Celebrity Doctor Who fans are popping up everywhere. In today’s edition of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, presenter Kirsty Young interviewed Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame, the BBC comedy sketch show narrated by Tom Baker. Lucas, who starred opposite David Tennant in Russell T Davies’s 2005 version of Casanova, described how he’d recently bought his partner a TARDIS, which they’d erected in the middle of the living room of their new home!

The BBC Press Office information for radio programming on Christmas Day reveals that BBC Radio 1, the corporation's modern music-orientated station, will host a three-hour Doctor Who special on Christmas Day.

According to the release, presenter Jo Whiley "presents a festive Doctor Who special from the programme's set in Cardiff. She chats to cast and crew and explores the Tardis, battles with Daleks and tries her hand at time travel in this special programme for Christmas Day." The special is scheduled to run from 4-7pm on Monday 25th December. Much of BBC Radio 1's programming is available to listen to live via the station's website, and for the following week as part of the Listen Again feature.

Whiley previously conducted a live interview with Christopher Eccleston on her regular programme as part of the build-up to the new series launch in March 2005. David Tennant was also a guest on her programme in December 2005.

The latest edition of the BBC's Radio Times listings magazine (dated 2-8 December 2006) features Doctor Who both in its review of the year's television and in a preview feature for Christmas programming.

The "Review of the Year 2006" feature gives the "Moment of the Year" crown to the final scene between the Doctor and Rose at the end of Doomsday, while also suggesting some humorous possibilities of what the Doctor was cut off from saying to Rose. "We'll always have Cardiff" and "You're such a chav," are two of the magazine's suggestions. The return of the Cybermen in Rise of the Cybermen also makes their top ten moments, at number six.

David Tennant is dubbed the "Hero of the Year", and there is a brief interview in which the actor is asked for his personal highlight of 2006. "It's difficult to say at the moment," is his verdict. "I'm just too close to it. I think I'll be able to tell you in five years' time." Finally, the review of the year feature has a photo of marching Cybermen with the faces of various "evil" television personalities such as Jeremy Paxman, Simon Cowell and Anne Robinson pasted over their heads.

The magazine also begins its build-up to Christmas, with a one-page feature briefly highlighting the top twenty Christmas television programmes. The Runaway Bride is number one in the list, and there are also Doctor Who connections elsewhere - The Wind in the Willows with Mark Gatiss as Rat is number two, with The Ruby in the Smoke, starring Billie Piper, at number twelve.

It is expected that the Radio Times's full Christmas preview issue (covering the week of December 16-22 and on sale Wednesday 6th) will contain major Doctor Who coverage.

The Cyberman Voice Changer helmet is tipped to be one of the best selling toys this Christmas, according to theSunday Times. Only a Bratz doll is more popular, and other Doctor Who toys in the retailer Christmas Top 20 include the radio-controlled K9 and Dalek.

It has been good news for the manufacturers Character Options, whose shares jumped more than 12p, after it said annual profits would be “significantly” above market forecasts.

The Doctor Who Annual is also predicted to be the best seller this year, beating The Beano Annual for the first time in its history.

Additional coverage about the toy sales can be found at icWales, Blackpool Today and the Yorkshire Post,; the Annual's success is also covered by The Herald.

(Additional material by Josiah Rowe.)

Doctor Who Worldwide

In Denmark, the national broadcast TV and radio station DR (Danmarks Radio) started today with Doctor Who at 11.00pm on their main tv station, DR1. There is nothing on DR's web page on the series, only a link to BBC's DW site and two DW books in Danish translation. There is a short description of the first episode and though no title is given, it is the first one, "Rose", that is being shown.

Finland now has a formal date and time for the start of Series 1 in the country on the YLE2 network: 10 September 2006 at 8.05pm.

According to This Week in Doctor Who, the first season of the new series (2005) Mexico and Latin America on the People + Arts channel. "People + Arts claims to be co-owned by the BBC and Discovery Channel. Episode 4 (Aliens Of London) is running this week. The schedule seems to be the same for Mexico and other countries, though they give the option to switch between versions. It is unclear how many countries this channel is available in, and whether it can be seen in South America. The website does not make it clear which time zone it is providing listings for. Based on the website, episodes premiere Fridays at 10PM, repeat Late Friday at 3AM, Saturday at 7AM, Wednesday at 10PM, and Late Wednesday at 3AM. Episodes should air weekly (with repeats) through Friday August 25 (or Wednesday August 23 if the source is right)."

UKTV Australia has added the following to their FAQ page: "Are there any plans to screen Doctor Who? Yes, UKTV will be screening the new series of Doctor Who in October this year." We're assuming for now that they mean the 13 Christopher Eccleston episodes from 2005. This would be the second showing of the episodes in Australia (well, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, maybe more - UKTV likes multiple airings). To date they have aired one time on ABC TV.

People

The tabloids' big story from today: "Billie Piper said today she will not take even 'a penny' from her multi-millionaire husband when they divorce. The Dr Who star said she is not interested in a slice of Chris Evans's 30 million fortune, insisting: 'I'm not taking a penny from him. I think that's disgusting.' Piper, 23, who has just been awarded a six-figure deal for her autobiography, said her greatest regret is not having invited her parents to her wedding to the Radio 2 presenter in Las Vegas in 2001. 'I regret it in retrospect and we didn't speak for a while, although they understand now that at the time I had to be selfish,' Piper tells Radio Times. 'I didn't want them to question it because in my head it was perfect, the first time in years I felt happy. Chris and I found each other when it could have gone badly for both of us and we saved each other from our worlds of madness.' ... Piper will quit Dr Who at the end of this series and said: 'The longer I stayed the more scared I'd be of leaving because it's so comfortable and nice.' Of her autobiography, she said: 'I hope it's an inspiration to young girls who constantly ask how I did it. It will be warts and all.'" Naturally, the papers have all followed this particular part of the story today with news reports at The Sun, Evening Echo, Daily Mail, BBC News, The Independent, The Scotsman, Daily Record, Mirror, Skky Showbiz, Metro, Ananova, RTE,Entertainment Wise, Megastar, Belfast Telegraph, The Times, Manchester Evening News, Yahoo News,Unison, Contact Music, This Is London, Irish Examiner, Breaking News, Hello Magazine and other places.

The Mirror on 24 June said that "she's travelled the universe in the Tardis, but Billie Piper says she won't be jetting off to Hollywood any time soon. The Doctor Who actress insists she isn't tempted by the glamour of Tinseltown and would prefer to star in lowkey indie films. She said: 'There are lots of great movies coming out of the US but it's not something I'm ever really interested in.' What, even if a big role came up? She said: "Yes, I'm happy in the UK. I absolutely love it and I've finally got a great group of friends. I've got a lovely little flat and my work's here.'"

The latest BBC's It's Hot magazine (issue 53) mentions that: "Despite her saying otherwise, actress Billie Piper is rumoured to be swapping time travelling for a spot of chart topping. Billie, who plays Rose on Doctor Who, was famous yonks ago for shouty pop songs, but her new stuff is supposed to be a more grown up affair. Oh well, only time will tell." However, in the magazine's interview with her, in response to the queston 'Do you ever wish you were a pop star again?', she replies: "I've realised I shouldn't make music - I should be a fan. I'm the biggest music fan and I love all different types." On being asked if she could time travel in the TARDIS, where would she go and why, Billie comments: "I'd like to see what my 30s look like. Not too far ahead - we're talking about eight years down the line. I'd like to see what's going on in my life then. I think that would be really interesting."

Last week, Bruno Langley was on an internet radio station called 'The Soap Show', and he talked not only about the play he is currently starring in (A Taste of Honey), but about his role on last year's Doctor Who as Adam. Langley said he was too young to remember the original series, and that he felt Doctor Who was an institution. He said he likes fans, some are weird but others are very intelligent, so you get such a mix of people. He also talked of the fathers and sons who he often sees together when they go to meet him at stage doors - which he thought was great. He talked a bit about the actual filming of the episodes, and said that he is still in contact with the producers/writers, and that they text each other occasionally, though he doesn't think Adam will be back. He says they haven't asked him back, and he hasn't asked to be brought back, either. He said if they want him back then they'll ask him....which they haven't! He said he is happy just to sit and watch it now. Langley added that he is about to watch the first boxset DVDs as he missed a couple of eps, and that he'll get the DVDs of series 2 when they come out. He says he has only caught bits of the new seris due to work, but he says that the new series looks really good... as does David Tennant.

Fear Her - Aftermath

The Guardian: "So I'm on a train from Luton to London the other day, and at St Albans a woman in her 30s gets on with her son, who must be about eight or nine. Nice-looking kid. She turns out to be the mother from hell, though. She's yabbering away on her phone to someone, so he goes to get his Game Boy out of her bag. But then she has a right old go at the poor lad for going in her bag without asking. He says he's sorry, she was on the phone and he thought it would be OK. But no, it isn't OK, and now he's being cheeky, so that means another bollocking. The whole thing snowballs out of control: she's hollering at him, telling him what a bad boy he is. Then it's time to pronounce sentence for all his heinous crimes, and guess what his punishment is? No Doctor Who (BBC1, Saturday), that's what, which is about as bad a punishment you can give a child right now. And for a lot of adults, too. He's been dead strong up to this point. But as the full meaning of missing Doctor Who sinks in, his chin wobbles a bit, then his face does that terrible melting thing, and soon he's sobbing, silently and bravely. His mum, meanwhile, is back on the phone, nattering away to her mate. I know I should have told him he could come round mine to watch it, or at least secretly got his address so I could send him the DVD. And certainly I should have alerted social services, so that he could be removed from his evil devil-mother. But of course, pathetically, I did none of those things, onaire husband when they divorceper instead. It turned out to be a great episode, too. ... It's absolutely terrifying: kids must be a lot more robust these days than they were in my day. I'm watching it from behind the sofa and I'm 41. ... Maybe there was another more sinister reason than the Game Boy incident. Surely these events can't be unconnected. Maybe I wasn't on a train to Kings Cross Thameslink at all, but a train into the future (it did seem remarkably spacious). And why have I just picked up a pencil and now find myself involuntarily (but perfectly) drawing evil train woman ... ? [Cue Doctor Who music.]"

The Financial Times says that "Doctor Who continues to be a wondrous thing, Russell T. Davies and his collaborators having managed to retain the playful spirit of the original while creating storylines consistently smarter and even more inventive than previous incarnations of the show. Tonight's episode sees the Doctor and Rose visiting London before the 2012 Olympics. As well as paying homage to The Exorcist, Paperhouse, ET and The Shining, it proves that Huw Edwards's decision to make his living as a newsreader was no loss to acting."

Other Media Items

The official site discusses the BBC Three repeats starting next week, mentioned last week on Outpost Gallifrey (and seen in our calendar on the left side of this news page).

CBBC has Lizo's early review/preview of "Army of Ghosts". "Sadly, the end is in sight for this series of Dr Who. Like last year, it ends with a two part story of which Army of Ghosts is the first. The focus is on Rose from the very start, and there's no doubt that what she has to say will shock many of you. And then things come full circle. In this season's first episode, Rose said good bye with her ruck sack. Now she's back, with the bag full of washing for Jackie. But things are very different on Earth, with people across the planet welcoming back what they believe are the ghosts of their loved ones. Are they really ghosts, and how is the mysterious Torchwood involved? Not to mention a mysterious sphere that doesn't even seem exist. The Doctor and Rose want to get to the bottom of things. But they're facing old enemies who put the whole planet in danger. Phew, things really rattle along in this episode, with Rose's story especially appearing to head for its conclusion. Which, of course, ties in with the news that Billie Piper will be leaving the series after the last two episodes. But with Russell T Davies writing the script there's bucketfuls of humour. Chat show host Trisha and Peggy from EastEnders make hilarious appearances. But the story he's telling is a serious one. There are quite a few deaths before the final credits roll, as well as a beautifully played scene where Rose and Jackie talk about the future. And that's what at this heart of this episode. Will Rose choose to stay with the Doctor forever, and should she? And will that choice be taken away from her? Of course, there's a huge amount of action too as things ramp up for the end of the second series. But be prepared for a quite a few shocks as well! Mention should also be made of composer Murray Gold's musical score, which really excels here. And overall it's a splendid story which leaves us on a great cliff hanger for the last episode Doomsday. Four out of Five."

The Daleks invaded Norfolk as hundreds of fans turned out to see Colin Baker, Terry Molloy, Deborah Watling and to put the marker down in the Guinness Book for the largest gathering of fan built Daleks in the UK. BBC Norfolk was there and features interviews (audio) with Colin, Terry and Deborah as well as new video content. Meanwhile, the Eastern Daily Press covered the event: "Hundreds of fans swarmed to the streets of Holt, which are more used to well-heeled shoppers than raygun-wielding sci-fi space invaders. The event was a fund-raising effort helping raise money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, and helping to put Holt on the intergalactic map. Scores of daleks turned up, roaming around the streets and courtyards, squawking at firing at wide-eyed children, launching attacks on targets including a tardis police box, and even taking part in a supermarket trolley dash. Amid the mayhem, calmly signing autographs, were stars of the popular television series, currently enjoying a revival. Colin Baker, the sixth doctor from 1983-86, said the success of the show was the way it had updated itself with special effects, and retained the ability to 'scare the living daylights out of children.' Scientific journalist Paul Parsons, included a 'hiding behind the sofa' chapter in his book The Science of Dr Who, admitted he used to be petrified of the daleks and reckoned their 'facelessness' continued to make them scary. .. Early assistant Deborah Watling, said the strength of the storylines were a key factor, while actor Terry Molloy, who played dalek creator Davros, said the success was also down to the doctor's heroic role as an 'intergalactic Biggles.' Visitors included two cybermen and an 'alterntiave ninth doctor' Tristan Stopps from the Fourth Dimension Lords a Dr Who group based at Martham, whose members range from children to middle aged men, welcomed the Holt event which was 'overdue in Norfolk.' Organiser Nigel Pearce said the event, which filled a hole left by the carnival which was not being held this year due to lack of support, had gone well, and there were plans to hold it again next year."

The Sydney Morning Herald from Australia yesterday featured a story about the show in anticipation of the series' return on Saturday, July 8. "Doctor Who, the mysterious stranger who travels through time and space in a battered London police phone box, is a difficult character to define. As one of the most enigmatic characters in popular culture - along with film spy James Bond, sleuth Sherlock Holmes and Shakespeare's Hamlet - he has been played by many actors and interpreted in many ways. David Tennant is a British actor of rising acclaim, whose credits include Casanova and Blackpool. Wearing a dark brown pinstripe suit, brown overcoat and Converse sneakers, he is the 10th actor to portray the Time Lord and admits the Doctor is a hard man to master. 'He's not Hamlet or Benedick because they will always have the words they have,' Tennant says. 'It's not James Bond or Sherlock Holmes because each time somebody comes to one of those characters, the character is still who the character always is - James Bond will always be 'shaken not stirred', Sherlock Holmes will always be 'elementary', deerstalker and pipe.' So, who is Doctor Who? "Each actor gets to rewrite the rule book a little bit," Tennant says, and perhaps that's the beauty of it. ... Tennant says he agreed to take the role because of the pedigree of the creative team behind the revival of the series - notably, writer-producer Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk) and writers Steven Moffatt (Coupling), Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen) and Toby Whithouse (Hotel Babylon). 'They're the best writers you could possibly want and if the scripts are good, then the battle is half won already,' he says. ... Davies promised this season would be "more emotional" than the last, a departure from the classic structure of Doctor Who - simple morality plays wrapped in the distracting kitsch of period science fiction and peppered with MacGuffins and deus ex machina twists. 'I think one of the great things about the way the show has been reimagined is the relationship between the Doctor and Rose [his companion, played by Billie Piper], which is now a love story more than it was ever allowed to be before,' Tennant says. 'It's still not consummated - that's important because that's not the vibe - but the emotional back and forth is an important part of the show. I think we dip our toes into some new waters in this coming season.'" Doctor Who returns to the ABC on Saturday, July 8, at 7.30pm.

Other news: The Sun has a vaguely spoilerish preview of this weekend's episode; BlogCritics reviews "Fear Her";

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, Paul Hayes, Adam Kirk, Mark Dando, Klaus Gramstrup, George Forth, and Benjamin Elliott)

This week's edition of Radio Times features this season's unprecedented third Doctor Who-related cover, which features Billie Piper, in anticipation of her departure from the series at the end of this season. The magazine, now on stands, features an interview with Piper, including her thoughts on the past two years of the show as well as her upcoming projects. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover.

BBC Books: The Future of Doctor Who?

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine has a brief interview with Justin Richards about the potential for reviving the past Doctor novel range. Richards points out that the new range of Ninth and Tenth Doctor hardbacks is outselling the earlier paperbacks "by a factor of ten", but goes on to say that "the intention is not just to leave it there, it's a question of 'what' we do with them, not 'if' we're going to do something with them." Since DWM was published, however, BBC Worldwide has announced that BBC Books and the publisher Random House have agreed that Random House will acquire a majority shareholding in BBC Books, moving BBC Books to become part of the Random House operation. Whether this will have any impact on the Doctor Who range is unknown.

The continuing strong sales of the Tenth Doctor novels are confirmed by the most recent Top 20 Fiction charts in the Bookseller, with combined sales of the three titles to 10 June being 70,450 after nine weeks in the top 10. The tenth week, ending 17 June, saw the three novels add another 6,313 copies to that total sale.

TV Schedules: Series Two Updates

The second season of Doctor Who has finally been given a timeslot in New Zealand. It will begin on Thursday 6th July at 7:30 on Prime. The first transmission is the Christmas episode, and the timeslot is for 75 minutes, reflecting that it will likely be shown as originally transmitted in the UK without being pruned to fit a commercial hour. It appears the next episode will be shown with repeats of 'Creature Comforts', the Aardman Animation, from 15 July; 'New Earth' is scheduled for that time according to the ABC program guide).

The Radio Times website is listing more BBC Three repeats of Series Two on weekday evenings, this time as double bills in the run-up to the premiere of episode 13. Listings are currently available only as far as Thursday 6 July (The Idiot's Lantern and The Impossible Planet), so it is not yet known how or if the channel intends to fit in the remaining four episodes before Doomsday is broadcast on Saturday 8 July on BBC One.

Availability of the episode commentaries as red-button extras on Freeview now seems to have been entirely obliterated by saturation of the World Cup - the commentaries have not been run with the past fortnight's BBC Three repeats on Fridays or Sundays, even when Freeview's BBCi channels have been empty. In the commentary for Love & Monsters last weekend ('podcast' as always via the official site), Russell T Davies again mentioned that all the commentary recordings have been filmed and are potential DVD boxset extras.

For those of you who keep writing in to tell us that Canada has confirmed a date... it's Monday October 9 at 8.00pm (and we did report this on June 16 on this very site...) However, there's also other unreported Canada viewer news today: CBC are rebroadcasting Season One at Wednesdays at midnight, beginning this week (Wednesday, June 21st); they're also showing the same episode one hour earlier (Tuesdays at 11:00 PM) on CBC's HD channel.

People

Tracy-Ann Oberman is interviewed in this week's edition of The Stage. The interview, which covers her whole career, naturally touches on her role in the season finale. "I've always been one of this rare breed of women who is a massive sci-fi fan," she says. "David Tennant and I sat around on set talking about sonic screwdrivers and there was a very special moment when I saw the Tardis for the first time." The Telegraph also interviews Oberman; it says, "Starring in a soap proves a curse for most actors, who can soon find themselves unemployed after being on television three or four nights a week, but not for Oberman. 'As soon as I left, I was sent some Doctor Who scripts. I've been a lifelong fan, a proper 'Whovian' as we call ourselves. They told me to be really hush-hush about the scripts - even more so than with EastEnders - but I can say that my character, Yvonne Hartman, is a very strong human villain. She's almost a match, intellectually, for the Doctor. She collects alien artefacts and sees the Doctor as being the prize alien in her collection.' Oberman smiles. 'Russell T Davies [writer and executive producer of Doctor Who] told me to think of Yvonne as the type of woman who joins the BBC as a tea girl and in 10 years manages to rise to director general. So she's strong but also vulnerable.' Is it true that she brings about the end of the world in the last two episodes? 'I don't know if I'm allowed so say that,' she says. 'Do you think I can mention the Cybermen?' She adds, whispering. 'Perhaps I shouldn't say anything else or I'll get into trouble… but I feel like I'm now part of Doctor Who history, which is amazing.' "

Louise Jameson will be in Alan Ayckbourn's play "Confusions" along with Robert Duncan, Tony Caunter and Andrew Paul at the Theatre Royal Windsor between Tuesday 11th and Saturday 22nd July. For further information, the theatre's website can be reached by clicking here, and their box office is on 01753 853888.

Nicholas Courtney will be doing the readings at a special gala concert in Westminster on Tuesday 11 July, celebrating the life of former British Prime Minister Sir Edward (Ted) Heath, who died last year at the age of 89. Further details are available on the website of the Southbank Sinfonia, the orchestra that will be playing on the night.

Rudolph Walker (Harper in "The War Games") was recently awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday honours list for services to drama.

Tim Pigott-Smith ("The Claws Of Axos" and "The Masque Of Mandogora"), Jo Stone Fewings ("Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways") and Chris MacDonnell ("Dragonfire") will be starring in a revival of "See How They Run" which starts previewing from 20 June at The Duchess Theatre.

The Norfolk Eastern Daily Press interviews Deborah Watling. "Most Doctor Who fans know where to draw the line. They understand that it's a great bit of TV, get slightly spooked by some of the monsters - but know that it is NOT REAL. But for every thousand of them there is one fan who takes it a step (or hundreds of steps) too far. They live for the conventions, dress to kill (hopefully not literally) in their cybermen suits, and display a disturbing knowledge of the planets and monsters that have featured on the show since it began in the 1960s. Deborah Watling knows the type. As former Doctor Who assistant Victoria Waterfield from 1967-8, she gets invited to the conventions and reunions - and has her own exclusive group of followers. She said: 'If your name is on the poster, you have your ardent fans who always turn up to everything and just stand and stare at you. That is rather unnerving.' ... That brief spell on the world's longest-running TV sci-fi show has had a lasting impact. 'I look back on Dr Who as a great part of my life. I didn't know that 39 years later I would still be remembered for it - but people still stop me in the street and call me Victoria. 'People want me to make appearances here and there at Dr Who reunions and conventions. It's very flattering.' She is up to speed with the latest series, which she thinks is 'brilliant', and particularly likes the current Doctor, David Tennant. She said: 'He is wonderful. He reminds me of Patrick Troughton because he has got that twinkle in his eye. Billie Piper is smashing. The show had to be updated and everyone's talking about it. It is terrific to see.' Next weekend, she will travel to Holt as one of the special guests at the inaugural Dr Who Festival, where as many as 100 Daleks could be roaming the streets."

Fear Her Pre-publicity

The Press Office info for Fear Her lists the transmission time as 6.45pm, but Radio Times has since changed this to a 7pm start. That magazine's Doctor Who Watch feature this week interviews writer Matthew Graham, who says the episode is "really quite a creepy story, which hopefully will taph into psychological fears a bit like The Empty Child did". The episode again tops the week's best television selection for Saturday: "Favourite Doctor Who themes of love and loss are explored when the Doc and Rose meet a sinister little girl on the eve of the 2012 London Olympics." It is also the magazine's pick of the day in Saturday's Choices - TV editor Alison Graham provides her usual selection of story spoilers before commenting that "It's a curious episode that's a bit too touchy-feely in parts. Still, it's notable for a remarkable piece of information that the Doc lets slip..." Radio Times also notes that Abisola Agbaje and Edward Thomas will be guests on the 12th Totally Doctor Who, which is on BBC Two next Thursday, displaced by live coverage of the tennis at Wimbledon.

The BBC's official Doctor Who website was revamped with a Fear Her theme on Tuesday afternoon, with its homepage decorated with children's paintings of the Doctor, Rose and the TARDIS. These were selected from hundreds of entries to a recent competition run by the website. The flash animated homepage rotates the four winning entries, along with a painting by "Chloe Webber", the child at the centre of this week's episode... As always, there are also the pre-transmission photo gallery, Fear Factor and TARDISODE. The official site also has the 20-second trailer for the episode, a shortened version of the 'Next Time' trail from the end of Love & Monsters. This trailer debuted on BBC One last Saturday within a couple of hours of episode 10's conclusion and was made available online the same evening. It has since run several times throughout each day this week on BBC One and BBC Two.

On Thursday, CBBC Newsround's Doctor Who mini-site added an interview with Abisola Agbaje (Chloe Webber), alongside Lizo's regular episode preview, which awards the episode only 2 out 5, saying that Fear Her is "not scary enough", has "over-complicated explanations" and "never manages to reach the high standard of what has gone before".

Heat has Fear Her as their Pick of the Day, and Boyd Hilton, awaring this episode 5 stars, writes: "We'd love to be a fly on the wall at the Doctor Who production meetings as Russell T Davies punts ideas around, and says stuff like, "Wouldn't it be good if the Doctor and Rose ended up in London in 2012 to see the Olympics?" That's the best thing about the whole wonderful revival of Doctor Who. Sure, some moments are silly or cheesy or plain ridiculous, but no other show on TV has this level of commitment to letting the imagination run gloriously, giddily free. No other show takes these risks. So here are the Doctor and Rose, landing in east London just in time for the Olympics opening ceremony. But they're soon sidetracked by the disappearance of a number of children all living in the same street where the Tardis lands. There's some lovely spoof TV detective interplay between Billie Piper and David Tennant, some thrillingly clever scenes depicting the opening ceremony, and a delicious joke featuring a poster for Shayne Ward's Greatest Hits." (the magazine has this eppy at number 2 in their Top 10 Best TV Shows of the week.)

Closer's preview reads: "The Doctor and Rose visit London in the year 2012 to check out the Olympics but, as ever, things don't quite go to plan. In a street where the Olympic flame is set to pass through, strange things are happening - a little girl possessed by an alien is kidnapping all the local kids. From there on, the episode turns into a teatime version of The Exorcist, minus the spinning head scene, the green vomit and the expletives. Then the Doctor senses a storm coming, which sets us up nicely for next week's instalment. We can't wait!"

Sneak has this week's episode as one of it's Must-See TV: "The Doc's plans to take Rose to the Olympics in 2012 are scuppered when they discover a girl with scary paranormal powers."

Star magazine gives this episode 4 (out of 5) stars: "It's 2012, the year of the Olympics, and the Tardis lands in London. The Doctor plans to show Rose the Games but, as always, something gets in the way. On a nearby housing estate a terrified mother is hiding her daughter's unearthly and evil powers."

The Sunday Times says, "Londoners planning to abandon their city for a few weeks during the summer of 2012 as the capital's infrastructure is strained to breaking point should enjoy this edition of the revamped sci-fi hit. Thanks to the Tardis, the Doctor plans to take Rose to the much lauded Olympic Games. Unfortunately, any ideas they have of catching a spot of pole vaulting are scuppered by a girl with mysterious powers living on a nearby housing estate (you mean they won't all have been demolished to make way for a velodrome or something?) and it is up to the Doctor to defuse the danger. It's not the most Ken Livingstone-friendly show. Even more rings."

Army of Ghosts Pre-publicity

Outpost Gallifrey has learned that the television trailer campaign will be stepped up again for this episode. A 50-second trailer is currently expected to debut on Saturday evening, although continuing live World Cup coverage means that this remains uncertain. Plans for TV promotion apparently include a 20-second version of the same trailer, with the two versions running throughout the week.

A third Radio Times cover for the series in 2006 may also be a possibility - the current issue's "Next week in RT" blurb leads with "What does the future hold for Billie Piper?" and is illustrated with a small photograph of her, which tends to be a good indication of what will be on the upcoming cover. The issue will be on sale from Tuesday 27 June. And the next issue of Doctor Who Adventures, on sale from Wednesday 28, will preview the last two episodes of the series, as well as featuring a free gift of "a squirty sonic screwdriver".

The Daily Star says of the episode, "Eastenders landlady Peggy Mitchell is horrified to discover Dirty Den's ghost haunting The Queen Vic. The bar boss, played by Barbara Windsor, 69, is seen here trying to get rid of the spirit. A furious Peggy shouts: 'Get out of my pub Den. The only spirits I want to serve around here are whisky, gin and brandy.' The spooky clip will be seen in a forthcoming episode of BBC sci-fi smash Doctor Who. ... The Doc is horrified to see the apparitions popping up everywhere - including on the telly. Even chat show host Trisha Goddard, 48, is in on the act. She will be seen hosting a show called I Married A Dead Man. Viewers will discover however that the Doctor's hunch about the ghosts being 'a front' is right. ... And the time traveller will pay a terrible price."

Love & Monsters Recap

The Times says, "'Do you still have anything left to say about Doctor Who?' my editor asked, with mild disbelief. 'You have now written about this series four times in the past six weeks.' Do I still have anything left to say about Doctor Who (Sat, BBC One)? He might just as well have asked if I have anything left to say about the changing seasons, or the night sky, or my children or, frankly, myself. When something is as good as Doctor Who -- and, currently, it's one of the best things about Britain in the 21st century -- there's always something to say about it. It's like having a conversation about the Beatles. Theoretically, a conversation about the Beatles could span every aspect of humanity, theology, morality, art, sociology, fashion, and continue on up to the point where we die. ... This week's episode was essentially ephemeral. It was a bit of slapstick with Peter Kaye as a vile Absorbaluff -- a lascivious green blob of what appeared to be the expanding foam that you inject into cavity walls, which was sporadically sprinkled with tufts of disturbing black hair, much in the manner of greasy spoon macaroni. Kaye, fairly understandably, appeared to be having a ball -- licking his lips, rolling his eyes and brandishing his hoofy fingers with a well-observed delicacy. ... In the event, the Doctor and Rose appeared merely as guest-stars in their own show -- a small, humorous scrap with a cameo alien, and then materialising in the Tardis for a one-liner. The whole thing was clearly a mid-season intermission. A bit of light relief from the gathering clouds of the story-arc of the series -- which, we gather from hints dropped in previous episodes, will centre on how and why the Doctor ended up killing all the other Time Lords. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this prospect. I was less thrilled and terrified about the impending birth of my first child. However, as the episode was written by Davies, it was an exercise in the scale of the confidence and whimsy an artist can have in his or her Imperial Phase. An entirely digressionary treatise on the joys of ELO, a one-second clip of Elton John, the careless joy of the Doctor and Rose trying to kill a non-essential alien in the style of the Two Stooges -- and then cutting it all dead with an unexpected, chilling line of dialogue, 'Anyone getting close to the Doctor is eventually destroyed.' Even when playing with the loveliest toy a scriptwriter ever had, Davies is hard as nails."

The People said, "Here's Peter Kay as the Dr Who alien Abzorbaloff. Not to be confused with Hayley Cropper's surgeon in Amsterdam. That was Azyorballsoff. Kay's blubbery critter absorbed people into his body. I understand the idea came from watching Bobby Davro absorb other people's jokes into his act. Oddly Peter seemed even stranger as Abby's alter-ego, sinister Victor Kennedy, who could have passed for Burl Ives. Burl sang about the Big Rock Candy Mountain. Victor looked like he'd eaten it."

The Scotsman said, "Now here was an episode of Dr Who with a difference - one where the man who drives the tardis was effectively a guest star. But who could complain when the actors edging him out included Peter Kay, Marc Warren and Shirley Henderson. My sources on the ground tell me that this particular episode has been the subject of much consternation among core Dr Who fans. The handbags at dawn have been caused by the fact that Dr Who has deviated into comedy. There have always been laughs in the series, but for the true believers, this is deadly serious science fiction. In which case, they must have hated this episode. Hustle's Marc Warren took centre stage as Elton, a geeky chap who danced in his bedroom to ELO and dreamt of meeting the Doctor. His internet blogs quickly led to meetings with like-minded folk, including Henderson as equally nerdy Vanessa. Peter Kay pressed the panto button the moment he appeared as the mysterious Victor Kennedy, a dapper chap who wanted to track down the Doctor even more than the Scooby gang did. 'He's an alien,' I shouted at the screen, but no-one threw any sweets back at me. When the moment of revelation came, we discovered that Kay wasn't just an alien, he was an alien with a broad Lancashire accent. All wasn't exactly well that ends well, with the whole gang except Elton having been assimilated by Kay's Abzorbaloff. When poor Ursula was absorbed, he had the cheek to declare 'tastes like chicken'. This was Phoenix Nights meets Dr Who and by the time the Tardis arrived to half-save the day I could almost hear the dismayed chatter of shellshocked former fans. It's true, this episode came close to being a spoof, but it was actually quite nice to have a rest from the Doctor. Even saving the world gets boring sometimes."

Series Three Brief

According to the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, the 2006 Christmas special is now in pre-production, as a one-episode production block (in other words, it won't be filmed in conjunction with any other episodes).

Miscellaneous Press Items

icWales reports that "A building which defined the riches of Cardiff's past and symbolised the decline of traditional industries has been reborn as an icon of innovation and ambition. The former headquarters of the National Provincial Bank in Cardiff Bay is the focus of a multi-million-pound restoration project led by developer Saeed Shad. It will be the new home of Cardiff Chamber of Commerce and an entire floor has been transformed into a film set by BBC Wales for Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood."

Lancaster Today says that "Young Dr Who fan Olly Kay will be making his television debut next week when he's quizzed on his favourite show. Nine-year-old Olly and his family made the trip to Cardiff on Friday for the filming of children's TV show Totally Dr Who. Westgate School pupil Olly pitted his wits against a fellow Dr Who nut in the 'Who Ru' quiz for the chance to win a signed photo and goodie bag. He and his sister Emelia, six, also met several Dr Who actors, including Camille Coduri, who plays Rose Tyler's mum in the series, and Elizabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane). According to his mum Jenny, Olly's obsession with the programme started before he was even born. 'He's been a massive fan all his life – his dad used to play the Dr Who theme tune to my tummy when I was expecting him,' she said. 'He knows everything about it, and thanks to my husband he knows all about the old Dr Who stuff too. They were very impressed with his knowledge.' Olly and his dad Simon have taken their worship of the show to another level – their home in Low Lane, Torrisholme, houses a life-size Dalek and a K9, and they plan to build a tardis next. Even Jenny has finally succumbed to the lure of the show. 'I used to watch it under sufferance but I have been hooked on the new series,' she said. Tune in to Totally Dr Who on BBC1 at 5pm on Thursday to find out how Olly got on in the quiz."

The Register says, "Don't even talk to me. First off, they kill TotP, citing competition from downloads, ringtones and happy slapping. The death of the show that gave us Billie Piper is inevitable TV euthanasia, but it still makes you feel old and bald. Noel Edmonds is so traumatised that he's developed RSI in his elbow (don't start.) Then we heard...oh, you know. The news. The Doctor Who news. The Big Bad Doctor Who News. Who fans will come round and remove my eyeballs with spoons if I give the plot away, so click here for the full spoiler-protected horror. Best make yourself a nice cup of tea first, lads. But it's not all bad news. Cosgrove Hall Films yesterday announced that it's recreating missing eps from the unfinished 1968 Cyberman story, The Invasion. The black and white animation will be unleashed on DVD in November, which, in a shock turn of events, is just before Christmas."

The Mirror picked up the press item about Stephen Fry (gee, I wonder where they got it?)

There was plenty of news coverage of Billie Piper's departure from the series; among the many sources that covered it were Sky News, Ananova,Reuters, The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Record, The Guardian, Scifi.com,This is Swindon, Metro, This is Wiltshire, MegaStar, In The News, Kansascity.com, Xtra MSN, IF Magazine, Now Playing, Dark Horizons, ShortNews, MovieHole, TV Squad. Also, the rumors about the various companions being touted by the press can be found at Scifi.com, TMCnet, ITN, Channel 4, Yahoo! News UK, ITV,icWales, Belfast Telegraph.

Another big story this week was the "Invasion" DVD news with the episodes being animated (which we reported a few days ago)... coverage of that has taken place at The Mirror, Yahoo! News, Manchester Evening News, Daily Record, Contact Music, UPI, Netribution, Worldscreen,Animation Magazine.

Other items: Now Playing Mag reviews "Love & Monsters" (and last week's "The Satan Pit" here); TV Squad reviews "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit"; Horsham Online notes that "A visiting Dalek caused quite a stir at Littlehaven Infant School on Saturday (June 17)".

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Paul Greaves, Scott Matthewman, Michael Hartland, Adam Kirk, Neil Marsh, Paul Hayes, Paul Chudobiak, and Michael McManus)

Series Two Coming to Canada?

There appears to be movement on the CBC Website in Canada, with clues pointing to possible good news for Canadian fans in the near future. Says one of our correspondents, "For the longest time the CBC's Doctor Who website was fronted by a page for the Christmas Invasion. Last week I noticed that the page had been replaced by a white screen with text saying something like 'Link Disconnected. Transmission interrupted...' (I can't remember the exact verbage). Today, I notice there is a new Macromedia Flash page up there with the TARDIS parked on a landscape looking very much like the Apple Grass fields of New Earth. There are no links are any text whatsoever, but something tells me that along with the impending end to the Stanley Cup playoffs, there may soon be an announcement of Series Two in Canada." The website's Flash animation is indeed a photo from "New Earth". Meanwhile, there are repeats (presumably of series one) starting June 20 at midnight.

Australia DVD Confusion

We've had several reports from fans in Australia that EzyDVD is listing a "Complete First Season Boxed Set" with all of the 1963 Doctor Who episodes on it, including the missing ones! Alas, this seems to be merely an issue of confusion on the retailer's part, as there are no plans for this boxed set, for obvious reasons!

Sycorax Sword Charity Auction

Lancasters Armourie is auctioning the original prototype of the Sycorax sword in aid of Great Ormand Street Hospital. Says the information sent to us, "As if owning this unique piece of Doctor Who merchandise wasn't enough Lancasters have been aided in their fundraising effort by the generosity BBC Wales and actors David Tennant and Sean Gilder who have provided their signatures for engraving on the blade. The sword will be auctioned via ebay and Lancasters tell us they 'are not shy about the fact that we want this to make as much money for GOSHCC as possible.'" Says Clive Lankford of Lancasters Armourie, "Last year our company made the swords for TCI. We are now selling the prototype with all of the proceeds going to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. This sword was due to go on sale at Easter this year but was held up as we were short of the most important signature... I now have them both on the sword and it is up on eBay. ... This sale is not just for UK peeps I have advertised it worldwide on eBay and as long as the winner pays the postage I will send it any where." You can find the auction by going to eBay (direct link) while Lancasters Armourie also have their own websiteas well.

Love & Monsters Pre-Publicity

Publicity for this weekend's episode began almost immediately after The Satan Pit had finished, with a 20-second trailerairing on BBC One between Casualty and Viva Blackpool last Saturday. The trailer, which has been shown every day this week, uses the same selection of clips as the 'Next Time' sequence shown at the end of The Satan Pit, but culminates in an appearance by Peter Kay as the Abzorabaloff; the trailer can be seen via the officialwebsite.

On Tuesday, the new Radio Times concentrated on, as its cover announced, "Peter Kay joins Doctor Who as the 'orrible Abzorbaloff!" Two pages of Doctor Who Watch, "Careful What You Wish For", was illustrated with several photgraphs of Kay as or being made up as the Abzorbaloff. The accompanying article deals with the monster's origins in last summer's Blue Peter Design a Monster competition, and notes that during his set visit contest winner Wiliam's reaction to the creature was "Oh. It was supposed to be the size of a double-decker bus." Russell T Davies responded that William "didn't actually say that on your bit of paper". Davies also says of the episode: "Very different: different style, different feel. It's an experimental script. Not so experimental that people will run away screaming from Saturday-night BBC1, because you can experiment too much." As usual, Doctor Who also featured in the magazine's recommendations for the week's best television, as Drama of the Week ("Quirky, atypical episode that takes a sad turn. Peter Kay plays a gross baddie, and Marc Warren is terrific as an obsessive who finds love") and again as Pick of the Day for Saturday: "Marc Warren ... turns in a terrific, sparkling performance as a shy, sweet and naive geek who finds love. ... Davies has fashioned a curious, elegaic and rather sad exploration of love and loss in which the Doctor and Rose play only peripheral parts. ... It's a highly unusual episode, full of Davies's trademark quirks." The Saturday listings pages also have a couple more shots of the Abzorbaloff in action, the listing itself reading: "An ordinary Joe's obsession with the Doctor and Rose turns into a nightmare at the hands of an enigmatic being." Elsewhere in the magazine, former Doctor Tom Baker is quoted as saying, "I did watch a little bit of the new Doctor Who an I think ... Tennant is excellent. My only disappointment is that they didn't ask me back. I would have liked to play the Master." Russell T Davies meanwhile also crops up in a feature on Battlestar Galactica, which begins on Sky Three next week; for Davies, BG "does everything I want a sci-fi show to do, which is to treat its audience quite respectfully."

The Observer was among the Sunday papers looking ahead to Love & Monsters, with its television Pick of the Day for next Saturday saying: "Forget those who would try and tell you that Doctor Who is for kids: Russell T Davies's revived sci-fi stalwart and its new star, the very suitable David Tennant, only get better as this second series goes on. Initially at least, the thrill and chill factors which ran high through last week's ... Satan Pit have been taken down a notch in Love and Monsters. Davies wrote the episode himself, and it is shot through with that humorous, self-referential charm which have made the series such a gem."

The Sun says, "It's monster munch...as Doctor Who dangles a big steak in front of his latest foe. The Time Lord (David Tennant) tries to lure the vile alien with the piece of meat in upcoming episode Love and Monsters. It stars comic Peter Kay, left, as evil, power-fuelled maniac Victor Kennedy -who turns out to be hiding a big secret. It's the Doctor and sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) who come to the rescue as usual. So the alien isn't pleased to meat them..."

CBBC features Lizo's review of the next episode: "Love & Monsters is the most bizarre episode since the series returned last year. There's not much of the Doctor and Rose in it, and the story instead focuses on a new character called Elton. He's trying to find out more about the mysterious Doctor, and joins a group called L.I.N.D.A. where all the members meet regularly to swap the latest information about him. The series is really carried by the Doctor and Rose, so when I heard that they didn't appear much, I was seriously worried. I had no need to though. Love & Monsters is a superb episode, and one of the best of the series. Writer Russell T. Davies manages to make us quickly fall in love with the group of Doctor-obsessed characters on whom the episode centres. And there are plenty of laughs even before funnyman Peter Kay turns up as the sinister Victor Kennedy. The people who'll get most out of this story are those who've watched it regularly last year - there are flashbacks to the events of some previous stories. And, of course, quick mentions of both Torchwood and Bad Wolf. There are even a few songs. No, really. With the members of L.I.N.D.A. belting out a few numbers by 70s band The Electric Light Orchestra. It might sound like a bit of a mess, but thanks to Russell T. Davies's sparkling script it ends up as a hugely enjoyable show about Dr Who, rather than a straight Dr Who adventure. ... Four and a half out of five."

The official Doctor Who website assumed its Love & Monsters guise from around midday on Tuesday, with the usual updated homepage and photo gallery. The Tardisode and trailer were put up on Saturday, along with commentary, video diaries and more photos for The Satan Pit, and a new 'Escape the Ood' game.

The Abzorbaloff will also feature on Blue Peter on Wednesday 14 June at 5pm, this edition showing William's set visit to see the monster he designed in action.

TV Schedules and Coverage

The red-button commentary for The Satan Pit was unavailable for Freeview users again on Sunday, despite being advertised in Radio Times, on the official site and, once again, by that evening's continuity announcer on BBC Three. Unlike for previously absent commentaries, both Freeview BBCi channels were empty at the time of the episode's transmission. In fact, out of 18 Sunday and Friday evening repeats, 8 have not had the advertised commentary on Freeview. Digital satellite users have been luckier, with the commentary available for virtually every episode, one notable exception being the Friday repeat of The Age of Steel on 26 May, during which BBCi reran Rise of the Cybermen with commentary. All the commentary 'podcasts' remain available for download from the official site and via iTunes.

BBC Three's repeat schedule has also continued to be rather erratic, particularly in comparison to last year's more fixed schedules for the programme. Late-night (Sunday/Monday) repeats of the full-length Doctor Who Confidentialinstalments have now been reinstated, just in time this week to compensate for Confidential beginning on BBC Three on Saturday three minutes before The Satan Pit had actually finished on BBC One. This has happened twice before (affecting the third and seventh editions of Confidential), but this was by far the worst instance, since Confidential overlapped not just the end titles and the 'Next Time' trailer but actually managed to coincide with the final few scenes of the episode proper. This weekend (Saturday 17 June), a random showing of the third edition of Confidential (Friends Reunited) has been scheduled to follow the regular tenth edition, The Look of Who.

Next week, BBC Three is running another brief catch-up season on weekday evenings. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 19-21 June) will see fourth outings for The Age of Steel, The Idiot's Lantern and The Impossible Planet at 7pm, followed at 7.45pm by the relevant Cut Down Confidentials. No episode will be screened on Thursday, but The Satan Pit and Love & Monsters comprise a double bill from 9pm, after another live World Cup football match. No Confidential repeats are scheduled to accompany these episode repeats. Thursday's Totally Doctor Who (22 June) is scheduled for only 20 minutes according to Radio Times, again because of football, although the RT website has it listed for its usual 25 minutes, from 5.05pm, after a live soccer match.

Dead Ringers on Monday 5 June included a one-minute sketch in which the tenth Doctor accurately predicted lines and events based on his reading of spoilers in the Radio Times and preview clips on Totally and Confidential. Billie Piper's advertised appearance on GMTV's Entertainment Today on Friday 9 June turned out to be fleeting. The Satan Pit was promoted on BBC One on the Friday and Saturday with a ten-second trailer.

Doctor Who returned to the Netherlands on June 10, with the Dutch broadcasting group VARA broadcasting the series on Nederland 3 weekly at 19.00. "Rose Tyler meets a mysterious alien who goes by the name the Doctor and her life is never more the same. Soon she reaches the discovery that her mother, her friend and the complete planet is in danger. The only rescue is in a strange small blue police box." (That's the literal translation!)

The Satan Pit Follow-Up

The Guardian said this past weekend, "Let's be honest: series 2, so far, has been a bit of a bumpy ride. Even the Cybermen failed to rise to the occasion, and Chris Eccleston's tenure already feels like the halcyon days. Simply, this is no longer essential Saturday night viewing, and that's just wrong. So storylines like these are as welcome as a monogamous, straight-talking politician. With the planet heading toward the black hole, Rose takes on the Ood, as the Doctor makes the ultimate sacrifice. More like this please, and quickly."

The Forester says of scenes filmed for "The Satan Pit," "Clearwell Caves boss Jonathan Wright and his children won't dare hide behind the sofa on Saturday when they hear the Doctor Who theme tune. They will be glued to the screen to see the tourist attraction get prime time BBC1 coverage. Scenes for the episode The Impossible Planet were filmed in the bowels of the caves, where the doctor is confronted by the Devil who has been locked in a pit for millions of years. Jonathan says his 10-year-old daughter Beatrix and her little brother Wilfrid, six, were already big fans of the revived show before new time lord David Tennant called in for his second film shoot. He was there last year filming for the Christmas special. 'It's really made it special for the children having met the stars,' said Jonathan. 'The producers were very secretive this time so it will be interesting for us to see what he finds. They were shooting in our biggest cavern.' The episode, which is the second part of The Impossible Planet, is screened at 7pm on Saturday."

US Transmission Concludes

TV Guide said of the US finale, "The Parting of the Ways," "Wow! The Doctor survived the Daleks, a moral crisis, and the absorption of the time vortex to save the Earth. Just to finish up, he regenerated into a new identity with new teeth. What more can you ask for from a season finale? Not since 1969's 'The War Games' has there been such a satisfying regeneration episode. It began with the Doctor coming to save Rose from the Daleks, who never doubted him for a moment. ('I did,' he quipped.)This led to a face-to-face encounter with the Dalek Emperor, who resembled a pickled squid sans the charm. But the Doctor knew the Daleks feared him. (They gave the Doc the nickname 'The oncoming storm.') And the little pepper shaker bastards had every reason to---for the Doctor had come up with a way to kill them all: the Delta Wave. Trouble was, if he used it, he'd kill everyone on Earth as well (including Rose). 'If I am god of all creation,' taunted the Emperor, 'What does that make you, Doctor?' ... No argument here. I will miss Christopher Eccleston's juxtaposition of all-over-the-place energy and cold resolve. As Rose told Jackie and Mickey, this Doctor showed how life should be lived. (Indeed his hologram message to Rose ended with him wishing her a good life.) He had wit, charisma, guts up the wazoo, coolness under pressure and brains beyond comprehension. What more can you ask for? Can't wait to see Eccleston as Number Six in ITV's new version of The Prisoner. Of course Eccleston had help from the writer. The brilliance of a script can often be found in the number of great little snips of dialogue and situations. Russell Davies's was packed with them. ... This show is THAT gooooood. Just one minor quibble. How is it that Rose survived exposure to the Time Vortex and the Doctor didn't? (I know he regenerated, but she didn't.) David Tennant is now our Doctor with the new teeth. He said something about Barcelona (the planet, not the Spanish city where Manuel came from). I'm lucky in that I have copies of Tennant's first season, and I can say without fear of reproach that he too kicks ass in the Time Lord department. We also get to see the return of Harriet Jones, MP-turned-PM. I can't wait to blab about those adventures. Until then, I thank you for indulging me these last several months. I learned a lot, particularly that I couldn't ask for a better group of blog pals. Screw American Idol---we Whovians rule, thank you very much."

More US press coverage of the finale: the Cincinnati Enquirer called the episode its "Must See", while USA Todaycalls it "an easy-to-enjoy British import starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. For his last adventure, the Doctor tries to save the universe without sacrificing Earth or himself." ZAP-2-ITsaid, "the long-running British series that returned to the U.K. airwaves in 2005 (and subsequently to the States earlier this year) wraps up its season tonight. The fate of the universe is resting in the Doctor's (Christopher Eccleston) hands -- and he is forced to decide whether to sacrifice every human being on Earth so that the evil Daleks are finally stopped. In the meantime, Rose (Billie Piper) is sent home to London; unhappy with this arrangement, she uses the TARDIS to find the Doctor again, and hijinks ensue. As with every other season of 'Doctor Who,' this episode sets us up for a whole new Doc -- though Eccleston was pretty cool, I must say." And TV Guide said, "Holy space opera! The good news is that the Daleks have found religion. The bad news: those overturned trash cans are still lethal, and hell-bent on turning Earth into their idea of heaven. Tonight's season fnale has everything a sci-fi fan could hope for from a TV series: drama, humor, action and surprises — ranging from the jaw-dropping Dalek siege to our beloved heroes making some truly heart-wrenching decisions. Sit down and strap in because this TARDIS ride is going to be bumpy one."

People

David Tennant and Billie Piper say that "they are getting such big names on the show, they can take a back seat. Billie said: 'We've got Peter Kay coming up soon as a villain and the lovely Marc Warren. We're not even in those episodes so much.' They said the next episode, called The Satan Pit, was 'as dark as it gets' staying in line with the rennaisance in the programme and its fan base. Tennant added that there is also a very exciting episode coming up that he described as 'The Exorcist meets Brookside'. And as to rumours that Billie is planning to leave the show, she dismissed them as pure speculation. She said: 'Well I've never actually said that I am leaving or anything like that but every time there is a new series, the same old stories come out.' Tennant joked: 'No it is true, wee Jimmy Krankie is taking over soon'." Reported atITV, ITN, and Channel 4.

Billie Piper and Julie Walters are to star in a BBC1 adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby In The Smoke, the first book in a quartet that charts the adventures of Sally Lockhart (Piper), a feisty young Victorian heroine. It's adapted by Bafta-winning writer Adrian Hodges, directed by Brian Percival (North & South, Clocking Off). The Lancashire Evening Postasks, "Who's that girl visiting a Lancashire coastal landmark? Pop star turned actress Billie Piper was at Sunderland Point, near Lancaster, to film her latest TV drama – but this time she left the Tardis at home. Billie, who plays Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, is also starring in new Victorian drama The Ruby in the Smoke. The series, based on a book by multi award-winning writer Philip Pullman, also stars BAFTA-winning actress and comedian Julie Walters. Billie plays Sally Lockhart, described as a 'feisty heroine on a journey to discover the truth behind her father's death.' The Ruby in the Smoke is said to be a 'gripping tale of mystery, danger, puzzling letters and a jewel soaked in blood.'" The Daily Star notes that "Life is a drag for Billie Piper as she films her new telly drama. . . dressed as a Victorian heroine. The Doctor Who babe, 23, looked like she was stuck in a timewarp yesterday as she recorded scenes for new BBC drama The Ruby In The Smoke. She plays super-sleuth Sally Lockhart in the TV adaptation of the Philip Pullman novels. Billie was snapped yesterday enjoying a sneaky ciggie on the set near Morecambe, Lancs." People also says "Lovely Billie Piper appears totally laidback while filming her latest BBC telly role. The Doctor Who beauty, 23, bent over backwards as she waiting to go in front of the cameras. An onlooker said: 'Billie looked amazingly supple as she warmed up. She seemed to ease backwards like a super-fit gymnast.' But Billie, who plays a Victorian orphan in the period drama Ruby In The Smoke, pulled off another remarkable twist. She wore curlers and hairnet in between takes in Morecambe, Lancs - without looking awful!" Piper also appeared on last Friday's GMTV's 'Entertainment' show on Friday Morning.

The Sun says that Piper "wants to take time out from her acting career to backpack around India and Africa. The Doctor Who actress is keen to explore more of the world - and doesn't want to do it in five star style. She told OK!: 'I'd like to travel. I've done a bit but I want to explore India and Africa and have a proper experience. I don't just want to go for ten days, I want to go for three weeks or a month and just live it and experience it all.' Billie, 23, has already seen much of the world with former hubby Chris Evans but now says she wants to do 'the traveller thing'. She said: 'I don't see the point in going to these incredible places and then staying in luxury hotels with air-con and room service. I really want to get to the heart of it all and slum around which will be so much more fun.' She added: 'I definitely need a couple of months off which I'm looking forward to. I want to allocate a considerable amount of time to travelling and then come back and hopefully get a job.'"

William Russell (Ian Chesterton from the first years of the classic series) was featured on the BBC's Saturday afternoon coverage of the first England World Cup 06 game ("World Cup: Match of the Day Live"), which began with Russell narrating the Henry V rallying the troops speech.

Tom Baker tells the Daily Express that "he may have left the Tardis in 1981 when he regenerated into Peter Davison, but he now wants to come back as the Doctor's arch enemy The Master. 'I think the new fellow, David Tennant is excellent, ' says Tom, 72, now narrator of cult comedy Little Britain. 'My only disappointment is that they didn't ask me back to play [renegade Timelord] The Master. He and the Doctor are like Holmes and Moriarty: two sides of the same man. That would turn a few heads.'"

Other Press Items

The Norfolk Eastern Daily Press said on June 8, "An army of evil monsters is heading to Norfolk with a mission to exterminate a world record. A summer invasion of Dr Who and other sci-fi characters is set to happen at Holt on June 24-25. And organisers are hoping to set the world record for the largest number of Daleks in one place. The current record stands at 57, and the Norfolk event hoped to smash that by attracting up to 100, said co-ordinator Nigel Pearce. The gathering, after a 1pm parade through town on the Sunday, will be checked by Guinness Book of Records officials and independent witnesses - town council chairman Philip High and council member Jean Corbett-Jarvis. 'They must be full size Daleks , between 5ft and 6ft tall, and stay in one place for 10 minutes,' explained Mr Pearce."

The Evening Herald says that "A Totnes youngster is to appear in the BBC1 television show Totally Doctor Who on Thursday. Catherine Roberts, aged 12, won the chance to be part of the TV spin-off show after proving that her knowledge of the hit science fiction series was second to none. The King Edward VI Community College, Totnes, pupil, who lives in South Brent, contacted Totally Doctor Who via email, with three interesting facts about the award-winning drama. Totally Doctor Who, presented by Liz Barker and Barney Harwood, returned Catherine's call and, following a telephone interview, invited her to take part in the Who Ru section of the show to discover the week's greatest Doctor Who superfan. The programme will be shown on BBC1 this Thursday at 5pm. 'Catherine was going mental just to get the phone call from the BBC to interview her,' said her father Mike Roberts. 'Despite being told that she'd have to wait until they interviewed other fans, they were back on the phone in about five minutes saying she would be on the programme.'"

The Winston-Salem Journal says that "In terms of longevity, it's hard to beat Doctor Who. The show has been around for 28 seasons, over the course of more than 40 years. And the lead character is still spry at the tender age of 900-something.... 'It's such a coveted brand for the BBC that, unlike some other properties, it's really monitored by a group that are Doctor Who specialists,' said Megan Branigan at BBC Home Video. Those specialists, the Doctor Who Restoration Team, painstakingly clean up prints of old episodes, find lost interviews and assemble bonus material for each DVD. The U.S. branch of BBC Video puts out eight DVDs a year in addition to occasional special releases. Two new DVDs of classic Who stories, Genesis of the Daleks and Revenge of the Daleks, were released this week. A second new season has already started in England, with David Tennant taking over as the 10th Doctor."

The Comet says, "Standing in the corner of a small factory is a figure that has ignited fear in children and become a famous figure in a cult TV series. The Dalek is an integral part of Dr Who, but now you don't need to be a time traveller to meet one of the monsters. One model is currently in Jack's Hill, Graveley, where it is undergoing industrial surgery to restore to pristine condition. The model is of vintage BBC stock having appeared in an edition over 30 years ago and now normally resides in the home of its owner in Stevenage. But for the owner of Finishline, Chris Bray, it is just another product that needs his urgent attention. Currently getting new coats of paint in his workshops alongside Dr Who's greatest enemy are a couple of racing Porches normally seen at the Nurburgring and worth a cool £250,000 each, and a classic of the 1960s a VW camper van that had spent all its life in the USA. 'I must say the Dalek has certainly attracted a lot of attention in the workshop,' said Mr Bray, from Upper Caldecote. 'People come in here and see the great cars we have being repaired and sprayed and then see the Dalek. It needed a lot of TLC. It is made out of wood and the filler had contracted so we have rebuilt it and it looks great. It belongs to a guy in Stevenage who has it as an ornament at home. It now looks as good as new and one guy who came in said it could be worth as much as 4,000.'"

The Evening Herald says, "Being killed by a Cyberman was a dream come true for a Plymouth sci-fi fan who featured in the latest series of Doctor Who. Jules Burt has been a fan of the series since he was a boy, so was overjoyed to be offered a walk-on part in the episode Rise of the Cybermen, which was aired on BBC1 in May. A dealer in sci-fi memorabilia, the 36-year-old from Lipson says acting is only a hobby but he could be swayed to take it up more seriously after his Doctor Who death scene. Jules is a member of city theatre group the Western College Players, and through an agent has snagged roles as an extra in a wide variety of projects, from movie King Arthur, with Keira Knightley, to Casualty and an advert for TSB. But it was his appearance as a cameraman in a party scene alongside David Tennant and Billie Piper that has most inspired him. He said: 'We filmed at midnight and it was very atmospheric. Eleven Cybermen crashed through sugarglass windows and more filled the doorways. I had to duck between them and try to escape. I had to pinch myself. I kept thinking 'I'm really in Doctor Who'. It was a once in a lifetime experience. The scene ended when I got grabbed by a Cyberman in the corridor. It took two hours to film - just me and the Cyberman. I had to scream and fall back on the crash mats when I died. It was brilliant.' While filming in Cardiff last November, Jules even had a chance meeting with the Doctor. 'I was queuing up at the burger bar and David Tennant was standing behind me. I got a snap with him and had a chat,' he said. He's a nice guy and we talked about how amazing it was to be there and how much he really enjoys being the Doctor. He's also been a fan of the show for years and like him, it's a dream come true to be in it.'"

The Bath Chronicle says "former Bath and Trowbridge student Will Thorp will be gracing the BBC's screens in yet another hit Saturday night show. He will appear in the second episode of a two-part special of cult favourite Dr Who. His first Dr Who appearance came last Saturday, when he was seen as a character named Toby, described as a nasty archaeologist, in an episode named The Impossible Planet, with this week's conclusion The Satan Pit. A former City of Bath College performing arts student, Thorp, 28, is best known for his role as Woody the paramedic in Casualty, from which he landed a place in last year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up. But working alongside the new doctor, David Tennant, is not his only experience of the time travelling Doctor. Thorp is currently touring the UK in a play alongside the sixth doctor, Colin Baker. The pair appear in Strangers On A Train, a psychological thriller which was made into a film in 1951 by Alfred Hitchcock. Thorp's memories of the Doctor are fond, and he said of his latest break: 'My character is one of a crew of space explorers trapped in this strange world when the Doc and Rose turn up.'"

A New Zealand tabloid, Sunday News, gets our award for most ludicrous news report: "Lucy Lawless is hot favourite to take over the Tardis and become the first female Dr Who. Current stars Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant are both relinquishing their Time Lord status after one series and the cult show is now considering the idea of 'guest doctors' Landing Lucy for the role would be a major coup for the BBC. She has a massive international following and even became a gay icon because of her screen relationship with her Xena: Warrior Princess sidekick Gabrielle, played by Renee O'Connor. While diehard fans would probably love to see the two together again as time travellers, it is likely Billie Piper would carry on her role as Rose. It's not know if there will be 'chemistry' between the new Doctor and Rose." Sorry, but this is bunk.

The Wigan Observer says that "An amazing time machine has materialised in a Wigan garden. Curious neighbours have been peeping through the privets after Doctor Who fanatic Ian Mellor unveiled his latest homage to the sci-fi series. His full sized Tardis, accurate in every detail, has taken six months of work to complete. Although painted in official police blue specially mixed for the project, its actually rather green – because he has constructed it almost entirely out of timber off-cuts sourced from building sites across the borough. Now Ian, 26, of Moor Road, Orrell, who continues to battle against ill health, hopes that the universe's most famous police box will follow the two Daleks he made and be captured by fellow Who'vian enthusiasts. Or it could even end up being snapped up by a Wigan store who want an unusual accessory in their foyer on which to advertise 'out of this world' prices. Ian says that the 'sheddy' structure of the Tardis made it a much easier proposition to build than the Daleks, with their tapered cylindrical shape, button mouldings and death ray plunger."

ITN says "A host of celebs have been telling us if they are supporting England this World Cup - and for Scottish actor David Tennant the choice is easy. The Dr Who star said: 'I don't get football it just leaves me cold. It's got nothing to do with England, Scotland anyone else, I just don't get it. I know there's the traditional Scottish thing that you can't support England but I've lived here for 12 years so I've got to try.'"

The Cambridge Evening News asked, "What would the late Mary Whitehouse (God rest 'er) have made of last week's Doctor Who episode -- surely the most terrifying thing seen on TV at 7 o'clock on a Saturday night since Chico did the Time Warp' ? I don't know what affect this was having on the nation's 10-year-olds, but Mr and Mrs Square Eyes were both hiding behind cushions at this point. (In Doctor Who, even doors can be scary ' especially when they start saying things like 'He is awake ' he bathes in the black sun.') Angry parents from Tunbridge Wells will no doubt be pinging off emails to Points of View as I speak, complaining about soggy mattresses and demands to sleep with the light on. But everyone knows that kids love to be scared. And television as thrilling and imaginative as this ' British television at that (think how many hours your little 'uns spend soaking up American 'cultural values') can only be a good thing. They should put Doctor Who on the national curriculum."

Other items: Now Playing Magazine reviews "The Impossible Planet" (link); the official site has created a "Guide to the Classic Series of Doctor Who";TV Squad, IF Magazine and UGO review "The Parting of the Ways"; BlogCriticsreviews "The Age of Steel" (link), "The Idiot's Lantern" (link) and "The Satan Pit" (link); the Daily Record calls volume two of the Series Two DVD releases their "Best Buy".

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Bas Pierik, Tristian Phipps, Rodney Hrvatin, Keith Armstrong, Paul Kirkley, Chris Clarke, Tom Jennings, Jonathan Grills, Tom Dart)