Like an Old-Fashioned Police Box	Target novelisations documentary by Mark Gatiss (repeat)
Sunday 27th December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Sunday 27th December	4.45-7.45pm		Hamlet	David Tennant stars
Sunday 27th December	7.00-8.00pm		The End of Time - Part One	(Repeat) Red Button Commentary
Sunday 27th December	9.00pm-10.35pm		The Greatest TV Shows of the Noughties	(not confirmed, but almost certainly will feature Doctor Who!)
Monday 28th December	3.00-3.45pm		Archive on 4 - Doctor Who: The Lost Episodes	(shortened repeat)
Monday 28th December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Tuesday 29th December	5.00-6.00pm		Who On Who?	David Tennant interviews Russell T Davies
Tuesday 29th December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Tuesday 29th December	10.20-11.20pm		Alan Carr: Chatty Man	David Tennant and Catherine Tate guest
Tuesday 29th December	10.55-11.40pm		QI	David Tennant panellist (Extended Repeat)
Wednesday 30th December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading Emily Brown and the Elephant
Thursday 31st December	~7:40am		GMTV	David Tennant interview (originally scheduled for 24th)
Thursday 31st December	~8:40am		BBC Breakfast	David Tennant guests
Thursday 31st December	~9:00am		Breakfast	David Tennant interview
Thursday 31st December	6.50-7.00pm		Bedtime Stories	David Tennant reading
Thursday 31st December	2.00-3.00pm		Doctor Who at the Proms	(Repeat)
Thursday 31st December	10.45pm-12.45am		Alan Carr: Chatty Man	David Tennant and Catherine Tate guest (Repeat)
Friday 1st January	12.55-1.55pm		The End of Time - Part One	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	2.35-3.35pm		Planet of the Dead	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	3.35-4.35pm		Doctor Who Confidential: Desert Storm	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	4.35-5.40pm		The Waters of Mars	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	5.40-6.40pm		The End of Time - Part One	(Repeat)
Friday 1st January	6.40-7.55pm		The End of Time - Part Two	Also on BBC HD
Friday 1st January	7.55-8.55pm		Doctor Who Confidential – Allonsy	Also on BBC HD
Friday 1st January	8.55-9.30pm		Doctor Who Greatest Moments - The Doctor	(Repeat)
Saturday 2nd January	4.05-5.05am		Doctor Who Confidential – Allonsy	(Repeat)
Sunday 3rd January	2.30am-4.00am		The Commentaries	The End of Time: The Doctor Who cast and crew discuss episode 2 of The End of Time.
Sunday 3rd January	3.40-4:55pm		The End of Time - Part Two	(Repeat)
Sunday 3rd January	7.00-8.15pm		The End of Time - Part Two	(Repeat) Red Button Commentary

Although BBC Television is only available in the UK, BBC Radio can be heard around the world via the BBC Website.

For a full International Doctor Who Schedule see

The MediaGuardian.co.uk website has unveiled this year's front cover for the Christmas double edition of the BBC's Radio Times listings magazine. The Christmas special of the Radio Times is a festive tradition in the UK, eagerly awaited and usually the magazine's biggest-selling issue of the year. Usually the special features a generic Christmas scene on the front cover, but occasionally particular programmes are featured - as Doctor Who was in 2005, which was considered to be a great honour for the series.

This year, the magazine has produced two alternate covers, both of a similar design. One features Father Christmas and a wind-up toy of some dancers, representing the BBC's successful Strictly Come Dancing series. The second cover features a Dalek toy in place of the dancers, highlighting Doctor Who's key role in the BBC's Christmas schedules across a range of programming.

"Special Project Three" has been leaked onto the internet. (Russell T Davies has repeatedly mentioned that David Tennant had worked on three special Doctor Who projects this year, in addition to the four television specials; the first two were the Doctor's appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures and the animated serial Dreamland.) The third project consists of a special ident for BBC One featuring Tennant as the Doctor. A version of the ident for BBC Scotland has appeared on the website BlogtorWho. The official launch will be later this month, but the BBC have now released a still from the ident.

The BBC has started promoting its Christmas lineup with trails on BBC One. The drama version features several clips from Doctor Who and is available on the BBC YouTube Channel.

The Radio Times for 12 - 18 December confirms the Doctor Who edition of Never Mind the Buzzcocks will be shown on Wednesday 16 December. David Tennant hosts the special show with team captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding. Guests include Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate, plus platinum-selling jazz artist Jamie Cullum and Radio 1's Jo Whiley.

Broadcast on December 12th is the previously reported edition of Shelved, the BBC Radio Four documentary which looks at TV episodes which were scrapped because of prevailing political and social circumstances. The Doctor Who story Shada is one of the programmes investigated and Tom Baker takes part.

Meanwhile BBC Radio Seven have scheduled a repeat of An Hour with Jon Pertwee. The show on Saturday 12 December at 5pm is a radio version of Pertwee's one man biographical show.

BBC Radio can be heard around the world via the listen now links on the websites.
Follow the Doctor Who News Page on

The BBC Press Office has confirmed the scheduling of The End of Time, the two-part final adventure for David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Part one will be shown from 6pm to 7pm on Christmas Day, Friday the 25th of December. Part two follows from 6.40-7.55pm the following Friday, 1st January 2010 - New Year's Day.

In other news, the latest edition of Radio Times has confirmed the casting of Claire Bloom and Brian Cox in The End of Time.

Claire Bloom's casting has been rumoured in many press reports over the last few months but this is the first official confirmation from the BBC that she is in the episode. She has a long career in film and Television appearing with Charlie Chaplin in the 1952 film Limelight for which she won the BAFTA for Best Newcomer. She later won the Best Actress BAFTA for the 1986 film Shadowlands. She is a renowned Shakespearian actress who received great acclaim for her portrayal of Ophelia in Hamlet when she was just seventeen.

Brian Cox provided the voice over for the Ood elder seen in the End of Time trail at the end of The Waters of Mars and was the mystery guest star refered to by Russell T Davies in his Production Notes in DWM. Cox is best known for his role as Hannibal Lecktor in the 1986 film Manhunter as well many Hollywood films and also for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Nuremberg in 2001.

David Tennant's starring role in Hamlet can be seen on BBC Two on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December from 5.05-8.10pm. and the Catherine Tate special, Nan's Christmas Carol, can be seen on BBC One on Christmas Day at 10.30pm.

Doctor Who once again graces the front cover of the next issue of the Radio Times (5-11 Dec 2009); this edition features a three page preview for "The End of Time", including interviews with Bernard Cribbins and Russell T Davies who reveals that John Simm is back as the Master, the Doctor’s arch nemesis for nearly four decades.

Davies tells how he wasn't daunted by the inconvenience of having killed off the Master in 2007 – this is sci-fi, after all: “It’s personal for the Doctor. The Master is his enemy, his opposite, and yet so tantalisingly close to being his soul mate. There’s something epic about their sheer existence – the last two survivors of an ancient race. It’s a clash of the titans. Both of them heading for death, and yet both determined to survive – at any cost!”

Radio Times is on sale in the UK from Saturday.

You can find a gallery of previous Doctor Who covers on the Radio Times website.

The BBC Press Office has released details of the forthcoming radio programme "Who on Who?", to be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday the 29th of December at 5pm. The one-hour programme will feature David Tennant interviewing Russell T Davies about his career and the success of the Doctor Who revival, just days before the broadcast of the pair's final regular work on the programme.

BBC Books has announced the forthcoming publication of Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale: The Final Chapter by outgoing showrunner Russell T Davies and DWM and Radio Times journalist Benjamin Cook. It will be published in paperback on 14 January 2010.

This is a new and updated edition of The Writer’s Tale originally published last Autumn. The book has been expanded to cover Davies's final year as Head Writer and Executive Producer of the show. This edition will also include new, never-before-published photos from behind the scenes of David Tennant’s final adventures. There are 300 pages of new material taking in events from the entire five years since the show’s return in 2005.