Doctor Who has just won the Most Popular Drama award, and David Tennant has received the Outstanding Drama Performance award, at theNational Television Awards this evening the UK.

According to the official Doctor Who website, Catherine Tate (who collected the Drama series award alongside Executive Producer Russell T Davies) said "I know it's won the award for the last three years, but I was sweating that we wouldn't the year I joined!" Meanwhile, Tennant accepted his award in a live video feed from Stratford, where he his currently performing with the RSC.

Tennant also chose the moment, while accepting his award, to announce that he would be leaving Doctor Who at the conclusion of the four specials for 2009/2010 now in production (see separate story).

The BBC News website is reporting that the new Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Love's Labour's Lost", starring David Tennant, has proved a critical hit. The play is being staged in Stratford-upon-Avon in tandem with "Hamlet", in which Tennant also stars, until November 15th.

Says the article: "According to BBC arts correspondent Razia Iqbal, Tennant began rehearsals for Love's Labour's Lost 'almost immediately' after Hamlet opened in August. 'The RSC may have another hit on their hands, which is surprising given the play is Shakespeare's most forgettable early comedy,' she said." The piece also includes praise from critics Neil Norman and Michael Billington, and notes that Tennant performs his role in his native Scottish accent.

A lost sequel to "Love's Labour's Lost", called "Love's Labour's Won", featured in the 2007 Doctor Who episode "The Shakespeare Code", starring Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.

Posted By Brigadier Bill

With some people camped out overnight and some 270 people lined up outside, 6,000 tickets for Hamlet starring David Tennant at the Novello Theatre in London sold out in under three hours, BBC Newsreports.

"We're very pleased that the play is accruing so much interest," an RSC spokeswoman said.

Tennant has been playing the title role with the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon. It transfers to London in December for a short run.

Some tickets for the Novello performances will be available at the box office on each performance day for that day only.

"The great news for us is that it's encouraging that younger contingent of theatre-goers, which is one of our real aims. David has been wonderful in encouraging those people to come," the spokeswoman said.

The Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of Hamlet starring David Tennant in the title role has officially opened with positive reviews from many British newspapers.

Benedict Nightingale, critic for The Times, says the production "gives Tennant the chance to show the world that he has the range to tackle the most demanding classical role of all - and, praise be, he seizes it. I've seen bolder Hamlets and more moving Hamlets, but few who kept me so riveted throughout." He also has high praise for Patrick Stewart in the dual role of Claudius and the ghost of Hamlet's father. Also in The Times, directorGregory Doran discusses the cuts he made to the play's text.

In The Daily Telegraph, Charles Spencer says that Tennant "isn't in the pantheon of the great Hamlets yet" but adds that he "discovers almost every ounce of sarky humour" and "is at his best though when he dares with his emotions and lets rip." The Telegraph has a photo gallery with images from the production. Also in the Telegraph, former National Theatre director Richard Eyre discusses the challenges of the play and the title role.

Paul Taylor, reviewer for The Independent, notes that "it's pure snobbery to suppose that Doctor Who fans and people who can appreciate Hamlet are mutually exclusive groups." He writes, "Tennant is adept at most aspects of the role but he excels when the prince becomes a prankish provocateur."

Writing for The Guardian, Michael Billington calls the RSC's production "one of the most richly textured, best-acted versions of the play we have seen in years" and says that Tennant "has no difficulty in making the transition from the BBC's Time Lord to a man who could be bounded in a nutshell and count himself a king of infinite space." The Guardian also has an interview with Doran and a gallery of photographs from the production.

BBC News calls Tennant's performance "undoubtedly mesmerising. What he lacks in emotional intensity, he makes up for with wit, humour and stirring energy." It also has a video interview with Doran, who discusses casting Tennant and how the company handles the unusual attention this production has drawn.

The prominent coverage of this production has included leading articles (editorials) in The Times and The Daily Telegraph (scroll past the bit about French holidays).

The international press has also noticed the Hamlet madness: the Associated Press discusses the two science fiction stars leading the RSC's production.

Thanks to the members of the Doctor Who Forum's "Media Watch" thread.

Posted By Brigadier Bill

The Royal Shakespeare Company has set limits on what fans can bring to be signed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart during the upcoming production of Hamlet. BBC NEWS reports that sci-fi related murchandise will not be allowed for the actors to sign.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) says only programmes and other Hamlet merchandise can be autographed at the stage door. "Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC's current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company," the RSC said. "It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone."

Tennant and Stewart are starring in the RSC production at the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford.

The play opens on 5 August.

Posted By John Bowman

Today's edition of The Sun says David Tennant is being offered one and a half million pounds to stay on as the Doctor for Series Five.

In what it claims to be an exclusive, it quotes a source as saying: "He's interested. Everyone thought he was going, but it's not as open and shut as that."

Click here for the full report - but beware, as at the end it names a character it says is returning in one of the specials.

Posted By John Bowman

David Tennant can be seen in Hamlet in London from December 3 to January 10, 2009, it has been announced.

The Royal Shakespeare Company production will be transferring from Stratford-upon-Avon to The Novello Theatre in Aldwych.

The news has not been universally well received, though. In an article in today'sTimes, acclaimed director Sir Jonathan Miller hit out at what he called "an obsession with celebrity" by West End producers. In the interview, Miller referred to Tennant as "that man from Doctor Who". However, Michael Billington, theatre critic of The Guardian newspaper for the past 37 years, has written a rebuttal of Miller's views, claiming that Miller was "ignoring the fact that Tennant has a strong classical pedigree including a first-rate RSC Romeo".

Miller's production of Hamlet in Bristol, with Jamie Ballard in the title role, was highly praised but Miller says London producers weren't interested in it without any star names. (Jude Law is also to play Hamlet in London. That particular production will be at the Wyndham's Theatre from May 2009 as part of the Donmar West End season.)

Tickets for the Novello Theatre run of Hamlet go on sale to the general public from September 12. Priority booking for RSC members runs from June 16to September 5.

Love's Labour's Lost, in which Tennant plays Berowne, is apparently not transferring from Stratford.

(With thanks to Rod Henderson.)

David Tennant was a special guest on the BBC1 Sunday morning programme The Andrew Marr Show.

Sandwiched between the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary, and appearing primarily to promote the DVD release of the BAFTA winning Taking over the Asylum and his forthcoming appearance as Hamlet, Tennant also talked about his role as the Doctor.

Asked whether he would be appearing in the fifth series, Tennant said he hadn't yet been asked, but would consider the question if it came. He confirmed he will be appearing in four specials to be shown in 2009.

The interview can be viewed here and a transcript can be read here. The whole programme can be watched on theBBC iPlayer.

David Tennant also joined current show-runner Russell T Davies and show-runner elect Steven Moffat in this week's Doctor Who Podcast. As well as providing a commentary to Moffat's Forest of the Dead, the trio discussed Moffat's appointment as the head of the series as well as their favourite Borusa and their thoughts on The Keys of Marinus.

Tickets are selling fast for the Royal Shakespeare Company's production ofHamlet staring David Tennant in the title role and Patrick Stewart as Claudius.

The season, which runs from 24 July until 15 November 2008, at the Courtyard Theatre, is almost sold out before rehearsals have even begun. The websiteseatchoice.comreports that the show is the fourth hottest ticket in the United Kingdom, beating West End blockbusters such as Hairspray.

Hamlet is penciled in for a London run following the season in Stratford.

David Tennant discussed his role in the production with Jonathan Ross on BBC Radio 2 last Saturday. The interview can be heard on a Podcast and on the Radio iPlayer. The interview contains spoilers for the 2008 Christmas episode.

Tennant will also be a guest on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday 8th June.

Thanks to Daniel Smith

David Tennant has joined the campaign to prevent cutbacks at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. The academy has to make 600,000 pounds of savings in the coming year.

In a statement Tennant said: "Nothing I have managed to achieve in my career would have happened without my training at the RSAMD. The drama training I received was world class and the idea that the opportunities I got there might be compromised for future generations is deeply upsetting."

Other famous alumni include Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle, Tom Conti, Alan Cumming, Emma Fielding, Denis Lawson, Ian Richardson and Ruby Wax.

Full story from BBC News

Thanks to Ian Kildin