Due to the advanced production of the new series, BBCi have been asked to postpone new webcasts for the foreseeable future. "The Scream of the Shalka" is therefore the last webcast produced by BBCi until things change, which may not be likely while the series is going. However, BBCi comments that "the reasons for this are all Very Good, one of them is Terribly Exciting... and we hope they'll become apparent in the next few weeks." BBCi's producers are currently looking at possible ways to continue the loose ends from "Shalka" in an e-book written by Paul Cornell, but nothing has yet been confirmed. Meanwhile, BBCi's e-book adaptations of out-of-print books continues with The Sands of Time by Justin Richards, which debuts in early April on BBCi.

Big Finish producers Jason Haigh-Ellery, Gary Russell and John Ainsworth had some interesting comments about future developments in the Big Finish range at the recent Gallifrey convention. On the Doctor Who front: the Gallifrey audio series will start being released at the end of March, with one release per month, and a sequel miniseries is being planned (that might feature a two-Romana story). Russell said he was keen on doing a story featuring the Toymaker (if Michael Gough could be persuaded to reprise the role), a Rani story (if Pip & Jane Baker could be persuaded to write it), another Dalek-less Davros story, and a third story featuring Nimrod and the Forge (which would likely be later in their current 2004-2007 contractual run). Tegan will not appear as Janet Fielding does not have an interest in reprising the role. The seventh, forthcoming Unbound serial is apparently a sequel to one of the first six, though this is not definite. Bernice Summerfield will likely not be appearing in the regular Doctor Who range anymore, as the Seventh Doctor and Ace now have Hex along. Sylvester McCoy noted that he would continue to do the audious "until he couldn't see the pages anymore" and Paul McGann is also quite happy to continue in the role as long as the scripts are good. Two additional forthcoming stories in the range were mentioned, likely the August & September 2004 stories: Medicinal Purposesfeaturing the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn, a historical set in Scotland with the grave diggers who invented the modern autopsy, and Dead Man's Hand with the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex, set in the American Wild West and featuring Wild Bill Hickok; additionally, a Colin Baker / Bonnie Langford story will be out later this fall, which would be grittier and more serious than the two previous Mel adventures.

On the book front, details on the authors featured in the May 2004 Short Trips: Life Science edited by John Binns were featured in the most recent DWM, which include "The Changes" by Gareth Wigmore, "The End" by Alexander Leithes, "The Age of Ambition" by Andrew Campbell, "A Star is Reborn" by Richard Salter, "Mortal Thoughts" by Trevor Baxendale, "Sea Change" by Kate Orman, "Jonah" by Todd Green, "Observation" by Ian Farrington, "The Reproductive Cycle" by Matthew Griffiths, "Syntax" by David Bailey, "A Rose by any other name" by Jim Mortimore, "Sight Unseen" by John Seavey, "Land Land" by Jonathan Morris, "Northern Sights" by Mark Stevens, and "The Destroyers" by Steve Lyons. The next one, Short Trips: Repercussions edited by Gary Russell is out in June, while Short Trips: Monsters edited by Ian Farrington is out in August.

In other developments, Big Finish will shortly be announcing a new audio series based on Sapphire and Steel, as contracts have been signed with the estate of PJ Hammond, and a series based on the adventures of Luther Arkwright (a ten-part miniseries from the 1980's written by Bryan Talbot). Big Finish is also keen to do audios based on Ultravioletand will be doing five one-off original SF/fantasy audio "pilots," one of which may develop into another continuing series. Their Bernice Summerfield line will also continue, with a single-volume collection of three novellas due out this summer (with stories told from three different perspectives, one Bernice, one Jason and one Adrian); also, one of the two original audio shorts from the long out of print "Buried Treasures" will appear as an extra on an upcoming Benny audio release. (Thanks to the OG Forum members who reported these developments.)

Several (likely erroneous) reports online have insinuated that magician Paul Daniels will be the next Doctor. Says an article at people.co.uk, "TV chiefs have already talked to Daniels, 65, famous for his catchphrase 'You'll like it; not a lot, but you'll like it.' A source said: 'Paul may seem an extraordinary choice, but he would make a very entertaining Time Lord. He may even be able to use his magic to defeat enemies like the Daleks and Cybermen.'" The article also mentions the names Shane Richie, Stephen Fry and Eddie Izzard. As usual, we'd advise you to take this with a grain of salt.

Phil Collinson, formerly a producer on "Born and Bred," "Linda Green" and the paranorma drama "Sea of Souls" currently airing on BBC1, is the new producer of the forthcoming Doctor Who series, joining Russell T. Davies, Mal Young and Julie Gardner. "I am delighted to be joining the team bringing back such an iconic and exciting series," Phil told Doctor Who Magazine. "I'm going to relish terrifying a whole new generation and putting such a well-loved character back on our TV screens where he belongs." In the latest issue of DWM, Russell T Davies notes that 13 episodes will be made, and he will be writing seven of them; the other six writers will be announced in only a few short weeks in issue 341 of DWM -- Outpost Gallifrey has been asked not to reveal them, though we do know the list (and that one original writer had a change of heart and decided not to submit a script after all.) He also notes that "Rose is only the first of the companions we've got planned," suggesting more companions will be added to the mix. Russell noted that he will be writing a regular column for the magazine starting with issue 341.