Paul McGann has joined the list of former Doctors and companions who have indicated an interest in being involved in Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary: "Being Doctor Who, there's always anniversaries looming large - celebration programmes and episodes. I'm often asked, 'If they get the five Doctors together, would you do it?' and of course, I'd do it. They've just got to ring me up! Although I was [in] Doctor Who for six weeks, sixteen years ago, it never goes away - it only ever seems to get stronger - I'd love to do that again, but that's not up to me." [Digital Spy, 15 Mar 2012]

Three Doctor Who-related names join the principal cast of What The Butler Saw, which opens in the West End in May. The lead character of Dr. Prentice will be played by Tim McInnerny, with his wife to be played by Samantha Bond and secretary by Georgia Moffett. [Playbill, 15 Mar 2012]

Mark Gatiss talks about creating his appearance for his character Mr Snow in Being Human: "I wanted to have red hair, because you never have ginger vampires, and terrible teeth, and these really dirty fingernails. And they gave me everything I wanted. So there's lots of lovely close-ups of my filthy hands and terrible teeth. He's about 3000 years old, he's literally rotting from the inside." [Guardian, 15th Mar 2012]

The Fourth Doctor, aka Tom Baker, was the subject of a Forbes "Geek Picture of the Day", depicting him in costume with two Daleks for a publicity photo in 1975. [Forbes, 16 Mar 2012]

Maureen Lipman is to be one of the guests in Matt Lucas's new comedy show The Matt Lucas Awards. It will air on BBC One in the spring. [BBC Media Centre, 16 Mar 2012]

Talking of awards, June Whitfield was honoured with a proper one at this year's TRIC Awards. The Television and Radio Industries Club event, held at the Grosvenor House in London, saw her given the TRIC Special Award. Sian Williams was named Best Newscaster/Reporter. [BBC News, 14 Mar 2012]

Steven Moffat, John Simm, James Corden and The Sarah Jane Adventures lost out last night in their respective categories at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards, but Moffat's mother-in-law, Beryl Vertue, was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. While representing writers at Associated London Scripts, Vertue negotiated Terry Nation's partial rights deal for the Daleks. Among her many other achievements, she founded the production company Hartswood Films, which makes the BBC One series Sherlock, co-created by Moffat and Mark Gatiss. At the awards ceremony, Russell Tovey jointly won (with Sarah Solemani) the Best Comedy Performance prize for the BBC Three anti-romantic comedy Him And Her. Full details of the awards ceremony - which, as with the TRIC Awards, was held at the Grosvenor House in London - are online here.

Michael E Briant is to publish his memoirs about his time on Doctor Who. The director's connection with the show stretches back to the 1965 story The Crusade, for which he was assistant floor manager. He was subsequently production assistant on a number of stories before notching up his first directorial credit on Colony In Space in 1971. Briant directed five more stories, finishing with The Robots of Death in 1977. Who Is Michael E Briant?, to be published by Classic TV Press, comes in at 216 pages and is due out on 4th May 2012. It can be pre-ordered here.

Talking of memoirs, a heartfelt and public thank-you has been said via one to Janet Fielding by writer Grant Gordon. In a piece taken from his forthcoming memoir Cobras In The Rough, Gordon recalls being a 12-year-old desperate to see the actress at the 1983 Longleat convention and how ensuring that he got his wish proved to be his father's salvation, following financial and personal problems. [Independent, 17 Mar 2012]

In The Media:

Matt Smith was interviewed on the TARDIS set by Steve Hargrave for ITV1's Daybreak, during which he discussed Karen Gillan's departure, and his and the show's future: she’s a great friend, and creatively I have a really interesting relationship with her and Arthur, but I think by the same token the show is bigger than any of us - it’s been going in 2013 fifty years and it will continue way after me. It’s a thrill playing the part - as you see, this is work, this is home, I spend a lot of time here - I don’t want to give it up anytime soon. We've got a whole season to make, a Christmas special as well, so no time soon, I won’t be leaving anytime soon." Additionally, the Radio Times quoted him as saying: "We’ll get this season out the way and see where I’m at. I take it season by season and I take the job day by day because there’s no other way you can do it." [The full interview can be watched via the Daybreak website]

Speaking a little more on her decision to leave, Gillan herself explained how she wanted to be involved with her departure: "Oh, yeah! It would be so weird to just receive a script and find out that it was the end. That would be really weird. Oh, my god, I don't know how I would feel about that. It was nice. I was just thinking about it and I had this instinct of when I wanted to leave, so I called Steven Moffat and we arranged dinner. He told me where he was at, story wise, and together we were like, "Okay, this is when we can do it." It was actually so lovely and pleasant, and we both felt that it was the right time. In all honesty, I've had the best years of my life working on the show, so I’m going to be so sad to go. I really am." And on knowing how she will leave? "I wanted to keep it a surprise, for as long as possible, and keep the excitement in there." [Collider, 2 Mar 2012]

Writer Toby Whithouse discussed the new companion: "To be honest it was probably more of a mutual decision than people would assume. These things tend to be kind of agreed, particularly the companions have a natural shelf life. I know a bit about the new companion, I don’t know who they cast and even if I did if I told you Steven Moffat would come out here and punch me in the neck. Steven is one of the cleverest, most inventive people I’ve ever met in my life, and so you know it is in very safe hands with him. If he makes decisions, the chances are it’s for the best, it’s the best thing for the show." [Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb 2012]

Steven Moffat talked about monsters in Doctor Who during press coverage for Sherlock in France: "I always say new monsters are better in Doctor Who because you fall in love with monsters when they're new. One of the temptations, particularly if it's a success is to keep repeating your hits, which means you hear it again and again and again." [Le Village, 28 Feb 2012]

Moffat has also intimated on Twitter that he has started work on 2012 Christmas Special: "Right then. It's that time of year already. I'm breaking out the Christmas songs ... !"

On Location:

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan were spotted on their way to Spain in the morning on the 6th March, as various members of the public tweeted their journey to Heathrow: firstly by Vicky Cole at Paddington Station, "Just saw the girl from Doctor Who!« Now I've seen Doctor Who!«"; then Erin Sykes at Heathrow itself, "Just seen Doctor Who in the airport, just a casual thing for me to do on a Tuesday.« Yes, actually Matt Smith! We followed him;) but then he got on his plane!«". Arthur Darvill was then spotted in Madrid-Barajas airport itself by Javier Alonso Fontaneda, confirming the trio would be filming there, with a return to the UK expected on the 16th March.


The Spanish shoot has also been confirmed by Doctor Who Magazine on the front cover for the next issue, due out Thursday.

Meanwhile, domestic filming without the two stars is planned at Cardiff Business School.

The Rumour Zone:

Being asked about the Express rumour from the weekend about the potential casting of Benedict Cumberbatch in the 50th Anniversary special, Matt Smith said: "I know Ben and I've not heard anything about it,” admits Smith. “But he’s a wonderful actor and a mate. I think he’s a bit busy being a Star Trek villain, and he’s Sherlock Holmes of course, so he’s a busy man." [Daybreak, via Radio Times, 28 Feb 2012]

Episode titles for the series have yet to be revealed, but an early contender for episode three of four has emerged, potentially tying in with the expected filming in Spain in the next few weeks.

Steven Moffat, John Simm, Russell Tovey, James Corden, and The Sarah Jane Adventures are all in the running for gongs at this year's Royal Television Society Programme Awards.

Moffat is nominated in the Writer - Drama category for Series 6 of Doctor Who, Simm as Best Male Actor for the BBC One psychological thriller Exile, Tovey is co-nominated with Sarah Solemani for Best Comedy Performance in the BBC Three anti-romantic comedy Him And Her, and Corden is nominated in the Best Entertainment Performance category for the Sky 1 comedy panel show A League Of Their Own, while Series 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures is up for Best Children's Drama.

The awards ceremony takes place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Tuesday 20th March.

Last year's RTS Programme Awards saw Moffat winning the Judges' Award and The Sarah Jane Adventures scooping the Children's Drama prize.

United Kingdom

A bit of nostalgia for Boston as 1977 saw a report on a visit to the Oldrids store by Tom Baker, who was there to autograph books about the television series and "proved a hit with the locals." [Boston Standard, 20 Feb 2012]

A Doctor Who-themed day was held at Long Close School in Slough to herald the beginning of half-term. A special poster replaced the school emblem, pupils wore costumes, time travel stories and quantum mechanics got a look-in on the curriculum, a Dalek, Weeping Angel, Cyberman, and Tardis made an appearance - and even headteacher David Brazier got in on the act by dressing up as the Ninth Doctor! [Slough and South Bucks Observer, 17 Feb 2012]

Daleks helped raise more than £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation when they appeared as part of a fund-raising day at the Ashley Centre in Epsom. [Epsom Guardian, 20 Feb 2012]

Twickenham Film Studios has gone into administration, with very little likelihood of it making movies again. Due to celebrate its centenary next year, it is, instead, being wound down between now and June. It was also host to TV productions over the years, including the BBC drama serial Our Friends In The North, which co-starred Christopher Eccleston, and Coupling, the BBC comedy created and written by Steven Moffat. On the cinematic front, An Education, which was filmed there, featured Carey Mulligan in her first leading role, while trivia buffs may like to know that the Amicus Films offering The Terrornauts featured shots of the Dalek flying saucer model from the same production company's Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. A partial Twickenham filmography is available here. [BBC News, 20 Feb 2012]
(With thanks to Jeremy Bentham)

United States

An outdoor advertising campaign by BBC America that uses Doctor Who among its references has proved to be an internet smash. Billboards and commuter transit ads have been appearing in the New York City area to promote the network - among them posters on all three suburban commuter train lines that say "My other commute is in a TARDIS" (which has reportedly been downloaded 1,000 times) and "If you were a Time Lord, you would be home by now or 700 years ago". The channel has also logged more than 12,500 posts and likes on Tumblr, plus nearly 500 tweets of photos or comments. [Multichannel News, 10 Feb 2012] [BuzzFeed, 8 Feb 2012]

Writing for Washington University's independent newspaper in St. Louis, David Sargeant rates Doctor Who amongst the best of British shows: "Arguably the most popular British show of all time, Doctor Who is the easiest show to jump into and the sole entry on this list still in production. The Doctor is an alien with a time machine, a fondness for humans and an out-of-this-world personality. He travels through time and space with a human companion, confronting various alien menaces and setting an example of tolerance and cool logic. The franchise is approaching its 50th anniversary but has yet to show its age." [Student Life, 20 Feb 2012]

Andrea Shelton reflects on her experience at the GallifreyOne Convention that took place in Los Angeles last weekend: "This weekend I made my first trip to the 23rd installment of Gallifrey One – a Doctor Who convention held annually in LA – and it was nothing short of OUTSTANDING. The defining characteristic of this event is that it is 100% fan-run. This means every staff member and volunteer is participating out of sheer love and enjoyment of the series, and it shows in every detail of the programming. The charm of this convention goes beyond the quality of programming. Just as important to the overall experience is the character of the fans. I am pleased to say I have never been surrounded by so many friendly, enthusiastic, and kind people that I immediately felt a connection with. This convention has everything a Doctor Who fan could ask for, and I am already counting down the days until next year. It is a trip worth saving for, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for next year’s 50th Anniversary special." [What Culture, 21 Feb 2012]

Lastly, a selection of photos taken at the convention. [LA Weekly, 20 Feb 2012]

Matt Smith spoke to the Guardian about returning for a new series of Doctor Who, which starts filming from 20th February; he said: I'll be shooting sort of now until December on Doctor Who. It's a long shoot, but we've got four or five scripts which look in really good shape, and the casting is going very well - I had a lovely bit of news this morning, actually, about someone who's going to be in it, I couldn't possibly tell you but it's exciting. You'll know him ... or her! Looking forward to it, I love making it."

The director for the first block of the new series has been named as Saul Metzstein, whose previous work includes the BBC's 2010 revival of Upstairs Downstairs (The Cuckoo), 2009's dramatisation of Sinclair/Acorn micro 'war' of the 1980s in Micro Men, and his award-winning comedy Late Night Shopping from 2001 (for which he won Best Director in the BAFTA Scotland awards).

During an interview published in the University Observer on the 8th February, lead writer Steven Moffat commented on production of the new series: "We just had our official day commencing pre-production on Doctor Who, so as for knowing when it's actually going to be shown is a little bit optimistic. But we'll definitely show it, and I'm pretty sure it will be the autumn." And on Amy and Rory's departure: I'm writing that right now, the big Rory and Amy heartbreaking finale. It will be quite heartbreaking, I think you’ll be in trouble watching it."

The series will be produced at the the BBC's Roath Lock Drama Village in Cardiff Bay. The site is to have its official opening in March, and has already been awarded a Breeam outstanding certificate - the first industrial complex in the UK to receive the highest possible environmental rating. The old port area surrounding it is to be further redeveloped, creating new shops, restaurants and homes. Business Minister Edwina Hart said: "Porth Teigr represents a long term investment by the Welsh government in the future of Cardiff our capital city and 2012 promises to be a significant year as we enter the next phase of regeneration and development. The presence of the BBC Wales studios provides a strong focal point around which we want to create a central hub and cluster for the creative industries across South Wales where companies can work together, share ideas and develop collaborative links with other facilities in the area." [BBC News, 13 Feb 2012]

The writing team for the next series of Doctor Who sees the return of two of the Matt Smith era's established contributors.

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine (on general release from tomorrow) reports that Chris Chibnall and Toby Whithouse form part of the team under the watchful gaze of lead writer Steven Moffat. Chibnall contributed to inaugural Matt Smith series with the two part The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, with Whithouse writing for both that first series with The Vampires of Venice followed by last year's The God Complex.

The two join the unconfirmed writers Mark Gatiss and John Fay. Gatiss was responsible for the eleventh Doctor's first encounter with his old enemies in Victory of the Daleks, and last year's Night Terrors. This new series will be Fay's first script for Doctor Who, having written previously for Torchwood's Children of Earth and Miracle Day.

Though there has been no formal announcement over how the series will be structured, Whithouse was a guest at last weekend's SFX Weekender, mentioning that his script was currently planned as the third episode - though the story order is not necessarily set in stone, as seen with Night Terrors and Curse of the Black Spot last year.

Rehearsals for the new series begin next week (at least for Matt Smith!).

Cast

Karen Gillan has revealed what led to her leaving the show. "It was a mutual decision between me and Steven Moffat over a lovely dinner actually. We both opened up about where we were at with it and then came to the conclusion that this was the best time to go." She added that she would miss working on the programme but was looking forward to other projects (as previously reported, Gillan will be appearing in the film Not Another Happy Ending). "I've had the most fun, so that makes me sad to leave, and I've made my best friends on the show as well. But it's time to go on to other things and all stories come to their natural end so I'm excited." [BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, 31 Jan 2012]

Meanwhile, until such time as when the production team reveal the next TARDIS traveller, speculation over who it might be continues. News Corporation's IGN Entertainment ran a poll to see who their readers consider as the best candidate, with Harry Potter star Emma Watson named the favourite with 28.2% of the vote; runners up included Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, 22.01%), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies, 9.90%), Pixie Lott (singer, 5.53%) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, 5.06%). The male potential wasn't completely forgotten, with sixth place going to John Boyega (Attack of the Block, 4.68%). [IGN, 2/6 Feb 2012]

Matt Smith has described how he sees his future in the show and how the companions gap in the TARDIS could be filled. Speaking at the NTA Awards - where he won the gong for Outstanding Drama Performance (Male) - he said: "I'm really pleased with the award. We always try to do the best every day and try to improve the show as best we can. I wouldn't mind a male companion now that Karen has left. I've always believed me and Karen would have different journeys in Doctor Who. I'm sad she's left, but the show is bigger than all the actors who have been in it. I have no plans to leave, though. I've definitely got a year left in the show and I'll take it from there." [BANG Showbiz, 26 Jan 2012]

He added: "I just sort of take each year as it comes really. We've got all the rest of this year to get through and then we'll just sit down and review it from there and see where it goes. But I love playing the part and I love working with Steven Moffat." Referring to Tom Baker, the longest-running Doctor from 1974 to 1981, he added: "I think there will need to be a younger, cooler person than me - or maybe an older, cooler person, who knows? But I don't think I'll be doing it as long as Mr Baker." [Press Association, 30 Jan 2012]

Alex Kingston - shortly to be seen in Upstairs, Downstairs - has dropped a hint that she might be returning to Doctor Who as River Song. During the recording that featured her appearance on The Graham Norton Show, which aired on BBC One on 3rd February, she told the chat-show host: "You may see her again. Who knows? Let's just say Upstairs, Downstairs and Doctor Who don't film at the same time." That part of the recording didn't make the final edit, though. [Radio Times, 2 Feb 2012]

Production

Matt Smith reported on when filming would be kicking off for the new series: "we start shooting on the 20th February, and I start rehearsing on the 13th, we've got some corkers coming your way". [BBC News, 24 Jan 2012]

The actor also commented on how he stays healthy to cope with the hectic filming schedule: "Fruit, vegetables, good sleep if you can and preparation is the key," [Press Association, 30 Jan 2012]

In the programme for the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular held in Melbourne on 4th February, show runner Steven Moffat wrote: "Doctor Who's 50th anniversary is coming. In Cardiff, we're gearing up for the biggest, the best and the most ambitious season we've ever made. There will be shocks, surprises and heartbreak - the Doctor is about to say goodbye to his very best friends, Amy and Rory. And then he's about to say hello to someone very different - the Doctor is going to meet someone very new in the very last place he could ever have expected..." [Radio Times, 6 Feb 2012]

Though voted the most stylish man in September, Matt Smith didn't quite make the grade for being the best-dressed in the latest poll results from GQ readers; the actor came in at third place, behind footballer Mario Balotelli and rapper Tinie Tempah. [GQ, 30 Jan 2012]

David Tennant was named best actor at the inaugural BBC Audio Drama Awards, which he also hosted. He won the honour for his portrayal of Franz Kafka in the Radio 3 play Kafka: The Musical, which was written and scored by Murray Gold. Also at the event, Stephen Wyatt won the Tinniswood Award for the Radio 4 Afternoon Play Gerontius. Despite being nominated for the best actress award for the role of Margaret Rutherford in the Radio 4 play A Monstrous Vitality, June Whitfield lost out to Rosie Cavaliero. [BBC News, 29 Jan 2012]

Sophie Aldred has joined the ranks of the Twitterati! In her first tweet she joked: "With my arm twisted behind my back, I have been forced to sign up to Twitter by @notdangle, @scott_handcock, and @robbfrank at @bigfinish." People can follow her here.

Meanwhile, Tree Fu Tom - a new CBeebies animated fantasy action adventure series featuring the voices of Tennant and Aldred - will receive its premiere at the BBC Children's Television 10th Anniversary event at the Salford MediaCityUK Studios on 18th February. [TennantNews, 27 Jan 2012]

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are scheduled to appear at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival in August, presenting a Sherlock Masterclass alongside the show's producer Sue Vertue. (Vertue is married to Moffat - they first met at the 1996 Television Festival!)

As full production gets nearer, here is a roundup of current information known about the forthcoming seventh new series of Doctor Who.

Production

January 3rd saw producer Marcus Wilson announce a start to the new year on Twitter: "Back in Cardiff. Series 7 Production office open for business - here we go again." He also observed: "Just worked out this year we're making the hundredth ep of DW since the series returned. Nice milestone. There should be a cake!"

As far as the Series 7 writers are concerned, Mark Gatiss intimates in the Production Notes of the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine that he is penning an episode. Previously, we reported that Torchwood scribe John Fay had been commissioned to write for the upcoming series, and his agency, Culverhouse & James Ltd, has updated its website entry on him to state that he has written for the show.

Filming for the series is expected to begin in February.

Series schedule

An interview with Steven Moffat that was published by The Scotsman shortly before the Christmas special aired tackled the thorny issue of Series 7's scheduling and how many episodes will be shown this year and next. Asked to shed light on it, he said: "I can clarify that we start shooting in mid-February, but I can't tell you what the schedule is. What headlines are you planning for that time of year? I’ve only just found out what the transmission schedule is for Sherlock, and I've finished making that. I've barely started writing Doctor Who. Loads of things are in flux, all for good reasons actually."

Where 2013 and the show's 50th anniversary are concerned, Moffat gave a strong hint that fans may get more than one special episode. "Why talk in the singular? Again, genuinely, the plans are at an early stage, but we have some very clear ideas about some of the things we're doing, and I think Doctor Who fans and kids will think it's the best thing ever. We've got a load of very big plans – the mere fact that we're talking about this two years before the event should tell you how seriously we're taking it."

During a video interview at this year's Radio Times covers party, which was uploaded yesterday, Moffat said of the show's 50th anniversary: "I promise you, for so many reasons I can't talk about yet, there will never be a better time to be a Doctor Who fan, I absolutely promise that."

He also said the series would be returning this year on an unspecified date in the autumn "for a long run" but he wouldn't be pinned down on its length. However, he stated that it would comprise at least 14 episodes, as it would include a Christmas special. "We always do 14 because we do the Christmas special as well and obviously we start in the autumn with the Christmas special as part of the run, so it'll be at least 14," he said.

Sidekicks

As we await an official announcement regarding Amy and Rory's replacement aboard the TARDIS following their upcoming departure, speculation continues in the press. After an enigmatic tweet by showrunner Steven Moffat, the Daily Star reckons Sophia Myles could be the one. What doesn't help the Star in the credibility stakes, though, is the photo it is currently using to accompany the article - the caption states that it depicts Myles but it is actually of Karen Gillan as Jean Shrimpton in We'll Take Manhattan, to be shown next Thursday on BBC Four at 9pm.

Meanwhile, in an interview for Radio Times in its new edition, which features her on the cover, Gillan talks about leaving the programme. "It was a completely mutual agreement," she insists. "Steven Moffat and I decided when would be the best time for Amy to go." Gillan might know when she's going but she doesn’t know how - only that Moffat has promised it will be heartbreaking. "I'd like to see her go out in flames of glory," she says.

One name that has resurfaced as potential companion material is that of Miranda Hart. It was widely reported last summer that she had been offered a role in the show by Steven Moffat but had been stopped from accepting it by BBC One controller Danny Cohen, who wanted her to focus on her comedy. Now it seems that her name is being bandied about again. Please note, though, that it is pure conjecture and may not even relate to a companion role. Last month we reported how Ladbrokes was offering odds of 4/1 for Jessica Brown Findlay as the new companion, with Lily Cole at 6/1, Daisy Lowe at 10/1, and Chelsee Healey at 12/1.

The BBC have released three videos covering highlights from the Q&A that followed the press screening of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe last week. The session was hosted by Radio 5 Live presenter Richard Bacon, and included a discussion of the episode that had been shown, the announcement over Amy and Rory's future, and answering questions posed by the audience.