New series writer Mark Gatiss spoke to the Sunday Herald on November 7 about his series "The League of Gentlemen" and also about the new Doctor Who season forthcoming. "The Dr Who commission was another dream job somehow drafted into reality for Gatiss," the article says. "He loved the programme as a child, and hated it when it became an obscure self-parody." He discusses his Doctor Who novels (briefly) for Virgin and BBC Books, and also his screenplays for the BBV direct-to-video films "The Devil Of Winterbourne" and "The Zero Imperative" (which he notes are "not available" even though they actually are, on video!) He says that the new series is "a brilliant reinvention. ... IÆm not just saying that. Chris plays it straight, but fun. His seriousness is almost frightening, it makes The Doctor seem more alien, more like an innocent on Earth. When he tells you the world is going to explode, you believe it. ItÆs a wonderful part and a great piece of television. Very funny, very scary." Read the full article at the Sunday Herald site.

Outpost Gallifrey has obtained a new batch of photos from day photography done today (November 9) in Cardiff along Queen Street. Director Euros Lyn was on hand, as well as banners and signs stating "Henricks" which are tied into the first episode of the series; though rumors have said it might be pick-up shots (new footage or reshots), it's been pointed out to us that producer Russell T Davies, in his recent Production Notes in issue #349, noted, "Euros is juggling schedules (just to make life easier, one of his scenes from Block Two has been recorded in Block One, whole another will shift to Block Three.)" Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper were on hand for the filming. Click on each photo for a larger version. (Thanks to Mark Davies)

There's been a recent flood of rumors and stories floating around the net the past two weeks, and in addition, the newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#350) has some further details. So, here's a quick rundown of the info that Outpost Gallifrey has heard:

Story Titles: Steven Moffat's two-parter (episodes 9 and 10), set during the Blitz, is currently called The Empty Childaccording to DWM. Both episodes of Aliens of London (episodes 4 & 5) will have episode-specific subtitles. There are other titles that have been rumored, but at this point none are confirmed (though the title The Unquiet Dead has been touted as a likely title for episode 3) and will likely change by time of broadcast.

Casting: For "Rose" (episode 1), Elli Garnett plays Caroline Finch; Adam McCoy plays her son. In "The End of the World" (episode 2), Yasmin Bannerman ("Red Dwarf" and "Cold Feet") plays Jabe. "The Unquiet Dead" (episode 3, tentative title) features Alan David and Eve Myles in unknown roles; Huw Rhys as Redpath; Jennifer Hill (from Russell Davies' "Mine All Mine") as Mrs. Peace. In "Aliens of London" (episodes 4-5), David Verrey (who's also been in "Red Dwarf") as Joseph Green; Basil Chung and Fiesta Mei Ling as the previously-reported "Chinese couple"; Morgan Hopkins as Sergeant Price; Eric Potts as Oliver Charles; Steven Speirs as Assistant Commissioner Strickland; Lachele Carl and Jack Tarlton as television reporters. Bruno Langley (as Adam Mitchell) appears in episodes 6 and 8; we believe this indicates that the broadcasting order for episodes 7 & 8 will be reversed (for reasons we can't disclose, sorry!) Nicholas Briggs, writer/producer who voices the Daleks for Big Finish, will be doing the same in the new series starting in episode 6 (and likely in episodes 12-13).

Production: Lowri Thomas is the Unit Manager; Patrick Begley is the Props Manager; Ian Richardson is the Sound Manager. Block four of production consists solely of episode 7, to go before the cameras in late November; block five will be the two-parter by Steven Moffat, episodes 9-10, and block six will be comprised of episodes 11-13. Block one (episodes 1, 4 and 5) is currently complete and is being edited.

Music and Sound: The current hope is to apparently use the Ron Grainer version of the theme tune in the series. Mark Ayres has remastered the TARDIS sound effect for use in the show, other familiar sound effects might crop up.

Broadcasting: The current word on the start date of transmission is the third or fourth week of March, although this is not completely set and will likely not be finally decided until the end of the year at the earliest. Nevertheless, it's likely to run from late March through the end of June. BBC Books is currently altering its schedule to accommodate. A second series is "by no means a done deal" and will depend on ratings, but there are plans being made for scripts for the second season prior to being commissioned. No word as yet on when this might arrive on television, but speculation is it would be the fall of 2006. The Doctor Who Confidential documentary series will likely not be on the DVD's; however, according to producer Phil Collinson, while "people won't have to wait for DVD extras to see how the show is put together ... we hope the DVDs will still have extras all of their own!"

Writing: Author Mark Gatiss is interviewed this week in the Guardian newspaper, mostly about his new novel but also briefly about his Doctor Who novels and his episode in the new series.

Today's Western Mail (repeated on icWales) features a news story about the filming of the sixth episode of the new series... and involvement of local police. "Police were alerted yesterday after Daleks were involved in a shoot-out with armed guards," according to the report. "Gunfire and explosions could be heard for miles around as the filming for the new TV series of Dr Who went off with a bang. Police had a series of calls from passers-by who thought an armed robbery was going on in Cardiff city centre. But the noise was from the special effects on the set of the cult time-travelling show." A BBC spokesman told the Mail that police were aware that the filming was happening at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, but that locals had not been informed. "The battle scenes are very realistic and that means the use of hazardous explosives," said a BBC representative. Meanwhile, news reports continue about the photos of the Daleks leaked first by the Sun and then across the Internet (as we reported yesterday, with photo display.) The Registerdiscussed the leak of the photos (including mentioning this website in its report.) (Thanks to Chuck Foster, Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Paul Hayes)

Cameo appearances by former Doctors appears to be a non-option, according to reports over the weekend in the UK Teletext and in the Daily Mail. "[Tom Baker] has said in the past that he'd love to appear as the Time Lord's arch-enemy The Master in the new run," the Mail reports. "But [executive producer Russell T] Davies says: 'I toyed with the idea of giving Tom and Colin [Baker] cheeky little cameo roles as a bit of fun. However, even though I admire them both very much, it won't be possible. I thought that if they appeared, it would distract viewers and affect the freshness of the new series.'" The Teletext also features a comment from Davies about the casting of Christopher Eccleston: "A lot of people have told me they think Christopher, superb though he is, is a fairly dry and dour actor. They are in for a bit of a surprise. There's a lot of humour and comedy in that man, and the new series will prove what a light touch he has." (Thanks to Phil Newman, David Rafer, Paul Engelberg)

As is now well known across Doctor Who fandom, the Daleks are soon to return in the new series... and it appears that photos of the new Daleks have started to leak onto the Internet. Outpost Gallifrey has obtained these two photos, likely the new series Dalek designs (click on each for a larger version) while Monday's edition of the Sun features an articleabout their return, including the usual silly comments about Doctor Who "anoraks" studying the differences from the original version. We'll keep watch to see if these photos are completely legitimate, and if there are any additional pics to be had.

Meanwhile, various reports across the Internet from over the weekend appear to confirm that the Daleks will fly in the new series. "Levitate!" says the Daily Record, which notes that "Dr Who's mortal enemies - with the fearsome cry of exterminate - can fly. ... A BBC insider confirmed they can now fly. He said: 'The Daleks were always the Doctor's scariest enemy - but now they can exterminate from mid-air. The doctor will have his work cut out dealing with flying Daleks.'" Outpost Gallifrey is aware that filming of episode 6 has begun, and it is heavily rumored that this is the episode that the Daleks will first appear in. You can browse these various news reports here: Daily Record, Telegraph, The Sun, The Mirror and icWales, among others. (Thanks to Fiona Moore, Roger Anderson, Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe)

The new issue of Dreamwatch's UK edition (#123) features an interview with Russell T. Davies, in which he reveals his reaction to the first cut of the first episode and discusses various new developments. He also responds to suggestions that he is turning the series into a soap with the introduction of recurring characters like Rose's Mum and boyfriend and so forth.

Exec producer Russell T Davies spoke to icWales about his newest drama series, Mine All Mine, a six-part serial that debuts on ITV1 in November. "Mine All Mine", which features an all-star cast including Griff Rhys Jones, Ruth Madoc, Jason Hughes and Joanna Page, follows the fanciful story of eccentric cab driver Max Vivaldi who believes that, according to a faded legal document written in 1710, his family owns the whole of Swansea. His neighbours and even his wife and three children laugh at Max whenever he brings up the subject of his inheritance until one day his incredible claim is proved to be true.

A recent edition of BellaOnline discusses a female perspective on the return of the new series, including biographical info and series details -- none of which is new to any of us, but is indicative of the wide net of press coverage now being seen.

Newsquest ran a story on October 21 about the series filming on Penarth Pier. "Various media groups have used Penarth as a location for filming and advertisements in recent months," says the article. "A BBC crew visited the town last month to film part of the new series of Doctor Who in and around Headlands School on Paget Place." Penarth Pier has also featured in a number of dramas and films over the years.

The Independent ran a story on October 27 called "The World According to Mark Gatiss," an interview with the creator of "The League of Gentlemen" and one of the writers for the new series. Only once was the new show mentioned. "Who would win in a celebrity death match: Daleks or Cybermen? For sheer mobility, you would have to say the Cybermen, but of course the Daleks can now go upstairs. And they have firepower on their side. My sister used to tease me when I was little because she had seen Dr Who from the beginning and used to say that her favourite story was when the Cybermen and the Daleks got together. But I knew they never had."

The Daily Record interviewed Jimmy Vee on October 26, who stars as an alien in the new series -- in fact, one of the midget aliens Outpost Gallifrey displayed exclusive photos of several weeks ago. "Standing at just three foot eight inches, Jimmy Vee may be small, but he packs a punch as an alien in the latest series... By night, Jimmy, from Harthill, is one of the attractions at raunchy burlesque nightclub Club Noir. But by day, the Razz can reveal that he is the secret star of many a Hollywood blockbuster - from Willow to Harry Potter - where he has played an assortment of roles designed for a small man." In the new series, he says he plays various extraterrestrials. "I play different aliens in it. It's my biggest part yet and although I'm not yet raking it in, I hope it will lead to bigger things. There are lots of different episodes and everything is top secret."

The Express' "Show Bitz" column on October 22 noted that "Producers of the BBC's new Dr Who series ... have become so paranoid about leaks that they have now resorted to MI5-style measures to ensure secrecy. My sources tell me that each script has been watermarked, individually printed, signed out with a confidentially agreement and tracked to ensure no details filter through. When a member of the production team had his laptop stolen from his car, BBC security went into overdrive to track it down in an all-out bid to protect the storyline information contained in the computer's files. Sadly it seems that even with such measures the leaks just keep on coming..."

The icHuddersfield website reports on a company called Vehicles in Vision that supplies vehicles for, among other films and programmes, the new Doctor Who series.

Last week's Media Guardian reported in a column called "Dramatic Moves": "Bananas to the BBC's drama department, which is working overtime to bring the more far-flung bits of the British Isles to the screen. The Welsh town of Usk is being used to send Dr Who back to Victorian Britain..."

Finally, the latest issue of SFX Magazine features a rundown of some of the rumors recently reported on the new series, including some spoilers as noted below.

Outpost Gallifrey has learned that production began on the sixth episode of the new Doctor Who series last Tuesday, October 26, with location filming taking place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Says PlanetWho, production papers leaked to the press "detailed a filming schedule on episode 6 (written by Rob Sherman), and contained several production drawings/concept art for the episode. One sketch appeared to show a Dalek hovering high above a workman/security guard surrounded by a high wall. The documents also revealed that the Daleks had acquired jet propulsion, and the story was run in a number of newspapers over the weekend (pointing out that the Daleks could now climb stairs, again, obviously unaware of 'Remembrance')."

The Internet Movie Database lists several people involved in the new series, including Stuart Bray and Rob Mayor as special makeup supervisors, Davy Jones as Makeup Artist, Lloyd Ellis as First Assistant Director, Patrick Begley as "Props," John Tellick as "Sound," and Lee Sheward as stunt coordinator. We have no independent confirmation of these crewmembers, however, so will list them as possible until we know otherwise. Meanwhile, stuntman Will Willoughby is the stuntman doing doubling for Christopher Eccleston on the new show, according to an interview with Willoughby on BBC Radio Nottingham. (Thanks to Sean Ditchfield, Steve Freestone)

Another casting news item: Bruno Langley, who played gay teenager Todd Grimshaw on the long-running ITV soap "Coronation Street," will be featured in the new series playing a "mysterious character called Adam," according to today's The Sun. The Sun quotes a 'BBC insider' as saying, "Bruno will be a recurring charcater towards the end of the series. No one is sure yet if Adam is good or bad. Bruno is really chuffed. It's a great break so soon after he left Corrie." It also speculates that Adam could be another love interest for Rose Tyler. The BBC Children's Newsround also reported the story today, noting that he would appear in "an episode" of the new Doctor Who series, not multiple episodes. (Thanks to Paul Hayes, Justin Thomas)