The official Doctor Who website today tied into the debut of "New Earth" with a commentary track (in MP3 format) by David Tennant and executive producer Russell T Davies, as well as photo features and videos.

Meanwhile, also now available on the site is the second installment of theTARDISODES "mini episodes", this one a precursor to "Tooth and Claw" featuring an alien crashlanding on Earth.

Broadcasting Updates

Currently playing on BBC Digital (Freeview channel 302) is the press previewtrailer presentation featuring clips from "Tooth and Claw," "School Reunion" (including some scenes of K9 and a confrontation between Rose and Sarah Jane), "The Girl in the Fireplace," "Rise of the Cybermen/The Age Of Steel," plus a couple of teasers for "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit" and "The Idiot's Lantern" for the eagle-eyed. (It also appears there may be one or two brief clips from the final two-parter of the year.) Viewers were invited to press their "red button" to see the press presentation.

On Saturday from 11.58am onwards (after Sportsround) the CBBC Channelwill be going "Doctor Who crazy!" Matt Edmondson and Anne Foy will be hosting, dressed as the Doctor and Rose, and throughout the day they'll "be building up the excitement to the big event at 7.15 on BBC ONE. We'll be playing a Doctor Who game, giving viewers the chance to vote for their favourite clip of 2005, and finding out whether there are monsters in your school in our Monster Hour. As well as that, we've another chance to see Totally Doctor Who episode 1."

The "Listen Again" feature for the Jo Whiley radio show on Thursday, featuring an interview with David Tennant, is active; click here to listen to the interview.

Official Websites

In the absence of a site for Totally Doctor Who, the CBBC Newsround site has this week launched a Doctor Who mini-site of its own, gathering up the various stories, interviews and photo packages of the past year, as well as starting a new message board for younger fans. The site can be foundhere.

On the official site, Doctor Who Confidential now has the beginnings of its own proper section - a webpage currently titled 'Confidential Desktop: The Christmas Invasion'. As well as a handful of pop-up facts about the Christmas special, there's a series of windows with descriptive text on various aspects of making the show, along with a 'Monsters and Villains' style short history of the Sycorax by Russell T Davies. There are also links in place (but not yet active) to pages or sections for the first four editions of the second series, up to 'From Script to Screen'.

Also on the official site is the return of last year's Fear Factor - a 'Chilling' 4 out of 5 being given to 'New Earth' by the panel of children."It's non-stop action! Things are exploding! Samuel is very excited, while Adam fidgets in agitation. Amy attempts to cover the TV with a cushion at one point, to Harry's annoyance. ... A worried Amy asks, 'Is it nearly finished yet?' Mum wonders if she wants to stop watching. 'No!' replies."

The BBC's main TV page is once again using a flash animation to promote tomorrow's series debut. And the BBChomepage for Saturday proclaims "Doctor Who returns"...

Series Two Updates

The Sophia Myles fansite Absolutely Sophia Myles posted a news story stating that "David Tennant, Sophia Myles and a producer" have recorded a commentary for "The Girl in the Fireplace", presumably the one for the BBC website which will go live after the episode's transmission.

The trade paper Broadcast this week carries a feature on Will Cohen, the head of Mill TV, on producing effects for the new series. According to Cohen, last year's tally of 1,300 vfx shots over 13 episodes looks like being matched this year: "we've completed 600 or thereabouts on the six episodes we've finished so far. So it looks the same on paper, but this time we've got more people working on the project and we're taking more time. You'll see the results on screen." Cohen also goes into some detail on the constraints of budget and schedule, taking Russell T Davies' request for a werewolf for episode 2 as an example - "The werewolf couldn't have hair all over, it could only be on screen for 40 shots, it had to have a run cycle and it could emote but it wouldn't be able to speak. So Russell went away and wrote the script based around that ... We even threw in a couple of iconic howling shots for free too." Doctor Who has 25 Mill personnel working for the series, and each episode is taking five to six weeks to complete, with several episodes being worked on at once - currently, "modelling [is] just starting for the last episode ... the series certainly ends with a bang." Cohen also mentions that the Mill are now "doing tests" for Series Three, "so we can advise the BBC on frame rates and other shooting considerations when it moves to HD" and that Torchwood will also be shot in HD, with one episode being "as action-packed as any episode of Doctor Who itself" - "this could be the sci-fi show that British television has always deserved." Broadcast also has some details on the opening title sequence for Totally Doctor Who: "BDH has created the title sequence for the BBC's new 13 x 25-minute CBBC series Totally Doctor Who. BDH director Rob Hifle oversaw the titles, animated backgrounds, stings and straps for the show, which was produced by BBC Wales' Simon Hall. The team was briefed to ensure that the graphics echoed the main series but retained a separate identity. Music and sound effects were produced by Tim Baker from Subvertical. The graphic sequences were hand-drawn and animated by BDH designer Jon Doe."

The Daily Star talks about this season's monsters... and have they given something away that hasn't been widely reported? "This monster line-up shows just some of the terrifying foes Doctor Who and sexy sidekick Rose Tyler must face in the new series of the sci-fi hit. Telly bosses have pulled out all the stops to ensure fans will be diving behind the sofa when the Time Lord returns to BBC1 on Saturday. We can reveal that The Doctor (David Tennant, 33) and Rose (Billie Piper, 23) face danger both from old enemies and new. They'll fight demonic shape shifters The Krillitanes, who have taken over a school. They also have to battle a new set of killer clockwork droids, dressed like they're ready for a masked ball. And the new series features a howling mad werewolf trying to get its fangs into both Rose . . .and Queen Victoria. The ghostly Gelth, who popped up last year and survived by taking over human corpses, return to threaten the Earth, And the Doctor's sinister old foes The Cybermen are back - just as deadly but with a new streamlined look. The Cybermen and Gelth join forces in a bid to wipe out the human race in the climax of the series. Writer Russell T. Davies, 42, said: 'It was just the most exciting thing I've done. It's huge. When I showed the script to the BBC they were so excited. We are talking epic Hollywood blockbuster stuff here.'" This is the first press mention that the Gelth are returning for series two, if it's true...

Says Broadcast, "BDH has created the title sequence for the BBC's new 13 x 25-minute CBBC series Totally Doctor Who. BDH director Rob Hifle oversaw the titles, animated backgrounds, stings and straps for the show, which was produced by BBC Wales' Simon Hall. The team was briefed to ensure that the graphics echoed the main series but retained a separate identity. Music and sound effects were produced by Tim Baker from Subvertical. The graphic sequences were hand-drawn and animated by BDH designer Jon Doe using Photoshop and After Effects."

Manchester Online says it's "Time for Dr Who feast: Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Billie Piper are trying to make themselves heard over the rantings of a deranged Dalek. A polite request is made by your man from the M.E.N. to exterminate the over-excited metal monster. And, within a minute or so, it's done. Would that it was so easy to silence the Time Lord's greatest enemy out there in time and space. Doctor Who is a reminder of just how scary the universe can be. Worried about Mr T taking over from Salford's Christopher Eccleston? Don't be. In the first full adventure out of his pyjamas, he moves the role on, with a cure for any Easter weekend boredom, along with a few other things. ... David and Billie are taking a break from filming and relaxing at Cardiff's Millennium Centre, transformed into a hospital with a difference for this weekend's story, and also being visited during our interview by that screeching Dalek, who probably just wants someone to talk to. Doomsday will be the biggest finish to a series in the history of Doctor Who. 'It's a real cliffhanger,' promises Billie. But it's a two-part story, concluding with The Satan Pit, that has wiped the smile off her face. 'I was quite shocked,' she frowns. 'The devil has always been quite a spooky concept for me and I found those two scripts terrifying - really dark. We're on a different planet, an alien world.' David adds: 'Basically, they find a darkness that doesn't seem to have an explanation. And even the Doctor, who can usually explain these things away, is a bit stumped by quite what is living under this planet.' There's fun to be had everywhere in this series, with five episodes written by Manchester-based Russell T Davies. It contains some of the best TV writing, acting and production on show anywhere in the world. Clues about the future are there for the taking. ... 'Russell is the best writer in television,' maintains David. 'He is the master of making entertainment seem effortless. The script for the last episode was genuinely breathtaking to read. And there are other brilliant writers on this series, including Matthew Graham from Life On Mars.' Snogging aside, there's plenty of chemistry between Rose and the tenth Time Lord. 'There's no formula,' explains Billie. 'It just happens or it doesn't. And, fortunately enough for us, it happened.' ... But - assuming they survive Doomsday - both will be back to film the next series, although there's continued speculation about when they might leave. As long as the show stays on top form, why would they want to quit?"

New Earth Reviews/Features

The Sun today said of "New Earth," "They are purr-fect villains... feline foes who provide the opposition for Doctor Who tomorrow as the Timelord returns to our screens. At first they look cute, but fans soon discover these weird kitties aren't your average housecats - they are deadly. They are the Sisters Of Plenitude, evolved cats who run a sinister hospital on earth billions of years in the future. ... It was up to the amazing make-up experts on the BBC1 sci-fi hit to work a miracle turning actors into the untrustworthy cats with prosthetics. And the job they did turned out to be the cat's whiskers. The prosthetics chief is Neill Gorton, who helped develop the character from the last series, The Face Of Boe, who reappears tomorrow night. Neill said: 'At first we thought the Sisters were going to be aliens who resembled cats. But Russell (writer, Russell T Davies) said, 'Forget about doing cat like monsters, these are cats who have evolved.' 'So it was like, OK, go get some pictures of Tiddles and let's figure it out. We made a prosthetic piece for the face and to get the finish we used a technique called flocking. It involves firing nylon fibres from a gun. They attach to the prosthetic skin so you get that beautiful fur all over the face. Then it's airbrushed to get different patterns. We picked different ones to suit their characters. There's the novice who is more of a ginger cat, younger and softer, and a grey tabby for the mother superior. Someone could look at their own cat and see the same markings on the face.' It can't have been that comfortable for the actors in the masks though. Actress Anna Hope, who plays one of the Sisters, is seen above left getting hers and there is the finished face. She admits: 'The entire prosthetic cat mask is modelled to my face. It takes about two and a half hours to put on. Your skin can't breathe particularly well, but it's OK.'"

Charlie Brooker in The Guardian writes, "Terrible thing, anticipation. ... All of which brings me to Doctor Who (Sat, 7.15pm, BBC1) - specifically, to episode one of the new series. Now, I've been effusive in my admiration of last year's series - effusive to the point of fellatio, you might say, if it were possible to fellate a television programme, which it isn't, not unless you take a printout of the scripts, furl them into a tube and mimic a blowjob on them, although the weirdness of your actions tends to overshadow your implied praise when you do something like that. Anyway, my anticipation gland was bursting as I settled down to watch the series opener - so you can guess what's coming next. It left me a bit ... well, a bit down. For starters, there's a bit too much going on given the 45-minute running time: the plot revolves around shadowy goings-on in an intergalactic hospital, but there's also a lot of messing about with supporting characters who feel superfluous to the main storyline, diffusing your attention. It also makes a few jarring tonal shifts - leaping from high camp, to straight horror, to oleaginous sentimentality without warning. And David Tennant, trying to keep up with this, occasionally just ends up popping his eyes and shouting too much. What I'm saying is it's a jumbled let-down. See what I'm doing here? I'm lowering your expectations. Not because I'm trying to trick you, but because I didn't think it was very good. And I bloody love Doctor Who. Sorry. ... But hey. Carping over. Now for the good news. All of this - the rush of anticipation, the slow guff of disappointment - all of this is all entirely in keeping with last year's premiere episode, which was also an overexcited manic sprawl of a thing, but turned out to be merely the slightly misfired opening salvo in a dazzlingly brilliant fun-for-all-the-family romp. And if NEXT week's episode is anything to go by, this year's going to be similar. Because next week's episode (also scripted by Russell T Davies) involves a much-publicised encounter with a werewolf guaranteed to make easily-spooked kiddy viewers crap their own spines through their bumholes. It's flipping great (as are Tennant and Piper). In summary, then, your instructions are as follows: watch with a forgiving eye, because the predictive chart I'm preparing indicates a steep upturn in quality from hereon in. Hooray and phew for that."

Another review in The Guardian says, "Anyone who thinks that television no longer unites the nation should peer into living rooms across the country at 7.15pm tonight. The fools' lantern will be flickering, but you may not see anyone in front of the screen. Children and adults alike will be cowering behind sofas as the Tardis heaves into view accompanied by a new Doctor Who and that familiar, if slightly tweaked, whoosh of a tune. The outpouring of affection for the series, with the 10th incarnation of the Doctor played by Casanova star David Tennant, is far from nostalgia for the shaky sets and stripy scarves of the Tom Baker golden era. Viewers have returned - 10 million watched the Christmas special - because the reinvigorated franchise is witty and warm, as well as scary. It vaporises any suggestion the good Doctor is not the man he used to be. Under Russell T Davis's writing, he is much, much better. The series is more subtle and satirical than of old. The first episode features a futuristic hospital where boil-covered Zombies fester, echoing the recent botched drug trials and the panic over superbugs. But the up-to-date Doctor benefits too from the rich heritage of past series, fondly pored over by Whovians. As Davis has pointed out, children enjoy the mythology that comes with the Doctor. And so parents chuntering on about K9 and the Cybermen do not cause offspring to roll their eyeballs but only encourage further forays from the safety of the sofa." And yet another article says, "Cat nurses, lonely zombies, mind-swap machines and a fat man who's slowly turning into stone, or as the 10th Doctor David Tennant puts it, 'I like impossible'. Just over a year ago, reviving Doctor Who seemed like a mad geek's gamble, now it's the toast of the town. A playful Tennant is already fully relaxed into the role, pleasing Billie Piper no end, while Russell T Davies' cracking script never lets any potentially mawkish stuff outweigh the all-important goofy fun. 'Fantastic!' "

The Scotsman says, "Television has changed since the old days of Doctor Who. The performance style of shouty acting, which has its roots in theatre, has begun to die off. It has gone in most of the comedy and in some of the drama. But children's TV is still hard at it. While it definitely doesn't suit the medium, maybe it is still required by the age group - something to do with young people's well-documented need to know exactly where they stand, with none of the ambiguities that naturalism tends to usher in. Russell T Davies's remake of Doctor Who... has brought the old mystery man down to earth. ... As a fan of both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, I was excited when they each got the part. But neither of them are at home with the new laddish thing. Weren't Ross Kemp or Jeremy Clarkson available? It doesn't help Tennant that a choice has been made to do a kind of East London accent. I kept expecting him to pop down the Vic for a quick spot of bovver. ... This first episode in the new series doesn't give Tennant the opportunities Eccleston had in his first episode to win Billie Piper over to his mission. And there is less of Davies's contemporary reference wit here than in his first series to fire Tennant's comic genius. Both Tennant and Eccleston get angry moral crusader speeches. This is a convention of British dramatic writing I despise. When human beings are angry, they are surfing on unconscious forces and a whole unpredictable complex comes into play, from laughter to tears to violence to complete incoherence. It could turn on a sixpence at any second. That is danger. But angry speeches make actors' voices go tight, as if they are unconsciously resisting the falsehood. This happens to both Tennant and Eccleston, but the strain shows more in Tennant. The result is not only ugly and untrue, it's also boring. The best way to express the Doctor's morality is in his deeds. In the last series there was a lot of the heroes being chased through labyrinthine buildings by that particular week's manifestation of evil. And here it is again in the first of the new one. But our old flat-footed friend the British TV camera watches from outside the tension. The shots don't allow you to apprehend the exact danger at any given moment. Instead of experiencing the drama you have to translate it."

Newsquest Media says that "The last series saw Christopher Eccleston expose the darker side of the Doctor's character. And the new series will see David Tennant as the tenth Time Lord fresh from playing Casanova. He and feisty assistant Rose Tyler are set to battle the new-look Cybermen and save Queen Victoria from the clutches of a werewolf. But what kind of Doctor will he be this time around and do Doctor Who fans really want to see him snog Billie Piper? ... Area 51 radio presenter and Channel 4 resident sci-fi expert Stuart Claw, 27, thinks that the new series could see some interesting developments in the Doctor's character. He said: 'I think Doctor Who is one of the first things I started watching. Jon Pertwee was really good. 'I have to say Tom Baker is good for a laugh and he started a new fashion in scarves. Christopher Eccleston really impressed me. 'It was a shame he had to leave suddenly. David Tennant as the Doctor? I don't know. The jury's still out on that.' The Doctor's relationship with Rose will hopefully be developed a lot further in the second series, kicking off on Saturday, added Stuart."

The Hollywood Reporter says that "Only the been-there, done-that time traveling hero of 'Doctor Who' would journey to the year 5-billion-23 and upon entering the most fantastic medical facility ever built anywhere complain, 'There's no shop. A hospital should have a little shop.' While in the U.S. the Sci Fi Channel is still in the first series of the modern reincarnation of the legendary Time Lord starring Christopher Eccleston, the BBC on Saturday moves into the second of two series starring David Tennant ('Cassandra') [sic]. Tennant brings a childlike joy to the doctor's enjoyment of his extraordinary powers and his errors in judgment, required for the inevitable predicaments, are a shade more believable than when perpetrated by Eccleston's character. It is a children's show, after all, although Russell T Davies has made the new series savvy and witty enough to attract adults. ... It's silly and clever stuff, and the sets and CGI are all just good enough. The BBC promises more series, and it seems that Tennant and Piper, who have terrific chemistry, will be around for a few eons more. Long may they travel."

More Media Coverage

Thursday's issue of The Sun has a two-page colour spread on David Tennant as part of a series of features marking the show's return on Saturday. It tells how he predicted while at school that he would one day play the Doctor, and has an interview with his former English teacher, Moira Robertson. who says she still has a copy of an essay he wrote, called Intergalactic Overdose, when he was 14. It also says that his parents, Sandy and Helen, nearly joined in the programme. They were visiting the set during a read-through for episode two and two actors were unable to be there. Tennant is quoted as saying: "Because it's set in Scotland they were asked to read in. They were delighted. Mum played Lady Isabelle and my dad played Captain Reynolds. They were genuinely cheesed off when they didn't get asked to play the parts for real." Tomorrow's (Friday) Sun will have a feature looking "Inside the Doctor's incredible world". The Sun also has a brief mention of interview comments Billie Piper gave to GQ.

Televisual interviews Jane Tranter, the BBC's controller of drama commissioning, who "spells out exactly what her portfolio of channels are hungry for What recent show are you most proud of? Life on Mars. Can I have two? Doctor Who too please. ... What formats and slots? Could be anything. We need to look at how we make our Saturday and Sunday night offerings feel relevant to those days of the week. We're looking at how much more challenging we can be midweek at 9pm. ... What's best about UK drama? Russell T Davies."

The Salt Lake Tribune says of Friday night's US premiere of the new series episode "Dalek," "Here's something you Utah 'Doctor Who' nerds can geek out on: It appears the Daleks, the race of robotic aliens that was the Doctor's archnemesis, may have trod not so lightly in Utah. Or shall we say will tread not so lightly. In the next episode of the British science-fiction hit, the Doctor and his sidekick, Rose, travel to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the near future to investigate a billionaire collector who claims he has the last relic of the Daleks. Or does he have more than that?" AndUSA Today says "I'm not a devotee of Dr. Who (Sci Fi, tonight, 9 ET/PT), so I can't tell you where this latest imported extension of the series fits into the doctor's 40-year history, or how new star Christopher Eccleston compares with all the doctors before. All I can say is that this new Who is a very entertaining bit of light sci-fi fun, spurred on by Eccleston's often amusing and always moody Doc and Billie Piper's down-to-earth travel mate Rose Tyler. Plus, tonight's episode boasts the return of one of Who's favorite villains: a Dalek, who was being held in a Utah bunker. Before you know it, the Dalek is back to killing people, and in a more diabolical and high-tech fashion than it did in the old days. Enjoy."

Speaking of the first season of the new series, writer Rob Shearman("Dalek") has a new Radio 4 play on next week, at 14.15 UK time (and then on the Listen Again feature on the BBC website afterwards). It's a science fiction comedy called "Odd," about "what happens when a man begins to find that the entire English language has changed its meaning overnight... Produced as ever by Martin Jarvis, it's the Pick of the Day in the Radio Times."

Newsquest Media chats with Sophia Myles: "Ask Sophia Myles to name her favourite Doctor Who and she replies, 'David Tennant'. Then adds mischieviously, 'For obvious reasons - you know what those reasons are.' The vicar's daughter who was pretty in pink as Lady Penelope in the flesh-and-blood movie based on the puppet series Thunderbirds is reportedly stepping out with Tennant, the latest actor to go time-travelling. But she remains coy about confirming stories about who's who in Who's love life. On the big screen, she's one half of a pair of star-crossed lovers in the new movie Tristan & Isolde, produced by the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony. Her leading man is US actor James Franco. Around the same time that opens in cinemas, she'll be alongside Tennant on the small screen in the latest Doctor Who series on BBC1, playing Madame de Pompadour in an episode called The Girl In The Fireplace. 'When my agent called and said I'd been offered Doctor Who, I thought, 'brilliant, I'm going to meet the Daleks'. But no, I'm in a corset in Versailles,' she says. 'Madame de Pompadour is the mistress of King Louis and, in Doctor Who terms, has known the doctor since she was a very young girl. He's visited her through the course of her life. I used to watch Doctor Who when I was a kid so to be in it is such a privilege. It's a job you can't say no to, it's a bit like being called to jury service, it's not cool to say no.' Filming the series in Cardiff was a bonus as Myles is half-Welsh and the job offered the chance to visit her elderly grandfather. 'I'd been out of the country for so long, so I thought, 'great, I can go down and see granddad'. So I did a couple of days shooting and then went to see him at his pensioners' home. I told him I had a day off the following Sunday and I'd come and see him again. And then he dropped dead the next day. 'It was kind of meant to be really because it was lovely to go to see him and we had a good old chat. So it was very special to me from a personal point of view.'"

This Is Wiltshire says that "a biographer is about to delve into the life of the nation's sweetheart Billie Piper. Sean Smith, who has previously written about Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue and Justin Timberlake, wants to find out why so many people have so much affection for the Swindon-born star. He said what drove her chart-topping pop success, coupled with a soaring TV career as Dr Who's sidekick Rose Tyler, will make for an interesting read. But this will not be a controversial book uncovering shocks and scandal. Instead Mr Smith just wants to get closer to Billie's life to find out what makes the 23-year-old tick. 'She is an exciting and extremely popular person,' he said. 'When I first thought about Billie all I could think of was a teenage girl bouncing around on stage singing Because We Want To. A lot of people thought she had her five minutes of fame and that was the last we would see of her. But how wrong this was. The success of Dr Who has been amazing. The fact that she won a National Television Award, which is voted by the public for her acting ability, speaks volumes about her. She really has become the nation's sweetheart.' He added: 'I like to write about someone who has risen from the ashes, a phoenix-like story. I wrote about Robbie Williams, who has had phenomenal success since Take That and has gone on to be the country's favourite entertainer. I like stories where you can feel good about the person you are reading and where you can feel a sense of inspiration.'"

The Rutherglen Reformer News says "Doctor Who returns for a new series on Saturday - and its executive producer has exclusively told the Reformer of his jealousy of a former Rutherglen man. Russell T Davies, who is also the award winning lead writer on the BBC1 series, was a huge fan of the programme while growing up in Swansea. Davies, whose other TV hits include Queer as Folk, The Second Coming and Casanova, admits he was gutted when he heard that fan Andrew Smith, from Rutherglen, had got to write for the series after speculatively submitting a script. Originally entitled The Planet That Slept, the script was renamed Full Circle, and was shown in 1980 as part of Tom Baker's final year in the part. Russell said: 'I love Full Circle! I remember hearing about Andrew Smith being commissioned to write it, and being very jealous as I was older than him! He was 18, and I just remember thinking what an impossible thing to do - and damn his eyes! I really like that story as it's one of the few Doctor Whos that has a genuine science fiction twist at the heart of it, with evolution showing the monsters eventually become their own victims. And it's also so beautifully made - yes, I really like it.' ... Next month, recording on a new Doctor Who spin off, Torchwood, gets under way, and will star John Barrowman, recently seen on ITV's Dancing on Ice. West End star Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who, lived in Cambuslang before his family moved to the USA in the seventies. Davies said: 'I can't say much about Torchwood at the moment as not even a second of it has been recorded, but they start filming in May, and hopefully it will be on screen before the end of the year on BBC3 and BBC1. John is absolutely marvellous - when you meet him, he's a real firestorm, truly incredible. A lot of casting directors and producers look at all the West End stuff as a place for great talent, and the people there are thought of as hoofers. They are the most disciplined actors with the finest range you will find. I've a lot of friends who work in musical theatre, and it was amazing that no one had picked up on John Barrowman big time before. I thought we were so lucky to get him, and I'm not surprised he's a star. Hopefully, Torchwood will be a success and become a long-running show - that's the plan - but it's aimed to become a continuing series.'"

SyFy Portal says that "He might have done his first episode with 'The Christmas Invasion,' but according to David Tennent [sic], his real debut is actually 'New Earth,' which premieres in the UK this weekend. 'It was kind of a bit surreal really, because at the time I didn't know the job was on offer anyway,' Tennent said to John Barrowman, who starred in five episodes of 'Doctor Who' last season, on ITV1's 'This Morning' show. 'You know, the first series was just about to go out and as you say there was a lot of 'who-ha' about it. And like the rest of the nation, I didn't realise that Chris wouldn't be doing any more. So it was as big a surprise to me as it was to anyone else. I just laughed really.' Although the Christmas special episode of the series was very well received, the actor mentioned that only now is he relieved as the next 13 episodes are about to air. 'I'm kind of relieved that it's finally out there because there's so much a build up, and we've been filming for such a long time,' said the actor. 'We finished a week and a half ago.' ... The second series is set to continue with the strengths of the first season while also bringing a few surprises into the mix. Among those features is the Doctor's reliance on his Sonic Screwdriver. 'I don't think we've got any new kind of running gadgets,' said Tennent. 'I've probably forgotten something … K-9! Week 3, episode 3, K-9 is back! And Sarah Jane Smith, who was of course Elizabeth Sladen who was brilliant in the 70's. So Sarah Jane comes back and its still Elizabeth Sladen!'"

There were two Doctor Who references in the Tuesday 11 April edition of Ideal, the BBC3 sitcom/drama starring Johnny Vegas as small-time drug dealer Moz, now in its second series. Firstly, when mobster Cartoon Head is unconscious after an electric shock, Psycho Paul finds his heartbeats strange and Moz sarcastically comments, "What? Has he got two hearts? Is he from Gallifrey?" (Pronouncing it FREE in a Tom Baker-like way.) Later, the villains’ boss turns up with an electronic voice device (lung cancer?) and one of Moz’s youngest and dimmest clients risks his wrath by innocently commenting, "Oh! Is that you? I thought there was a Dalek in here!"

The May issue of the UK magazine of "strange phenomena," Fortean Times, has a feature in the current issue on Cybermen and their creator Kit Pedler, complete with a cover illustration that features the Cybermen from the new series. The article focuses on "the doctor and scientist who created the soulless silver monsters and whose unconventional interests took him into the world of the paranormal".

Doctor Who once again features in the British satirical magazine Private Eye - in a cartoon that ingeniously satirises the state of the British National Health Service, a Dalek enters its GP's office and proclaims "you're not the Doctor I had last time!" Also, the latest issue of Glamour magazine (May edition) features a two-page behind-the-scenes Doctor Who feature.

The Daily Record says that "Doctor Who star David Tennant regenerated as a 'Whoodie' when he appeared for a chat with DJ Jo Whiley on Radio 1 yesterday. His clothes couldn't disguise he was looking rough - but that could be down to the stomach bug he's been battling this week. And it's one demon he'll want to defeat before the new Doctor Who series takes off tomorrow."

Also: ABC Online has a 'news' story taken from a fan panel at a sci-fi convention; Now Playing Mag features a review of "Dalek"; PingWalescomments on the story about the Sequence group developing Doctor Who online games; and theBlackpool Citizen and This is Lancashire report on the Doctor Who museum and exhibition including a special event on Monday.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes, John Bowman, Peter Weaver, Chuck Foster, Stuart Madison, Alan Daulby, Ed Martin, Joanna Pinkney)

Coverage in the media on Tuesday and Wednesday follows below; meanwhile, that catch-up on last week's backlog will happen soon (I promise! - Editor)

More BAFTA Nods

Crew members on Doctor Who have been nominated for four awards in the BAFTA Craft Awards which the BAFTA website describes as honouring "the unseen heroes of television, those who tirelessly work behind the camera." The nominations for Doctor Who production personnel are for Joe Ahearne(Best Director), Jo Pearce and Andrew Whitehouse for Attack of the Graske (Best New Media Developer), Russell T Davies (Best Writer) and production designer Edward Thomas (Break-through Talent). A full list of nominations can be found at the BAFTA website. Meanwhile, Yahoo News says that "Davies and Extras' Ricky Gervais will go head-to-head ... at the British Academy Television Craft Awards next month. ... The awards take place on May 19 at The Dorchester hotel in London." The 'head to head' story has been widely reported on various news services as well.

New Games for Doctor Who Site

IT Wales says today that "Welsh interactive agency Sequence has been commissioned by BBC Wales to develop a suite of interactive games for the new Doctor Who series, which starts on BBC1 this weekend. The contract was awarded to Cardiff based Sequence, after stiff UK wide competition as part of the BBC's commitment to outsource the design and development of some of its online content. "It is a real coup for Sequence to be awarded this piece of work", comments Chris Haresign, Sequence's Business Development Director. "We're really pleased. It's a truly exciting commission that really allows our creative juices to flow - especially when you consider that Doctor Who is one of the BBC's flagship productions." James Goss, the editor of the BBC's Doctor Who website comments, "As soon as Doctor Who ends on TV, the adventure continues online - only suddenly you're helping your heroes, defending the earth, locating alien artefacts, or saving history. It's the next best thing to travelling in the TARDIS yourself." He continues, "We instantly found the Sequence team a pleasure to work with and are delighted with the quality of the output they produce - it's always a worry that the outsourcing process can stimulate an uncomfortable degree of separation between organisations, but in this instance the Sequence team have dove-tailed seamlessly with our own production team." The commission sees the creation of a Virtual World consisting of mini websites and games that build upon the themes of each episode, and allow viewers to immerse themselves in the characters' lives, and face the challenges, decisions and excitement that they do. Mark Johnson, Sequence Creative Director comments, "Each element of the interactive experience has been carefully scripted to ensure a careful fit with the series. In the quest for perfection the design and development of the games saw the BBC commissioning content specifically to add to the authenticity of the interaction experience. "We were thrilled to receive the news that we had won the work, and it's fantastic that the online element of the production will be delivered from South Wales - the very region that has been responsible for the regeneration of the Doctor!"' Also reported today at News Wales.

New Reactions to "New Earth"

Closer lists this Saturday's episode as one of their 'Choices' of the day. "Weird aliens, check. Rose Tyler's dodgy Cockney accent, check. A crush on the new Doctor, David Tennant, check. Yes, the new series of Doctor Who is here. Billie's been at the bleach and David Tennant is proving easy on the eye. It kicks off in New Earth, billions of years in the future, where the only pure human left is Cassandra, the bitter, stretched-out piece of skin from last series. She possesses Rose, goes in for a snog with the Doc, and sidetracks them from figuring out why a hospital's overrun by zombies."

Heat Magazine has New Earth as it's Pick of the Day as well as being at number 1 in their Best TV Shows of the week. Reviewer Boyd Hilton gives it a max 5 stars."Gather round for the new series of the superbly realised, dazzlingly slick, pacy and smart Doctor Who revival. And the good news is, this first episode is every bit as giddily ambitious and entertaining as anything we saw last year, as the Doctor and Rose embark upon a trip to mankind's new home, thousands of years into the future. The version of New New York looks fittingly like something from a prog rock album cover, while the talents of BBC Wales' design, make-up and cost ume departments create a space-age hospital where weird cat-like creatures conduct disturbing medical experiments on an array of peculiar species. Quite why the Doctor and Rose end up snogging, or why the genius skin-thin Cassandra creature from the previous series returns, we won't reveal. Let's just say that David Tennant is clearly shaping up to be the sexiest Doctor ever, and that the lack of a Bafta nomination for Billie looks even sillier than it did before we saw her bravura work in this glorious story."

New magazine has Saturday's episode as their number 1 pick of the week. "If you remember the original Doctor Who, you probably think of it as a kids' show. But the new Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, Casanova) is as much aimed at the adults who hid behind the sofa from the Daleks when they were children as it is at a new genration of kids - which is why there's so much excitement about this second series. In this opener, the quirky and hugely talented David tennant succeeds Christopher Eccleston as the tenth Time Lord with Billie Piper... returning as his sidekick Rose. Tonight they visit mankind's home in the future and dsicover a gruesome secret about a luxury hospital..."

Reveal's Pick of the Day, they give New Earth 5 stars. "Fans of Doctor Who were shocked after Christopher Eccleston decided to call it a day as the Time Lord after only one run of the sci-fi drama. Thankfully, the Salford-born actor's announcement he was quitting came in time for the show's creators to find a replacement, and the closing scenes of the first season saw David Tennant apeara s the Doctor... In this opener, the thrill-seeking duo travel to a futuristic alien world and encounter an old enemy."

Star also calls it their Pick of the Day; the first new series episode is given 4 out of 5 stars. "After a long wait, the second series of the revived Doctor Who returns, this time with David Tennant as the travelling Timelord... he continues to charm as the eccentric, indie Doc..."

Radio Times

With a fold-out cover featuring the Doctor, Rose and the TARDIS, Sarah Jane Smith and K9, the Sisters of Plenitude, clockwork robots and a Cyberman, as well as the series' brand typeface, Deviant Strain, the new edition of Radio Times continues the magazine's extensive support of the new series. The heart of this issue is a 16-page section of special features, which begins with an article by Russell T Davies, which reveals that "if you watch the Doctor and Rose very closely there's an overconfidence at times that could well be their downfall. He says mysteriously..." Davies also comments that we will see "the completion of Mickey's story in series two" and that Jackie "really gets to be centre stage" for episode ten. The special also includes an episode guide to the series, with extensive comments from Davies and other members of the production team accompanying a twenty-strong selection of mostly unseen photographs. 'New Earth' showcases "every design department at full tilt"; 'Tooth and Claw' is "a good old gothic scary horror" and "very much a companion piece" to 'The Unquiet Dead'. 'School Reunion' features "scenes with K9 [that] are really joyful and funny and daft"; 'The Girl in the Fireplace' is "beautiful episode ... a different take on the 'celebrity historical'. Davies confirms that the two-part 'Rise of the Cybermen'/'The Age of Steel' is set on a parallel Earth, with "another version of Jackie, of Mickey, and Rose's father is still alive" - "Earth has become a fascist society". The 1953 coronation, and tales of the whole country gathered around the TV to watch it, inspired 'The Idiot's Lantern', while "The keyword for ['The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit'] was tough ... Everything's greasy and dirty ... Everything is dangerous ... I wanted to show the pioneering human spirit ... It's pushing the envelope as far as you can go in terms of monsters." 'Love and Monsters' is "very different. It's funny in places, but it's not just a comedy script." 'Fear Her' is set in 2012, and shows the "marvellously sinister underneath" to suburbia. The series finale, 'Army of Ghosts'/Doomsday', will make "Grown men ... rend their garments! ... the Cybermen are back, big time, en masse. And it really is epic." In another article, David Tennant and Billie Piper each answer a selection of questions sent in by readers: Tennant is "willing to risk" typecasting ("good work supersedes" it), cites Tom Baker as a hero, is thrilled by the idea of kids playing with action figures of him, rates the Zygons as a "design classic", and is "fairly certain" he'll be doing Series Three, pending discovering the end of episode 13's script; Piper "really wants to stay", again subject to the end of 'Doomsday', her favourite episodes are 8 and 9, is "completely" attracted to the Doctor (but "it's not a phyiscal thing"), has nicknamed Tennant "David Ten-inch", and was scared by the Ood in 'The Satan Pit'. The RT special concludes with a 147-strong cast and crew photograph and a look at how this week's cover was created.

Elsewhere in the magazine, the new series gets further coverage that other shows currently dream of. The Editor's Letter (p.3) concentrates on the series' return, mentioning that the RT writers "thought the new series was so wonderful, they could scarcely contain themselves until the transmission date finally arrived." 'New Earth' is one of Saturday's choices (p.4) for the week's best TV ("David Tennant slides effortlessly into his role ... exciting and funny"). The episode also supplies TV Editor Alison Graham's "Moment of the Week" (p.83): the "Oh my god! I'm a chav!" line seen in some of the recent publicity. As Saturday's main "RT Choice" and "Drama of the Week" (p.84), the episode is "exciting, funny and occasionally camp ... Tennant is perfect ... The story has poignancy and heart, and it's great family viewing." On the same page, a boxout promotes the Tardisodes. Saturday's listings (p.86) include another photo (the Doctor and Catnun) and the blurb: "Go grab your sonic screwdriver: the Tardis is back, with David Tennant at the helm, for more thrilling adventures in time and space. New Earth. Zoë Wanamaker guest-stars as the Doctor and Rose face an old foe - the lethal Lady Cassandra. Doctor Who Confidential follows on BBC3; Totally Doctor Who is on Thursday..." The listing for Confidential promises footage of Tennant picking his outfit for 'The Christmas Invasion'. And Blue Peter's first feature on Series Two is selected as one of "This Week's Choices" for kids' TV (p.140) - Wednesday's edition "celebrates the return ... with a very special make - a Tardis!" Finally, the Letters page (p.169) invites readers to comment on whether David Tennant is their "ideal Doctor Who", and features a photo of Russell T Davies presenting a new series Dalek to the Christmas competition winner, 12-year-old Honey Jones-Hughes, who was "on the phone tears running down her face" when she heard she'd won, as well as promotion for Doctor Who Adventures comic. There's also a full-page advert for Doctor Who Adventures, and, unusually for a classic series release, this week's DVD of 'Genesis of the Daleks' gets a half-page advertisement ("If you own jst one classic Doctor Who DVD, this should be it").

The Radio Times website has also unveiled some Doctor Who features pagesonline. These currently feature video footage of the photoshoot for the cast and crew photo in the magazine, with a complete breakdown of the 147 names and faces in that shot, a photo gallery showing ten pictures from 'New Earth', and a piece on the Tardisodes.

In The Media

BBC America has announced that they have picked up the series Secret Smile starring David Tennant, which will begin running on Monday and Tuesday nights starting the week of May 29.

Tomorrow morning's Times has a commentator who says that "I have alrways regarded any adult Star Trek enthusiast as a sad individual who makes up for the mundanity of his real life by inhabiting an imaginary one. ... For years we in Britain had our own home-grown, humble version of Star Trek, in the form of the faintly absurd Dr Who, which was, thank goodness, taken off the air in 1989 after almost three decades. It had its pathetic band of adult followers who got together at conventions to discuss time travel or Daleks. Fortunately, this kind of social inadequate was generally kept out of public view, except for the occasional appearance on breakfast television dressed as a sea monster. Yet, after a reassuring absence of 16 years, Dr Who returned to our screens in 2005 and proved a ratings hit, attracting more than ten million viewers. What was once little more than a children's series had suddenly become the linchpin of the BBC's drama schedule. The new Dr Who, which returns to our screens on Saturday, has not only vast popular appeal but has also attracted praise from normally sane critics. One even said that the recent success of Dr Who proves that we are living in a 'golden age' of drama. This flood of adulation prompts me to doubt whether we are living in a grown-up country. In its first incarnation, Dr Who was rightly seen as a bit of frivolity for youngsters. But now, in 21st-century Britain, it is treated as a serious work of creative genius. Yet as far as I can see, nothing has changed. Dr Who remains a cartoon time traveller with a glamorous assistant, fighting alien enemies. This is juvenile fare. It is telling that the modern prince of baby-men, the squeaky-voiced David Beckham, is so hooked that he has never missed an episode and even owns a book of Dr Who scripts. There is nothing wrong with science fiction. H. G. Wells and Ray Bradbury provided thought-provoking commentaries on the nature of mankind or terrifying visions of the future. But the lame Dr Who is difficult. As with the adult enthusiasm for Harry Potter, the hysterical following for Dr Who is yet another indicator of how infantile we have become."

The Stage says that "Doctor Who has missed out on nominations for its costume, make-up and special effects at the Bafta Craft Awards, a result that will anger creator Russell T Davies, who recently hit out at the 'snobbery' surrounding the awards system. The writer, who is credited with helping revive Saturday night family viewing, said that the industry found it easier to pick out the craft in period productions rather than science fiction. Speaking out during a podcast for a national newspaper, he said 'You watch a Charles Dickens adaptation and you're clapping [at] all those antique lace collars but if you watch a bird woman from the 57th century you don't imagine that someone put two weeks' thought and work into it.' He added that situation made him angry. 'There's nothing that you can do about it and it always sounds a bit stupid raging about awards, they don't matter in the end - but if our design, costume, make-up and effects departments aren't nominated I will be furious.'"

SFX Magazine features a brief interview with Sophia Myles who plays Madame Du Pompadour in "The Girl in the Fireplace". "When my agent called me and said 'you've been offered an episode of Doctor Who' I thought, brilliant! I'm going to meet the Daleks! 'No, you're going to be in a corset in Versailles!' She's the mistress of Louis XIIII, and in Doctor Who terms she's known the Doctor since she was a very young girl - he came into her life when she was about seven or eight and he's visited her throughout the course of her life. ... There are bad guys in this one; I'm kind of scared to say too much, not 'because I don't want to tell you, I'd love to tell you, there are some rather terrifying monsters – well, not monsters exactly, droids? There's a reason why they're interested in my being...'"

TV Guide magazine said about last Friday's episode, World War Three: "
Last we saw of the Doctor, he was being zapped to death alongside members of UNIT. The perps were the gas-passing Slitheens, an interesting race of aliens who resemble E.T.'s fat auntie (assuming E.T.'s fat auntie had honkin' raptor talons). Rose and Harriet (whom the doctor knew from somewhere) were about to be crushed by the MI5-impersonating Slitheen. Jackie was going to be consumed by the punk impersonating the police inspector. They escaped, of course (wouldn't be much of a show otherwise). Turns out the Slitheen zappers only worked on humans, and the Doctor is only half human. It also happens that the Slitheens are all related, so when the Doctor threw the ball of zap back at his tormentors, it affected all the aliens. Yippie! Sadly, all the UNIT members perished. (Lots of people tend to die in this new Who.) So what were these aliens up to? Their plan was to instigate a nuclear holocaust by playing on Earthlings' propensity to panic. Once the planet was toast, the spare chunks would be sold as fuel. In the words of Kyle and Stan — you bastards! Harriet Jones came up with a splendid idea to punish the calcium-based chumps: vinegar! It's what Hannibal used to dissolve boulders when he took the elephants over the Alps. When Jackie doused the inspector with pickle brine, he exploded. Good. Even among villains, these Slitheens are repulsive. Flatulent, avaricious murderers, they draped the hollowed-out bodies of their victims on hangers like so many trousers. However, they did bring out the backbone in Mickey, who saved Jackie from the inspector, and later (under the Doctor's supervision from No. 10) launched the missile that blew the Slitheens to proverbial KC. Huzzah! Suddenly, it dawns on the Doctor how he knows the name of Harriet Jones, MP of humble Flydell North (I hope I'm spelling this right). Harriet is to be a brilliant three-time prime minister and (listen up, Mr. Blair) the "architect of Britain's golden age." Since the last one was in the 16th century or so, I'd say merrie olde is due for another, wouldn't you? After decades of economic and monarchical woes, I'd say they've earned it. Perhaps the most telling moment of the series so far came at the end, when Jackie pleaded for Rose to stay. The Doctor, for all his great ability and knowledge, is still just a man and really can't promise Jackie that her daughter will be safe. His silence to Jackie's pleas spoke volumes. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I suspect it will have a harder time getting Rose. But then, dear Whovians, I never thought it would claim Adric."

Billie Piper graces the front cover of this month's InStyle magazine and features in a 6-page photo shoot. She says in various quotes - 'I'm very trusting and that's often my downfall. I don't ever think anyone is going to be horrible. But I'd rather get burnt than become cynical ... What's so great about having done the singing thing then acting is that I've realised fame isn't actually what I wanted - I just wanted to act' She talks extensively about her personal life and ends with this quote - 'When you first meet Rose, she's living this mundane life, waiting for something exciting to happen, and I know exactly how that feels. I still feel like that sometimes' As well as the new Doctor Who, Billie is excited about the Harrods ad campaign, and two TV adaptations of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart adventures.

Sci Fi Wire on Tuesday says Davies has "been selective using characters from the original 26-season run of the show. The first season brought back the Doctor's old enemies the Daleks, and Davies said that the upcoming second-season episode 'School Reunion' will see the return of popular companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and K-9. An upcoming two-parter will feature the robotic Cybermen. 'That was very much a lesson that I took from Star Trek: The Next Generation, where in the first [season], apart from seeing Dr. McCoy in the first episode, they were quite uptight about continuity and didn't refer too much and kept it a new show,' Davies said in an interview. 'Once they were successful, they sort of relaxed in the second season, introducing the Romulans at the end of the first season, so they started accepting that all those great icons of the show are public icons. It takes you a while to realize that, because when you're a fan as I am, you sometimes think your point of view is too fannish, and it takes a while to realize that sometimes a fan's point of view does coincide with the general public's memory of a show. It's not just the fans that say, 'Sarah Jane, K-9, the Cybermen, the Daleks!' It's also the general public.' According to Davies, the skill of bringing back a classic character is deciding which elements to retain and which ones to update for a contemporary audience. "I always say it's like Dracula: If you're doing a Dracula film, I want the crucifix and the garlic and the bats and the brides, and I'm pretty disappointed when a Dracula film doesn't give that to me. It's the same with Doctor Who: It's a folk memory, and ... people who have never even seen the Cybermen will say, 'Are the Cybermen going to be in it?' It's a received memory of the show, and they've heard Mom and Dad talking about it, so I think that's very healthy.'"

Meanwhile, Wednesday morning's Sci Fi Wire says that Davies is "not worried about the possibility of spreading himself too thin this spring, when he sets about producing the second season of his hit SF show and launching its spinoff, Torchwood. 'It's actually not as busy as you think,' Davies said in an interview. 'American series run for 22, 23 or 24 episodes a year, and we've only got 13 episodes a [season]. So it's really no heavier than an American workload, and you all seem to survive! ... Unfortunately, I have a suspicion that your executives are chauffeur limo-ed from meeting to meeting, whereas I have to get the bus. But there are a lot of systems in place, and there's a huge team here. So we've spent a long time setting up Torchwood, to make sure that both shows can run simultaneously.' ... 'It's more capable of running itself,' Davies said. 'And we must always remember that Doctor Who is the parent show and is the show that gets the 44 percent share of the audience [in the United Kingdom, where it is a huge hit], so that's the show that I will always be looking after. That's where my heart is as well. Despite the fact that I created Torchwood, Doctor Who needs constant love and attention.'"

Also: today's Milton Keynes Citizen reports on a Dalek in the London Marathon; This Is Wiltshire has yet another report from the press screening of "New Earth"; Now Playing sums up several reports from Sci Fi Wire; Daily Snacktalks about nicknames Billie and David have given each other (note: adult language); The Stage talks about Christopher Eccleston's new TV role.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Paul Engelberg, Robin Calvert, Rajiv Awasti, Paul Dempsey, John Bowman, and Martin Hoscik at UNIT News)

There was literally a ton of press coverage over the weekend and late last week, so to get started we focus on reports from the weekend. The Outpost Gallifrey news page will on Tuesday carry more from last week's other press and magazine mentions (the editor's still getting caught up with the backlog!)

This Weekend's Launch

The official Doctor Who website has been updated with a front page now themed like the first new episode, New Earth.

Also, says the site, "BBC One's brand new series Totally Doctor Whostarts on Thursday 13 April at 5pm, as part of Children's BBC. Hosted by Barney Harwood and Blue Peter's Liz Barker, Totally Doctor Who will give younger viewers a glimpse of the thrills and spills coming up in the new series. "

Tooth and Claw

There's lots of coverage of episode two of the new season, Tooth and Claw, the past few days. BBC News says that "The latest Doctor Who series, starring David Tennant, will see BBC One's time traveller and his sidekick Rose tackle predators including a werewolf. The second episode sees the Doctor face the creature - a man transformed into a wolf - in Scotland in 1879. Tennant had his first outing in the role for last year's Christmas episode. The new series begins on Saturday. He and co-star Billie Piper attended a Glasgow preview of the werewolf show although it was filmed in Wales."

The Sunday Herald says that "On-set in Cardiff, Tennant is nervous energy personified. While waiting to film a scene, he jumps up and down on the spot and waggles his fingers, then attempts the dance routine from the latest Rachel Stevens video. Today, they are filming the second episode of the new series -- Tooth And Claw, which is set in the Scottish Highlands. In it, Queen Victoria's train derails and she seeks shelter in the mansion of a former friend of Prince Albert's. Unfortunately, the grand country pile has another house guest -- a werewolf. The Doctor and his travelling companion Rose are around too, a Tardis malfunction seeing them fetch up in 1879 when they were actually attempting to attend an Ian Dury gig in 1979. 'It's a bit confusing today,' says Tennant, while waiting for the cameras to roll. 'Lots of running up and down corridors. You tend to forget which you are in. But it's a Doctor Who tradition, running up and down corridors.' He's wearing the brown pinstripe suit that is his Doctor Who outfit ('Jarvis Cocker had this look 10 years ago'), and leaning up against the scenery. There's a deer skull screwed to the wall above him, and a candelabra nearby. One woman has the job of keeping the candles lit, which is bad news for Billie Piper -- Rose in the show -- who sets her hair on fire while running past, but quickly pats it out. 'I've got so much hairspray on as well!' she cackles, clearly amused. She walks around, getting the cast and crew to smell her singed locks. 'Mmm,' says Pauline Collins, who is playing Queen Victoria. 'I love the smell of burning hair.' Such incidents offer much-needed excitement on-set. While it's thrilling to watch, Doctor Who is gruelling to make. Filming began on this new series in July 2005 and continued until the end of March. Cast and crew work 12-hour days, and much of today is taken up with simply running up the corridor towards the camera. There isn't even a werewolf chasing them. That's a special effect which will be put in later. In the meantime, to give the computer animators a guide to work towards, the cast are pursued by a man in body-hugging white Lycra, complete with hood. He looks exactly like one of the sperms from Woody Allen's film Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask. During a break in filming, David Tennant sits down with a cup of tea to talk about starring in Doctor Who. He has been a fan since he was a child growing up in Renfrewshire and is one of those people who know more about the show than is strictly healthy (his earliest memory is of seeing Jon Pertwee regenerate into Tom Baker), so to actually become his boyhood hero has been rather overwhelming. 'It's a bit surreal,' he nods. 'It doesn't seem plausible that you should suddenly get your own Tardis. It seemed fantastically unlikely when they asked me to do it. I just laughed.' When Christopher Eccleston agreed to play the Doctor it was a leap of faith -- one of Britain's most serious actors opting to portray a character who had become a kitschy, culty joke, smelling of cheese and mothballs. Tennant, on the other hand, faces a different kind of pressure -- meeting the high standard set by his predecessor. 'I owe Chris a lot because he was part of creating a phenomenon last year, and his very presence gave the show a mark of quality which some people didn't expect,' he says. 'My problem is I have to live up to that and not be the reason that this year it falls to bits. So it's not so much a leap of faith for me as a leap of hope. I've got much further to fall now that the show is such a big hit. It is intimidating. You think, 'What if I'm the George Lazenby of this?' But then you think, 'I can't not take it on.'' ... In fact, by far the most disturbing moment of the previous series of Doctor Who was the least grisly -- The Empty Child, a two-parter in which the gas mask-wearing ghost of a little boy killed in the Blitz haunts his gymslip mother. Something of its skin-crawling spirit looks to have been captured in New Earth, the first episode of the new series, in which a cats dressed as nuns seek antidotes to diseases by testing them on captive humans. Written by Davies, the episode is a spin on MRSA and animal vivisection (with un-intentional shades of the recent drugs-trial horror) and demonstrates his alchemical knack for turning headlines into plot lines. Under his influence, Doctor Who has become enjoyably liberal, featuring an inter-racial relationship and an alien whose extreme horniness has no regard for gender or indeed species. 'One of the great pleasures of the first series is that we did manage to do that at seven o'clock on a Saturday night and nobody batted an eyelid,' says Phil Collinson . 'Five years ago, if we'd put a bisexual character in a series that has a huge children's following there would have been a massive storm of protest, and I think it is a genuine reflection of our times that that is not the case now. As a society we are more liberal and accepting, and I think what Russell's writing does brilliantly is reflect real life. Even though this is science fiction, we are dealing with real people with real emotions.'"

The Western Mail says that "With its speed, thirst for blood, menacing eyes and evil looking teeth and claws, this is the enemy the Doctor must face in one of the scariest episodes ever. The sight of a werewolf trapping the Doctor is guaranteed to send children fleeing for the safety of the back of the sofa during episode two. Fans of Doctor Who, which returns next Saturday, are used to being scared by the likes of the Daleks, Sea Devils and the Zygons. But the realistic nature of the CGI werewolf, the main monster in the episode Tooth and Claw, could rival a Hollywood horror movie. The episode, starring Pauline Collins, sees Rose and the Doctor transported back to Scotland in 1879. Collins' Queen Victoria meets the pair while en route to the Torchwood Estate, but when they arrive they discover that a group of monks - skilled in martial arts - are hiding a dark secret. Written by Russell T Davies, the episode takes on a sinister bent when the secret is exposed to be a werewolf who wants something belonging to the Queen. For 45 minutes the beast stalks the corridors of the estate, which is Craig-y-Nos Castle in disguise, at one point trapping Rose and the Doctor in a drawing room while it claws at the woodwork. With the beast's thirst for blood, Davies admits it's 'as scary as we ever get'. But the new Doctor, David Tennant, insists it's all in the programme's tradition. He said, 'Being scared is part of growing up. That's what Doctor Who has done since 1963 and I'm glad to see it continue. The show has had horror for as long as I can remember.'"

David Tennant has told of his delight at playing a Scot in the new series of Doctor Who. A feature piece for the UK's Press Association, circulated for Scotland only, runs as follows: "Doctor Who actor David Tennant has spoken of his joy at getting to play a Scot in one episode of the new series. The star was in Glasgow for a preview of episode two from the second series. The episode, entitled Tooth and Claw, sees Tennant time travel to Scotland during Queen Victoria's reign and save the monarch from a werewolf on a Highland estate with help from his companion Rose, played by Billie Piper. The 34-year-actor, who trained at Glasgow's RSAMD, ditched his Scots accent to take on the role of the Doctor at the request of writer Russell T Davies. But he gets to use his own accent in the new episode as he pretends to be a doctor trained in Edinburgh. Although the filming was still done in Wales, Tennant said he found the valleys used in the episode were remarkably similar to landscapes of Scotland. Tennant, who grew up in Paisley, attended the viewing with Piper and also took the chance to meet up with his father, former minister Sandy McDonald. He said he had enjoyed the last nine months filming the series in Cardiff and was looking forward to a welcome break before returning for the third series of the BBC Wales production. On getting to play Doctor Who in his own accent, Tennant said: 'It wasn't a specific ambition, I think it's just great to bring in a Scot for personal reason. Also storywise, it is nice to keep moving it around, taking the character to different places. 'Obviously it's filmed in Wales, so Cardiff has had a shot so I was quite keen that Scotland got a shot and that obviously has some personal ramifications, it's nice. 'I wasn't disappointed at not getting to use my Scottish accent, that was what I was asked to do. It didn't bother me one way or another. I've always felt that part of working as an actor is being happy to take on different roles. 'It doesn't make me feel any less Scottish because I don't always work in a Scottish accent but it was nice to know that we got this one episode with the doctor slipping into the accent.' On getting to play the role of the Time Lord, the self-confessed fan said: 'I'm delighted to be here, it's a huge privilege to be here. I'm having a ball.' "

The UK's Press Association filed a story to media headlined "Doctor Who saves Queen Victoria - from a werewolf' In it, showbusiness editor Anita Singh wrote: "Doctor Who must rescue Queen Victoria from a werewolf's clutches in the Time Lord's latest adventure. The Doctor (David Tennant) and sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) end up landing their Tardis in the Scottish Highlands in 1879. There they encounter Queen Victoria, played by Pauline Collins, and join her for a stay at the Torchwood Estate. But a mysterious creature is lurking in the cellar - and the Doctor battles to save the Queen from a nasty fate. The episode, called Tooth and Claw, is the second of the new series which begins later this month. Tennant and Piper attended a special screening in Glasgow. Although set in Scotland, the episode was actually filmed in Wales. Tennant, 34, grew up in Paisley but ditched his Scottish accent for the role of the Doctor. He gets to use it in this episode as he pretends to be a doctor trained in Edinburgh."

The Evening Times discusses an appearance by David Tennant and Billie Piper in Glasgow, discussing the debut of the second series. "But Tennant, the Paisley boy who attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, proved as enigmatic as the iconic television character he is playing. He neatly dodged inquiries about his girlfriend, actress Sophia Myles, who played Lady Penelope in the movie Thunderbirds. And he was a little guarded about the fact he doesn't use his own accent when playing the Doctor. But he did reveal that when he was offered the part his first reaction was not to take the job because of the profile it carries. 'I thought 'Oh no!' A show like this does attract so much attention. But a couple of days later I changed my mind. And now I think it's a huge thrill and a huge privilege to play the character. I am having a ball.' Billie Piper blushed when asked whether David or previous star Christopher Eccleston was the best Doctor. She said: 'David's is more emotional while Christopher's was more intense - but I've had great fun working with both.'" In another report, Tennant says that "the Windsors were turned into big, bad werewolves after Queen Victoria was attacked by a bloodthirsty hound. The Doctor lands his tardis in the Queen's residence of Balmoral to help save the day after it emerges that the tainted blood could be passed on to future generations, even the current monarchy. But cheeky Tennant, 34, said he wasn't worried about a royal backlash. He said: 'They are werewolves aren't they? Maybe we will be done for treason, but I hope they don't get too upset.' And his sexy sidekick said she was sure the Queen would see the funny side. Billie, 23, said: 'I've heard the Royals are fans of the show and I hope they still are, even after this episode.' ... In the second episode, set in the 18th-century Highlands, Tennant gets to speak with his Scottish accent for the only time in the series - the Doctor normally has more of a London twang. But the actor said he was not bothered that his Dr Who is not Scottish. He said: 'I was asked to do a certain accent and that is what I did. I don't think it is important really. I was just happy that this episode has a Scottish flavour for my own obvious personal reasons.'"

The Independent says that "British drama is in 'genuinely good health', the writer behind the revised version of Doctor Who believes, but if there is a problem, it is writers who are to blame. 'If there's a paucity, I think it's the fault of the writers, because the commissioners are desperate for good material,' says Russell T Davies. 'The greatest censor at work is the writer sitting at home saying, they'll never accept that on BBC1 or ITV. ... It's daft to say you won't watch anything at nine o'clock. Those people running at nine o'clock now were us 15 years ago. They might have to write a Midsomer Murders to get to where they need to be in the industry to have a bit of clout. 'I got The Second Coming on to ITV, about the return of the son of God, at the end of which God was killed and atheism conquered the world. I was very lucky to get that made. But then again, luck is just hard work a lot of the time.' ... As chief scriptwriter on Doctor Who, overseeing the work of fellow scribes of the calibre of The League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss and Coupling creator Stephen Moffat, Davies has, true to his word, removed the shackles from his imagination. A sinister race of catwomen, an encounter between Queen Victoria and a werewolf, the devil and a terrifying squid-like monster all feature in the second series. Alongside action-packed adventure sequences, Davies also explores the Doctor, now played by Scottish actor David Tennant, and his assistant Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, on a more intimate level. 'Stephen Moffat has written what is practically a love story for the Doctor in episode four. That's never been seen. It's very understated, very beautifully done, but it's nonetheless a Time Lord falling in love and Rose's reaction to him falling in love with someone else.' Elements of the old Doctor Who, including the Cybermen and K9, make a comeback in series two, following the reappearance of the Daleks in the first series, when Christopher Eccleston brought a wry northern charm to the part of the Doctor. Davies is a great believer in the backstory. 'If you're doing Dracula, you want the crucifixes and the brides and the bats and the howling wolf. Every science-fiction series has its race of robots on the rampage, so you might as well use the Cybermen.' ... A lifelong fan of Doctor Who, Davies refuses to pander to others who share his addiction. He fears a lot of science-fiction writers, particularly in America, pay too much attention to what is written on fan websites. 'I think it's a huge mistake. If you came to me and said 'You've made a brand new programme, I'd like to run it past a focus group of 2,000 people,' I'd say, 'No way, no good drama has ever been made that way.' He has even less time for professional television critics, believing they fail to engage with television as popular culture because they watch shows like Doctor Who on a VHS tape on Tuesday morning, rather than at the point of transmission on Saturday night, making for a completely different atmosphere. ... He hopes to do just that with Torchwood, which is set in Cardiff in 2006 with a strong Welsh cast and crew - although there are also some English actors, including Burn Gorman, fresh from playing Mr Guppy in BBC1's Bleak House. "The more you can get that accent on screen, the more normalising it is," he explains. Is it an attempt to get more Welsh voices on to network television by stealth? He lets out another of his trademark huge guffaws. "It is a stealth campaign," he agrees gleefully. "Stealth Welsh."

The Sun says that "A howling man turns into a werewolf and threatens to take over the world in a scary new episode of Dr Who. The Doctor (David Tennant) and assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) encounter the beast on a time-travelling trip to 1879 Scotland. They find the werewolf kept in a cage by monks and soon realise it is out to get Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins). The pair rush to protect her -- but find themselves trapped in a room as the hairy monster scratches at the walls. Dr Who creator Russell T Davies said of the episode — part of a new BBC1 series which begins next week: 'It's very British — that Oliver Reed, Hammer Horror thing.'" The Sun also has some photos from the second episode.

People

David Tennant will be interviewed on Virgin Radio on Wednesday April 12 on the "Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show".

Says the Sunday Mail, "Doctor Who star David Tennant has revealed his scariest TV moment - an on-screen cook-off with his dad. Tennant faces terrifying monsters when the new series of the sci-fi drama starts this week. But he said going on Ready, Steady, Cook with his dad, Sandy McDonald, was scarier. The 34-year-old actor said: "Our episode of Ready, Steady, Cook is going out on Wednesday. You genuinely do it in 20 minutes. I was surprised because whenever I've seen it I think they do it in four hours and then cut it together. It was the most tense 20 minutes I have ever spent in my life. I was with Brian Turner and my dad was with Nick Nairn, so they did the whole Scottish thing. The worst part is when Ainsley starts talking to you. The chef will go, 'Chop them into thin strips,' and I'm desperately trying to get this right while Ainsley wants to chat about Daleks. I wanted to say, 'I can't multi-task like this! I am really tense right now.' And all the time I'm also worrying about whether my dad's going to embarrass me.' ... He said: 'It's really tricky - your brain clicks into one way of thinking and it's hard to switch. There is one scene where I am talking about a telescope and I turn round to Rose and speak in the doctor's voice. Then I turn round again and speak in a Scottish voice. It was confusing and I had to run through that in my bedroom a few times.'"

The Mirror says that Christopher Eccleston will return to the TV in an ITV1 thriller called "Perfect Parents."

The Mirror says that "If Doctor Who sidekick Billie Piper had a real-life time-travelling Tardis, she'd probably spend some more time with her boyfriend. Poor old Amadu Sowe. His gorgeous girlfriend spends nine months of the year in Cardiff filming one of Britain's most popular TV shows with a desirable young actor, and he sees her about as often as the viewing public will do - once a week. But his loss is our gain as the former wild child throws her energy into her much-loved portrayal of sidekick Rose Tyler, back on our screens on Saturday with the new Doctor, David Tennant. 'I see David more than I see my family and my boyfriend,' confesses the 23-year-old beauty. 'Amadu visits me quite a lot - not as much as I'd like - but enough. This year I'm in a hotel with room service every night. We work 12 to 13-hour days, so there's not much chance to do anything after work.' And her weekends are little different. There are no wild parties for her and Amadu when she returns to the London flat they share. 'I just sit on the sofa for two days. I don't really want to talk to anyone at the weekends. I like to sit in my flat and be completely selfish. I watch TV, eat far too much and drink some beers.'" Also reported by The Sun, Channel 4, ITV, ITN, Ananova,Fametastic, Female First.

Various quotes from Billie and David at the press launch last week can be found in the Sunday Mail, the Cleveland Plain Dealer,

The Mirror also notes that "Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has banned ex-Time Lords from appearing on the show. The writer has vowed former Doctors will never come back for the sci-fi drama's anniversary specials as they have done in classic BBC episodes. It means that Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston won't return to the show. Davies, 42, said: 'I don't like past Doctor adventures. I've never liked it when Doctors met other Doctors because I think it's an actors' parade. You're not watching the Doctors, you're watching party pieces - so it won't happen.' ... Christopher Eccleston was unlikely ever to accept any approach after he fell out with the BBC over his departure. All the same, some fans are outraged at the ban. Graeme MacIntosh, 37, from Glasgow, said: 'I grew up watching Tom Baker and Peter Davison. Russell has done a brilliant job in resurrecting the show, but he's also a fan and knows an old Doctor's return is event TV.' A spokesman for official fanclub the Doctor Who Appreciation Society said Da vies was correct, though a lot of die-hard followers would be disappointed. He said: 'I'm sure a lot of fans would like to see multi-Doctor stories. But we agree with Russell. Viewers new to the show can feel excluded by references to 20 years ago. We'd rather see more adventures with the new Doctor, David Tennant.' Writer Davies also defended the return of old companions Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog K9 in the new series. Billie Piper's character Rose gets jealous, thinking Sarah Jane is the Doctor's old flame. 'We brought back Sarah Jane and K9 to tell a Rose story, and it works fantastically well.'"

icWales says that "David Tennant has turned his sex symbol status on its head by admitting he wore saggy Steptoe thermals while filming in Wales! The 34-year-old actor - who should be used to the cold seeing as he hails from Scotland - has revealed he wore two layers through the Cardiff winter, which left him feeling more than a passing resemblance to Albert from Steptoe & Son. Timelord Tennant said: "It's something to do with the way the crotch on the second pair drops wearily towards your knees and the strange silky material rucks across your chest to give the impression of scrawny, tired flesh." He confesses he's even taken to wearing tinted moisturiser to beat the weather: "In Baltic February there is more need for a bit of tinted moisturiser at the start of the day!"

Quick Season Two Bites

icWales says that "the days of wobbly sets and cardboard aliens on Doctor Who are long gone. Instead, kids really will have a reason to hide behind the sofa when they see this snarling werewolf in the new series of the sci-fi drama. But even though it's been a ratings hit, there are whispers of disapproval inside the Beeb, with some suggesting Swansea producer Russell T Davies has been seduced by special effects - and betrayed the spirit of Doctor Who. While Tom Baker took on the low-tech Daleks and aliminium foil Cybermen in the 1970s, the return of the Timelord in the 21st Century has seen state-of-the-art computer generated imagery. The terrifying werewolf, which comes to your living room in Tooth & Claw, the second episode of series two, which starts on Saturday, is just one of the fantastic special effects which have transformed the Doctor into BBC One Wales' prime-time thriller. But all may not be well in the Tardis. Tongues were wagging last week when Russell raised the curtain on the new season at a VIP premiere attended by Doctor David Tennant and his co-star Billie Piper, who plays Rose. Some of the show's crew members questioned whether a hairy, scary creature was a step too far. As guests partied into the small hours at Cardiff's plush Holland House Hotel, some asked whether Russell was too flash, taking the show far away from its original family concept. The criticism came after he defended his decision to raise the show's fear factor, saying: "The werewolf is vile to look at but even Harry Potter has a werewolf in it now. It's the temperature of modern family film. This is the scariest it gets. There is no blood. You don't see a single drop of blood anywhere. It looks scary and feels scary but never terrifying. We don't want to scare kids. That's a bad state of mind to get into. We are careful with it. We would be daft not to because mum and dad would switch off and that's the last thing we want. You have got to be responsible. You have to very mindful of kids watching." BBC Wales declined to comment."

The Norfolk Eastern Daily Press has a story about Elisabeth Sladenwho "was in Norwich yesterday for a fans' convention - answering questions and signing autographs for devotees of the long-running BBC series. The actress gave tantalising hints about an episode of the new series this month - starring David Tennant as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his assistant - in which she appears along with another Dr Who favourite of yesteryear, the robot dog K9. So how does the new Doctor compare to Jon Pertwee and the scarf-clad Tom Baker? 'David brings a whole new generation with him,' Ms Sladen said. 'This Doctor Who is far more for a youth culture that's been brought up with today's television. Even down to the training shoes the Doctor wears. David is the cool Doctor.' The new episode, due to be screened on April 29 and called School Reunion, brings together Ms Sladen and Billie Piper - so how do the Doctor's assistants get on? 'I think you're going to have to wait to see that,' she said. Ms Sladen was also coy about whether her return to the series is a one-off or whether Sarah Jane Smith will be joining the Doctor on further adventures. ... Ms Sladen was joined at the convention by Terry Molloy, who played the creator of the Daleks, Davros, in the 1980s when the Doctor was played by Peter Davidson, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. But Mr Molloy is also familiar as the voice of milkman Mike Tucker in The Archers. 'Dr Who has become part of the British psyche - the Doctor is like an intergalactic Biggles who solves things with a bit of sticky tape,' Mr Molloy said. 'The adventures aren't solved by hi-technology, it's by derring-do and good old grit and determination. It's just tapped into the consciousness of the nation. It's great that there's a new series bringing along a new generation who will grow up watching the show from behind the sofa during the scary moments just like their parents did.' So is Mr Molloy going to return to the nation's TV screens as Davros in future episodes of the series? 'You might think that, I couldn't possibly comment,' he said with a smile."

Sci-Fi Wire (the news service of the Sci-Fi Channel) says that the second season "builds on the strengths of season one (currently airing on SCI FI Channel Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT) . 'A lot of it was 'more of the same,'' Davies -- who plotted out the entire season as well as writing half of the episodes himself -- said in an interview. "The temptation of the format is to keep being too different, but it's easy to forget that for a lot of people, it's a brand-new series. Even for the oldest, most dedicated fan, it's a new series. So we've got some new elements and some new elements that I want to become regular elements, including what I call the 'celebrity historical.' Doctor Who always did historical stuff, so last year, we met Charles Dickens [in the episode 'The Unquiet Dead'], and this year, we meet Queen Victoria [in episode two, 'Tooth and Claw']. Next year, there will be another one of those stories, because I really love that Dickens episode, and I absolutely adore the Queen Victoria one this year. So that's a little format within a format.' ... Davies added: 'There's also the big end-of-season climax, which seems built into every show these days, and even though it's a much less British thing to do that, we've kept it very much the same.'"

Broadcast magazine says that "Visual effects outfit Mill TV has once again provided the special effects for the forthcoming series of Doctor Who, which kicks off on Easter Saturday (15 April). The company used Maya, Shake 4 and Flame to create the effects for characters such as the Werewolf and the Krillitanes - bat-like creatures who masquerade as teachers in a school. As well as being commissioned to do the effects for the third series of Doctor Who, Mill TV is also working on the upcoming spin-off series, Torchwood, starring Captain Jack (John Barrowman) from series one. The 13 x 50-minute series will air after the watershed due to its darker content and sexier storylines, and starts in the autumn on BBC3. "

The Daily Star says that "Doctor Who is set to become a cosmic Casanova. New Time Lord David Tennant, 34, has already played the 18th century lover in a BBC drama last year. And he said: 'Of course, there's much less s**gging in Doctor Who. But we may change that. Stay tuned. We'll have some interplanetary s**gging.'"

Miscellaneous

Hemel Today says that "Just a week before the new Dr Who series starts, another clue has come in as to why two of the original Daleks visited Hemel Hempstead in 1964. The mystery started last month after a researcher into the Daleks found a picture in Hemeltoday's local history section of a Dalek at a children's Christmas party in the town in 1964. He identified it as one of the 'original' Daleks from the 1960s Dr Who series and is trying to find out what happened to the original six. This weekend an email brought more information on Hemel's link with Dr Who. Another 1960s picture showed the actor William Russell who appeared in the series pictured with Hemel schoolchildren and the Dalek they had made. Our emailer identified the schoolchildren, their school and says Mr Russell's daughter went to the school. "

icWales has more from the initial press launch, including questions put to David Tennant and Billie Piper; SyFyPortalcovers the broadcast of the TARDISodes on mobile phones; brief mentions of season two about to start at About.com.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Assad Khaishgi, John Bowman)

While your editor was away for the weekend, the press and web were hopping with a ton of new Doctor Who material:

Series Three Writers

The writers company The Agency appears to have spilled the beans on two writers assigned to pen episodes of the third series of Doctor Who. Fan favorite Paul Cornell, whose first season episode "Father's Day" was just recently nominated for a Hugo award by the World Science Fiction Society, is apparently slated to write a two-part story (which meshes with recent rumors that Cornell would be attached to the show for its third year), whileTom MacRae, author of this season's two parter "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel", is also signed up for one episode. The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine, due out late this month, is said to have the full list of series three writers.

Official Tie-In Sites

There's another new tie-in web site, for Millingdale's Organic Ice Creams, linked from the Leamington Spa site which we reported on late last week. The Millingdale site claims the company was established in 1860, and the main page plays the Doctor's theme (as used in the 'world is spinning' and stepping through the fan blades scenes in season one) as if it where the tune on an ice cream van.

There's now a new game linked from Who Is Doctor Who, in which Mickey asks the player to take remote control of a robot in the Leamington Spa Museum and look through the artefacts there to find one left over from the Sycorax Invasion. It's vaguely similar to the Dalek game, though the robot has no weapon.

Doctor Who Adventures

This week's launch of Doctor Who Adventures from BBC Magazines has garnered extra publicity through its poll of six- to twelve-year-olds, which has found that Winston Churchill is the historical figure most children would like to meet if they had a time-travel machine. A BBC Worldwide press release also reveals that Elvis Presley takes second place: "Winston Churchill has been voted the number one person people would most like to meet in a 'time-travel' poll conducted to celebrate the launch of Doctor Who Adventures magazine, a new fortnightly title aimed at 6 - 12 year olds, launching on 5 April. Elvis Presley rocked into second place as Churchill's closest competition, followed by Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King Jr. 1000 people took part in the time-travel themed survey, asking 24-45 year olds, which famous person they would most like to meet, if they could travel back in time. Other favourites included Ghandi, Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, Isaac Newton, Queen Elizabeth I and John Lennon. The survey also asked people what time in history would they most like to be part of and the swinging sixties came in as the top choice, followed by a large number of people more than content with right now, as 2006 made it into second place. Victorian times was a strong favourite at three, with football fans voting in the 1966 World Cup as their time travel choice at four and the 1800's at five." There has been some press coverage of the poll result from the Scotsman and Sky News, and a press release was also sent to various Doctor Who fan sites about the item.

Broadcasting

The Sun on Saturday noted that ITV presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, aka Ant & Dec, "were not so pleased to meet The Sun's Dalek after Dr Who went head to head in the telly ratings with their Saturday Night Takeaway show last year. The boys hope to exterminate the Beeb with their new series." Last year's big television story regarding Doctor Who's broadcast was the defeat of the Saturday night ITV juggernaut in their head-to-head ratings battle.

Dutch broadcaster NOS will be broadcasting the second series in the Netherlands according to an announcement at a broadcasters trade show. Says the BBC Worldwide Territory Manager for the region, "BBC Worldwide has long enjoyed a successful and important relationship with audiences and broadcasters throughout the Netherlands. These new agreements further strengthen those relationships, continuing to offer Dutch audiences the best of our leading catalogue."

The new Doctor Who series will be seen in Finland starting around the end of August or beginning of September, according to a rep from TV Ohjelmapalaute in an email sent to an Outpost Gallifrey reader. "I'm sorry to let you know that Doctor Who doesn't have a fixed transmission date just yet,' says the report from YLE International Programme Acquisitions. 'It is scheduled for the autumn season. My guess would be somewhere around the end of August / beginning of September. ... As for which seasons we'll broadcast. At the moment the YLE TV2 has acquired only the first season, 13 episodes. This is more likely due to the fact that our contacts usually air their productions themselves before they start selling broadcasting rights abroad. However, I'm fairly confident that YLE will buy the second season as well in due time."

No Film For Who?

icWales also says that "Doctor Who genius Russell T Davies has put the Tardis in a spin - saying he won't work with the BBC to turn the Time Lord into a movie icon. Swansea-born Davies transformed Saturday night TV last year when he brought the Doctor back to life. But any big screen hopes have been ruled out by the writer who says he would never join up with BBC Films. Davies, now busy writing a third series, said: 'We would not have time to do a movie at the moment. Maybe if it was all over and still popular, but I would not be desperately keen to work with BBC Films myself. I'm not supposed to say this... but I can't bear them! 'I am in no rush to work with them whatsoever personally, but I suppose the BBC could have a go.' And he is in no rush to work with glamour model Jordan either. 'You open the papers sometimes and read how Jordan wants to be in Doctor Who and you think 'No chance' - bless her, but no way.' But Davies says the Tardis is always open for Charlotte Church, after dismissing reports that she is to star in the Who spin-off Torchwood. 'Charlotte was never going to do it,' he said. 'I love her though, I'd put her in.'"

Series Two

SFX Magazine features a joint interview with David Tennant & Billie Piper in which they both answer questions and joke extensively. "Fortunately we get along. We all get along, and we need to, really, because it's long months and it's quite intense and we're shooting 13-hour days," says Piper. "You're thrown together all the time. I feel like I've made a friend for life. ... Rose is growing-up. She's 20 this year and she's come on in leaps and bounds, I think, since the first series. She's a lot more proactive and she saves the day quite a few times. It's just a natural progression, really. And it's worked out really nicely." Says Tennant, their first scene shot together was "at the end of the Christmas special. We were both in it together, but we didn't have a lot to do together. It's when I tell Harriet Jones to go and stuff herself. That was the first scene we ever shot." Piper notes of Tennant and her previous co-star Chris Eccleston, "They're different men. ... Both great. I had a longer kiss with [Tennant], which I really enjoyed." About their relationship on screen, Tennant says "I think it's like all these relationships, like Mulder and Scully and Moonlighting, you know. Moonlighting jumped the shark when they got together, didn't it? I think you have to be very careful. Which doesn't mean to say that we don't see the relationship developing and becoming something that it maybe hasn't before. But I think you have to be very careful with those things." Piper says, "It's very cool being in Vogue. I like that. It's an exciting time for me to be alive and then to do something that I've wanted to do since I've been a kid. That means so much to me. And being here tonight and watching it. I just can't quite believe that it's all really happened and I'm really liking it and loving it and want to continue to do it for years. All of those things are just a bonus, really. The fact that I'm working everyday as an actress makes me really happy." Tennant says of the English accent he's donned, "It was what Russell had schemed, really, and there was an idea that the Doctor would imprint on Rose, like a sort of newly hatched chick. He would adopt Rose's way of speaking. And this was all explained in the Christmas special... The scene never got made because we ran out of time. So we're just sort of left with it now. I don't know. It's how Russell wanted to take the show and it's how he wanted the Doctor to be. ... Because Chris so brilliantly reinvented it by being Northern and being unashamed about that, it could have got a bit 'touring the regions', you know. But you're going to have to ask Russell what the thinking was behind that. ... You feel like the new boy until you start, because there was months of build up, months of waiting for it to start, months of people speculating about it and asking you about it and asking what you're going to be like and what you're going to be wearing – you didn't know." As for Tennant staying with the show, he says "Well, if I survive the end of episode 13." On Elisabeth Sladen, Tennant says, "It's interesting how the episode works, I think. If you know about Sarah Jane Smith, you kind of watch the episode from the point of view of the Doctor. And if you are younger or don't know that Lis Sladen was in the show before, you kind of watch it through Rose. And funnily enough, that was reflected in our own experience, because I grew up watching Lis in the show." Piper says that of herself and Sladen, "We have a great bitch-fight. And, it starts off... I mean, we're just waiting to go at each other. And we're both quite jealous, I think, which we find it quite hard to cope with... but we're straight in there. And it's good. And in the end Rose actually asks her questions about what it was like being with the Doctor and should she stay on as a companion. Is she going to be burnt? Is she going to be left behind? All of these things. She confides in her. So it was nice, nice to play."

Yahoo News takes something else away from the SFX Interview: "He gets to travel through time and kiss Billie Piper - but David Tennant has hinted that playing Doctor Who was not quite what he thought it would be. The Scottish actor, 34, has been a Doctor Who 'junkie' since his childhood. As a teenager, he wrote an essay about his addiction to the show and queued to meet former time-traveller Tom Baker. It was watching the sci-fi show in its early days that made the young Tennant decide to become an actor. But asked whether the reality of playing the TV icon matched the picture Tennant had imagined, he said: 'What I realised when I came to do this was that any sort of fantastic notions one might have had about this, were just that - fantastic notions.' He told SFX magazine: 'When you have to come and make real decisions about it, it's a different thing. Actors often say that the best bit about getting a job is a phone call that says you've got it, because at that moment it is all potential, and it could be anything. It's all possibilities, and as soon as you start making decisions it starts becoming reality, which is never as much fun.' Tennant also promised that the Doctor's relationship with Rose, played by Piper, would hot up in the second series. ... He said: 'It's a love story without the shagging! I think, it's explored quite deeply (in series two), certainly more deeply than any Doctor assistant relationship has been to this point ... It's great.'" Also reported on the ic Network of news feeds and in the Scotsman and This Is London.

The Sunday Mirror says that "The man who revived Dr Who says the inspiration behind his most ghoulish alien character was..film star Nicole Kidman. Writer Russell T. Davis he says he got the idea for villain Lady Cassandra - who exists only as a layer of skin with a brain tank attached - after watching the stick-thin beauty arrive at the Oscars. He feels it's wrong for Cold Mountain star Nicole, 38, to be so scrawny. 'Cassandra came about after I watched the Oscars,' he told the Sunday Mirror. 'It was horrific seeing those beautiful women reduced to sticks. Nicole Kidman struck me in particular. 'Nicole is one of the most beautiful women in the world. But she looks horrifying because she's so thin. 'It's like we're killing these women in public. We watch while you die.'"

People

Leeds Today on Saturday noted that 'former timelord Christopher Eccleston beamed his way into Leeds. The man, who played Doctor Who in the last series of the revived BBC show, was in the city for the launch of the First Floor project -- helping youngsters develop their acting skills. First Floor, which is being developed by West Yorkshire Playhouse, will provide a permanent arts facility for young people to take part in activities, including drama workshops, storytelling and dance. The star of numerous TV programmes and films including Shallow Grave, is patron of the scheme. 'I am very excited to be here to see the beginnings of what is going to be a very valuable project,' he said. 'I know how much myself and others from my background would have benefited from a much earlier exposure to the arts because as a 20-year-old halfway through drama school training in London, I struggled with seeing myself as belonging in the arts.'"

icWales says that "David Tennant may be the housewives' favourite, but it's Billie Piper who gets sent knickers in the post! Piper, who revives her role as Doctor's assistant Rose in the new series of Doctor Who, revealed all to Roast at the launch of the second BBC One series this week. 'I have had some ladies knickers in the post,' confessed Piper at Tuesday's party at the Wales Millennium Centre, where the first episode of the sci-fi fave was premiered. And her confession left her Casanova co-star red-faced, saying: 'I can only dream of women's knickers in the post.' But despite losing out, Tennant said he was chuffed to be voted a gay icon. The 34-year-old Scot was recently named the Pink Paper's 'sexiest man in the universe' in its annual poll, ahead of Brad Pitt and David Beckham. But despite setting men's pulses racing, Tennant says the only thing he gets sent are scarves. 'Somebody sent me a Tom Baker scarf. It had the right colours and everything, it is quite weird but lovely that someone spends all that time knitting it.' And on his gay icon status, he said: 'How can you react to something like that? If you start playing up to it you would immediately become less attractive to the people who thought you were attractive in the first place. It's flattering to come ahead of Brad Pitt and Beckham. It's a mystery to me but I am very proud of it.'"

Sunday's Guardian Weekend magazine Fashion section featured David Tennant, although he gives no info on the new series. 'As Casanova he donned flouncy blouses, as Dr Who he gads about the cosmos in Converse trainers, but what does actor David Tennant like to wear? Hadley Freeman finds out.' The article was accompanied with various photos of Tennant in different garments.

Miscellaneous

Media Guardian asks, "Has Doctor Who lost out to snobbery? Let me first of all acknowledge that this might appear as a most outrageous piece of corporate cross-promotion. But it wouldn't worry the BBC, so here goes. On this week's MediaGuardian podcast (available at an online iTunes store near you) lead writer Russell T Davies and BBC drama commissioner Jane Tranter complain about how Doctor Who is being treated by awards juries. Davies puts a perceived lack of nominations down to 'snobbery', contrasting the enthusiasm of ordinary viewers with industry attitudes. He says it makes him 'angry' and that if the show doesn't win some craft awards he will be 'furious'. Tranter says she is 'very disappointed' and goes on to liken making popular drama to having children - in that 'you must give and never expect to receive'. Serious stuff and no doubt there is something in what they say about the attitudes of fellow professionals. But what this little outburst really illustrates is something about the BBC in general and the drama department in particular. The BBC had historically been the home of some outstanding popular drama - All Creatures Great and Small, Bergerac, as well as Boys from the Blackstuff to name but a few. But from the late 1980s onwards BBC drama was cast into the shadows by rampantly successful ITV fare - Heartbeat, Cracker, Morse, Peak Practice, Prime Suspect, and it took on a tendency to be serious and often dark. Popular drama came to be regarded with great suspicion as akin to scraping the bottom of the barrel in search of ratings. Even the word 'popular' was frowned on. It is one of the reasons that Nick Elliott - ITV's controller of drama and one of the past masters of creating the kind of very high quality popular programming the BBC needed - only had a short stint at the corporation. But the flipside of the dominant 'snooty'culture was a kind of crusading, 'chippy' solidarity amongst those committed to the cause of popular programmes. Mal Young - ex of Brookside - was initially regarded as a barbarian invader when he became a senior executive at BBC drama. But he plugged away, kept EastEnders and Casualty in rude health, launched Holby City and went on to champion Daziel and Pascoe, Judge John Deed and Waking the Dead. Meanwhile others were creating Spooks, Hustle and other quality dramas unashamed about being popular. The fact is, BBC drama has been almost completely reinvented, not least through the efforts of Tranter, and now stands some way ahead of much of the competition in terms of popularity and quality. Having chaired the Bafta jury for drama series this year, I must say that the overall quality of entries (including Doctor Who) was fantastically high and that I can't imagine BBC drama ever having had a stronger slate. There really is widespread appreciation of how far BBC drama has travelled. I can also say that I did not detect the faintest hint of snobbery amongst the jurors but if you look at the shortlist of nominees you will see that we were spoilt for choice."

The Sunday Mail has a contest in cooperation with BBC Magazines: "To celebrate the launch of the new Doctor Who Adventures magazine, we've arranged a fantastic contest with BBC Magazines to give signed Doctor Who merchandise to five budding time travellers. Just write your own Dr Who story and you could win prizes signed by the Doctor (David Tennant), Rose (Billie Piper) and series writer Russell T. Davies. Each lucky winner will receive a copy of the first Doctor Who Adventures magazine, a DVD box set of the first series, a Doctor Who electronic board game and the Doctor Who Annual. Two runners-up will win a six-month mag subscription. ... Just send us a short story based on Doctor Who to: Dr Who Contest, Fun On Sunday, Sunday Mail, One Central Quay, Glasgow, G3 8DA, to arrive by April10. The five winning stories selected by our judges win the first prizes. The next two receive a six-month subscription to the Doctor Who Adventures magazine. Editor's decision is final."

The Daily Star proposed "some female candidates for The Doctor we'd like to see on screen" this weekend. Among the choices proposed as the Doctor by the paper (remember, last week Russell T Davies said he wouldn't be opposed) were Charlotte Church ("Voice of an Angel would be a sound hit in the Tardis"), Sigourney Weaver ("Russell T. Davies has already admitted he's a fan"), Angelina Jolie ("Would definitely give the ratings a massive boost. Brad could have a role"), Davina McCall ("A bit of a disaster with her chat show, so maybe she would like a trip in the Tardis"), Kiera Knightley ("Hottest young Brit actress would become an even bigger star") and even Billie Piper ("It would stretch the imagination a bit, but maybe Rose could somehow morph into the Doc").

The Sunday Telegraph features an article written by a fan as a set visit to the filming of the upcoming series two episode Tooth and Claw. "Transported five years into the future (by fearful imagination rather than the Tardis), I am wondering whether my newly truculent teenage son will remember that his father once took him to the set of Doctor Who, and so hate me that little less for helping bring him into the world. For the present, Louis is eight and anything but truculent at the sight of a young woman in dungarees entering a room inhabited by a dozen production staff huddled around minuscule television monitors. 'Ooh, ooh, oooooh, look, quick, it's Rose! Here. In the room. Rose! With us. Rose Tyler!' arises a counter-tenor squeal. 'For goodness sake, it's Billie Piper, not Rose Tyler,' comes the instant rebuke, 'and Dad, will you please shut up and stop embarrassing me.' Billie wanders over and welcomes Louis to the set of 'Tooth and Claw' (the second episode of the new Doctor Who series, which starts on Easter Saturday), with a handshake, a grin and a cheery 'Hello darling, you all right?' All right? We're in heaven, both of us, albeit the gauche, mumbling, foot-shuffling, face-reddening heaven of the grievously star-struck. If Billie Piper's progress from teeny pop star to world-class actress seems remarkable, it is probably less so than the regeneration of the series itself, after almost two decades in a state doubtless known to its nerdsome fans as cryogenic stasis. ... The BBC is naturally loath to give much away, but the episode we have come to watch filmed on this crisp morning involves the use, by malevolent monks (doubtless aliens in disguise), of a werewolf in a typically audacious bid at global domination. Queen Victoria, who happens to be visiting this red-brick pile on her way to Balmoral, is in grave peril. For once Her Majesty - in the form of a black-clad Pauline Collins - seems highly amused. What, I facetiously ask, is her motivation? 'My motivation,' she smilingly replies, 'is pretending to be Queen Victoria.' Collins is making a hurried return to the series, she explains, having appeared 'wearing long knickers' in a Patrick Troughton episode in the late 1960s. It's safe to declare that the production values have changed in the intervening 38 years. Where in the past episodes looked like they'd been filmed in two hours on a couple of wobbly camcorders, the process now seems as laboriously perfectionist as a medium-budget movie, and in the eight hours we spend on set only a few minutes of film are recorded. The atmosphere throughout, however, is extraordinarily jolly, thanks largely to the presence of a tall, skinny and endlessly good-humoured man in a brown-and-white striped suit and white pumps. 'David Tennant's coming over,' Louis warns me. 'Please, Dad, don't do your I'm-just-as-old-as-the-Doctor speech. It's very boring, and anyway you're 42, not 900.' ... Tennant appears to be that most precious of beings, the wholly unactorly actor who is entirely at ease with obsessive fans. After lunch in a double-decker bus parked in the grounds of the house, which doubles up as a museum of Victoriana, a middle-aged woman wanders over. 'Excuse me, I'm looking for the Morgan Room,' she says, apparently mistaking him for a tour guide, and he couldn't be more helpful. Later, a couple of theatre buffs sidle up for an autograph. When they mention having seen him on stage, he drops into a pastiche of the queeny theatrical egomaniac, inviting them to agree how simply marvellous he was. ... 'I think he's going to be the best Doctor ever, even better than Eccleston,' Louis whispers when the director is finally satisfied. Rather than the usual second-guessing of a potential audience with endless market research, the BBC has gone back decades by giving absolute creative control to people who evidently love what they are doing. It helps, of course, that Russell T. Davies, the executive producer as well as chief writer, is a rampant genius. His scripts work as well for adults as for children, seamlessly combining wit, pathos, emotional depth and cracking story lines with innate mastery of the sci-fi genre, shards of political satire, the odd slice of homosexual self-parody and a very cute way with ersatz mythologising ('Do you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek home world?' Eccleston's Doctor asks the titanium pepper pots. 'The Oncoming Storm'). The technical crew are just as passionate as Davies. Upstairs in the art department, a group of Doctor Who nuts (all male, though not all bearded) are hunched blissfully over Apple Macs refining the next tranche of monsters, most notably the new look, bulked-up Cybermen. The room is full of odd bits and bobs - telescopes, sextants, radar equipment - bought from a junk-shop owner who seems to have cornered the market in the broken-up contents of disused plane and boat cockpit consoles. 'Would you like me to show you the Tardis?' asks the head designer. 'The Tardis? Nah, I don't think we can be bother ...' A small hand interrupts my idiocy with a well-deserved pinch and we are led downstairs to the large studio that houses the time ship in its newly organic, petrified forest manifestation. Outside the room stands a Dalek, the one that took its own life in the last series after subsuming Rose's DNA and finding itself unable to cope with the loneliness of being the only one of its kind. Further along the wall is the Face of Boa, a huge, glass-encased leonine head believed to be as old as time itself, and scheduled for an important return in the spring. How could any devoted fan not yield to over-excitement on such a day as this? 'Thank you so much, that was wicked, totally totally wicked,' exclaims a squeaky voice as we shake hands with Billie Piper and David Tennant back at the house. 'Dad, please,' insists a more mature one as we leave them and the Queen Empress to their werewolf. Somehow, though, for all the embarrassment, I doubt he'll forget."

Australia's INS News says, "How sad it's been decided the legendary Dr Who has to be 'raunchy'. It has always captured the imagination of the young and the old without snogging scenes from Billie Piper and Casanova star David Tennant. The steamy scenes occur when the Tardis lands on a new planet in episode one. I suppose it's a sign of the times, however I do feel that longstanding programmes like Dr Who should stick with the same format. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Joking Apart, the early 1990's TV series written by Doctor Who writerSteven Moffat, will be released on May 22 on DVD, according to theJoking Apart fan site.

The latest issue of BBC's It's Hot magazine (Issue 50) is running a text poll: 'Do you prefer the new Doctor (David Tennant) to the old one (Christopher Eccleston)? Text HOT WHO to 80402 followed by YES or NO.' The magazine also has one page of 5 behind-the-scenes pictures (scan attached). It also has a one-page advert for the Doctor Who Adventures magazine with Rose at the forefront and the tag line: 'Not your average girl next door', plus 'Catch Rose's amazing adventures with the Doctor every two weeks! Doctor Who Adventures magazine is packed with the latest Who gossip, amazing time travel, stunning posters, and has a fab comic strip too. It's one big adventure you'll just love.'

Yesteray's Telegraph says that "There was a time not so long ago when the only British television programmes Americans knew or cared about were Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Benny Hill Show and the occasional costume drama shown so late at night that only insomniacs watched. But now, judging by the column inches currently devoted to British television in serious newspapers, there's a big chunk of America that's as au fait with British TV as we are with the plotlines in 24 and Will & Grace. Indeed, on a recent trip to America I spent much of my time answering questions such as: 'Is the second series of Nighty Night as dark as the first?', 'Is Joan Collins really in Footballers' Wives?' and, my favourite, 'Is the new Doctor Who [as played by Christopher Eccleston] really gay?' ... The Russell T Davies-penned incarnation with Christopher Eccleston has taken this BBC drama from nerdy cult to mainstream hit. Shown on Sci-Fi Channel. 'Affectionate, ironic, the show has an essential silliness' - New York Times."

icWales says that Wales "has become a beacon for new film and television projects. Lighting rigs, cameras, directors and A-list stars are now regular sights as the film industry realises the urban settings and sprawling countryside of Wales equals celluloid heaven. Already a host of major films have started filming in and around South Wales, with more international stars due to arrive later this year. Doctor Who star David Tennant said Wales was a perfect alternative to overused locations like London. 'In London people are so hacked off with film crews, they've no time for them,' he said. 'But one of the great things about filming in Wales is everyone is so pleased to see us.' ... Doctor Who has proved filming in Wales can be a big business. The second series alone gave jobs to a 200-strong mostly Welsh crew bringing revenue to South Wales and it has spawned a spin-off, Torchwood due to be filmed exclusively in Cardiff. Writer and producer for Doctor Who Russell T Davies said the success of the show has definitely brought more jobs to Wales. He is proud of the landscape. He said, 'I feel honour bound to show the country.'" Also, News Wales has created a map of film projects in Wales.

The home page of GMTV home page is currently running a 'Whose your favourite Dr Who' poll. As at 9.50am BST today, the Time Lords' scores were Tom Baker at 25%, Christopher Eccleston at 22%, David Tennant at 22%, Other at 18% and Jon Pertwee at 13%.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Benjamin McKenzie, Steve Jones, Greg Dunn, Aidan Brack)

Today's Media Guardian has two podcasts of interviews with David Tennant, Billie Piper, Russell T Davies and BBC drama head Jane Tranter, all conducted at Tuesday evening's press launch. The accompanying report concentrates on Davies' "anger" at the "snobbery" of the Royal Television Society and BAFTA for the relative lack of nominations for Doctor Who. "You watch a Charles Dickens adaptation and you're clapping [at] all those antique lace collars, but if you watch a bird woman from the 57th century you don't imagine that someone put two weeks' thought and work into it," Davies said. His criticism concerns the lack of recognition for the talents and efforts of the actors and the crew: "you always sounds a bit stupid raging about awards, they don't matter in the end - but if our design, costume, makeup and effects departments aren't nominated [in the Bafta Craft Awards] I will be furious." Jane Tranter comments that "there is something about Doctor Who that is so effortlessly entertaining that it just doesn't show its colours in terms of quite how brilliant a piece of drama it is ... [unlike] a classic adaptation ... Doctor Who hides the talent and the expertise that's put into it." The Tennant/Piper podcast on the Guardian is the whole of the open Q&A from the press launch; in it, "Mine's for three series." It's at that moment that Tennant observes that "Mine [his contract] is not as simple as that."

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, is more concerned with kissing. The first UK newspaper to fret about the implications of Russell T Davies' sexuality for the series in 2003 is now worried that the Doctor and his companion "are being forced into silly roles". This "is the latest in a long line of ludicrous adjustments forced on our favourite characters by PC modernisers"; fans of the series must be feeling "betrayed by a kiss". The prospect of "an enforced sex change" for the Doctor, referring to Davies' comments at the press launch that he would consider casting a female lead, would be part of a trend to follow "political correctness" in "updating" popular characters for "modern sensibilities"; "bisexual" Captain Jack is also part of this trend. Towards the end of the article, DWM editor Clayton Hickman is quoted pointing out that "the time-travelling pair kiss only because one of them is possessed by an evil alien".

BBC Radio Wales has an interview with David Tennant and Billie Piper, recorded at the press launch on Tuesday evening. The interview previews the new series and the first episode in particular, and includes a few clips that have not been broadcast elsewhere so beware (minor) spoilers. The piece can be heard via a report on BBC Wales's Doctor Who mini-site. In the printed article, it states that "Tennant revealed he'd be battling foes old and new in this series, including the Cybermen and a race of cat-nun women, with guest stars including Peter Kay, Pauline Collins and Tony Head. But he said the strangest of all was starring with Elisabeth Sladen, who played one of the Doctor's companions in the 1970s. 'It's a bit surreal,' Tennant confessed. 'When I was a kid she was on the TV playing Sarah Jane Smith. When she's suddenly calling me Doctor, it's a bit of an out of body experience.' He was delighted with the reception the cast and crew had received on location in Wales. 'It's such a joy to be filming here - everybody here has been so enthusiastic and so indulgent of us that we have a really lovely time. So I'd like to thank the people of Cardiff for putting up with us blocking their roads and asking them to go round the long way while we film scenes!'"

Lifestyle Extra says taht "Many lifetimes of time travel and fighting Daleks seem to have finally taken it's toll on Dr Who - leaving him only five inches tall. The Time Lord, who crash-landed his Tardis back onto TV screens last year in a triumphant return has been turned into toy action figure. The figure of 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant, sports a distinctly modern look in his pinstriped suit and plimsolls. Male fans are also in for a treat as they can now own a poppet-sized figurine of the Doctor's helper Rose Tyler, played by the beautiful Billie Piper. The action figures have been developed by toy licensee, The Character Group plc in partnership with the BBC to mark Series 2 of the show going on air this spring. The wildly eccentric new Doctor and Rose are just two of twelve 5" figures that are either in stores now or being launched over the next few months. Also available will be the Doctor in his trademark long coat with sonic screwdriver, the Slitheen and the evil Sycorax Leader from the Christmas Invasion, teamed up with companion of past adventures K-9. Following on are the last human, Lady Cassandra O'Brien and the blue-skinned Moxx of Balhoon. just two of the new figures to be launched nearer the summer. Jerry Healy, from Character said: 'Last year Doctor Who products proved extremely popular with both young audiences and die hard enthusiasts. This new range of figures looks set to build on that. As well as the new-look Doctor, we're expecting huge interest in the new K-9 action figure, from fans of the series from the Seventies as well as the current day. A whole generation fondly remember K-9 as an ever-faithful companion to the Doctor.'"

The Christian publication World Magazine says of the US broadcast that "Christopher Eccleston plays the ninth Doctor with the wit and manic energy of the 1970s' Tom Baker, though with shorter hair and a more restrained wardrobe than the other Doctors. (In the series, the Doctor "regenerates" whenever the character is killed or a new actor is hired.) The old series was beloved for its low-budget special effects. In the new episodes, the production values are much higher, but with some cheesiness for old time's sake. When a mysterious entity brings the world's plastic to life, the characters fight department store mannequins. When they pull an arm off of the plastic dummy, they then wrestle the arm. The Doctor defeats the menace with a vial of "Anti-Plastic." The show is simultaneously humorous and serious. One episode has the Doctor and his companion Rose go 5 billion years into the future to witness the explosion of the sun. Here they meet the last human being, evolved into a square of skin with eyes and a mouth stretched out on a frame, hooked to a brain in a jar. Worldviews are rather scrambled in Doctor Who, but there is no sex, bad language, or gore—just weird stuff that might scare or confuse a young viewer. Like Narnia's wardrobe, the Doctor's vehicle has an inside bigger than the outside. Just like the human mind."

Today's print edition of The Guardian asks "What is it with all these nicknames?" and then parodies "a leaked memo circulated among executive producers at the BBC" that it says "reveals some major concerns" about Doctor Who. "1 Girls can't do maths or read maps - surely insurmountable problems when applied to the calculations in 17 dimen sions that a Time Lord must habitually make. Also, cannot afford to spend entire pre-credits sequence waiting for her to park the Tardis. 2 Not keen on whole episodes set in Ikea watching her pick out perfect window treatments for her interplanetary home. Or fretting about ageing effects of time travel. Retinol A must remain name of satellite Gallifreyan moon, not anti-wrinkle cream. 3 Doctor must be eccentric. Can women be eccentric without being covered in cat hair and/or smelling of wee? Research how. 4 Cannot afford necessary pre-launch campaign explaining to Whovians what a woman is. 5 Hierarchical problems. Doctor needs mentally and physically inferior sidekick to be afraid of Cybermen/ stretchy-faced Penelope Wilton/glowy-headed fat people. If Who is female, will need to cast six-year-old boy (or rather 800 of them, because they can't work for more than 10 minutes at a time without some bleeding-heart waving child labour legislation at us - talk to Stephen Daldry if you don't believe me) or tin of Spam. Check whether there is Spam rights group. If so, investigate availability of Jimmy Krankie. Could be years before they sort out what we can and can't do with him. Her. God, this messes with your head. 6 Metaphysical problems. Doctor is same person, regeneration provides new body only. Reincarnating as female suggests feminine aspect has existed all along. Might mark series as camp? 7 Aesthetic problems. Doctor historically not been in any danger of being mistaken for Michaelangelo's David. Tom Baker nice chap but face like a bag of pork chops and Sylvester McCoy frankly disturbing. As ugly women now shot on sight at television auditions, how to cast? Go with Claire Goose and throw acid in her face? (Call her agent.) 8 Insurmountable problem - Time Lady just sounds wrong. 9 On the other hand, we've got to find something to do with Davina McCall."

There is currently a poll running at the US TV Guide magazine site for the favorite new mid-season drama. Doctor Who currently is in second place at 22%, following "The Unit" (42%) and trailed by NBC's "Heist" at 15%, ABC's "The Evidence" at 13% and "Thief" at 6%.

There's more coverage of the press launch (with nothing new added), the TARDISODES and the "kiss" stuff from last night and today at Now Playing Mag, TV Squad, News.com.au, Evening Times, The Stage, Sky Showbiz,Digital Spy, The Register, TechDigest, SyFyPortal,Starpulse, INS News, Indian Television, Contact Music.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, Scott Matthewman, Bill Albert)

The official website now has a gallery of images from the first episode, "New Earth".

This morning's news report on GMTV is available online from the GMTVwebsite. Also, the press screening was reported on BBC Breakfast this morning as well, featuring a brief interview with David Tennant and Billie Piper, and and some short clips from the episode "New Earth".

The official site has a link to a video news report from BBC News.

Manchester Online expands on the press coverage, noting that "Billie Piper enjoyed snogging the new Doctor Who. 'I couldn't wait to kiss him,' she confesses. 'We only got three takes. That was a bit disappointing,' adds the actress, who plays Rose Tyler, alongside David Tennant as the tenth Time Lord. 'I actually got to kiss Chris Eccleston three times - or was it two? Rose is such a little minx. In with the new, out with the old. She can't get enough.' The new 13-part series, back on BBC1 this Easter, opens with Rose and the Doctor about to set off in the Tardis. She asks: 'So where are we going now?' He replies: 'Further than we've ever gone before.' ... Manchester- based writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, the man who brought Doctor Who back to the screen, confirms it involves another twist. 'They're two very sexy people,' he explains, 'but I think if they ever had a relationship it would kill the series stone dead.' David and Billie are sitting inside the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, one of the locations in the new series. They sip from champagne flutes but have to be back at work in the morning. 'We've got three days to go and an awful lot of scenes that aren't filmed yet,' says David, on what is day 175 of the exhausting shooting schedule. There's been speculation that Billie, 23, may be quitting. But, along with David, 34, she's signed up for a third series next year. Russell says he'll stay in charge for a fourth series, if it gets the go-ahead. Both actors are currently filming with Bolton comic Peter Kay, who plays evil Victor Kennedy in episode 10 - Love And Monsters. 'It's hard working with Peter because he's so funny and you just can't stop laughing during takes,' smiles Billie. 'I have to pinch myself, inflict pain, to stop myself from laughing. I can't look at him. He's hysterical.' David adds: 'And, of course, he's loving that. The more takes he can destroy the better. I think he sees it as a badge of honour. But he's utterly brilliant and one of the funniest men I've ever met. It's unlike anything you'll have seen in Doctor Who before.' Russell continues: 'We finish filming on Friday and it's like an end of term treat for David and Billie, because they're having such a laugh and it is so barmy being on set with Peter Kay. But it's not a romp - that's quite a scary episode.' ... David says it's for others to judge the differences between him and Salford actor Eccleston, who quit the role last year. Billie then turns and tells him: 'You're more emotional. I like the way you play that stuff.' While there's definite chemisty between the two stars in front of the cameras, off screen Billie is now happy in a new relationship after her amicable split from ex-husband Chris Evans. 'My life has naturally moved on. I'm taking everything in my stride.' Well, almost everything. Last year she was voted Most Popular Actress at the National TV Awards. 'I couldn't believe that. I was shaking like a leaf. I had to have a word with myself on the way to the stage, because I thought I was going to cry. I spent the whole evening in shock, chewing my nails.' Earlier this week, Doctor Who was nominated for a Bafta TV Award. But the lack of any nomination for Billie or her previous screen partner Eccleston, surprised many. She's honest enough to admit: 'I was hoping to be there and I would be lying if I said it didn't mean anything. But I'm 23 and I've got the rest of my life to do it.' Stephen Fry is among the writers already working on series three. There's no shortage of new ideas. Could the Doctor ever reincarnate as a woman? 'I'd do it. I'd have the nerve. I wouldn't blink twice. I think that would be fun,' suggests Russell. Scottish actor David may have something to say about it. Ten million people watched his debut in last year's Christmas special. He's not commenting on reports that he's dating actress Sophia Myles, who guest stars in one of the episodes. But he's having the time of his life. 'The worst bit was before we started work. It's all the hoo-ha that comes with this show. It makes it the most terrifying job in the world. 'When I finished my first day of filming, I remember going home and collapsing with the amount of nervous energy that had been building up in the months previous to getting going. I have had a ball. I might still be here in 40 years.'"

The marketing company Mad.co.uk says that "Red Bee Media has developed the campaign to promote the second series of BBC One's Doctor Who as well as the 'Tardisodes' - extra clips from the show that won't air on TV. The campaign launches this Saturday, 1 April, and will feature the Doctor inviting viewers to join him on a journey from inside the time-travelling Tardis. David Tennant, who plays the Doctor, says in the spot: 'Think you've seen it all? Think again. If you come with me, nothing will ever be the same again.' A separate trail promotes the extra clips available, or 'Tardisodes', and opens with the Tardis resting in a futuristic landscape. The door swings open, a bright light pours out and the sounds and dialogue from a Tardisode is heard. Viewers are invited to text in or visit the BBC's website to receive the weekly clips. Then the door abruptly slams shut, cutting off the noise. Kerry Moss, drama marketing manager at the BBC, said: 'Red Bee Media has created an exciting and engaging campaign that builds on the impact of the first series and Christmas Special. The campaign speaks to child and adult fans alike, promising a brand new set of adventures with the Doctor and Rose'."

The Mirror says today that it "looks like Billie Piper is basking in a golden glow of happiness with everything going her way. Although she confirmed she is quitting Dr Who, she denied plans to head for Hollywood. The 23-year-old star said when viewers see her character Rose Tyler leave the BBC1 show, she wants to try other TV roles. Looking tanned and sexy in a gold short dress, she said: 'I'm loving what's going on here. There's some great telly out at the moment. I haven't even got an LA agent. I'm happy where I am.' Another reason to be cheerful is her screen kiss with Dr Who star David Tennant who she gave a perfect '10' for technique. Billie said: 'I couldn't wait to kiss him. I did get to kiss Chris Eccleston, too. But the kisses were different, They were more intense with David. It was quite sexy.' Her love life is making her happy, too. She has been dating law student Amadu Sowe since her split from Chris Evans. Her only regret is missing out out on the Baftas. She said: 'I was hoping to be there. I'd be lying if I said it didn't mean anything.'" Interestingly the Mirror notes that Billie is leaving the show, despite yesterday's announcements that she's returning...

CBBC News now features an 'exclusive' on the Doctor Who press launch.

There's continued coverage of the press launch (with no additional information beyond what we've already posted) at the official Doctor Whowebsite, Daily Record, ITV, ITN, CityBeat967, This Is London,Brand Republic,Monsters and Critics, Dark Horizons, In The News,PCPro, Addict3d.org, UTV, RTE, MegaStar,icLiverpool.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Matthew Godley, John Bowman, Faiz Rehman)