Broadcasting

Doctor Who Confidential... Cut Down again for rebroadcast? The 7 May repeat of "Confidential" is now listed in a 15-minute space prior to the rebroadcast of "The Girl in the Fireplace". We'll keep you posted.

Elisabeth Sladen was interviewed on BBC One's Breakfast this morning (Thursday). There were clips from 'The Hand of Fear' and 'School Reunion', the latter featuring some material that has not previously appeared in the various BBC trailer packages. The interview, which lasts about eight minutes, can be seen online at BBC News.

Official Sites

The BBC Doctor Who website has undergone its weekly revamp and unveiled its pre-transmission 'School Reunion' theme. As well has the new flash-animated homepage, featuring Rose, Sarah Jane, Mr Finch and some flying Krillitanes, there is a new gallery of seventeen photographs from the episode; the latest 20-second trailer and the third Tardisode are also available on the Doctor Who media player. The downloads page has also been updated this week, with five brief sound clips from 'Tooth and Claw' joining three from 'New Earth'. Also posted, is the Fear Factor entry for this week's episode.

Also, the BBC has opened up a brand new spinoff site after this past weekend's episode, "Tooth and Claw". Visit Torchwood proclaims "Welcome to Torchwood House: Torchwood House is one of Scotland's achitectural treasures. Owned by the MacLeish family since the 1500s, it was purchased by the Crown in 1893. Famed for its beautiful grounds and stunning Observatory, the house was opened to the public in 1981. A real jewel of the Highlands, it has received over a million visitors since opening." The site includes a game revolving around the house's observatory.

School Reunion Pre-Broadcast Publicity

Doctor Who gets its fifth consecutive Radio Times cover mention this week - 'Welcome back, Sarah Jane and K-9!' - echoed in the 'Editor's letter' (p.3) and continued in 'RT recommends... the week's best television' (p.4), with 'School Reunion' chosen as a Saturday highlight: 'An episode to relish'. The regular 'Doctor Who Watch' feature is again three pages (pp.14-16), its main article, 'Friends Reunited', comprising a brief interview with Elisabeth Sladen. As well as dealing with Sladen's reservations over returning as Sarah ('My agent was far more excited than I was'), the piece mentions a dinner invitation - 'Phil and Russell are going for a meal with Billie and David. Oh, and Stephen Fry's going to pop along. I thought, 'Hell, I'm out of my league here!'' - and the read-through for Block One - 'There were abouut 100 people in the room! The cameraman, bless, came up and said he used to watch me as a child.' There is a small illustrated article on rebuilding K-9, with Mike Tucker explaining that 'He was originally made of fibreglass, which is why he's lasted well ... we added rust marks and coffee cup rings, and bits of paint that had flaked off ... we decided that the interior workings should look a bit more as if they'd been designed by a Time Lord and less like radio spares!' Anthony Head is asked about his character, Mr Finch ('oleaginous ... He's a bit New Labour') and about working with K-9 ('A bit like talking to a box on wheels ... it was fun.'). A small photo feature also looks at the new CGI monsters, the Krillitane, whose transformation Will Cohen of The Mill describes as 'more magical and organic, and in keeping with the tone of the rest of the episode - rather oily.' Writer Toby Whithouse is also interviewed, discussing reworking his script: 'It was quite a long process. They said they wanted to bring back Sarah Jane and K-9. 'Aside from that, do anything you want.' So I went away and wrote a story and they said, 'No, that's rubbish. Do anything you want as long as it's not that.'' Whithouse also talks about the special effects required for his episode: 'They calculated how many days of special-effects work would be required and it was about seven years, so we pared it down after that.' As usual, 'School Reunion' is one of 'Today's Choices' for Saturday (p.60), with TV Editor Alison Graham calling it 'a smart and funny episode, considerably enlivened by the initial mistrust and jealousy between Sarah Jane and Rose ... There's emotional depth too ... The final scene ... is a great big 'aaaaah' moment.' This is illustrated with a large photo of the Doctor on a staircase in the school, one of fifteen new picture in the issue, with one of Mr Finch heading Saturday evening's channel listings (p.62). The episode blurb runs: 'The Doctor chances upon erstwhile companion Sarah Jane - can they resolve old scores? - and robotic bow-wow K-9 as he pursues strange bat-like creatures reportedly haunting a school.' In Doctor Who Confidential (Saturday listing, p.63), 'Elisabeth Sladen talks about her return to the series after an absence of 30 years, plus chats with David Tennant and guest star Anthony Head.' And in Totally Doctor Who (Thursday listing, p.101), 'David Tennant talks secrets, competitions and K-9, and Noel Clarke reveals how his car stunt was achieved.' 'Letters' (p.144) includes two contributions, one attempting to rate David Tennant's performance ('brilliantly mercurial') against Christopher Eccleston's ('fascinating tough loneliness'), the other more concerned with how old police boxes are; the same page features a small boxout of Who companion statistics ('32 official companions, 20 women, ten men ... Two companions died, two had their minds wiped' etc.), alongside a cartoon of a Dalek researching Doctor Who in a library. May's DVD release of Series 2 Volume 1 is advertised on page 47 ('The adventure continues on DVD'). And the Radio Times for 13-19 May (out on 9 May) will have a free Doctor Who sticker album and wall chart, with 'free stickers in that and the next three issues' - details are on page 51 ('Subscription offer'). And Lynda-with-a-Y from 'Bad Wolf, Jo Joyner, is revealed as a new regular on EastEnders (p.12).

The Children's BBC website have put up a review of episode three, School Reunion, apparently the first part of a new regular feature in which 'our biggest Doctor Who Fan Lizo will be bringing you his verdict on the week's episode of Doctor Who before it's even hit your screens!'

The Sunday Times says of this weekend's episode, "Old-school Doctor Who fans might well feel a particular frisson of adolescent excitement tonight as Tom Baker's former time- travelling companion Sarah-Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) makes an appearance. She encounters the new -and let's be honest, more attractive -incarnation of her old colleague at a London school that is suffering a nocturnal infestation of bat-like creatures. There are old scores to settle and Rose has a chance to find out how following the Doctor round will affect her life long-term. Devotees of Buffy the Vampire Slayer might also relish an appearance by Anthony Head."

Heat reviewer Boyd Hilton gives School Reunion 5 stars and writes: 'It's always a nervous moment when you get an episode of Doctor Who not written by its new supremo Russell T Davies. Not that many of them ever turn out to be anything other than top-notch, it's just that Davies sets the benchmark so high. This one is penned by Toby Whitehouse, who has previously done episodes for No Angels and Hotel Babylon, and he doesn't put a foot wrong. It's a tale which proves yet again that the producers of the new Doctor Who have fun first and foremost in their minds, as they bring back some faces from the Doctor's past - his former 'companion' Sarah Jane Smith, last seen accompanying Little Britain narrator Tom Baker to peculiar worlds back in 1976, and legendary cute little robot doggy K9. The setting for this mini-reunion is a London school, which is haunted by weird, bat-like creatures at night and run by a dodgy headmaster, splendidly played by Anthony Head, having as good a time as he does when he's the PM in Little Britain.
Heat also lists this episode at number 4 in the week's Best TV Shows.

Closer magazine has this episode as one of their Saturday Choices: 'Diehard Who fans are in for a treat. There's a double blast from the past when the Doc bumps into his old sidekick Sarah Jane Smith, with a rundown K9 in tow. The rusty old hound has seen better days, but he still has enough wag in his tail to help his time-travelling chums get the better of some strange bat-like creatures haunting a school. Anthony Heaed stars as the baddie.'

Inside Soap's Telly Hero of the Week is K-9: 'Readers of a certain age will be pleased to see Doctor Who's plucky robot dog let off the leash once again this Saturday, helping his Time Lord chum defeat sinister goings-on in an English school. To be strictly accurate, however, this is K-9 Mark III - built as a gift for the Doctor's favourite former assistant, journalist Sarah-Jane Smith, who also shows up this week. And while poor K-9 might be a bit rusty and battered these days, he's still got bite - as the Doctor's alien enemies will soon find out!'

New magazine: At number 5 in their Top Ten Picks, they write: 'Poor Doctor Who. The fella never gets a moment's rest. Which is strange, seeing as he owns a time machine. Surely he could park it in a lay-by, have an hours' kip, then travel back to before his nap? Hmm. This week the Doc investigates a London school that's being haunted by bat-like creatures at night.'

Reveal magazine's Pick of the Day, they give this episode 4 stars: 'The latest series of Doctor Who is already gonig down a storm with sci-fi fans after only 2 episodes, but for any still in need of convincing, this edition is bound to seal it. Sarah Jane Smith and her faithful robotic friend K-9 return to lend the Time Lord a hand. The journalist was, of course, companion to Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker in the 1970s, but pops up here when her Gallifreyan friend finds himself in a London school investigating reports of strange creatures haunting the place. Rose also benefits from her predecessor's experience, and learns a few harsh truths about travelling with the Doctor. Elisabeth Sladen reprises her role as Sarah Jane, alongside Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head and series regular Noel Clarke.'

Sneak has School Reunion as their Pick of the Day: 'Tonight, Rose and the Doctor end up prowling around a creepy London school which is haunted by bat-like animals. As you do. But will the never-ending sexual tension between the twosome finally crack? Just get a room!'

Star magazine awards this episode 4 out of 5 stars: 'Doc's off to a school in London this week, which is haunted by bat-like creatures. While there, he meets old pal Sarah Jane Smith, one-time companion to the Doctor. She teaches Rose what it really means to be the Time Lord's sidekick.'

Tooth and Claw Reviews

The Sunday Mirror: "Satanic black eyes bulging wide in an expression of freakish fury, thin lips twisted into a horrible leering grimace - and that's just the Doctor! This Tennant guy is really scary-looking. The werewolf was pretty frightening. But nowhere near as spine-chilling as demon-faced Dave. In a big improvement on the half-baked first episode... What DID happen to Tennant's accent? Why did Scotsman Dave decide that the latest time lord ought to speak mangled 'Mockney' - like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins? I mean, gor blimey gov'nor. It's proper 'orrible."

Newsquest Media Group: "If Sharpe's Challenge was slow and dull, Doctor Who was the exact opposite - another pacy, funny, exciting, scary rollercoaster ride involving Queen Victoria, a werewolf, bald kung fu fighting monks and a naked Billie Piper. Only joking about the last bit. Her companion, Rose, was garbed in appropriate 1979 gear, T-shirt and short skirt, for a trip to see Ian Dury and the Blockheads at the Top Rank, Sheffield. Unfortunately the Doctor's time coordinates were out and the Tardis landed in 1879. ... The pair met up with Queen Victoria in Scotland and the monarch was alarmed by Rose's lack of clothing. 'Her nakedness' as she called it. I regret to say the time travellers failed to show due respect to the monarch (played by Pauline Collins having the time of her life). 'Pardon me, your majesty, you will have to leg it out a window,' the Doctor told her as the hairy beast - no, not Prince Albert - pursued them through the old dark house. The monks were determined to keep everyone in the house during the full moon so the werewolf could do what werewolves do - rip people to shreds. This being before the watershed, we were spared the sight, if not the sound, of the grisly deaths. And why, you may well be wondering, didn't the Doctor realise that something was wrong when the royal party arrived at the house and found all those monks? 'They're bald, athletic, your wife was away - I thought you were just happy,' the Doctor told the man of the house."

The Liverpool Echo: "What has happened to Doctor Who? Last time I checked, the acting was almost as plastic as the timelord's adversaries. But Saturday's romp in Victorian Britain was gladly lacking in rubber masks and Lycra leggings. The doctor, ably played by David Tennant, and Rose, the ever-more appealing Billie Piper, faced a truly formidable beast in the form of a werewolf. They were charged with the task of keeping Queen Victoria out of the clutches of the monster hell-bent on destroying the human race and taking over the world - yes, that old chestnut. For a show renowned for its not-so-great special effects, the werewolf was extremely well executed in CGI, demonstrating a willingness by programme-makers to progress from the Play Doh and drinking straws of yesteryear. However next week sees the return of K9, proving the writers have not written off the old characters completely."

Newsquest Media: "So far, Tennant's Doctor has been much too lightweight, with a repertoire of clownish expressions and a laddish demeanour ill suited to the role of a being with enough years of existence on the clock to have learned how to grow up. He wasn't helped in Saturday's episode by Billie Piper's Rose spending the whole time trying to make Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins) say that she was not amused. I certainly wasn't by that tiresome joke and actually cheered when the monarch banished the meddlesome pair at the end of the adventure. It isn't as if Tennant can't do serious - and even magnificently menacing. I saw him in one of those ITV dramas (Secret Smile) as a psycho boyfriend, and he conjured up one devilish look that scared the life out of me! Unfortunately, the CGI werewolf that rampaged through the Scottish manor house on Saturday did not have the same effect. It looked more like something from Ice Age 2 (an overgrown fox?) than a flesh and blood carnivore that you felt could actually do some damage."

There are also web reviews of Tooth and Claw at BlogCritics, TVSquad,Now Playing;

People

BBC Norfolk features a video interview with Elisabeth Sladen, who reprises the role of Sarah Jane Smith in the episode to be broadcast this Saturday, "School Reunion". "Earlier this month, Lis came to Norwich for a DVD launch event at the Norwich Puppet Theatre, organised by the science fiction store Kulture Shock. While in the city, she spoke exclusively to Martin Barber about working with David Tennant, Sarah Jane's relationship with Rose and her fond memories of her time in the TARDIS." Highlights of the interview: "Why do you think, of all the companions, you're still voted as one of the most popular in the entire series? 'I really don't know. I hit a lovely time in the series. I hit the time of Pertwee and Baker... and sometimes you can almost taste when something is really working. And maybe Sarah was the kind of character that they needed at that time. So she took on the companion that had to be for the series and the companion that they wanted.' ... You've worked with many of the Doctors, but what's it like working with David Tennant? 'I knew that David was a big fan of the series. Before we did the read through he gave me this big cuddle. On the very first day we did some running scenes and he can't half run. I'm in heels, he's in trainers! At the very end of the day we did a very important scene where she meets him and recognises him for the very first time. To me it's very important that the Doctor is alien. You think he's on your wavelength and he's not.' ... This month also marks the release of the Genesis Of The Daleks to DVD. Why do you think it's held up as one of the best ever stories in the series? 'It's really tightly written and you've got David Maloney as your director. From the beginning shot it is so good for what we had to work with at the time. I think Genesis Of The Daleks is a tribute to Doctor Who and our time in it. I'm really so proud to have been part of it.' ... And what does the future have in store for Sarah Jane - will she be back? 'I knew what they wanted and I think she's been used for what they wanted. It's nice to do something and let it stand, leave them wanting. I think it's the last time that you'll see her in the new series, but not the last time you'll have seen Sarah Jane -- I hope not.'"

BBC Somerset also features a video interview, this with actor Anthony Stewart Head who plays the role of the head master in this weekend's episode.

The Stage is claiming an exclusive with news that Billie Piper is 'in talks' to play Fanny Price in an ITV adaptation of Mansfield Park ('ITV moves in to poach Piper'). (In fact, OG first reported the Daily Mirror's version of this story back on 18 November.) The paper repeats suggestions that Piper 'will return for a third series of Doctor Who - although she is expected to bow out early in order to juggle other projects'. The new edition of DWM simply states that 'there has been no official confirmation from the BBC about who will be coming back for Series Three,' although all this is in the context of the production team's hope that this series' ending will remain a surprise for viewers. Also reported at Monsters and Critics, In The News. Also, Piper has been ranked at #11 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" poll, as reported at IOL,Irish Examiner, This Is London, Breaking News,Virgin.net, U.TV, The Evening Echo.

The Southland Echo interviews writer Toby Whithouse on his script for this weekend's "School Reunion". "Toby Whithouse grew up in Southend and first started acting at the Focus Theatre Workshop. ... Now 35, he has appeared in several hit TV shows and has written many more. No Angels, the hit Channel 4 show which he helped to create, has just finished but just around the corner is the first public showing of the third episode of the new series of Doctor Who, called School Reunion, in which the Doctor catches up with his former travelling companion Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog K9. Toby's children Lucas, seven, and Maddy, four, have already had a sneaky peak at it and loved it. 'It's the first thing I have ever written that they could possibly watch,' he said. 'They loved it. My son's very proud.' When he started working on Doctor Who, Toby thought he was a bit of an expert because he knew the names of all the actors who have played the Doctor, but he soon found out he was a complete novice compared to the other writers. But he got stuck in regardless and starting writing, assuming Christopher Eccleston would still be playing the Timelord. Last March, after the first episode was broadcast, Eccleston broke the news that he wouldn't be staying for a second series. It was eventually decided to replace him with Casanova star David Tennant. Toby said: 'I started writing it before the first series went out. I found out on the news when I was about halfway through writing the episode. Nobody knew how David was going to do his Doctor. With Christopher Eccleston I knew what his Doctor was like. David had just been on TV in Casanova and I'd watched that and thought he was fantastic. I thought I'd write it as if he was playing that character - without all the sex! That seemed to do the trick.' ... The episode is now a distant memory to Toby who is already working on a fresh project - the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. ... 'It's a mixture of everything I like - sci-fi and swearing,' laughed Toby. He is also working on new series for Channel 4 and the BBC but won't spill the beans on what they are about. One of his biggest hits, hospital series No Angels, ended this month after three successful series."

The Edinburgh Evening News reports that "David Tennant has helped out his father's former church in Edinburgh by donating his copy of the script from the Time Lord's latest adventure. The Bathgate-born actor has given a signed script of the first episode from the new series to St Andrew's and St George's Church in George Street to sell at its annual Christian Aid book sale. David's father, the Very Reverend Dr Sandy McDonald - Tennant is David's stage name - is a former Kirk Moderator who served as minister at the church for six months in 2003. ... Sale organisers are consulting Dr Who memorabilia experts before setting a price on the script, which has also been signed by David's co-star Billie Piper. The script will be just one of the star attractions amongst thousands of books donated to the sale, including a signed copy of Muriel Spark's last work. Mr McDonald, who is now retired and living in Glasgow, said his 35-year-old son offered the script after he mentioned the sale in passing during a recent telephone conversation. He said: 'He is particularly interested in the work of the special sale at St Andrew's and St George's. He and I were talking about it and he offered to give something. The script couldn't be handed over until after the first episode went out on Easter Saturday and I have it now. David is genuinely concerned and hopes the script makes a lot of money for Christian Aid.'" Also reported atBBC News Scotland, icLanarkshire, Daily Record.

The Mirror profiles Mike Tucker, whose work on the original Doctor Who series on its effects led him to do the same for the new show. "When Dalek maker Mike Tucker received his Bafta nomination letter, he was gutted. It's not that he's got anything against being honoured for his TV model-making work, it's that in the same post he received his redundancy notice from the BBC. But at least he could prove he was good at his job - which helped him make the decision to set up his own effects business. 'It certainly sweetened the pill a little,' says the 41-year-old. 'I knew I wasn't being got rid of because my work was rubbish!' But that doesn't mean he wasn't worried about his future. 'I was suddenly thrust into the outside world - I was scared.' He'd gone from working on Daleks and the Big Ben model for the last series of BBC1's Doctor Who to not having a job to go to. But the work he got the Bafta shout for - a reconstruction of the Brighton Grand for a show called The Brighton Bomb - cemented his already-strong reputation. So he used his redundancy money to form his own firm - and he hasn't looked back. 'Setting up on my own has worked out really well. I'm doing loads of work for my old contacts and I've got more freedom now.'"

The South Wales Evening Post says that "The man behind the smash hit BBC series Dr Who could join the judging line-up for the literary world's most lucrative award. Swansea-born writer Russell T Davies is being tipped to play a part in the £60,000 Dylan Thomas Prize. The former Olchfa pupil is very much the man of the moment. He has won a series of top awards for his work on the revamped series. ... The prize is being billed as the world's biggest literary award... The new biennial competition is aimed at young writers and is likely to attract entries from all over the world, putting Swansea well and truly on the map. The only person so far confirmed as a judge is Cardiff-born screenwriter Andrew Davies, famous for popular historical TV adaptations such as Pride and Prejudice. He will chair the panel. Organisers are promising the identity of all the judges will be revealed at a special ceremony in Laugharne next month. But if Russell T Davies is one of them, it will go down well with writer Helen Veale, director of city production company Old Garbo. 'I have met Russell T Davies and he is a lovely chap,' she said. 'I am genuinely a huge fan of his work. He is a great advert for Swansea and he is very supportive of young local talent.'"

The Herald asks Elisabeth Sladen various interview questions: "I still buy records. When I was at school, I used to play poker in the sixth form - and, probably because it was the only record I had, I'd put on Murder in the Cathedral, with Robert Donat. What an amazing voice. I got a copy recently and it takes me right back. ... I love second-hand bookshops. I recently found a wonderful book on the film-maker Alexander Korda. I'm fascinated by the studio system. In one way actors were so manipulated, but in another they got to work so often and learn so much. ... I like to go to a small place outside Palma - and I love going up to Scotland. I don't go to a lot of Doctor Who conventions, but I enjoy them. It's awful to say, but it's interesting to talk about yourself. You have a captive audience. And it was a very fun, happy time on the show. ... I've got a Dalek, because my husband, Brian Miller, was the voice of one. I've also got a figurine of Sarah Jane Smith and a Tardis. It's a nice remembrance. But some of the merchandise in the 1980s was so awful. I actually wrote to complain. ... When I was at a Doctor Who convention at Longleat with Tom Baker many, many years ago, they served the most wonderful venison, and I've always remembered that. I bought some recently and put it in my slow-cooker. I probably overcooked it but it was really good. I'd love to buy more organic, but you have to be realistic. We're told to eat more healthily - but how can people with a large family do that? You go for the thing that says two for the price of one. ... When we moved into our house in London there was everything to do, so we had to take a lot on ourselves. I once loved shopping and going to the antique places - I've just bought a lovely old leather sofa - but I've stopped now because I've got too many knick-knacks. You don't realise, and then all of a sudden you think, gosh, I've got no room. I dream about a clearout. Brian is such a hoarder so I've gone the other way. I'm not allowed in his wardrobe - I know he's got books in there. I'm sure I'll still find the old Betamax video recorder in there too if I look hard enough."

The UK Press Association features another biography/story with Sladen: "On a dark October night in 1976, 12 million people tuned in to Doctor Who, unaware their hearts were about to be broken. Having received the summons to return to his home planet of Gallifrey, the Doctor (then played by Tom Baker) made a quick stop at the slightly less sci-fi location of Hillview Road, South Croydon. It was here he unceremoniously dropped off his long-suffering assistant, Sarah Jane Smith, who reluctantly disembarked the Tardis after three years of memorable adventures at the time-traveller's side. ... For anyone who grew up watching the series during those years, Sarah, as played by Elisabeth Sladen, has indeed remained unforgettable. ... 'I had a call from my agent that [Doctor Who's executive producer and lead writer] Russell T Davies and [producer] Phil Collinson would like to take me to lunch and talk about the show,' explains Elisabeth, who, at 58, incredibly looks hardly a year older than when she last stepped out of the Tardis. I thought they might be asking me to come back for just one small jokey scene, in a little homage to the old programme,' she continues. 'I was actually thinking, 'How can I turn this down? My agent will kill me', because I wouldn't have wanted to have done anything like that.' ... 'I suppose I just thought it was a really good opportunity, and also a challenge to see if we could get it to work.' Despite the fact it's been three decades since she starred in the show, Elisabeth laughs that 'it was surprisingly, embarrassingly not odd' to be back in Doctor Who. 'I just thought, 'Oh, there's the Tardis, there's the Doctor'. Both of them fitted, far too snugly.' Current Doctor and confirmed fan of the old series, David Tennant, has gone on record as saying he found it almost overwhelming to work with Elisabeth, having spent his growing-up years watching her on television. 'I spied him at the read through and he spied me,' she reveals. 'We circled each other a bit, and then I thought, 'Well, how ridiculous'. So I said hello, and I got the biggest hug of my life. I mean, he's absolutely delighted with the role and what he's doing with it now.'"

Sci Fi Wire spoke to Toby Whithouse, who says that "he wasn't as rabid a Who fan as his fellow writers. 'I could probably name all the Doctors in the right order, and maybe four monsters, so I thought that made me quite a big fan—until I met the other writers and realized that I knew absolutely nothing!' Whithouse said in an interview. 'They were genuine lifelong fans, so whereas I'd be standing much more on the sidelines holding the coats, they had all been immersed in that world for most of their lives.' ... 'After we had the first read-through of my episode and a couple of others, I took the train back to London with some of the other writers, and that's when I realized that I was really an amateur in this world,' Whithouse said. 'They had this encyclopedic knowledge, and compared to them, I knew basically nothing.' ... 'The irony is, my episode is the only one that really hearkens back to the past, with the inclusion of the two ex-assistants, Sarah Jane and K9. But I think the advantage of not being really immersed in that world is that when I had the first meeting to talk about my episode with Russell and Julie, and they said to me, 'We want you to bring back Sarah Jane and K9!' had I been more of a fan, the thought of bringing back those two characters would have filled me with absolute terror. I knew they were popular characters within the mythology, but I hadn't realized how iconic they were in the eyes of a lot of the fans. So I think had I been involved more in that world, it would have put the fear of God into me. As it was, I felt it was just another element I had to take on, so it didn't particularly faze me.' Although the writer admits doing some research into Sarah Jane Smith's appearances in the original series, he insisted that the current version is stylistically very different in terms of storytelling. 'Consequently, I think it was more useful to watch Russell's first season rather than go too much into the past. In terms of facts and figures,' he said. 'I actually remembered a little more than I thought I did, and the producers sent me tapes and DVDs of Sarah Jane episodes, which is really what I needed a refresher on. But, as I say, because Russell had reinvented the series, I don't think anyone would have thanked me if I had written a story too much like the previous Doctor Who, because the way it's done now has changed so radically. I think it was more important that I got that right.'"

Sci Fi Wire also interviews director James Hawes who helms this weekend's "School Reunion". "'I think it's going to surprise a lot of people,' Hawes said in an interview. ... 'There's so much going on,' Hawes said. 'From the relationship between the old assistant [Sladen] and the now-assistant [Piper] to the menacing sparring between Anthony Head's character and the Doctor. So you've already got two separate character journeys going on. And then you've got the 'spare part' Mickey, a metal dog, and I haven't even got to the aliens yet. I think the guys at the Mill have done some of their best [computer graphics] work ever, and I'm absolutely delighted with them.' Hawes said that one of the most unforgettable aspects of the episode is the performance by fan favorite Sladen, who reprises her role as Smith from the original series. 'The first scene she did with David was a tiny little scene, with an explosion and the Doctor shouting 'Run!'' he said. 'We had them running hand in hand, so she went right into a piece of iconic, familiar performance as the Doctor's assistant.' Hawes added: 'What Lis was concerned about was that the style of performance on television drama has changed dramatically and is now so much more understated and naturalized. She was concerned that it was something she wouldn't instinctively feel and wanted to watch what the other artists around her [were doing] and asked for guidance whenever she could.' While directing the episode, Hawes admitted that he didn't pay all that much attention to the admonition never to work with children and animals, even if the latter in this case was a robotic dog. 'There was a moment when K9 first came out,' he recalled, 'and I knelt down to give him notes! I fell so completely under his spell that I literally forgot there was an operator I needed to be talking to. The decision was made to build a new K9 for the episode, but he couldn't move around on the parquet floors, because he couldn't get enough grip. And the tiled floor in the kitchen was too rough, so frankly it's amazing that he ever turns up [at] all, let alone saves the Doctor. But it's an extraordinary character, and of course I grew up with K9, so to find him on your set and be so beguiled by the thing that you're suddenly on your knees talking to the dog instead of the operator was an interesting experience.'"

According to the David Tennant fan site, "David will be appearing as Jimmy Porter in the Look Back In Anger reading as part of their 50th Birthday Celebrations on Monday 8th May. They say: Jimmy Porter will be played by David Tennant (Dr Who, The Pillowman), Alison will be played by Anne-Marie Duff (The Virgin Queen, Shameless) and Helena will be played by Helen McCrory (Casanova, As You Like It) " Also, Hello Magazine says "There was no shortage of glamorous gowns on show when the Royal Court Theatre marked its 50th anniversary with a glitzy bash in London. But despite the presence of some of the capital's most stylish women, it was the laid-back look of an eccentric Timelord that turned the most heads on Wednesday night. Doctor Who star David Tennant made quite an impression on the other revellers in the exclusive Titanic bar when he made his entrance sporting a straggly beard instead of his normally clean-cut features. 'It's my new look -- do you like it?' asked the small screen favourite as other celebs in attendance craned their necks to catch a glimpse. With his open-necked white shirt, the 6ft 1in actor easily stood out from the rest of the guests, most of whom had gone for a rather more polished look." And this week'sHeat mentions that "David Tennant will put Dr Who to one side next month to star as a brain injury victim alongside his former Blackpool co-star Sarah Parish. He stars as a building-site manager who suffers personality changes after he's involved in a car accident and has to try to rebuild his identity."

Inside Soap writes, "Fresh from his Doctor Who stint, Christopher Eccleston will return to TV later this year in new ITV1 drama Perfect Parents. He'll be playing a father who pretends to be Catholic, in order to get his daughter into the best local school." Manchester Online also reports that Eccleston will "appear in Celebrity Pig's new production of Romeo and Juliet at The Lowry ... The former Dr Who star became patron of Manchester's Celebrity Pig Theatre Company, which is an independent company for people with learning disabilities, after one of their members - Dorothy Cockin - played his mother in acclaimed BBC drama, Flesh And Blood. ... Romeo and Juliet - A Question of Choice, is a new take on the Shakespearean tragedy of star-crossed lovers, drawing on personal experience of the cast on why it is so difficult for people with learning disabilities to be together. Romeo and Juliet is at The Lowry on Monday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 16."

Whats On Stage discusses the casting of Adam Garcia from "The Christmas Invasion" in the forthcoming London version of the play "Wicked" which opens at the West End's Apollo Victoria Theatre on 27 September. Garcia, who will play the role of Fiyero, helped develop the role in the 2002 workshop of "Wicked" in New York. Also, the Mirror says that "Will Young will be wowing us with some raunchy moves for his next stage show. He demanded film hunk Adam Garcia showed him how to do his dirty dance from Coyote Ugly at London's Paper club on Saturday. A spy tells us: 'The pair were necking tequilas and before long were standing on chairs and dancing. Will asked him to show him the famous raunchy bar top dance. Will caught on really quickly. It was hilarious.' Well, he is Young at heart. '"

Miscellaneous

Various news services have reported that "Doctor Who fans have been turning up to secret filming locations in Cardiff after being tipped off about the crew's whereabouts. And surprisingly the tips came from the BBC's own website leaving bosses fearing for the cast's safety. A Beeb source told the Daily Star: 'Fans were turning up on set in Cardiff and we couldn't work out how they knew where we were. Eventually one person was quizzed about how he discovered our whereabouts and we were stunned when they told us it was our own website. People were posting sighting so Billie (Piper) and David (Tennant), giving details of their locations within minutes.' The BBC have now decided to censor any items posted on their websites that they feel may put the cast or crew in danger…still there are plenty websites out there that they can't censor." This 'story' actually seems like a collection of misinformation; the official Doctor Who site doesn't have a message board anymore (though they could be referring to the Outpost Gallifrey forum or other communities), and the production office has been fine with fans turning up, so long as they do not impact filming. Reported atEntertainmentWise, Monsters and Critics, In The News.

TV Guide said of the US broadcast of "The Long Game" last Friday, "Oh how I missed the sound of that TARDIS whooshing into some strange, foreign time period or space region. It's too damn cool for words. So is the Doctor quite frankly. It's a shame Christopher Eccleston only stuck around the one season because he's so much fun in the part. However, I await David Tennant's interpretation with an open mind. ... A slightly heavy-handed episode which wouldn't be out of place plot-wise on Twilight Zone, the Satellite 5 visit coasts on mainly on its atmosphere. Rose's beef slushy and Adam's vomit-o-matic experience are both hilarious while the corpses up on Floor 500 are downright ooky. Adam must be one of the shortest-serving and most ignominious companions in Who history. I liked that the Doctor left him at home with that conduit chip still in his head. The greedy little weasel tried to cash in on knowing future events by sending info through Rose's cellphone to his mom's answering machine back on Earth. 'He's your boyfriend,' sniffed the Doctor. 'Not anymore,' retorts Rose. (Can't wait to see her explain this to Mickey.) You can't trust anyone. No wonder Adam worked for Van Statten (and kudos to those who caught me messing up that name...mea culpa), they are a lot alike. The snapped fingers from Adam's mum and her subsequent double take provided the perfect punch line to an entertaining, if unspectacular (IMHO), tale. To be fair, anything would pale after that incredible Dalek episode. Questions: Did anyone else suspect the Ice Warriors when they cut to Floor 500 for the first time? I don't know if this is the Jagrafess's first appearance. (I don't remember him.) And is there something brewing between the Doctor and Rose, romance wise? 'It'll take more man than me to get between you two,' quips Adam in a rare moment of humility (as opposed to humiliation). Later, as Adam is begging for a second chance, the Doctor bluntly tells him off: 'I only take the best, I've got Rose.' Without her, he might just be a giddier House without the pills and with a functioning right leg."

The South Wales Evening Post: "I fear Swansea's Doctor Who script writer Russell T Davies could be in for a hard time, despite more than eight million people watching last Saturday's first episode of the new series. That is very impressive, but it was a noticeable drop compared to the 11 million-plus viewers who had watched last year's first series opener. So: is Russell losing his touch? I sincerely hope not. But if viewing figures start to slump, how quickly will the national (that is, English) newspapers start making a point of mentioning his Welsh origin?"

Said the Derby Evening Telegraph, "It is every Doctor Who fan's dream to enter the Tardis and they can now make that dream a reality at a Derbyshire tourist attraction. Once they step inside they will find only a telephone, rather than a physics-defying time machine, but that has not stopped enthusiasts spending thousands on its restoration. The Mark Two Metropolitan Police box, which is believed to be one of only two remaining, found a home at Crich Tramway Village in the 1970s after being rescued from London's Ealing Broadway. Sci-fi enthusiasts from around the country began raising funds three years ago to restore the 50-year-old phone box after it started crumbling through general wear. Expert restorers spent five weeks fixing the cracked concrete on the box. It was also given a new coat of blue paint to match the Tardis from the popular BBC television show. The enthusiasts are now proud of the final result and it was unveiled at the attraction yesterday."

The Guardian praises the use of signature tunes in series, including noting that "Familiar music as a programme opens is a reassuring device for cushioning change. The exuberant scripts of Russell T Davies may be light years away from the bumbling progress of William Hartnell, but there's always the reassuring whoosh of Ron Grainer's signature tune to tell you it is still Dr Who."

The Daily Record says that "The Doctor went all 'Och Aye The Who' on Saturday, with Timelord svengali Russell T. Davies allowing David Tennant out to play with his Scottish accent for just one episode. Davies denies it, but I'm concerned some suit in the Beeb's bosom decreed that the new Who wouldn't be speaking 'Scotch', because...well, let's remember they chose to subtitle Sweet Sixteen."

The New York Daily News says of the first season of the new series, "Great if you love: 'Veronica Mars,' 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'Angel'. What it is: This reimagined version of the British cult hit - with significantly better production values - follows the enigmatic Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and present-day teen (Penelope Wilton) as they travel through time and space, in a phone booth, to save the world. Why you'll like it: The show's naughty humor and likable characters make it easy for science- fiction-phobes to love. Why you've never seen it: The channel itself is the usual barrier for most people, who will admit to liking 'Star Wars' or even 'Star Trek,' but would never call themselves sci-fi fans." Of course, they seem to have gotten one of the members of the cast wrong (Piper, not Penelope!)... but why quibble?

The Times says, "Could any acting role tempt Ian Hislop? 'Doctor Who', the Private Eye Editor tells TV Times. 'I'm a huge fan. If Russell T. Davies wanted me to appear, I'd be there . . . I think it's time for Davros to be back, isn't it?'"

A writer for Media Blvd says, "When I was growing up, many things were essential discussion topics in the school playground: Was George from Rainbow a boy or a girl? Do magic torches like Jamie's really exist? Why can't you reach under a bench and find a perfect model you made earlier when following a Blue Peter make? Who was the scariest baddie in Doctor Who? For me, it was always the Daleks. Way back in the 70's, the highlight of my week was fighting my sister for the cushions in order to hide behind them when watching Doctor Who. With my child's mind, if the Daleks couldn't see me, I was safe. I loved the Doctor, he was an alien, a time traveller, and he didn't die because he regenerated into someone else. He always, always found a way out of trouble despite being stuck in the most frightful of cliff-hangers on a weekly basis. But his enemies were the reason I watched the programme. That, and K9! Excitement mingled with anticipation and fear as the Cybermen or Daleks or one of the other terrifying world-destroying enemies attacked. The cushions on our sofa were well used! Our glee and astonishment shone through when the Doctor once again proved victorious (and we suddenly developed amnesia about the need for the use of the cushion). We didn't notice the wobbly sets, the men beneath the obvious costumes, or the fact that the Dalek weapon was really a sink plunger. We were immersed in a world of terror and joy, and we loved every minute of it. We watched Doctor after Doctor come and go, and changed our favourite Doctor with each regeneration. We fell in love with, or loathed, the companions, and we begged our parents for a K9 dog (our own flesh and bone dogs just weren't good enough after K9!). We worried that the Earth would be invaded, and we would be exterminated without a care. But, above all, we escaped worries of real life for 45 minutes a week and bonded as sisters, and as a family. And then, suddenly, it was gone. Doctor Who was cancelled! ... Yet I was sceptical when I learned of the planned return of this iconic programme. Other remakes or renewals of classics had failed to impress me some had downright infuriated me and I had little hope for the new Doctor Who being any different. I was nervous and sick to my stomach: was my childhood memory about to be destroyed forever? Hope began to burn when I learned of the casting of Christopher Eccleston, and then died again when news broke about the casting of Billie Piper as his companion. How could an ex-teen popstar ever hope to be a serious companion to the Doctor? I expected to hate the new Doctor Who... I was pleasantly surprised! This new Doctor had a Northern accent (always a plus when you also have a Northern accent) and a wicked sense of humour. His comic timing and tongue in cheek, matter of fact delivery won me over. And Billie, as Rose, proved to be an inspired choice. Rose is feisty, modern, intelligent, and far from the helpless companions of old. This is a new Doctor Who. A funnier Doctor Who. The show shines with the typical British sense of poking fun at itself, and not taking itself too seriously, while being totally serious and totally entertaining all at the same time. This Doctor has fun, while also acknowledging the tragedy of life. So what if the monsters are no longer scary? I've grown up, and no longer get scared at these enemies attacking my hero. I admit to a little sadness at this revelation; I think I prefer being the scared child but I now have the adult appreciation of the fear and danger that the Doctor faces instead, which is a consolation. But the cushions in my home are still used. A new generation has discovered the joy of the Dalek, and my daughter now sits and hides her face whenever one shows it's face (or plunger). And so a generation gap has been filled. The children of yesteryear watch the programme with the children of today. One with fond memories rekindled, the other with new memories forged. Doctor Who is, once again, must see TV and Saturday evenings are once again something to anticipate. As Season 2 begins in the UK, with yet another Doctor to get to know and love, my daughter and I will sit huddled together on our sofa (and my sister and her children will be on theirs), and once again, the cushions will be fought over as the scary aliens appear. And maybe, just maybe, a new generation of Sci Fi lovers will be born..."

There's more coverage of several recent stories at the following locations: the Welsh BAFTA awards at ICWales,ICNorth Wales, SyFy Portal,Contact Music, Digital Spy, Yahoo News; the recent Torchwood casting news atSyFy Portal, Digital Spy; Tom Baker out at BT as their mobile voice at VNUNet, What PC, Computing, UPI; the ratings situation atMedia Guardian; the new K9 series at K9 Magazine, SyFyPortal.

Other items: The Independent calls Billie Piper the 19th happiest person in Britain: "Former teen pop star with a failed marriage to DJ Chris Evans. Now at 23 an acclaimed actress and the first assistant in history of 'Doctor Who' to be bigger than the Time Lord."; Unison.ie profiles Sophia Myles from "The Girl in the Fireplace"; Peterborough Today comments on the TARDIS prop arriving at the Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery at the weekend; the BBC Press Office issued a new release about the BBC's vision for new media and technology for the future, including use of new technologies on the Doctor Who site; Now Playing also reviews the Doctor Who novel "The Deviant Strain"; Milton Keynes Todayreports on a London Marathon runner dressed in a Dalek costume; the Oldham Advertiser talks about a fan who took his K9 model out for a walk through Manchester. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Paul Hayes, John Bowman, Stephen Askew, Simon Bishop)

Tenth Planet have provided us with the full-color high-resolution cover image for the forthcoming UK DVD release of Inferno starring Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

The DVD release is out 29 May in the UK. As we noted when the story was originally announced, the release will feature commentary by Courtney, John Levene, script editor Terrance Dicks and producer/director Barry Letts; "Can You Hear the Earth Scream?," a 35-minute "making of" documentary which includes interviews with Dicks, Letts, Levene, Courtney, Caroline John, Ian Fairbairn and stunt arranger Derek Ware; "The UNIT Family (Part One)", a 36-minute documentary featuring a look at the first half of the "UNIT family" from the Third Doctor's era with interviews with Letts, Courtney, Levene, Dicks, John, Ware and UNIT Creator Derrick Sherwin; "Visual Effects Promo Film," an excerpt from an early sales pitch from the BBC Visual Effects department featuring rare Doctor Who footage; "The Pertwee Years Intro," a short intro by Jon Pertwee originally included on BBC Video's "The Pertwee Years"; a Jon Pertwee radio announcement; a PDF of the 1971 Doctor Who Annual; Radio Times billings; plus photo gallery and production notes.

Radio Times has reported, and now the BBC One website has confirmed, that the start time for next weekend's episode of Doctor Who, "School Reunion", has been delayed by twenty minutes and will now begin at 7:20pm. The program runs to 8:05pm, and presumably the third episode of the companion documentary series Doctor Who Confidential will start at that time. As always, check Outpost Gallifrey's broadcast calendar (located in the left-hand column of the news page) for the latest updates on scheduling.

Tooth and Claw Pre-Press Continues

Several stories in the past two days about this weekend's broadcast of the second episode of the season, Tooth and Claw:

The Daily Record says that "when Glasgow actor Derek Riddell dies in Doctor Who this weekend, it's at the hands of a man-sized Teletubby. The No Angels star, who last night brought the curtain down on the hit Channel 4 comedy-drama, switches to BBC1 on Saturday playing a Scottish nobleman who meets a grisly end fighting a giant werewolf. Despite his convincing portrayal of being eaten alive, Derek's adversary was nothing more than a student earning pocket money. He said: 'The werewolf was a guy in an all-in-one Lycra bodysuit with a pole attached to the top of his head. I just needed an eye-line, something the right height, so it looked like I was acting with a werewolf, which was all done with computer-generated imagery (CGI). That was a challenge - I had to look scared of a student in a body stocking.' ... New Doctor David Tennant, from Paisley, has already received flak for not playing the famous role in his native accent. Viewers will hear the Doctor and - less successfully - his assistant Rose (Billie Piper) pretend to be Scottish on Saturday, after the Tardis crash-lands in the countryside in Victorian 'Scotland'. But Derek doesn't see why that should be aproblem. He said: 'David doesn't do a lot of his stuff in a Scottish accent now. It's good to do somethingthat's not your native tongue, that's what you're trained to do. I remember wondering whether he'd play the Doctor Scottish or not, but that's a decision made between David and Russell T. Davies. It works really well, as it's allowed David to change his accent for this episode, which gives it an extra dimension. And Rose can't manage, so they make a gag out of it.'"

Newsquest Media Group notes that "This Saturday night the eagled-eyed residents of a Monmouth village will be glued to their television screens to try to catch a glimpse of their leafy home on Dr Who. BBC Wales film crews were in Dingestow last October filming scenes at Treowen House for the second episode of the new series - entitled Tooth and Claw - which is due to be screened this weekend on BBC One at 7.15pm. But residents may be disappointed to find that only footage filmed inside the historic building has been used. So local villagers will be unable to see any views of the outside of the Grade I Listed building, nor Dingestow itself, on the prime-time cult show. Saturday's 45-minute episode sees the Doctor and Rose Tyler, played by David Tennant and Billie Piper, travelling back to the year 1879 to Victorian Scotland. Programme makers had been struggling last year to find a suitable grand staircase for a chase scene in the episode, until one of the designers recalled attending a wedding at Treowen House and that it boasted a suitable flight of stairs. And after viewing the property, owned by Monmouth brothers John and Dick Wheelock, the crew not only agreed to shoot the chase scene; but filmed scenes in other interior rooms including the hallway and a reception room. John's wife Jane Harvey said last week: 'We will indeed be watching, and I know a lot of the people who come down and hire out Treowen House will be too.' The family staying this week at Treowen House are great Dr Who fans and are avidly awaiting Saturday's screening. In Tooth and Claw, the heroes are forced to battle with a terrifying werewolf and the epi-sode is one of the very few not to feature the infamous Daleks. The Dr and Rose come into contact with Queen Victoria herself, played by actress Pauline Collins who first starred alongside the second Dr Who, Patrick Troughton, in the 1960s. The werewolf, which was created with special effects, has been criticised in some circles as being too scary and over-produced, with director Russell T Davies taking the show away from its low-budget cult roots."

Manchester Online quotes Pauline Collins during coverage of the episode this week. "Bleak House star Pauline Collins teams up with the Time Lord this weekend to take on a werewolf. ... The Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) travel back to 1879 where they have a royal appointment with the Queen on her way to Balmoral. 'The episode is very scary - particularly the werewolf,' says Pauline, who originally played Samantha Briggs, alongside the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton. She found the 21st century version of the show completely different. 'Obviously, it's much more hi-tech now. Having seen David Tennant in action, I believe he is going to be the best Doctor ever. 'He seems to combine authority and humour and quirkiness, which, in a way, is an amalgam of all the very best Doctors. He's terrific in it and I think he'll be great.' ... 'One of the great things that Russell has really taken up in this reincarnation of Doctor Who is once you unleash the imagination of writers, it can go anywhere. He's kind of set us off on a rocket into the universe in a way. That's the appeal and that's why it's timeless. It can catch up with whatever is available to us scientifically, or in our imaginations, whatever the era is.' Older viewers will remember Pauline's role as young Sarah in Upstairs Downstairs. She says Queen Victoria's outfit was the heaviest costume she has ever worn. 'It was like carrying several small children around with me all the time.' What does she think Her Maj made of the Doctor and Rose? 'In the first encounter, she's immediately drawn to Rose. She likes Rose very much - although in the Queen's view, Rose looked rather inappropriately dressed in her modern clothes. She's a bit wary of the Doctor. I think that manifests itself all along. For some obscure reason, she challenges him constantly - she's not sure about him.'"

Miscellaneous Press Coverage

As widely reported in press, during an interview screened today on Sky News, the Duke of York also reflects upon growing up in the royal household and describes the informal side of life with the Queen, including settling down to watch television programmes such as Grandstand and Doctor Who with her. "The Queen has been praised on the eve of her 80th birthday as a 'consummate parent, outstanding monarch who has no equal', by her son the Duke of York. In a television interview screened on Friday Andrew described life growing up with a woman who is both his mother and the Monarch. The Duke revealed details of family life during his childhood when he would rollerblade in state apartments, race in miniature cars with his brother Prince Edward and watch the BBC show Doctor Who with the Queen." During the interview he said that he was 'a child of the original Doctor Who'. He pointed (off camera) and stated that down there there was a settee behind which he was able to hide from the Daleks. Reported in such places as the Daily Mail, theGuardian, the Express, the Scotsman, theMirror, ic Network, In The News.

The official Doctor Who website reports that "Doctor Who has been a hit TV show for more than 40 years. Unfortunately more than 100 of the early black and white episodes no longer exist in the BBC's film and videotape library. However, episodes that the BBC thought had been lost forever have turned up in car boot sales, in peoples' attics and in other weird locations. So the wonderful people at Blue Peter have launched a campaign to try and track down these lost episodes. The prize for anybody who finds a missing episode is a full-size replica Dalek... so it's definitely worth asking your family to check their lofts, garages, and spare bedrooms for any old film cannisters that might have the magic words 'Doctor Who' on the label." There are details of "how you can get in touch with the BBC if you do find one of these lost reels of film" on the website.

Sci Fi Wire, the news service of the US-based Sci Fi Channel, interviewsDave Houghton, visual effects supervisor, who says that "technicians broke ground to create a computer-generated werewolf for the upcoming second-season episode 'Tooth and Claw,' airing this week in the United Kingdom. 'Our modelers and animators have worked on films like Harry Potter,' Houghton said in an interview. 'So they were very well aware of what they could achieve in the time allowed, and we planned the episode accordingly. We were in talks with [executive producer] Russell T. Davies quite early on, even before the script was written, to determine how much could be done, and what we've done is very good in terms of TV or even for film. I think our werewolf is the best creature we've done for the show so far. It's fantastic. ... The great thing about doing a CG creature is you're obviously not mucking around with somebody on set in a costume, which takes ages, and time is something you just don't have on Doctor Who,' Houghton said. 'So there had to be a few ground rules. Once we got the script, our team basically animated to the script and what we thought would look good, and that really couldn't be changed. In film, a lot of noodling goes on after the fact. It gets animated, and then the producer or director comes in and changes it, so you have a lot of people giving their input, which we didn't have time to do. We had to take our cues as to what we thought was good and basically stuck to that, because we didn't have time to re-animate anything. ... Our werewolf was created with a new Maya [software] plug-in called Shave and a Haircut, which we used for the first time on this job, and it's worked very nicely. It all comes down to the guy who textures it, but our werewolf is very realistic. We've blown wind through it; we've thrown water on it, and it all looks rather splendid.'"

The Daily Record "pays tribute to an outstanding group of people, the finalists in the search for Our Heroes 2006. Once again we were inundated with thousands of nominations from readers. They ranged from brave members of the forces and emergency services to volunteers who give their time to help others. There were tales of youngsters brave beyond their years and pensioners who defied the age barrier to make a real difference. At the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow tonight, the winners of this year's awards will be announced during a star-studded event hosted by BBC newsreader Jackie Bird and comedian and Record columnist Tam Cowan. ... OUR ENTERTAINMENT HERO: David Tennant. The new Doctor Who has had an amazing rise to fame since his days at the RSAMD in Glasgow. The actor, from Bathgate, West Lothian, said at the age of 13 that his ideal role was the Time Lord. His determination, talent and hard work have achieved it. With no airs and graces and an understated charm, he is a true gentleman."

The Daily Express says that "Actress Sophia Myles looks as though she is auditioning for her own role as a Timelord by sporting a long brown trenchcoat. The blonde girlfriend of Dr Who star David Tennant, is currently filming feature film Hallam Foe in Edinburgh. The Scots actor is rumoured to have been having intimate dinner dates in the capital with Sophia who is said to keep an action figure of him in her bag. But yesterday the 26-year-old only had a giant blue parka style jacket to keep her warm between takes and there was no sign of a Dr Who doll in the black handbag she was carrying."

The Sun wonders if the premiere of "New Earth" really was the TV event of the year. "You don't think BBC1 over-sold it just the teeniest little bit, do you? A series of BBC3 repeats. Front cover of the Radio Times. Trailers every 30 minutes. Two spin-off shows. With another couple on the way. Then finally, FINALLY, it's the real thing. Yes, in case you missed the Beeb's low-key publicity campaign, Dr Hype is back, accompanied by the sort of fan-fare that would have made Rocky blush. A right royal pain in the jacksie it's been too, what with all the plugs it's been getting on other BBC shows. So, at the very least, you'd expect series two to open with a dynamite episode and maybe some Daleks or Cybermen, wouldn't you? But oh no. Instead? We have a huge letdown, from the moment David Tennant's pop-eyed, Mockney Doc took aim at the entire universe...and ended up back in a field full of cowpats in south Wales. ... o what we ended up with on Saturday was Carry On Doctor, rather than 'the TV event of the sodding year.' ... Because what's happened here is that, at best, someone (probably Russell T Davies) has chosen the wrong opening episode. Or, at worst, we're in for a lousy series. Hopefully it's the former. As we need something half decent to watch on Saturdays. And I'd like to stay tuned, if only to discover that David Tennant's four-word secret to the universe is -LOSE. THE. ENGLISH. ACCENT. "

The Daily Record yesterday said "All this Beeb-generated 'will they, won't they' hype about Jarvis Cocker being winched by an Ewok - er, sorry, I mean Billie Piper snogging David Tennant - was in danger of turning Doctor Who into Doctor When? And, I wondered, Doctor Why? Meeting the series' remastermaster Russell T. Davies in Glasgow recently, I agreed whole-heartedly (do I get a gold badge from the Doctor Who geek-club if I say two-heartedly?) with his suggestion that the fizz goes flat when chemistryblessed couples lock lips. Lois and Clark in the appalling New Adventures Of Superman, said R.T.D. by way of illustration. Cue over-enthusiastic nodding on my part - memories of Ross and Rachel (Friends), David and Maddy (Moonlighting), heck, even Miss Piggy and Kermit (The Great Muppet Caper) bringing me out all clammy. Then, barely five minutes into Saturday night's show, and the biggest threat to humanity appeared to be the inter-galactic cheeseballs being cooed between our happy couple. 'So, where are we going?' asked Rose, having ditched her boyfriend (again) for a man whose only possessions are a multi-purpose screwdriver, a moth-eaten wardrobe and a mobile home. 'Further than we've ever gone before,' purred the Doc. Jings. Cold shower for you-Who."

Other items: Both the Independent and Belfast Telegraph feature a story about Peter Kay (starring in the forthcoming "Love & Monsters");Manchester Online profiles Bruno Langley (Adam in last year's "Dalek" and "The Long Game"); the Welwyn and Hatfield Times profiles "a brave man who would steal a Dalek"; DVD Verdict reviews the "Doctor Who: The Beginning" DVD boxed set; Now Playing Mag reviews "New Earth".

Finally... We received a correction to the Derby Evening Telegraph story (see last TARDIS report), about the Doctor Who Make and Play Day at Pickford's House Museum last weekend, from the museum's assistant gallery supervisor: "For some reason known only to themselves, the Derby Evening Telegraph stated that 80 youngsters attended the event. The actual final visitor figure for the day was a staggering 805. Staff had expected around 400 max. The whole day was an overwhelming success and was one of the museum's biggest special events ever. There will be an extensive selection of pictures from the event published this Saturday in the Derby Evening Telegaph's Picture Edition."

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Graham Lowe, Luke McCullough, Ian Kildin, Andy Thompson)

Trailers

The three-minute preview that was shown on BBCi (red button) at the end of last week has been shown in its (almost) entirety on BBC One twice over the Easter weekend. Sunday afternoon and Monday evening both saw screenings of a 2 minute 44 second version of the package. Additionally, a twenty-second trailer for 'Tooth and Claw' debuted on BBC One on Sunday afternoon and has been shown sporadically since. This episode trailer is composed of material already seen in the 'Next Time' preview at the end of 'New Earth' and/or in the Preview. Also, in addition to its main banner ('Doctor Who returns'), the BBC homepage on Saturday had a further link at the foot of the page, and was 'Pick of the Day' on the BBC One homepage along with a small banner at the head of the channel's main programmes list.

New Zealand Broadcasting

Prime TV has now confirmed it will be screening the new series. The New Zealand TV Guide dated 13 April 2006 says, "Prime says Doctor Who with David Tennant will return, but not until the middle of the year. 'As it is one of our biggest shows, we want to give it a really good launch'. Prime notes the next series has not started playing in Britain yet (sic) 'so we won't be too far behind'."

Ratings Coverage

There's been plenty of ratings coverage over the past few days, with theDaily Mail noting the "disappearing Doctor Who fans" saying that "the first episode of the second series of Dr Who drew around eight million viewers on Saturday night - nearly two million less than for last season's debut. Despite the promise of the Doctor and his sidekick Rose sharing a passionate kiss, numbers were also down on the show's Christmas special, which drew ten million. ... A spokesman for the BBC said the figures for the second series, starring David Tennant and Billie Piper, were 'still among our highest for drama this year'." Also covered at Times Online, TV Squad, Yahoo News, Daily Record, The Guardian, icWales.

Trade magazine Broadcast gives the industry perspective on Saturday's ratings success for 'New Earth', noting that the episode "managed to grow its audience over time and hit a high ... in the final 15 minutes. The show was a big hit with the ABC1 adult as 45% of that demographic, who were watching TV at that time, were tuned to the drama series. The show also proved to be a strong attraction amongst women with the programme drawing 38.3% of the female viewing population. ... The BBC1 show had no problem having the upper hand over ITV1's film premiere of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ... The film, lasting nearly three hours, gained a reasonable 4.9 million (25.4%)."

The Western Mail also notes that "A BBC spokeswoman said, 'Saturday's Doctor Who peaked at 8.3 million, which we are really pleased with. Doctor Who Confidential on BBC3 got an audience of 729,500 - again, fantastic viewing figures. This is a brilliant start for the new doctor, and is the best drama audience figure so far this year.' The initial figures gained by the BBC revealed that Doctor Who: New Earth gained an average audience of eight million, peaking at 8.3m, with an average audience share of 38.6% of all TV watchers on Saturday evening. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets could only manage an average of five million viewers, peaking at six million, with an average audience share of 25.6%. ... The reaction from Doctor Who fans on website Outpost Gallifrey was similarly mixed although most predicted an enjoyable series. The following reaction was typical: 'What we've got here is a fast paced, enormously entertaining and surprising episode, leaving you feeling shortchanged only because as a two parter it could have been so much more. It is a confident and stylish opener, rich with performances and special FX [effects] and is more than enough to keep the kids happy.'"

Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror took a look across the Atlantic noting that "A stunning blonde is scuppering Billie Piper's bid to conquer America. Millions tuned in to BBC1 last night to see Billie make her return as Rose Tyler in the second series of the new Doctor Who, with David Tennant in the lead role. But pretty Billie, 23, is being bashed in the US ratings by beautiful blonde former model Tricia Helfer. The first series of the revived Dr Who - starring Christopher Eccleston as the Time Lord - is currently being aired on America's Sci-Fi Channel. But since its Stateside debut last month, the time-travelling series has proved a ratings loser - Billie is struggling to compete against rival Tricia. The beauty, 32, stars in a remake of 70s classic Battlestar Galactica, which airs immediately before Dr Who. The space adventure series - shown on Sky One in the UK - attracts 2.2million viewers. But more than half a million American viewers are switching off when Dr Who comes on straight afterwards. A TV insider said: 'It's the battle of the sci-fi babes. And so far Tricia is winning. It seems she's every scifi fan's dream woman. Billie just can't compete.'" What the Mirror unfortunately has misreported - and therefore throws off its argument - is that Doctor Who does not, in fact, follow Battlestar Galactica, which is currently receiving tremendous critical acclaim from US media; Galactica ended its season before Doctor Who started. Also reported at In The News, Monsters and Critics.

Merchandise

The second issue of Doctor Who Adventures, due out on Wednesday 19 April, actually started to reach the shops last Friday and continues to sell extremely quickly. There are also reports that Woolworth has started to sell new series socks, underpants and boxer shorts for children.

People

The News and Star says that actor Simon Greenall is in episode 10, "Love & Monsters". "Being eaten by an evil monster in Dr Who is the stuff of children's nightmares. But for Longtown actor Simon Greenall it's all in a day's work. The 48-year-old's latest role in the BBC show sees him 'absorbed' by a baddie played by Phoenix Nights comedian Peter Kay. Simon said: 'He's the lead monster and he absorbs me! I think Blue Peter had a competition to create a villain and came up with the Absorbalott.' The BBC is keeping tight-lipped but Simon revealed he plays a character called Mr Skinner. He said: 'He's a lonely little man who forms a group with other people who want to find the Doctor. Peter's character joins the group but we don't know he's a monster, who's also trying to find the Doctor, until he eats us all!' Unfortunately Simon didn't get to meet the stars of the show David Tennant or Billie Piper. He said: 'They are hardly in this episode -- it's quite daring -- the Doctor is only in it at the beginning and the end. ... It's funny because 20 to 30 years ago if you were in Dr Who it wasn't as prestigious as it is now. In fact you would probably have hid the fact you were in it at all.'"

Camille Coduri is to be one of the stars of a new six-part drama for BBC Three called "Sinchronicity", according to apress release from the BBC Press Office. "Sinchronicity revolves around Nathan and the sexual misadventures of a group of 20-somethings. Set and filmed in Manchester, the plots hinge on peripheral moments that could prove crucial for strangers looking for love." Coduri plays the role of Peggy. Also attached to the project are Doctor Who executive producer Julie Gardner, who is executive producer for BBC Three on the drama; Brian Grant, director of last year's episode "The Long Game" who will also direct the drama; andNavin Chowdhry, who starred in last season's "Aliens of London" as Indra Ganesh, who stars here as Mac. Filming begins next month for transmission later in 2006 on BBC Three. Also reported at C21 Media.

Billie Piper is interviewed by Radio Wales, reported at BBC News, in which she tells them, "'I was quite scared if the truth be told. ... I've been here for almost two years now, I'm native - I've learnt some Welsh words - none of which I can tell you because they're all rude.' She said Rose was more 'possessive and uptight' due to having once 'lost' the doctor his regeneration and the appearance of Elisabeth Sladen, the doctor's former companion. ... She is a bit feistier this time round and very jealous, which I love playing. She feels that at any given moment he can be taken away from her. And I don't think she ever considered that before. She could contemplate monsters and all of that, and dealing with alien life forms and parallel worlds, etc, but the idea of losing the man she loves is really shocking and sad. She doesn't want it to happen again. She reacts terribly to meeting Sarah-Jane. That's when the jealous streak starts to kick in, out of fear that she's not his greatest companion and that he's had millions of them before. It's like meeting the ex-girlfriend, and we have this wonderful bitch fight which is worth watching.' On a more personal note, Piper said she feels at home in Cardiff now, after being based in the city for two seasons of the sci-fi drama. She said: 'I've been here for almost two years now, I'm native. I'm Welsh and I've learnt some Welsh words this year - none of which I can tell you because they're all rude - but I love it here. I think I've met some friends for life.'" Piper is also currently #3 of the OK! MagazineCelebrity Chart: "Doctor Who girl Billie became Britain's first 100 million pound telly babe after the BBC sold the sci-fi hit around the globe." The Daily Star says of Piper's "100 million pound" status, "New figures reveal she will help the the BBC earn the incredible sum from sales of the sci-fi smash around the globe. It means Billie, 23 - who plays the Doctor's assistant Rose Tyler - is now the corporation's prize asset. And they are ready to offer her an out-of-this-world pay deal to keep her on board. A source said: 'Billie has the upper hand in this. If the BBC want her to stay then they will have to come up with a tempting offer. They certainly don't want to lose her. If she doesn't stay on Doctor Who then they will try to keep her with a golden handcuffs deal so she doesn't stray to ITV.'" Also, All Headline says that Piper has a crush on comedian Steve Coogan. "The 'Doctor Who' beauty, who is separated from husband Chris Evans, admits she has a crush on the comedian and has sexy thoughts about him. She said: 'Steve Coogan does something for me. He is so naughty, but I quite fancy him.' ... The actress has revealed she met Coogan once when she was 17 – but all he offered her was a sweet. She explained to Britain's GQ magazine: 'He just gave me a funny look and said, 'Would you like a jelly, baby?' He's really cool and amusing. And very dangerous, and so wrong for me.' Billie, who split from her media mogul husband Evans two years ago, now lives with her new boyfriend, law student Amadu Sowe."

Today's Daily Mirror has a brief piece on Elisabeth Sladen and her forthcoming return as Sarah Jane Smith. The actress is quoted as saying that "Sarah Jane used to be a bit of a cardboard cut-out. Each week it used to be, 'Yes Doctor, no Doctor', and you had to flesh your character out in your mind - because if you didn't, no one else would." Interpreting this as 'blasting' the BBC, the Mirror notes that "Sarah Jane plays a much more integral part in the story" in 'School Reunion'; according to Sladen, "The new show is much more realistic. I am thrilled that the BBC realises the companion has an effect on the ratings."

Media Guardian says that David Tennant "is to film a 90-minute BBC1 drama in which he plays the victim of a car crash who suffers a debilitating brain injury". The drama, called "Recovery," is written by Tony Marchant (award-winning creator of 'Holding On' and 'Kid in the Corner'), and begins filming in May by the independent producer Tiger Aspect. It will co-star Sarah Parish as Tennant's wife; the two have previously appeared together in Blackpool on BBC One. The article says it is "likely to be screened in the autumn."

The Sunday Mail says that "David Tennant's girlfriend is carrying a Dr Who doll in her bag - to comfort her when she misses him. Actress Sophia Myles, 26, says she can't bear to be away from David when their filming schedules clash. BBC bosses sent Sophia, who starred as Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds, two of the coveted Time Lord dolls, complete with sonic screwdrivers. The dolls, one wearing a long coat and one in a pinstripe suit, were launched this month by BBC Toys. Sophia was sent hers when she said in a magazine interview that she planned to buy one. Her 'toyboy' is now a fixture in her bag as she films her latest movie Hallam Foe in Scotland." Myles is also the cover star of May's British edition of Tatler which includes a photo of her at a party with David Tennant, and ends as follows: "Being invited to appear on Doctor Who was 'like being called to jury service. You can't say no to Doctor Who.' Nor, it seems, could she say no to its star, David Tennant - the two have been an item ever since. 'The Pink Paper recently voted David the sexiest man in the universe,' she says. 'I'd definitely agree. I will go and buy one of the Doctor Who action figures and carry it in my handbag. I'm very pissed off they are not making a Madame de Pompadour doll, though I have had words with the producers about it.'" Myles appears as Madame de Pompadour in the new season's fourth episode, "The Girl in the Fireplace".

The Daily Record says that actor Jimmy Vee, who played the Moxx of Balhoon in last year's "The End of the World" and the title villain in the digital offering "Attack of the Graske," "has his sights set on an even bigger role. Scotsman Jimmy, who plays an assortment of aliens in the new series with David Tennant, says he'd love to fill the shoes of the Doctor himself, eventually. He said: 'You never know what might happen in one episode. I'm slowly but surely moving up the ladder and getting more in to my characters. I'd love to play the Doctor at some point. Maybe I could take over from David Tennant one day.'"

Tooth and Claw Media Coverage

This week's Radio Times features The Simpsons with Ricky Gervais on its cover, but keeps up the high level of Doctor Who coverage for the second episode of the new series, Tooth and Claw with the cover warning "Doctor Who: Beware the werewolf!" Small photographs from the episode illustrate both the Contents (p.3) and "RT recommends... the week's best television" (p.4), with 'Tooth and Claw' selected as "Drama of the week": "The Tardis whooshes into 1870s Scotland, where Queen Victoria and a big, hungry werewolf await the Doctor. Preposterous but terrific fun." This week's "Doctor Who Watch" comprises a two-page photo feature in which The Mill's Will Cohen explains some of the process involved in bringing the werewolf onto the screen ("Bad Wolf?", pp.12-13); the feature continues on a third page ("Royal prey", p.15) with an interview with Pauline Collins, possibly drawn from the BBC Press Office's press release of a couple of weeks ago, and a brief piece about make-up designer Sheelagh Wells. Overall the feature includes ten new photographs from 'Tooth and Claw'. The episode is also one of "Today's Choices" for Saturday (p.60), with a large photo of Tom Smith as the Host (who "hides a hair-raising secret"). The write-up says that "After last week's comparatively thoughtful opener, here's a full-on action adventure, packed with chases, fights and a huge, hungry werewolf. The Doctor and Rose (Tennant and Piper, a perfect partnership) land in Scotland in 1879 ... directly crossing the path of ... Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins, obviously having a whale of a time) ... It's completely preposterous, but tremendous fun of the good old-fashioned, old-dark-house-on-a-lonely-night variety. The actual werewolf transformation is very effective indeed." Another photo heads Saturday evening's BBC One listings ("The Doctor and Rose journey back to 1879 and uncover a deadly trap dating back centuries."), while the listing for Doctor Who Confidential that evening runs: "The state-of-the-art effects that created one of the Time Lord's hairiest foes, plus behind the scenes on David Tennant's battle with the Sycorax." Sunday's episode repeat has another listing blurb: "The duo probe a terrifying local legend when they land in 1879." Thursday's Totally Doctor Who will feature "Noel Clarke [with] on-set gossip, plus a chance to meet the kung-fu monks". And on Monday, "Doctor Who's canine chum K-9 is in the studio with ex-Who actress Elisabeth Sladen" for Blue Peter at 5pm. This guest appearance is also hightighted on the "Kids' TV" pages (p.116), illustrated with a shot of K9. Elsewhere in the magazine, Alison Graham cites Doctor Who as part of a current "golden age" for television, alongside forthcoming new episodes of Cracker and Prime Suspect: "Doctor Who dominates Saturday tea times ... Surely no one would claim that the new Doctor Who bears any relation to the creaky epics of my childhood, where dear Jon Pertwee battled the Sea Devils, who wore string vests if memory serves. Bring on the computer-generated special effects!" This week's DVD review is of 'Genesis of the Daleks', with Stuart Maconie commenting that "Five years ago, Doctor Who was a joke, its fans derided as dweebs, its storylines and sets a soft target for unimaginative stand-ups. Now it's cooler and sexier than ever before ... ['Genesis'] is pretty good, though: prime interstellar hokum overlaid with some echoes of Nazism and the conflict between might and right. ... The commentary is a delight. Sladen and Baker ... poke gentle and affectionate fun at themselves while clearly proud of their efforts. They should be too." And the Letters pages (p.144) has a correspondent's view that it was "a treat to be able to read Russell T Davies's thoughts on how to (and how not to) write cracking TV drama" in last week's issue. Finally, next week's issue promises coverage of the return of Sarah Jane and K-9...

The Daily Express and Daily Star both mention that "Doctor Who will take on a werewolf at Balmoral in Saturday's show – in a script that could be based on real history. The Doctor – played by Scots star David Tennant – lands his Tardis at Balmoral Castle in Queen Victoria's time and tackles the terrifying creature. But historical accounts show a 'wolfman' did stay in a cave on the royal estate. Local author Sheila Sedgwick said a 'wild boy' was raised by wolves on the mountain Lochnagar in the 19th century. 'The half man half wolf was raised in the cave but later mixed with people in the town, ' she said. 'The boy was orphaned and the wolves looked after him. The idea of a werewolf at Balmoral will make great television.' Lochnagar is Prince Charles' favourite mountain and he enjoys picnics there with Camilla. The cave the 'wolf boy' slept in is located near the summit of the 3,800ft high peak. Dr Sedgwick said: 'The moon played a great part in life on the estate – when they saw a new moon women bowed three times to it.'"

The Scotsman says that "There is a moment near the beginning of the second episode of the new series of Dr Who when Rose, the Doctor's pretty sidekick, attempts a Scottish accent. Held at gunpoint by a procession of 19th-century Scottish soldiers, she tries out a pitiful 'hoots mon' and is quickly shushed by the Doctor, who then proceeds to converse with the soldiers as if he were one of their own. Which in real life, of course, he is. Indeed it is perhaps one of the only times in the new series that viewers will get a hint that the latest Dr Who hails from Paisley, rather than the distant planet of Gallifrey. On this sunny Thursday afternoon in Glasgow, however, David Tennant - television's newest Doctor Who and quite possibly the only one to also have played the role of Casanova - is wearing his Scottishness on his sleeve, excitably leaping up to thank everyone for coming and telling them how much it means to be able to bring the Dr Who team (Billie Piper - with boyfriend Amadu Sowe in tow - Russell T Davies and an assortment of writers and CGI folk are here too) to Scotland. Tennant even utters the word 'jings'. ... Tennant adopts a mockney twang for the role, a move that has led to accusations that it was deliberately changed for a world that wasn't ready for a heavily Scottish-accented Dr Who. It's a charge both Tennant and Davies deny. 'It didn't bother me one way or another,' says Tennant. 'It doesn't make me any less Scottish not doing a Scottish accent. But it was nice to have one episode where Russell came up with the idea of the Doctor having a Scottish accent - which remarkably the doctor could do...' Davies, for his part, strenuously denies that it was a result of any sort of BBC dictat. 'I absolutely swear to you on my life!' he protests. In fact the writer is obviously a Tennant fan. He gave, Davies says, 'one of the best auditions I'd ever seen' for Casanova - another Davies vehicle - and, since then, the writer had kept him at the back of his mind for the Dr Who role. He seems thrilled with his choice. 'He's fantastic,' says Davies. 'The thing with great actors is that you don't know quite what you're going to get. They always take you by surprise.' ... 'Nine months of the year you're filming, so it's difficult to do anything else,' Tennant admits. 'But I fully intend to go back to the theatre at some point and, if it was something for the National Theatre of Scotland, all the better.' As for a third series, both Piper and Tennant have signed up, although there is speculation over whether Piper will appear in every episode. But that's all still some time away in the future."

Heat magazine reviewer Boyd Hilton gives Tooth and Claw 5 stars (it's also at number 2 in their Week's Best TV Shows). He writes: "The second episode of the new series is cunningly described by writer Russell T Davies as a "celebrity historical" story, featuring an encounter with a famous person from history, namely Queen Victoria (played with supreme regal confidence by Pauline Collins, outdoing even Judi Dench's portrayal in Mrs Brown). But the Queen alone isn't enough to fill out a top-quality Russell T Davies script. Oh no. He chucks in a band of mysterious warrior monks who do that flying-fighting thing from The Matrix, the world's biggest diamond, and a truly scary (at least for any kids watching) werewolf. Quite how this ends up being coherent, fun and finally rather moving, we can't fully explain, but we do know that Rose's running-joke attempt to get Queen Victoria to say "We are not amused" is the finest slice of comedy in recent Who history. There's surely no other show on TV right now that manages to be as funny, scary and giddily entertaining all at the same time. Except for maybe Deal Or No Deal."

Closer picks this week's episode as one of it's (4) choices for Saturday: "The Doctor tries to transport Rose back to the flower power era of the '70s, but he accidentally hits the wrong digit and they end up in the Scottish highlands in 1879 - whoops! It's not quite the nostalgic trip down memory lane he had in mind - especially when a local legend about a werewolf turns out to be true. Pauline (Shirley Valentine) Collins guest stars as Queen Victoria."

New magazine lists Doctor Who as number 6 in their Top 10 Picks: "Doctor Who must be a dream for its special effects team, and they sure had fun creating tonight's creepy creature - a terrifyingly realistic werewolf that Rose and The Doctor encounter when they are dropped in the Highlands of Scotland in 1879. How things have changed since Tom Baker's day!"

Reveal has this week's episode as this as one their Must Sees for Saturday and give it 4 stars: "The Time Lord and Rose find themselves in 19th century Scotland. There they meet Queen Victoria and encounter a sinister order of warrior monks." Sneak's Pick of the Day: "Prepare for an extra spooky episode as Rose and the Doctor travel back to 1879 and meet Queen Victoria. Plus, the pair confront a terrifying werewolf who stalks the Scottish Highlands looking for prey. Scarier than Pete Burns without any slap on!".

Star magazine gives Tooth and Claw 4 out of 5 stars: Tonight the Doctor and his fragrant Rose travel back in time for a chilling encounter with Queen "Gappy" Victoria and a band of Warrior Monks in the Scottish Highlands. Things become even hairier when an ancient and deadly trap is revealed.

US Broadcasts

TV Guide said of last week's US transmission of "Dalek," "The Daleks---or rather, the Dalek (singular)---is back, and it is peeved. It has not one but three issues: 1) Henry Von Stanton (spelling?), 2) the 'extermination' of its race and 3) the man behind that 'extermination,' the Doctor. As one reader pointed out, the Time Lords weren't wiped out by a civil war, as I'd thought, but by a protracted conflict with the Daleks. The Doctor succeeded in destroying the screchy pepper shakers, but only at the expense of his own people, which is a lot of guilt to carry around even in something as big as the TARDIS. Age and grief catch up to our hero when he spots the Cyberman head in a museum. Its owner is von Stanton, an A++++ type billionaire from the year 2012. 'Blimey, you can smell the testosterone,' muses Rose. Von Stanton has to rank among the most obnoxious people the Doctor has ever dealt with. He is, of course, American---a control freak who can hire and fire Presidents on a whim because he owns the internet. (Al Gore apparently didn't patent his invention.) Von Stanton at least has the acumen to promote the seductive Diana Goddard to chief assistant. (Anna-Louise Plowman resembles Nicole Kidman during her younger, curlier days.) Among von Stanton's objets d'art are items from Roswell, alien weapons, a hair drier, and the aforementioned Cyberman head. In the basement of his Utah bunker, the last surviving Dalek is being tortured to get it to communicate. It parts with no words until it sees its old enemy, the Doctor, after which comes the familiar, metallic refrain of 'Exterminate!.' Marooned and moribund, the Dalek can't cause any trouble---yet---but it does give as good as it gets in a verbal duel with our tart-tongued Time Lord. 'If you can't kill, what is the point of you?' he snarles. The Dalek points out that the Doctor too is alone because of the Time War. That the writers could inject pathos into a Dalek is a wonder in and of itself, particularly considering how many people it exterminated during the course of this phenomenal episode. But it was alone, it had no orders, and it had no purpose. Alas, Rose soon gave the Dalek a new lease on life by touching it, somehow passing the Doctor's regenerative DNA into its genes. The Dalek then went on a killing spree that made the bunker look like the Alamo (like bullets were going hurt this thing). Still, it was about time that someone explained how the Daleks could overcome the stairs obstacle. It flies, you see. Wonder why the Daleks didn't use that on the Doctor before. (Budget constraints, perhaps?) After telling Jackie that he'd protect Rose, the Doctor's agony at her supposed death really hit home, all the more so because we could see it coming. Of course she didn't perish (she was one of the few who didn't), but with her as a hostage the Dalek barged into von Stanton's office. 'What use are emotions if you can't save the woman you love?' it barked at the Doctor. The Dalek's reaction to von Stanton's hemming and hawing about trying to get it talk was CLASSIC---'You want me to talk? EX-TER-MIN-ATE!' No, it didn't kill him (Goddard staged a hilarious coup, instead), but the Dalek did undergo a subtle emotional shift as the episode went on, experiencing fear, a craving for freedom, and a desire to see the sun. Armed with a honkin' alien bazooka, the Doctor wanted to do some exterminating of his own. Seems he'd undergone a shift too, as Rose noted. 'What are you changing into?' she demands. This gives our emotional hero pause. Christopher Eccleston was awesome throughout the entire episode. He is by turns cheeky, angry, wistful, guilt-ridden, passionate and compassionate, like a bi-polar person who has harnessed their behavior. An amazing performance. Billie Piper again shows why she is such apt foil---Rose is tough, stable and warm but never wooden. The Dalek gives perhaps the most remarkable performance of all, though you'd have to be a fan of the old Who to really appreciate why. Rose's humanity caused the Dalek too much emotional distress for its one-dimensional genetic make up. It had to die. 'Are you frightened Rose Tyler?' 'Yes,' she replies. 'So am I.' It was like the tin man getting a heart---if the tin man was Saddam Hussein. And with that, the Dalek implodes. Before departing, the Doctor gets a new comrade. Adam (Bruno Langley) is a brilliant young British minion of von Stanton's who has more than a passing interest in Rose. Wonder what Mickey will say? And von Stanton...he's brainwashed and dumped in a skid row of a city beginning with `S.' Sorry to go on and on, but this jewel had a million great moments---I had to mention at least a thousand of them."

Now Playing Mag says that "At the risk of blowing my cover as a hip TV guru so early in the game, I have to confess that one of my favorite shows at the moment is the new version of Doctor Who. Being both American and a girl I realize that I have no business being a fan of Doctor Who, but I can’t deny that I’m hooked on the cheeky time-traveling alien and his spunky sidekick, Rose Tyler. And on the occasion of the show’s triumphant return to the British airwaves this weekend for a second go-round, not to mention the American airing of “Dalek” — one of the best episodes from last season, I figured it was a time to come clean. It all started last January, when I received a call from an editor to do a last-minute interview with David Tennant, who took over the role from Christopher Eccleston at the end of the first season (or series, as the British call their seasons — just to confuse us yanks, and then laugh at our ignorance). Having never seen a single episode of the new series, or the old, I felt woefully unprepared and dove into researching the history of Doctor Who. And then I gave up. I mean, who can process 40 years of history in a single afternoon? So I interviewed David not fully comprehending what an opportunity it was (or the fact that a lot of fanboys out there would give up their action-figure collections for the same chance). Maybe it’s just my personal weakness for accents (and he has a lovely Scottish brogue that you unfortunately won’t get to hear in the Doctor’s voice), but he couldn’t have been more charming or personable in the interview. If he was tired of talking about inheriting the Doctor’s legacy by the time I got to him, he certainly didn’t show it. And he’s now signed up through the third series, so it seems he’s in it for the long haul. It may be hard for some fans to accept David as the new Doctor, but he was my first, so there will always be a spot in my heart for number 10. And that’s how “The Christmas Invasion” came to be the first episode of Doctor Who I ever saw. That pretty much clinched it for me. I proceeded to track down every episode of the new series (let’s just say I found them through a friend — we’ll call him Kit Borrent) and was rarely disappointed by the sharp, witty writing that also managed to be culturally relevant. Above all, it was just plain fun to watch. And right at height of my fascination came the SCI FI Channel announcement that it was bringing the series to the States. I tried wishing for a million dollars too, but I’m still waiting on that one. I’ll keep you posted. I know that if I had that million dollars right now, I’d buy myself a plane and a handsome pilot to fly me over to the U.K. for the weekend so I could be there for the return of Doctor Who. But since I can’t, I guess it’s up to old Kit to hook me up again."

TV Squad says, "I am really enjoying these new Dr. Who adventures that are appearing on the Sci-Fi Channel while their normal Friday night schedule is taking a hiatus. To paraphrase... it's not your father's (or grandfather's) Dr. Who. While there are some occasional cheesy aliens and special effects, this version of the show is definitely the one of the most slickly produced in the series' 43-year history. ... I actually felt sympathy for the Dalek in this episode as it made the decision to kill itself; whoever wrote the sequence between him, the Doctor and Rose did a very good job at showing the Dalek's pain. In general this episode was very emotional, as the Doctor showed his anger and fear when meeting the Dalek and his sadness when he thought he had lost Rose. This version of the Doctor is, well, cool. He's not like some of the other Doctors (like, for example, sixth Doctor Colin Baker). He dresses well, he's glib, and he has the right amount of cheekiness and logic in him. I also like Rose. There have been plenty of companions that have done nothing but whine every time the Doctor began another adventure. Rose is different; she comes from South London (I guess that's a rough and tumble part of the city), she's young, and she is ready to go on the adventures (as she had nothing really keeping her at home before that). I look forward to future episodes."

Miscellaneous

Says Media Monkey in The Guardian, "Five years after Greg Dyke called the BBC 'hideously white', it appears that the corporation still has some way to go. A double page picture of most of the 200 production staff behind Doctor Who in the Radio Times reveals just two black faces, one of them Noel Clarke, who plays Mickey Smith. Defeating the Daleks is one thing, employing more members of an ethnic minority is quite another."

The Telegraph says that "he has defeated Daleks and Cybermen but Doctor Who has now achieved possibly his greatest victory yet - attracting tourists to South Wales. The BBC's decision to film the series around Cardiff and Swansea has been credited with breathing new life into the region's tourist trade. Thousands of fans have flocked to the area to visit locations and tourism chiefs believe that the new series, which began last night, will provide a further boost in time for summer. They are even considering setting up tourist trails and are encouraging operators to develop Doctor Who holidays. Geoff Haden, the chairman of Tourism Swansea, said: 'Tourism is only ticking over so it really needs the boost it is getting from Doctor Who. There are lots of Doctor Who nuts out there whom we're targeting.' While some locations, such as the Gower Peninsula, Cardiff Bay and the city's Millennium Centre, are well-established as tourist attractions, the show features a host of less salubrious backdrops, including Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Howell's department store, the former offices of Glamorgan county council and a housing estate on the outskirts of the Welsh capital. Despite the lack of glamour, tourism bosses say Doctor Who fans are just as keen to tour a shopping centre as they are to stroll on a coastal path. John Wake, a Cardiff tour guide, said: 'Some of the locations are not terribly interesting places, like tower blocks and council estates, but the fans still want to go there. These enthusiasts just want to see exactly where everything happened and can spend a couple of hours at these places.' An exhibition dedicated to the Time Lord at Cardiff's Red Dragon Centre has attracted more than 100,000 visitors since Christmas, and hundreds are expected to attend a Doctor Who convention in Swansea later this year. Following the first series, a poll found that 18 per cent of visitors to Cardiff had decided to come after seeing the city on television. ... Although the locations are usually adapted to represent London as well as more remote outposts of the universe, the BBC says the show is intended as a showcase for Wales. The corporation has been working with the Wales Tourist Board on using the show to promote the principlality and its website offers a guide to film locations."

The Sun also says that "a recent poll found one in five visitors to Cardiff had decided to go after seeing the Welsh capital on TV. Thousands of fans have flocked to South Wales since the first series was aired last year - the new series kicked off on Saturday - to eight million avid viewers. But it is tricky for viewers to spot the sites as the Beeb uses props and special effects to transform locations, making them appear as if they are in London. Here, we invite you to step into The Sun's Tardis for a whirlwind tour of Wales - Doctor Who-style. When we met Billie Piper's character Rose for the first time, she was working in fictitious central London department store Henrik's. But to browse the shelves for real, shoppers would have to go to Howells in Cardiff, where the external shots were filmed. In this episode, The Doctor and Rose find the Nestene Consciousness lurking underground beneath the London Eye. However, the nailbiting scenes were filmed in a disused paper mill in Grangetown, a Cardiff suburb. The mill was used again in the first episode of the new series last Saturday as the location for the sinister 'testing labs' at an alien hospital. When Rose's mum is chased by shop dummies through London, also in the first series, she is really in and around the Queen's Arcade shopping centre in Cardiff. The crew simply added a few lampposts and a London Underground sign. And when an alien crash-lands in the fourth episode of series one it is taken to the Albion Hospital. In reality, this was Cardiff Royal Infirmary. The corridors and empty rooms were also given a futuristic make-over and used for interior shots featuring aliens. So now you should know where you are when it comes to Doctor Who."

The Western Daily Press features an article by "Science of Doctor Who" author Paul Parsons who asks "Have you wondered how Daleks climb stairs, how those Cybermen are able to make little Cybermen, or where the toilets are on the Tardis? I have been a fan of Doctor Who as long as I can remember, although I wasn't around when he first arrived on TV in 1963, the day after President John F Kennedy was shot. Since then, the journeys of the Time Lord have shown us alien worlds, strange life-forms, futuristic technology and mind-bending cosmic phenomena. Viewers have hidden behind their sofas, terrified of Daleks, been amazed by the wonders of time travel, and travelled through black holes into other universes and new dimensions. The sheer imagination of the Doctor's adventures have made the show one of science fiction's truly monumental success stories - but you might be surprised quite how much scientific reality lies behind the fiction." The article goes into discussing some of these scientific issues, with a pitch for the book (now on the stands) at the end.

The Daily Express says that "the new series of Doctor Who has only just warped into action but this has not stopped Time Lord David Tennant from nominating his replacement when he parks his Tardis for good. He would like League Of Gentlemen comedian Mark Gatiss to take over the Dalek-fighting duties. Gatiss, who can currently be seen starring as a psychiatric inmate in BBC comedy Nighty Night and is known for playing eccentric characters, has already penned an episode of the current Doctor Who series. 'Mark would be great and would be keen to do it, too, I think, ' proffers Tennant." Actor/writer Gatiss wrote last year's "The Unquiet Dead" and this season's "The Idiot's Lantern".

The Derby Evening Telegraph says that "Brave Doctor Who fan James Shelton came face to face with two Daleks when he visited Pickford's House. The eight-year-old was one of about 80 youngsters who attended a Doctor Who day on Saturday at the museum in Friar Gate, Derby. James is pictured with a Tardis, made by Steve Warby, who brought it to the museum to show the children. The day marked the launch of a new series of the popular BBC1 show (see Page 10). Mr Warby, of Chaddesden, spent five months creating the Tardis. He said: 'The children were making their own K9 dogs from the series and masks of the new-look Cybermen, too. They were very good. The children loved the Tardis and were very surprised when a Dalek came out of it.'"

Also BBC News, icNewcastle, icWales and The Guardian covered the launch of series two with brief recap articles;Female First says that "David Tennant loves being a gay sex symbol".

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Chuck Foster, Paul Hayes, David Traynier, James van-der Heiden, Michael Blumenthal, David Ryan, Jon Preddle and Peter Anghelides)

Broadcasting Updates

Currently playing on BBC Digital (Freeview channel 302) is the press previewtrailer presentation featuring clips from "Tooth and Claw," "School Reunion" (including some scenes of K9 and a confrontation between Rose and Sarah Jane), "The Girl in the Fireplace," "Rise of the Cybermen/The Age Of Steel," plus a couple of teasers for "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit" and "The Idiot's Lantern" for the eagle-eyed. (It also appears there may be one or two brief clips from the final two-parter of the year.) Viewers were invited to press their "red button" to see the press presentation.

On Saturday from 11.58am onwards (after Sportsround) the CBBC Channelwill be going "Doctor Who crazy!" Matt Edmondson and Anne Foy will be hosting, dressed as the Doctor and Rose, and throughout the day they'll "be building up the excitement to the big event at 7.15 on BBC ONE. We'll be playing a Doctor Who game, giving viewers the chance to vote for their favourite clip of 2005, and finding out whether there are monsters in your school in our Monster Hour. As well as that, we've another chance to see Totally Doctor Who episode 1."

The "Listen Again" feature for the Jo Whiley radio show on Thursday, featuring an interview with David Tennant, is active; click here to listen to the interview.

Official Websites

In the absence of a site for Totally Doctor Who, the CBBC Newsround site has this week launched a Doctor Who mini-site of its own, gathering up the various stories, interviews and photo packages of the past year, as well as starting a new message board for younger fans. The site can be foundhere.

On the official site, Doctor Who Confidential now has the beginnings of its own proper section - a webpage currently titled 'Confidential Desktop: The Christmas Invasion'. As well as a handful of pop-up facts about the Christmas special, there's a series of windows with descriptive text on various aspects of making the show, along with a 'Monsters and Villains' style short history of the Sycorax by Russell T Davies. There are also links in place (but not yet active) to pages or sections for the first four editions of the second series, up to 'From Script to Screen'.

Also on the official site is the return of last year's Fear Factor - a 'Chilling' 4 out of 5 being given to 'New Earth' by the panel of children."It's non-stop action! Things are exploding! Samuel is very excited, while Adam fidgets in agitation. Amy attempts to cover the TV with a cushion at one point, to Harry's annoyance. ... A worried Amy asks, 'Is it nearly finished yet?' Mum wonders if she wants to stop watching. 'No!' replies."

The BBC's main TV page is once again using a flash animation to promote tomorrow's series debut. And the BBChomepage for Saturday proclaims "Doctor Who returns"...

Series Two Updates

The Sophia Myles fansite Absolutely Sophia Myles posted a news story stating that "David Tennant, Sophia Myles and a producer" have recorded a commentary for "The Girl in the Fireplace", presumably the one for the BBC website which will go live after the episode's transmission.

The trade paper Broadcast this week carries a feature on Will Cohen, the head of Mill TV, on producing effects for the new series. According to Cohen, last year's tally of 1,300 vfx shots over 13 episodes looks like being matched this year: "we've completed 600 or thereabouts on the six episodes we've finished so far. So it looks the same on paper, but this time we've got more people working on the project and we're taking more time. You'll see the results on screen." Cohen also goes into some detail on the constraints of budget and schedule, taking Russell T Davies' request for a werewolf for episode 2 as an example - "The werewolf couldn't have hair all over, it could only be on screen for 40 shots, it had to have a run cycle and it could emote but it wouldn't be able to speak. So Russell went away and wrote the script based around that ... We even threw in a couple of iconic howling shots for free too." Doctor Who has 25 Mill personnel working for the series, and each episode is taking five to six weeks to complete, with several episodes being worked on at once - currently, "modelling [is] just starting for the last episode ... the series certainly ends with a bang." Cohen also mentions that the Mill are now "doing tests" for Series Three, "so we can advise the BBC on frame rates and other shooting considerations when it moves to HD" and that Torchwood will also be shot in HD, with one episode being "as action-packed as any episode of Doctor Who itself" - "this could be the sci-fi show that British television has always deserved." Broadcast also has some details on the opening title sequence for Totally Doctor Who: "BDH has created the title sequence for the BBC's new 13 x 25-minute CBBC series Totally Doctor Who. BDH director Rob Hifle oversaw the titles, animated backgrounds, stings and straps for the show, which was produced by BBC Wales' Simon Hall. The team was briefed to ensure that the graphics echoed the main series but retained a separate identity. Music and sound effects were produced by Tim Baker from Subvertical. The graphic sequences were hand-drawn and animated by BDH designer Jon Doe."

The Daily Star talks about this season's monsters... and have they given something away that hasn't been widely reported? "This monster line-up shows just some of the terrifying foes Doctor Who and sexy sidekick Rose Tyler must face in the new series of the sci-fi hit. Telly bosses have pulled out all the stops to ensure fans will be diving behind the sofa when the Time Lord returns to BBC1 on Saturday. We can reveal that The Doctor (David Tennant, 33) and Rose (Billie Piper, 23) face danger both from old enemies and new. They'll fight demonic shape shifters The Krillitanes, who have taken over a school. They also have to battle a new set of killer clockwork droids, dressed like they're ready for a masked ball. And the new series features a howling mad werewolf trying to get its fangs into both Rose . . .and Queen Victoria. The ghostly Gelth, who popped up last year and survived by taking over human corpses, return to threaten the Earth, And the Doctor's sinister old foes The Cybermen are back - just as deadly but with a new streamlined look. The Cybermen and Gelth join forces in a bid to wipe out the human race in the climax of the series. Writer Russell T. Davies, 42, said: 'It was just the most exciting thing I've done. It's huge. When I showed the script to the BBC they were so excited. We are talking epic Hollywood blockbuster stuff here.'" This is the first press mention that the Gelth are returning for series two, if it's true...

Says Broadcast, "BDH has created the title sequence for the BBC's new 13 x 25-minute CBBC series Totally Doctor Who. BDH director Rob Hifle oversaw the titles, animated backgrounds, stings and straps for the show, which was produced by BBC Wales' Simon Hall. The team was briefed to ensure that the graphics echoed the main series but retained a separate identity. Music and sound effects were produced by Tim Baker from Subvertical. The graphic sequences were hand-drawn and animated by BDH designer Jon Doe using Photoshop and After Effects."

Manchester Online says it's "Time for Dr Who feast: Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Billie Piper are trying to make themselves heard over the rantings of a deranged Dalek. A polite request is made by your man from the M.E.N. to exterminate the over-excited metal monster. And, within a minute or so, it's done. Would that it was so easy to silence the Time Lord's greatest enemy out there in time and space. Doctor Who is a reminder of just how scary the universe can be. Worried about Mr T taking over from Salford's Christopher Eccleston? Don't be. In the first full adventure out of his pyjamas, he moves the role on, with a cure for any Easter weekend boredom, along with a few other things. ... David and Billie are taking a break from filming and relaxing at Cardiff's Millennium Centre, transformed into a hospital with a difference for this weekend's story, and also being visited during our interview by that screeching Dalek, who probably just wants someone to talk to. Doomsday will be the biggest finish to a series in the history of Doctor Who. 'It's a real cliffhanger,' promises Billie. But it's a two-part story, concluding with The Satan Pit, that has wiped the smile off her face. 'I was quite shocked,' she frowns. 'The devil has always been quite a spooky concept for me and I found those two scripts terrifying - really dark. We're on a different planet, an alien world.' David adds: 'Basically, they find a darkness that doesn't seem to have an explanation. And even the Doctor, who can usually explain these things away, is a bit stumped by quite what is living under this planet.' There's fun to be had everywhere in this series, with five episodes written by Manchester-based Russell T Davies. It contains some of the best TV writing, acting and production on show anywhere in the world. Clues about the future are there for the taking. ... 'Russell is the best writer in television,' maintains David. 'He is the master of making entertainment seem effortless. The script for the last episode was genuinely breathtaking to read. And there are other brilliant writers on this series, including Matthew Graham from Life On Mars.' Snogging aside, there's plenty of chemistry between Rose and the tenth Time Lord. 'There's no formula,' explains Billie. 'It just happens or it doesn't. And, fortunately enough for us, it happened.' ... But - assuming they survive Doomsday - both will be back to film the next series, although there's continued speculation about when they might leave. As long as the show stays on top form, why would they want to quit?"

New Earth Reviews/Features

The Sun today said of "New Earth," "They are purr-fect villains... feline foes who provide the opposition for Doctor Who tomorrow as the Timelord returns to our screens. At first they look cute, but fans soon discover these weird kitties aren't your average housecats - they are deadly. They are the Sisters Of Plenitude, evolved cats who run a sinister hospital on earth billions of years in the future. ... It was up to the amazing make-up experts on the BBC1 sci-fi hit to work a miracle turning actors into the untrustworthy cats with prosthetics. And the job they did turned out to be the cat's whiskers. The prosthetics chief is Neill Gorton, who helped develop the character from the last series, The Face Of Boe, who reappears tomorrow night. Neill said: 'At first we thought the Sisters were going to be aliens who resembled cats. But Russell (writer, Russell T Davies) said, 'Forget about doing cat like monsters, these are cats who have evolved.' 'So it was like, OK, go get some pictures of Tiddles and let's figure it out. We made a prosthetic piece for the face and to get the finish we used a technique called flocking. It involves firing nylon fibres from a gun. They attach to the prosthetic skin so you get that beautiful fur all over the face. Then it's airbrushed to get different patterns. We picked different ones to suit their characters. There's the novice who is more of a ginger cat, younger and softer, and a grey tabby for the mother superior. Someone could look at their own cat and see the same markings on the face.' It can't have been that comfortable for the actors in the masks though. Actress Anna Hope, who plays one of the Sisters, is seen above left getting hers and there is the finished face. She admits: 'The entire prosthetic cat mask is modelled to my face. It takes about two and a half hours to put on. Your skin can't breathe particularly well, but it's OK.'"

Charlie Brooker in The Guardian writes, "Terrible thing, anticipation. ... All of which brings me to Doctor Who (Sat, 7.15pm, BBC1) - specifically, to episode one of the new series. Now, I've been effusive in my admiration of last year's series - effusive to the point of fellatio, you might say, if it were possible to fellate a television programme, which it isn't, not unless you take a printout of the scripts, furl them into a tube and mimic a blowjob on them, although the weirdness of your actions tends to overshadow your implied praise when you do something like that. Anyway, my anticipation gland was bursting as I settled down to watch the series opener - so you can guess what's coming next. It left me a bit ... well, a bit down. For starters, there's a bit too much going on given the 45-minute running time: the plot revolves around shadowy goings-on in an intergalactic hospital, but there's also a lot of messing about with supporting characters who feel superfluous to the main storyline, diffusing your attention. It also makes a few jarring tonal shifts - leaping from high camp, to straight horror, to oleaginous sentimentality without warning. And David Tennant, trying to keep up with this, occasionally just ends up popping his eyes and shouting too much. What I'm saying is it's a jumbled let-down. See what I'm doing here? I'm lowering your expectations. Not because I'm trying to trick you, but because I didn't think it was very good. And I bloody love Doctor Who. Sorry. ... But hey. Carping over. Now for the good news. All of this - the rush of anticipation, the slow guff of disappointment - all of this is all entirely in keeping with last year's premiere episode, which was also an overexcited manic sprawl of a thing, but turned out to be merely the slightly misfired opening salvo in a dazzlingly brilliant fun-for-all-the-family romp. And if NEXT week's episode is anything to go by, this year's going to be similar. Because next week's episode (also scripted by Russell T Davies) involves a much-publicised encounter with a werewolf guaranteed to make easily-spooked kiddy viewers crap their own spines through their bumholes. It's flipping great (as are Tennant and Piper). In summary, then, your instructions are as follows: watch with a forgiving eye, because the predictive chart I'm preparing indicates a steep upturn in quality from hereon in. Hooray and phew for that."

Another review in The Guardian says, "Anyone who thinks that television no longer unites the nation should peer into living rooms across the country at 7.15pm tonight. The fools' lantern will be flickering, but you may not see anyone in front of the screen. Children and adults alike will be cowering behind sofas as the Tardis heaves into view accompanied by a new Doctor Who and that familiar, if slightly tweaked, whoosh of a tune. The outpouring of affection for the series, with the 10th incarnation of the Doctor played by Casanova star David Tennant, is far from nostalgia for the shaky sets and stripy scarves of the Tom Baker golden era. Viewers have returned - 10 million watched the Christmas special - because the reinvigorated franchise is witty and warm, as well as scary. It vaporises any suggestion the good Doctor is not the man he used to be. Under Russell T Davis's writing, he is much, much better. The series is more subtle and satirical than of old. The first episode features a futuristic hospital where boil-covered Zombies fester, echoing the recent botched drug trials and the panic over superbugs. But the up-to-date Doctor benefits too from the rich heritage of past series, fondly pored over by Whovians. As Davis has pointed out, children enjoy the mythology that comes with the Doctor. And so parents chuntering on about K9 and the Cybermen do not cause offspring to roll their eyeballs but only encourage further forays from the safety of the sofa." And yet another article says, "Cat nurses, lonely zombies, mind-swap machines and a fat man who's slowly turning into stone, or as the 10th Doctor David Tennant puts it, 'I like impossible'. Just over a year ago, reviving Doctor Who seemed like a mad geek's gamble, now it's the toast of the town. A playful Tennant is already fully relaxed into the role, pleasing Billie Piper no end, while Russell T Davies' cracking script never lets any potentially mawkish stuff outweigh the all-important goofy fun. 'Fantastic!' "

The Scotsman says, "Television has changed since the old days of Doctor Who. The performance style of shouty acting, which has its roots in theatre, has begun to die off. It has gone in most of the comedy and in some of the drama. But children's TV is still hard at it. While it definitely doesn't suit the medium, maybe it is still required by the age group - something to do with young people's well-documented need to know exactly where they stand, with none of the ambiguities that naturalism tends to usher in. Russell T Davies's remake of Doctor Who... has brought the old mystery man down to earth. ... As a fan of both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, I was excited when they each got the part. But neither of them are at home with the new laddish thing. Weren't Ross Kemp or Jeremy Clarkson available? It doesn't help Tennant that a choice has been made to do a kind of East London accent. I kept expecting him to pop down the Vic for a quick spot of bovver. ... This first episode in the new series doesn't give Tennant the opportunities Eccleston had in his first episode to win Billie Piper over to his mission. And there is less of Davies's contemporary reference wit here than in his first series to fire Tennant's comic genius. Both Tennant and Eccleston get angry moral crusader speeches. This is a convention of British dramatic writing I despise. When human beings are angry, they are surfing on unconscious forces and a whole unpredictable complex comes into play, from laughter to tears to violence to complete incoherence. It could turn on a sixpence at any second. That is danger. But angry speeches make actors' voices go tight, as if they are unconsciously resisting the falsehood. This happens to both Tennant and Eccleston, but the strain shows more in Tennant. The result is not only ugly and untrue, it's also boring. The best way to express the Doctor's morality is in his deeds. In the last series there was a lot of the heroes being chased through labyrinthine buildings by that particular week's manifestation of evil. And here it is again in the first of the new one. But our old flat-footed friend the British TV camera watches from outside the tension. The shots don't allow you to apprehend the exact danger at any given moment. Instead of experiencing the drama you have to translate it."

Newsquest Media says that "The last series saw Christopher Eccleston expose the darker side of the Doctor's character. And the new series will see David Tennant as the tenth Time Lord fresh from playing Casanova. He and feisty assistant Rose Tyler are set to battle the new-look Cybermen and save Queen Victoria from the clutches of a werewolf. But what kind of Doctor will he be this time around and do Doctor Who fans really want to see him snog Billie Piper? ... Area 51 radio presenter and Channel 4 resident sci-fi expert Stuart Claw, 27, thinks that the new series could see some interesting developments in the Doctor's character. He said: 'I think Doctor Who is one of the first things I started watching. Jon Pertwee was really good. 'I have to say Tom Baker is good for a laugh and he started a new fashion in scarves. Christopher Eccleston really impressed me. 'It was a shame he had to leave suddenly. David Tennant as the Doctor? I don't know. The jury's still out on that.' The Doctor's relationship with Rose will hopefully be developed a lot further in the second series, kicking off on Saturday, added Stuart."

The Hollywood Reporter says that "Only the been-there, done-that time traveling hero of 'Doctor Who' would journey to the year 5-billion-23 and upon entering the most fantastic medical facility ever built anywhere complain, 'There's no shop. A hospital should have a little shop.' While in the U.S. the Sci Fi Channel is still in the first series of the modern reincarnation of the legendary Time Lord starring Christopher Eccleston, the BBC on Saturday moves into the second of two series starring David Tennant ('Cassandra') [sic]. Tennant brings a childlike joy to the doctor's enjoyment of his extraordinary powers and his errors in judgment, required for the inevitable predicaments, are a shade more believable than when perpetrated by Eccleston's character. It is a children's show, after all, although Russell T Davies has made the new series savvy and witty enough to attract adults. ... It's silly and clever stuff, and the sets and CGI are all just good enough. The BBC promises more series, and it seems that Tennant and Piper, who have terrific chemistry, will be around for a few eons more. Long may they travel."

More Media Coverage

Thursday's issue of The Sun has a two-page colour spread on David Tennant as part of a series of features marking the show's return on Saturday. It tells how he predicted while at school that he would one day play the Doctor, and has an interview with his former English teacher, Moira Robertson. who says she still has a copy of an essay he wrote, called Intergalactic Overdose, when he was 14. It also says that his parents, Sandy and Helen, nearly joined in the programme. They were visiting the set during a read-through for episode two and two actors were unable to be there. Tennant is quoted as saying: "Because it's set in Scotland they were asked to read in. They were delighted. Mum played Lady Isabelle and my dad played Captain Reynolds. They were genuinely cheesed off when they didn't get asked to play the parts for real." Tomorrow's (Friday) Sun will have a feature looking "Inside the Doctor's incredible world". The Sun also has a brief mention of interview comments Billie Piper gave to GQ.

Televisual interviews Jane Tranter, the BBC's controller of drama commissioning, who "spells out exactly what her portfolio of channels are hungry for What recent show are you most proud of? Life on Mars. Can I have two? Doctor Who too please. ... What formats and slots? Could be anything. We need to look at how we make our Saturday and Sunday night offerings feel relevant to those days of the week. We're looking at how much more challenging we can be midweek at 9pm. ... What's best about UK drama? Russell T Davies."

The Salt Lake Tribune says of Friday night's US premiere of the new series episode "Dalek," "Here's something you Utah 'Doctor Who' nerds can geek out on: It appears the Daleks, the race of robotic aliens that was the Doctor's archnemesis, may have trod not so lightly in Utah. Or shall we say will tread not so lightly. In the next episode of the British science-fiction hit, the Doctor and his sidekick, Rose, travel to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the near future to investigate a billionaire collector who claims he has the last relic of the Daleks. Or does he have more than that?" AndUSA Today says "I'm not a devotee of Dr. Who (Sci Fi, tonight, 9 ET/PT), so I can't tell you where this latest imported extension of the series fits into the doctor's 40-year history, or how new star Christopher Eccleston compares with all the doctors before. All I can say is that this new Who is a very entertaining bit of light sci-fi fun, spurred on by Eccleston's often amusing and always moody Doc and Billie Piper's down-to-earth travel mate Rose Tyler. Plus, tonight's episode boasts the return of one of Who's favorite villains: a Dalek, who was being held in a Utah bunker. Before you know it, the Dalek is back to killing people, and in a more diabolical and high-tech fashion than it did in the old days. Enjoy."

Speaking of the first season of the new series, writer Rob Shearman("Dalek") has a new Radio 4 play on next week, at 14.15 UK time (and then on the Listen Again feature on the BBC website afterwards). It's a science fiction comedy called "Odd," about "what happens when a man begins to find that the entire English language has changed its meaning overnight... Produced as ever by Martin Jarvis, it's the Pick of the Day in the Radio Times."

Newsquest Media chats with Sophia Myles: "Ask Sophia Myles to name her favourite Doctor Who and she replies, 'David Tennant'. Then adds mischieviously, 'For obvious reasons - you know what those reasons are.' The vicar's daughter who was pretty in pink as Lady Penelope in the flesh-and-blood movie based on the puppet series Thunderbirds is reportedly stepping out with Tennant, the latest actor to go time-travelling. But she remains coy about confirming stories about who's who in Who's love life. On the big screen, she's one half of a pair of star-crossed lovers in the new movie Tristan & Isolde, produced by the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony. Her leading man is US actor James Franco. Around the same time that opens in cinemas, she'll be alongside Tennant on the small screen in the latest Doctor Who series on BBC1, playing Madame de Pompadour in an episode called The Girl In The Fireplace. 'When my agent called and said I'd been offered Doctor Who, I thought, 'brilliant, I'm going to meet the Daleks'. But no, I'm in a corset in Versailles,' she says. 'Madame de Pompadour is the mistress of King Louis and, in Doctor Who terms, has known the doctor since she was a very young girl. He's visited her through the course of her life. I used to watch Doctor Who when I was a kid so to be in it is such a privilege. It's a job you can't say no to, it's a bit like being called to jury service, it's not cool to say no.' Filming the series in Cardiff was a bonus as Myles is half-Welsh and the job offered the chance to visit her elderly grandfather. 'I'd been out of the country for so long, so I thought, 'great, I can go down and see granddad'. So I did a couple of days shooting and then went to see him at his pensioners' home. I told him I had a day off the following Sunday and I'd come and see him again. And then he dropped dead the next day. 'It was kind of meant to be really because it was lovely to go to see him and we had a good old chat. So it was very special to me from a personal point of view.'"

This Is Wiltshire says that "a biographer is about to delve into the life of the nation's sweetheart Billie Piper. Sean Smith, who has previously written about Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue and Justin Timberlake, wants to find out why so many people have so much affection for the Swindon-born star. He said what drove her chart-topping pop success, coupled with a soaring TV career as Dr Who's sidekick Rose Tyler, will make for an interesting read. But this will not be a controversial book uncovering shocks and scandal. Instead Mr Smith just wants to get closer to Billie's life to find out what makes the 23-year-old tick. 'She is an exciting and extremely popular person,' he said. 'When I first thought about Billie all I could think of was a teenage girl bouncing around on stage singing Because We Want To. A lot of people thought she had her five minutes of fame and that was the last we would see of her. But how wrong this was. The success of Dr Who has been amazing. The fact that she won a National Television Award, which is voted by the public for her acting ability, speaks volumes about her. She really has become the nation's sweetheart.' He added: 'I like to write about someone who has risen from the ashes, a phoenix-like story. I wrote about Robbie Williams, who has had phenomenal success since Take That and has gone on to be the country's favourite entertainer. I like stories where you can feel good about the person you are reading and where you can feel a sense of inspiration.'"

The Rutherglen Reformer News says "Doctor Who returns for a new series on Saturday - and its executive producer has exclusively told the Reformer of his jealousy of a former Rutherglen man. Russell T Davies, who is also the award winning lead writer on the BBC1 series, was a huge fan of the programme while growing up in Swansea. Davies, whose other TV hits include Queer as Folk, The Second Coming and Casanova, admits he was gutted when he heard that fan Andrew Smith, from Rutherglen, had got to write for the series after speculatively submitting a script. Originally entitled The Planet That Slept, the script was renamed Full Circle, and was shown in 1980 as part of Tom Baker's final year in the part. Russell said: 'I love Full Circle! I remember hearing about Andrew Smith being commissioned to write it, and being very jealous as I was older than him! He was 18, and I just remember thinking what an impossible thing to do - and damn his eyes! I really like that story as it's one of the few Doctor Whos that has a genuine science fiction twist at the heart of it, with evolution showing the monsters eventually become their own victims. And it's also so beautifully made - yes, I really like it.' ... Next month, recording on a new Doctor Who spin off, Torchwood, gets under way, and will star John Barrowman, recently seen on ITV's Dancing on Ice. West End star Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who, lived in Cambuslang before his family moved to the USA in the seventies. Davies said: 'I can't say much about Torchwood at the moment as not even a second of it has been recorded, but they start filming in May, and hopefully it will be on screen before the end of the year on BBC3 and BBC1. John is absolutely marvellous - when you meet him, he's a real firestorm, truly incredible. A lot of casting directors and producers look at all the West End stuff as a place for great talent, and the people there are thought of as hoofers. They are the most disciplined actors with the finest range you will find. I've a lot of friends who work in musical theatre, and it was amazing that no one had picked up on John Barrowman big time before. I thought we were so lucky to get him, and I'm not surprised he's a star. Hopefully, Torchwood will be a success and become a long-running show - that's the plan - but it's aimed to become a continuing series.'"

SyFy Portal says that "He might have done his first episode with 'The Christmas Invasion,' but according to David Tennent [sic], his real debut is actually 'New Earth,' which premieres in the UK this weekend. 'It was kind of a bit surreal really, because at the time I didn't know the job was on offer anyway,' Tennent said to John Barrowman, who starred in five episodes of 'Doctor Who' last season, on ITV1's 'This Morning' show. 'You know, the first series was just about to go out and as you say there was a lot of 'who-ha' about it. And like the rest of the nation, I didn't realise that Chris wouldn't be doing any more. So it was as big a surprise to me as it was to anyone else. I just laughed really.' Although the Christmas special episode of the series was very well received, the actor mentioned that only now is he relieved as the next 13 episodes are about to air. 'I'm kind of relieved that it's finally out there because there's so much a build up, and we've been filming for such a long time,' said the actor. 'We finished a week and a half ago.' ... The second series is set to continue with the strengths of the first season while also bringing a few surprises into the mix. Among those features is the Doctor's reliance on his Sonic Screwdriver. 'I don't think we've got any new kind of running gadgets,' said Tennent. 'I've probably forgotten something … K-9! Week 3, episode 3, K-9 is back! And Sarah Jane Smith, who was of course Elizabeth Sladen who was brilliant in the 70's. So Sarah Jane comes back and its still Elizabeth Sladen!'"

There were two Doctor Who references in the Tuesday 11 April edition of Ideal, the BBC3 sitcom/drama starring Johnny Vegas as small-time drug dealer Moz, now in its second series. Firstly, when mobster Cartoon Head is unconscious after an electric shock, Psycho Paul finds his heartbeats strange and Moz sarcastically comments, "What? Has he got two hearts? Is he from Gallifrey?" (Pronouncing it FREE in a Tom Baker-like way.) Later, the villains’ boss turns up with an electronic voice device (lung cancer?) and one of Moz’s youngest and dimmest clients risks his wrath by innocently commenting, "Oh! Is that you? I thought there was a Dalek in here!"

The May issue of the UK magazine of "strange phenomena," Fortean Times, has a feature in the current issue on Cybermen and their creator Kit Pedler, complete with a cover illustration that features the Cybermen from the new series. The article focuses on "the doctor and scientist who created the soulless silver monsters and whose unconventional interests took him into the world of the paranormal".

Doctor Who once again features in the British satirical magazine Private Eye - in a cartoon that ingeniously satirises the state of the British National Health Service, a Dalek enters its GP's office and proclaims "you're not the Doctor I had last time!" Also, the latest issue of Glamour magazine (May edition) features a two-page behind-the-scenes Doctor Who feature.

The Daily Record says that "Doctor Who star David Tennant regenerated as a 'Whoodie' when he appeared for a chat with DJ Jo Whiley on Radio 1 yesterday. His clothes couldn't disguise he was looking rough - but that could be down to the stomach bug he's been battling this week. And it's one demon he'll want to defeat before the new Doctor Who series takes off tomorrow."

Also: ABC Online has a 'news' story taken from a fan panel at a sci-fi convention; Now Playing Mag features a review of "Dalek"; PingWalescomments on the story about the Sequence group developing Doctor Who online games; and theBlackpool Citizen and This is Lancashire report on the Doctor Who museum and exhibition including a special event on Monday.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes, John Bowman, Peter Weaver, Chuck Foster, Stuart Madison, Alan Daulby, Ed Martin, Joanna Pinkney)

Coverage in the media on Tuesday and Wednesday follows below; meanwhile, that catch-up on last week's backlog will happen soon (I promise! - Editor)

More BAFTA Nods

Crew members on Doctor Who have been nominated for four awards in the BAFTA Craft Awards which the BAFTA website describes as honouring "the unseen heroes of television, those who tirelessly work behind the camera." The nominations for Doctor Who production personnel are for Joe Ahearne(Best Director), Jo Pearce and Andrew Whitehouse for Attack of the Graske (Best New Media Developer), Russell T Davies (Best Writer) and production designer Edward Thomas (Break-through Talent). A full list of nominations can be found at the BAFTA website. Meanwhile, Yahoo News says that "Davies and Extras' Ricky Gervais will go head-to-head ... at the British Academy Television Craft Awards next month. ... The awards take place on May 19 at The Dorchester hotel in London." The 'head to head' story has been widely reported on various news services as well.

New Games for Doctor Who Site

IT Wales says today that "Welsh interactive agency Sequence has been commissioned by BBC Wales to develop a suite of interactive games for the new Doctor Who series, which starts on BBC1 this weekend. The contract was awarded to Cardiff based Sequence, after stiff UK wide competition as part of the BBC's commitment to outsource the design and development of some of its online content. "It is a real coup for Sequence to be awarded this piece of work", comments Chris Haresign, Sequence's Business Development Director. "We're really pleased. It's a truly exciting commission that really allows our creative juices to flow - especially when you consider that Doctor Who is one of the BBC's flagship productions." James Goss, the editor of the BBC's Doctor Who website comments, "As soon as Doctor Who ends on TV, the adventure continues online - only suddenly you're helping your heroes, defending the earth, locating alien artefacts, or saving history. It's the next best thing to travelling in the TARDIS yourself." He continues, "We instantly found the Sequence team a pleasure to work with and are delighted with the quality of the output they produce - it's always a worry that the outsourcing process can stimulate an uncomfortable degree of separation between organisations, but in this instance the Sequence team have dove-tailed seamlessly with our own production team." The commission sees the creation of a Virtual World consisting of mini websites and games that build upon the themes of each episode, and allow viewers to immerse themselves in the characters' lives, and face the challenges, decisions and excitement that they do. Mark Johnson, Sequence Creative Director comments, "Each element of the interactive experience has been carefully scripted to ensure a careful fit with the series. In the quest for perfection the design and development of the games saw the BBC commissioning content specifically to add to the authenticity of the interaction experience. "We were thrilled to receive the news that we had won the work, and it's fantastic that the online element of the production will be delivered from South Wales - the very region that has been responsible for the regeneration of the Doctor!"' Also reported today at News Wales.

New Reactions to "New Earth"

Closer lists this Saturday's episode as one of their 'Choices' of the day. "Weird aliens, check. Rose Tyler's dodgy Cockney accent, check. A crush on the new Doctor, David Tennant, check. Yes, the new series of Doctor Who is here. Billie's been at the bleach and David Tennant is proving easy on the eye. It kicks off in New Earth, billions of years in the future, where the only pure human left is Cassandra, the bitter, stretched-out piece of skin from last series. She possesses Rose, goes in for a snog with the Doc, and sidetracks them from figuring out why a hospital's overrun by zombies."

Heat Magazine has New Earth as it's Pick of the Day as well as being at number 1 in their Best TV Shows of the week. Reviewer Boyd Hilton gives it a max 5 stars."Gather round for the new series of the superbly realised, dazzlingly slick, pacy and smart Doctor Who revival. And the good news is, this first episode is every bit as giddily ambitious and entertaining as anything we saw last year, as the Doctor and Rose embark upon a trip to mankind's new home, thousands of years into the future. The version of New New York looks fittingly like something from a prog rock album cover, while the talents of BBC Wales' design, make-up and cost ume departments create a space-age hospital where weird cat-like creatures conduct disturbing medical experiments on an array of peculiar species. Quite why the Doctor and Rose end up snogging, or why the genius skin-thin Cassandra creature from the previous series returns, we won't reveal. Let's just say that David Tennant is clearly shaping up to be the sexiest Doctor ever, and that the lack of a Bafta nomination for Billie looks even sillier than it did before we saw her bravura work in this glorious story."

New magazine has Saturday's episode as their number 1 pick of the week. "If you remember the original Doctor Who, you probably think of it as a kids' show. But the new Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, Casanova) is as much aimed at the adults who hid behind the sofa from the Daleks when they were children as it is at a new genration of kids - which is why there's so much excitement about this second series. In this opener, the quirky and hugely talented David tennant succeeds Christopher Eccleston as the tenth Time Lord with Billie Piper... returning as his sidekick Rose. Tonight they visit mankind's home in the future and dsicover a gruesome secret about a luxury hospital..."

Reveal's Pick of the Day, they give New Earth 5 stars. "Fans of Doctor Who were shocked after Christopher Eccleston decided to call it a day as the Time Lord after only one run of the sci-fi drama. Thankfully, the Salford-born actor's announcement he was quitting came in time for the show's creators to find a replacement, and the closing scenes of the first season saw David Tennant apeara s the Doctor... In this opener, the thrill-seeking duo travel to a futuristic alien world and encounter an old enemy."

Star also calls it their Pick of the Day; the first new series episode is given 4 out of 5 stars. "After a long wait, the second series of the revived Doctor Who returns, this time with David Tennant as the travelling Timelord... he continues to charm as the eccentric, indie Doc..."

Radio Times

With a fold-out cover featuring the Doctor, Rose and the TARDIS, Sarah Jane Smith and K9, the Sisters of Plenitude, clockwork robots and a Cyberman, as well as the series' brand typeface, Deviant Strain, the new edition of Radio Times continues the magazine's extensive support of the new series. The heart of this issue is a 16-page section of special features, which begins with an article by Russell T Davies, which reveals that "if you watch the Doctor and Rose very closely there's an overconfidence at times that could well be their downfall. He says mysteriously..." Davies also comments that we will see "the completion of Mickey's story in series two" and that Jackie "really gets to be centre stage" for episode ten. The special also includes an episode guide to the series, with extensive comments from Davies and other members of the production team accompanying a twenty-strong selection of mostly unseen photographs. 'New Earth' showcases "every design department at full tilt"; 'Tooth and Claw' is "a good old gothic scary horror" and "very much a companion piece" to 'The Unquiet Dead'. 'School Reunion' features "scenes with K9 [that] are really joyful and funny and daft"; 'The Girl in the Fireplace' is "beautiful episode ... a different take on the 'celebrity historical'. Davies confirms that the two-part 'Rise of the Cybermen'/'The Age of Steel' is set on a parallel Earth, with "another version of Jackie, of Mickey, and Rose's father is still alive" - "Earth has become a fascist society". The 1953 coronation, and tales of the whole country gathered around the TV to watch it, inspired 'The Idiot's Lantern', while "The keyword for ['The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit'] was tough ... Everything's greasy and dirty ... Everything is dangerous ... I wanted to show the pioneering human spirit ... It's pushing the envelope as far as you can go in terms of monsters." 'Love and Monsters' is "very different. It's funny in places, but it's not just a comedy script." 'Fear Her' is set in 2012, and shows the "marvellously sinister underneath" to suburbia. The series finale, 'Army of Ghosts'/Doomsday', will make "Grown men ... rend their garments! ... the Cybermen are back, big time, en masse. And it really is epic." In another article, David Tennant and Billie Piper each answer a selection of questions sent in by readers: Tennant is "willing to risk" typecasting ("good work supersedes" it), cites Tom Baker as a hero, is thrilled by the idea of kids playing with action figures of him, rates the Zygons as a "design classic", and is "fairly certain" he'll be doing Series Three, pending discovering the end of episode 13's script; Piper "really wants to stay", again subject to the end of 'Doomsday', her favourite episodes are 8 and 9, is "completely" attracted to the Doctor (but "it's not a phyiscal thing"), has nicknamed Tennant "David Ten-inch", and was scared by the Ood in 'The Satan Pit'. The RT special concludes with a 147-strong cast and crew photograph and a look at how this week's cover was created.

Elsewhere in the magazine, the new series gets further coverage that other shows currently dream of. The Editor's Letter (p.3) concentrates on the series' return, mentioning that the RT writers "thought the new series was so wonderful, they could scarcely contain themselves until the transmission date finally arrived." 'New Earth' is one of Saturday's choices (p.4) for the week's best TV ("David Tennant slides effortlessly into his role ... exciting and funny"). The episode also supplies TV Editor Alison Graham's "Moment of the Week" (p.83): the "Oh my god! I'm a chav!" line seen in some of the recent publicity. As Saturday's main "RT Choice" and "Drama of the Week" (p.84), the episode is "exciting, funny and occasionally camp ... Tennant is perfect ... The story has poignancy and heart, and it's great family viewing." On the same page, a boxout promotes the Tardisodes. Saturday's listings (p.86) include another photo (the Doctor and Catnun) and the blurb: "Go grab your sonic screwdriver: the Tardis is back, with David Tennant at the helm, for more thrilling adventures in time and space. New Earth. Zoë Wanamaker guest-stars as the Doctor and Rose face an old foe - the lethal Lady Cassandra. Doctor Who Confidential follows on BBC3; Totally Doctor Who is on Thursday..." The listing for Confidential promises footage of Tennant picking his outfit for 'The Christmas Invasion'. And Blue Peter's first feature on Series Two is selected as one of "This Week's Choices" for kids' TV (p.140) - Wednesday's edition "celebrates the return ... with a very special make - a Tardis!" Finally, the Letters page (p.169) invites readers to comment on whether David Tennant is their "ideal Doctor Who", and features a photo of Russell T Davies presenting a new series Dalek to the Christmas competition winner, 12-year-old Honey Jones-Hughes, who was "on the phone tears running down her face" when she heard she'd won, as well as promotion for Doctor Who Adventures comic. There's also a full-page advert for Doctor Who Adventures, and, unusually for a classic series release, this week's DVD of 'Genesis of the Daleks' gets a half-page advertisement ("If you own jst one classic Doctor Who DVD, this should be it").

The Radio Times website has also unveiled some Doctor Who features pagesonline. These currently feature video footage of the photoshoot for the cast and crew photo in the magazine, with a complete breakdown of the 147 names and faces in that shot, a photo gallery showing ten pictures from 'New Earth', and a piece on the Tardisodes.

In The Media

BBC America has announced that they have picked up the series Secret Smile starring David Tennant, which will begin running on Monday and Tuesday nights starting the week of May 29.

Tomorrow morning's Times has a commentator who says that "I have alrways regarded any adult Star Trek enthusiast as a sad individual who makes up for the mundanity of his real life by inhabiting an imaginary one. ... For years we in Britain had our own home-grown, humble version of Star Trek, in the form of the faintly absurd Dr Who, which was, thank goodness, taken off the air in 1989 after almost three decades. It had its pathetic band of adult followers who got together at conventions to discuss time travel or Daleks. Fortunately, this kind of social inadequate was generally kept out of public view, except for the occasional appearance on breakfast television dressed as a sea monster. Yet, after a reassuring absence of 16 years, Dr Who returned to our screens in 2005 and proved a ratings hit, attracting more than ten million viewers. What was once little more than a children's series had suddenly become the linchpin of the BBC's drama schedule. The new Dr Who, which returns to our screens on Saturday, has not only vast popular appeal but has also attracted praise from normally sane critics. One even said that the recent success of Dr Who proves that we are living in a 'golden age' of drama. This flood of adulation prompts me to doubt whether we are living in a grown-up country. In its first incarnation, Dr Who was rightly seen as a bit of frivolity for youngsters. But now, in 21st-century Britain, it is treated as a serious work of creative genius. Yet as far as I can see, nothing has changed. Dr Who remains a cartoon time traveller with a glamorous assistant, fighting alien enemies. This is juvenile fare. It is telling that the modern prince of baby-men, the squeaky-voiced David Beckham, is so hooked that he has never missed an episode and even owns a book of Dr Who scripts. There is nothing wrong with science fiction. H. G. Wells and Ray Bradbury provided thought-provoking commentaries on the nature of mankind or terrifying visions of the future. But the lame Dr Who is difficult. As with the adult enthusiasm for Harry Potter, the hysterical following for Dr Who is yet another indicator of how infantile we have become."

The Stage says that "Doctor Who has missed out on nominations for its costume, make-up and special effects at the Bafta Craft Awards, a result that will anger creator Russell T Davies, who recently hit out at the 'snobbery' surrounding the awards system. The writer, who is credited with helping revive Saturday night family viewing, said that the industry found it easier to pick out the craft in period productions rather than science fiction. Speaking out during a podcast for a national newspaper, he said 'You watch a Charles Dickens adaptation and you're clapping [at] all those antique lace collars but if you watch a bird woman from the 57th century you don't imagine that someone put two weeks' thought and work into it.' He added that situation made him angry. 'There's nothing that you can do about it and it always sounds a bit stupid raging about awards, they don't matter in the end - but if our design, costume, make-up and effects departments aren't nominated I will be furious.'"

SFX Magazine features a brief interview with Sophia Myles who plays Madame Du Pompadour in "The Girl in the Fireplace". "When my agent called me and said 'you've been offered an episode of Doctor Who' I thought, brilliant! I'm going to meet the Daleks! 'No, you're going to be in a corset in Versailles!' She's the mistress of Louis XIIII, and in Doctor Who terms she's known the Doctor since she was a very young girl - he came into her life when she was about seven or eight and he's visited her throughout the course of her life. ... There are bad guys in this one; I'm kind of scared to say too much, not 'because I don't want to tell you, I'd love to tell you, there are some rather terrifying monsters – well, not monsters exactly, droids? There's a reason why they're interested in my being...'"

TV Guide magazine said about last Friday's episode, World War Three: "
Last we saw of the Doctor, he was being zapped to death alongside members of UNIT. The perps were the gas-passing Slitheens, an interesting race of aliens who resemble E.T.'s fat auntie (assuming E.T.'s fat auntie had honkin' raptor talons). Rose and Harriet (whom the doctor knew from somewhere) were about to be crushed by the MI5-impersonating Slitheen. Jackie was going to be consumed by the punk impersonating the police inspector. They escaped, of course (wouldn't be much of a show otherwise). Turns out the Slitheen zappers only worked on humans, and the Doctor is only half human. It also happens that the Slitheens are all related, so when the Doctor threw the ball of zap back at his tormentors, it affected all the aliens. Yippie! Sadly, all the UNIT members perished. (Lots of people tend to die in this new Who.) So what were these aliens up to? Their plan was to instigate a nuclear holocaust by playing on Earthlings' propensity to panic. Once the planet was toast, the spare chunks would be sold as fuel. In the words of Kyle and Stan — you bastards! Harriet Jones came up with a splendid idea to punish the calcium-based chumps: vinegar! It's what Hannibal used to dissolve boulders when he took the elephants over the Alps. When Jackie doused the inspector with pickle brine, he exploded. Good. Even among villains, these Slitheens are repulsive. Flatulent, avaricious murderers, they draped the hollowed-out bodies of their victims on hangers like so many trousers. However, they did bring out the backbone in Mickey, who saved Jackie from the inspector, and later (under the Doctor's supervision from No. 10) launched the missile that blew the Slitheens to proverbial KC. Huzzah! Suddenly, it dawns on the Doctor how he knows the name of Harriet Jones, MP of humble Flydell North (I hope I'm spelling this right). Harriet is to be a brilliant three-time prime minister and (listen up, Mr. Blair) the "architect of Britain's golden age." Since the last one was in the 16th century or so, I'd say merrie olde is due for another, wouldn't you? After decades of economic and monarchical woes, I'd say they've earned it. Perhaps the most telling moment of the series so far came at the end, when Jackie pleaded for Rose to stay. The Doctor, for all his great ability and knowledge, is still just a man and really can't promise Jackie that her daughter will be safe. His silence to Jackie's pleas spoke volumes. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I suspect it will have a harder time getting Rose. But then, dear Whovians, I never thought it would claim Adric."

Billie Piper graces the front cover of this month's InStyle magazine and features in a 6-page photo shoot. She says in various quotes - 'I'm very trusting and that's often my downfall. I don't ever think anyone is going to be horrible. But I'd rather get burnt than become cynical ... What's so great about having done the singing thing then acting is that I've realised fame isn't actually what I wanted - I just wanted to act' She talks extensively about her personal life and ends with this quote - 'When you first meet Rose, she's living this mundane life, waiting for something exciting to happen, and I know exactly how that feels. I still feel like that sometimes' As well as the new Doctor Who, Billie is excited about the Harrods ad campaign, and two TV adaptations of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart adventures.

Sci Fi Wire on Tuesday says Davies has "been selective using characters from the original 26-season run of the show. The first season brought back the Doctor's old enemies the Daleks, and Davies said that the upcoming second-season episode 'School Reunion' will see the return of popular companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and K-9. An upcoming two-parter will feature the robotic Cybermen. 'That was very much a lesson that I took from Star Trek: The Next Generation, where in the first [season], apart from seeing Dr. McCoy in the first episode, they were quite uptight about continuity and didn't refer too much and kept it a new show,' Davies said in an interview. 'Once they were successful, they sort of relaxed in the second season, introducing the Romulans at the end of the first season, so they started accepting that all those great icons of the show are public icons. It takes you a while to realize that, because when you're a fan as I am, you sometimes think your point of view is too fannish, and it takes a while to realize that sometimes a fan's point of view does coincide with the general public's memory of a show. It's not just the fans that say, 'Sarah Jane, K-9, the Cybermen, the Daleks!' It's also the general public.' According to Davies, the skill of bringing back a classic character is deciding which elements to retain and which ones to update for a contemporary audience. "I always say it's like Dracula: If you're doing a Dracula film, I want the crucifix and the garlic and the bats and the brides, and I'm pretty disappointed when a Dracula film doesn't give that to me. It's the same with Doctor Who: It's a folk memory, and ... people who have never even seen the Cybermen will say, 'Are the Cybermen going to be in it?' It's a received memory of the show, and they've heard Mom and Dad talking about it, so I think that's very healthy.'"

Meanwhile, Wednesday morning's Sci Fi Wire says that Davies is "not worried about the possibility of spreading himself too thin this spring, when he sets about producing the second season of his hit SF show and launching its spinoff, Torchwood. 'It's actually not as busy as you think,' Davies said in an interview. 'American series run for 22, 23 or 24 episodes a year, and we've only got 13 episodes a [season]. So it's really no heavier than an American workload, and you all seem to survive! ... Unfortunately, I have a suspicion that your executives are chauffeur limo-ed from meeting to meeting, whereas I have to get the bus. But there are a lot of systems in place, and there's a huge team here. So we've spent a long time setting up Torchwood, to make sure that both shows can run simultaneously.' ... 'It's more capable of running itself,' Davies said. 'And we must always remember that Doctor Who is the parent show and is the show that gets the 44 percent share of the audience [in the United Kingdom, where it is a huge hit], so that's the show that I will always be looking after. That's where my heart is as well. Despite the fact that I created Torchwood, Doctor Who needs constant love and attention.'"

Also: today's Milton Keynes Citizen reports on a Dalek in the London Marathon; This Is Wiltshire has yet another report from the press screening of "New Earth"; Now Playing sums up several reports from Sci Fi Wire; Daily Snacktalks about nicknames Billie and David have given each other (note: adult language); The Stage talks about Christopher Eccleston's new TV role.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Paul Engelberg, Robin Calvert, Rajiv Awasti, Paul Dempsey, John Bowman, and Martin Hoscik at UNIT News)

There was literally a ton of press coverage over the weekend and late last week, so to get started we focus on reports from the weekend. The Outpost Gallifrey news page will on Tuesday carry more from last week's other press and magazine mentions (the editor's still getting caught up with the backlog!)

This Weekend's Launch

The official Doctor Who website has been updated with a front page now themed like the first new episode, New Earth.

Also, says the site, "BBC One's brand new series Totally Doctor Whostarts on Thursday 13 April at 5pm, as part of Children's BBC. Hosted by Barney Harwood and Blue Peter's Liz Barker, Totally Doctor Who will give younger viewers a glimpse of the thrills and spills coming up in the new series. "

Tooth and Claw

There's lots of coverage of episode two of the new season, Tooth and Claw, the past few days. BBC News says that "The latest Doctor Who series, starring David Tennant, will see BBC One's time traveller and his sidekick Rose tackle predators including a werewolf. The second episode sees the Doctor face the creature - a man transformed into a wolf - in Scotland in 1879. Tennant had his first outing in the role for last year's Christmas episode. The new series begins on Saturday. He and co-star Billie Piper attended a Glasgow preview of the werewolf show although it was filmed in Wales."

The Sunday Herald says that "On-set in Cardiff, Tennant is nervous energy personified. While waiting to film a scene, he jumps up and down on the spot and waggles his fingers, then attempts the dance routine from the latest Rachel Stevens video. Today, they are filming the second episode of the new series -- Tooth And Claw, which is set in the Scottish Highlands. In it, Queen Victoria's train derails and she seeks shelter in the mansion of a former friend of Prince Albert's. Unfortunately, the grand country pile has another house guest -- a werewolf. The Doctor and his travelling companion Rose are around too, a Tardis malfunction seeing them fetch up in 1879 when they were actually attempting to attend an Ian Dury gig in 1979. 'It's a bit confusing today,' says Tennant, while waiting for the cameras to roll. 'Lots of running up and down corridors. You tend to forget which you are in. But it's a Doctor Who tradition, running up and down corridors.' He's wearing the brown pinstripe suit that is his Doctor Who outfit ('Jarvis Cocker had this look 10 years ago'), and leaning up against the scenery. There's a deer skull screwed to the wall above him, and a candelabra nearby. One woman has the job of keeping the candles lit, which is bad news for Billie Piper -- Rose in the show -- who sets her hair on fire while running past, but quickly pats it out. 'I've got so much hairspray on as well!' she cackles, clearly amused. She walks around, getting the cast and crew to smell her singed locks. 'Mmm,' says Pauline Collins, who is playing Queen Victoria. 'I love the smell of burning hair.' Such incidents offer much-needed excitement on-set. While it's thrilling to watch, Doctor Who is gruelling to make. Filming began on this new series in July 2005 and continued until the end of March. Cast and crew work 12-hour days, and much of today is taken up with simply running up the corridor towards the camera. There isn't even a werewolf chasing them. That's a special effect which will be put in later. In the meantime, to give the computer animators a guide to work towards, the cast are pursued by a man in body-hugging white Lycra, complete with hood. He looks exactly like one of the sperms from Woody Allen's film Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask. During a break in filming, David Tennant sits down with a cup of tea to talk about starring in Doctor Who. He has been a fan since he was a child growing up in Renfrewshire and is one of those people who know more about the show than is strictly healthy (his earliest memory is of seeing Jon Pertwee regenerate into Tom Baker), so to actually become his boyhood hero has been rather overwhelming. 'It's a bit surreal,' he nods. 'It doesn't seem plausible that you should suddenly get your own Tardis. It seemed fantastically unlikely when they asked me to do it. I just laughed.' When Christopher Eccleston agreed to play the Doctor it was a leap of faith -- one of Britain's most serious actors opting to portray a character who had become a kitschy, culty joke, smelling of cheese and mothballs. Tennant, on the other hand, faces a different kind of pressure -- meeting the high standard set by his predecessor. 'I owe Chris a lot because he was part of creating a phenomenon last year, and his very presence gave the show a mark of quality which some people didn't expect,' he says. 'My problem is I have to live up to that and not be the reason that this year it falls to bits. So it's not so much a leap of faith for me as a leap of hope. I've got much further to fall now that the show is such a big hit. It is intimidating. You think, 'What if I'm the George Lazenby of this?' But then you think, 'I can't not take it on.'' ... In fact, by far the most disturbing moment of the previous series of Doctor Who was the least grisly -- The Empty Child, a two-parter in which the gas mask-wearing ghost of a little boy killed in the Blitz haunts his gymslip mother. Something of its skin-crawling spirit looks to have been captured in New Earth, the first episode of the new series, in which a cats dressed as nuns seek antidotes to diseases by testing them on captive humans. Written by Davies, the episode is a spin on MRSA and animal vivisection (with un-intentional shades of the recent drugs-trial horror) and demonstrates his alchemical knack for turning headlines into plot lines. Under his influence, Doctor Who has become enjoyably liberal, featuring an inter-racial relationship and an alien whose extreme horniness has no regard for gender or indeed species. 'One of the great pleasures of the first series is that we did manage to do that at seven o'clock on a Saturday night and nobody batted an eyelid,' says Phil Collinson . 'Five years ago, if we'd put a bisexual character in a series that has a huge children's following there would have been a massive storm of protest, and I think it is a genuine reflection of our times that that is not the case now. As a society we are more liberal and accepting, and I think what Russell's writing does brilliantly is reflect real life. Even though this is science fiction, we are dealing with real people with real emotions.'"

The Western Mail says that "With its speed, thirst for blood, menacing eyes and evil looking teeth and claws, this is the enemy the Doctor must face in one of the scariest episodes ever. The sight of a werewolf trapping the Doctor is guaranteed to send children fleeing for the safety of the back of the sofa during episode two. Fans of Doctor Who, which returns next Saturday, are used to being scared by the likes of the Daleks, Sea Devils and the Zygons. But the realistic nature of the CGI werewolf, the main monster in the episode Tooth and Claw, could rival a Hollywood horror movie. The episode, starring Pauline Collins, sees Rose and the Doctor transported back to Scotland in 1879. Collins' Queen Victoria meets the pair while en route to the Torchwood Estate, but when they arrive they discover that a group of monks - skilled in martial arts - are hiding a dark secret. Written by Russell T Davies, the episode takes on a sinister bent when the secret is exposed to be a werewolf who wants something belonging to the Queen. For 45 minutes the beast stalks the corridors of the estate, which is Craig-y-Nos Castle in disguise, at one point trapping Rose and the Doctor in a drawing room while it claws at the woodwork. With the beast's thirst for blood, Davies admits it's 'as scary as we ever get'. But the new Doctor, David Tennant, insists it's all in the programme's tradition. He said, 'Being scared is part of growing up. That's what Doctor Who has done since 1963 and I'm glad to see it continue. The show has had horror for as long as I can remember.'"

David Tennant has told of his delight at playing a Scot in the new series of Doctor Who. A feature piece for the UK's Press Association, circulated for Scotland only, runs as follows: "Doctor Who actor David Tennant has spoken of his joy at getting to play a Scot in one episode of the new series. The star was in Glasgow for a preview of episode two from the second series. The episode, entitled Tooth and Claw, sees Tennant time travel to Scotland during Queen Victoria's reign and save the monarch from a werewolf on a Highland estate with help from his companion Rose, played by Billie Piper. The 34-year-actor, who trained at Glasgow's RSAMD, ditched his Scots accent to take on the role of the Doctor at the request of writer Russell T Davies. But he gets to use his own accent in the new episode as he pretends to be a doctor trained in Edinburgh. Although the filming was still done in Wales, Tennant said he found the valleys used in the episode were remarkably similar to landscapes of Scotland. Tennant, who grew up in Paisley, attended the viewing with Piper and also took the chance to meet up with his father, former minister Sandy McDonald. He said he had enjoyed the last nine months filming the series in Cardiff and was looking forward to a welcome break before returning for the third series of the BBC Wales production. On getting to play Doctor Who in his own accent, Tennant said: 'It wasn't a specific ambition, I think it's just great to bring in a Scot for personal reason. Also storywise, it is nice to keep moving it around, taking the character to different places. 'Obviously it's filmed in Wales, so Cardiff has had a shot so I was quite keen that Scotland got a shot and that obviously has some personal ramifications, it's nice. 'I wasn't disappointed at not getting to use my Scottish accent, that was what I was asked to do. It didn't bother me one way or another. I've always felt that part of working as an actor is being happy to take on different roles. 'It doesn't make me feel any less Scottish because I don't always work in a Scottish accent but it was nice to know that we got this one episode with the doctor slipping into the accent.' On getting to play the role of the Time Lord, the self-confessed fan said: 'I'm delighted to be here, it's a huge privilege to be here. I'm having a ball.' "

The UK's Press Association filed a story to media headlined "Doctor Who saves Queen Victoria - from a werewolf' In it, showbusiness editor Anita Singh wrote: "Doctor Who must rescue Queen Victoria from a werewolf's clutches in the Time Lord's latest adventure. The Doctor (David Tennant) and sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) end up landing their Tardis in the Scottish Highlands in 1879. There they encounter Queen Victoria, played by Pauline Collins, and join her for a stay at the Torchwood Estate. But a mysterious creature is lurking in the cellar - and the Doctor battles to save the Queen from a nasty fate. The episode, called Tooth and Claw, is the second of the new series which begins later this month. Tennant and Piper attended a special screening in Glasgow. Although set in Scotland, the episode was actually filmed in Wales. Tennant, 34, grew up in Paisley but ditched his Scottish accent for the role of the Doctor. He gets to use it in this episode as he pretends to be a doctor trained in Edinburgh."

The Evening Times discusses an appearance by David Tennant and Billie Piper in Glasgow, discussing the debut of the second series. "But Tennant, the Paisley boy who attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, proved as enigmatic as the iconic television character he is playing. He neatly dodged inquiries about his girlfriend, actress Sophia Myles, who played Lady Penelope in the movie Thunderbirds. And he was a little guarded about the fact he doesn't use his own accent when playing the Doctor. But he did reveal that when he was offered the part his first reaction was not to take the job because of the profile it carries. 'I thought 'Oh no!' A show like this does attract so much attention. But a couple of days later I changed my mind. And now I think it's a huge thrill and a huge privilege to play the character. I am having a ball.' Billie Piper blushed when asked whether David or previous star Christopher Eccleston was the best Doctor. She said: 'David's is more emotional while Christopher's was more intense - but I've had great fun working with both.'" In another report, Tennant says that "the Windsors were turned into big, bad werewolves after Queen Victoria was attacked by a bloodthirsty hound. The Doctor lands his tardis in the Queen's residence of Balmoral to help save the day after it emerges that the tainted blood could be passed on to future generations, even the current monarchy. But cheeky Tennant, 34, said he wasn't worried about a royal backlash. He said: 'They are werewolves aren't they? Maybe we will be done for treason, but I hope they don't get too upset.' And his sexy sidekick said she was sure the Queen would see the funny side. Billie, 23, said: 'I've heard the Royals are fans of the show and I hope they still are, even after this episode.' ... In the second episode, set in the 18th-century Highlands, Tennant gets to speak with his Scottish accent for the only time in the series - the Doctor normally has more of a London twang. But the actor said he was not bothered that his Dr Who is not Scottish. He said: 'I was asked to do a certain accent and that is what I did. I don't think it is important really. I was just happy that this episode has a Scottish flavour for my own obvious personal reasons.'"

The Independent says that "British drama is in 'genuinely good health', the writer behind the revised version of Doctor Who believes, but if there is a problem, it is writers who are to blame. 'If there's a paucity, I think it's the fault of the writers, because the commissioners are desperate for good material,' says Russell T Davies. 'The greatest censor at work is the writer sitting at home saying, they'll never accept that on BBC1 or ITV. ... It's daft to say you won't watch anything at nine o'clock. Those people running at nine o'clock now were us 15 years ago. They might have to write a Midsomer Murders to get to where they need to be in the industry to have a bit of clout. 'I got The Second Coming on to ITV, about the return of the son of God, at the end of which God was killed and atheism conquered the world. I was very lucky to get that made. But then again, luck is just hard work a lot of the time.' ... As chief scriptwriter on Doctor Who, overseeing the work of fellow scribes of the calibre of The League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss and Coupling creator Stephen Moffat, Davies has, true to his word, removed the shackles from his imagination. A sinister race of catwomen, an encounter between Queen Victoria and a werewolf, the devil and a terrifying squid-like monster all feature in the second series. Alongside action-packed adventure sequences, Davies also explores the Doctor, now played by Scottish actor David Tennant, and his assistant Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, on a more intimate level. 'Stephen Moffat has written what is practically a love story for the Doctor in episode four. That's never been seen. It's very understated, very beautifully done, but it's nonetheless a Time Lord falling in love and Rose's reaction to him falling in love with someone else.' Elements of the old Doctor Who, including the Cybermen and K9, make a comeback in series two, following the reappearance of the Daleks in the first series, when Christopher Eccleston brought a wry northern charm to the part of the Doctor. Davies is a great believer in the backstory. 'If you're doing Dracula, you want the crucifixes and the brides and the bats and the howling wolf. Every science-fiction series has its race of robots on the rampage, so you might as well use the Cybermen.' ... A lifelong fan of Doctor Who, Davies refuses to pander to others who share his addiction. He fears a lot of science-fiction writers, particularly in America, pay too much attention to what is written on fan websites. 'I think it's a huge mistake. If you came to me and said 'You've made a brand new programme, I'd like to run it past a focus group of 2,000 people,' I'd say, 'No way, no good drama has ever been made that way.' He has even less time for professional television critics, believing they fail to engage with television as popular culture because they watch shows like Doctor Who on a VHS tape on Tuesday morning, rather than at the point of transmission on Saturday night, making for a completely different atmosphere. ... He hopes to do just that with Torchwood, which is set in Cardiff in 2006 with a strong Welsh cast and crew - although there are also some English actors, including Burn Gorman, fresh from playing Mr Guppy in BBC1's Bleak House. "The more you can get that accent on screen, the more normalising it is," he explains. Is it an attempt to get more Welsh voices on to network television by stealth? He lets out another of his trademark huge guffaws. "It is a stealth campaign," he agrees gleefully. "Stealth Welsh."

The Sun says that "A howling man turns into a werewolf and threatens to take over the world in a scary new episode of Dr Who. The Doctor (David Tennant) and assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) encounter the beast on a time-travelling trip to 1879 Scotland. They find the werewolf kept in a cage by monks and soon realise it is out to get Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins). The pair rush to protect her -- but find themselves trapped in a room as the hairy monster scratches at the walls. Dr Who creator Russell T Davies said of the episode — part of a new BBC1 series which begins next week: 'It's very British — that Oliver Reed, Hammer Horror thing.'" The Sun also has some photos from the second episode.

People

David Tennant will be interviewed on Virgin Radio on Wednesday April 12 on the "Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show".

Says the Sunday Mail, "Doctor Who star David Tennant has revealed his scariest TV moment - an on-screen cook-off with his dad. Tennant faces terrifying monsters when the new series of the sci-fi drama starts this week. But he said going on Ready, Steady, Cook with his dad, Sandy McDonald, was scarier. The 34-year-old actor said: "Our episode of Ready, Steady, Cook is going out on Wednesday. You genuinely do it in 20 minutes. I was surprised because whenever I've seen it I think they do it in four hours and then cut it together. It was the most tense 20 minutes I have ever spent in my life. I was with Brian Turner and my dad was with Nick Nairn, so they did the whole Scottish thing. The worst part is when Ainsley starts talking to you. The chef will go, 'Chop them into thin strips,' and I'm desperately trying to get this right while Ainsley wants to chat about Daleks. I wanted to say, 'I can't multi-task like this! I am really tense right now.' And all the time I'm also worrying about whether my dad's going to embarrass me.' ... He said: 'It's really tricky - your brain clicks into one way of thinking and it's hard to switch. There is one scene where I am talking about a telescope and I turn round to Rose and speak in the doctor's voice. Then I turn round again and speak in a Scottish voice. It was confusing and I had to run through that in my bedroom a few times.'"

The Mirror says that Christopher Eccleston will return to the TV in an ITV1 thriller called "Perfect Parents."

The Mirror says that "If Doctor Who sidekick Billie Piper had a real-life time-travelling Tardis, she'd probably spend some more time with her boyfriend. Poor old Amadu Sowe. His gorgeous girlfriend spends nine months of the year in Cardiff filming one of Britain's most popular TV shows with a desirable young actor, and he sees her about as often as the viewing public will do - once a week. But his loss is our gain as the former wild child throws her energy into her much-loved portrayal of sidekick Rose Tyler, back on our screens on Saturday with the new Doctor, David Tennant. 'I see David more than I see my family and my boyfriend,' confesses the 23-year-old beauty. 'Amadu visits me quite a lot - not as much as I'd like - but enough. This year I'm in a hotel with room service every night. We work 12 to 13-hour days, so there's not much chance to do anything after work.' And her weekends are little different. There are no wild parties for her and Amadu when she returns to the London flat they share. 'I just sit on the sofa for two days. I don't really want to talk to anyone at the weekends. I like to sit in my flat and be completely selfish. I watch TV, eat far too much and drink some beers.'" Also reported by The Sun, Channel 4, ITV, ITN, Ananova,Fametastic, Female First.

Various quotes from Billie and David at the press launch last week can be found in the Sunday Mail, the Cleveland Plain Dealer,

The Mirror also notes that "Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has banned ex-Time Lords from appearing on the show. The writer has vowed former Doctors will never come back for the sci-fi drama's anniversary specials as they have done in classic BBC episodes. It means that Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston won't return to the show. Davies, 42, said: 'I don't like past Doctor adventures. I've never liked it when Doctors met other Doctors because I think it's an actors' parade. You're not watching the Doctors, you're watching party pieces - so it won't happen.' ... Christopher Eccleston was unlikely ever to accept any approach after he fell out with the BBC over his departure. All the same, some fans are outraged at the ban. Graeme MacIntosh, 37, from Glasgow, said: 'I grew up watching Tom Baker and Peter Davison. Russell has done a brilliant job in resurrecting the show, but he's also a fan and knows an old Doctor's return is event TV.' A spokesman for official fanclub the Doctor Who Appreciation Society said Da vies was correct, though a lot of die-hard followers would be disappointed. He said: 'I'm sure a lot of fans would like to see multi-Doctor stories. But we agree with Russell. Viewers new to the show can feel excluded by references to 20 years ago. We'd rather see more adventures with the new Doctor, David Tennant.' Writer Davies also defended the return of old companions Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog K9 in the new series. Billie Piper's character Rose gets jealous, thinking Sarah Jane is the Doctor's old flame. 'We brought back Sarah Jane and K9 to tell a Rose story, and it works fantastically well.'"

icWales says that "David Tennant has turned his sex symbol status on its head by admitting he wore saggy Steptoe thermals while filming in Wales! The 34-year-old actor - who should be used to the cold seeing as he hails from Scotland - has revealed he wore two layers through the Cardiff winter, which left him feeling more than a passing resemblance to Albert from Steptoe & Son. Timelord Tennant said: "It's something to do with the way the crotch on the second pair drops wearily towards your knees and the strange silky material rucks across your chest to give the impression of scrawny, tired flesh." He confesses he's even taken to wearing tinted moisturiser to beat the weather: "In Baltic February there is more need for a bit of tinted moisturiser at the start of the day!"

Quick Season Two Bites

icWales says that "the days of wobbly sets and cardboard aliens on Doctor Who are long gone. Instead, kids really will have a reason to hide behind the sofa when they see this snarling werewolf in the new series of the sci-fi drama. But even though it's been a ratings hit, there are whispers of disapproval inside the Beeb, with some suggesting Swansea producer Russell T Davies has been seduced by special effects - and betrayed the spirit of Doctor Who. While Tom Baker took on the low-tech Daleks and aliminium foil Cybermen in the 1970s, the return of the Timelord in the 21st Century has seen state-of-the-art computer generated imagery. The terrifying werewolf, which comes to your living room in Tooth & Claw, the second episode of series two, which starts on Saturday, is just one of the fantastic special effects which have transformed the Doctor into BBC One Wales' prime-time thriller. But all may not be well in the Tardis. Tongues were wagging last week when Russell raised the curtain on the new season at a VIP premiere attended by Doctor David Tennant and his co-star Billie Piper, who plays Rose. Some of the show's crew members questioned whether a hairy, scary creature was a step too far. As guests partied into the small hours at Cardiff's plush Holland House Hotel, some asked whether Russell was too flash, taking the show far away from its original family concept. The criticism came after he defended his decision to raise the show's fear factor, saying: "The werewolf is vile to look at but even Harry Potter has a werewolf in it now. It's the temperature of modern family film. This is the scariest it gets. There is no blood. You don't see a single drop of blood anywhere. It looks scary and feels scary but never terrifying. We don't want to scare kids. That's a bad state of mind to get into. We are careful with it. We would be daft not to because mum and dad would switch off and that's the last thing we want. You have got to be responsible. You have to very mindful of kids watching." BBC Wales declined to comment."

The Norfolk Eastern Daily Press has a story about Elisabeth Sladenwho "was in Norwich yesterday for a fans' convention - answering questions and signing autographs for devotees of the long-running BBC series. The actress gave tantalising hints about an episode of the new series this month - starring David Tennant as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his assistant - in which she appears along with another Dr Who favourite of yesteryear, the robot dog K9. So how does the new Doctor compare to Jon Pertwee and the scarf-clad Tom Baker? 'David brings a whole new generation with him,' Ms Sladen said. 'This Doctor Who is far more for a youth culture that's been brought up with today's television. Even down to the training shoes the Doctor wears. David is the cool Doctor.' The new episode, due to be screened on April 29 and called School Reunion, brings together Ms Sladen and Billie Piper - so how do the Doctor's assistants get on? 'I think you're going to have to wait to see that,' she said. Ms Sladen was also coy about whether her return to the series is a one-off or whether Sarah Jane Smith will be joining the Doctor on further adventures. ... Ms Sladen was joined at the convention by Terry Molloy, who played the creator of the Daleks, Davros, in the 1980s when the Doctor was played by Peter Davidson, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. But Mr Molloy is also familiar as the voice of milkman Mike Tucker in The Archers. 'Dr Who has become part of the British psyche - the Doctor is like an intergalactic Biggles who solves things with a bit of sticky tape,' Mr Molloy said. 'The adventures aren't solved by hi-technology, it's by derring-do and good old grit and determination. It's just tapped into the consciousness of the nation. It's great that there's a new series bringing along a new generation who will grow up watching the show from behind the sofa during the scary moments just like their parents did.' So is Mr Molloy going to return to the nation's TV screens as Davros in future episodes of the series? 'You might think that, I couldn't possibly comment,' he said with a smile."

Sci-Fi Wire (the news service of the Sci-Fi Channel) says that the second season "builds on the strengths of season one (currently airing on SCI FI Channel Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT) . 'A lot of it was 'more of the same,'' Davies -- who plotted out the entire season as well as writing half of the episodes himself -- said in an interview. "The temptation of the format is to keep being too different, but it's easy to forget that for a lot of people, it's a brand-new series. Even for the oldest, most dedicated fan, it's a new series. So we've got some new elements and some new elements that I want to become regular elements, including what I call the 'celebrity historical.' Doctor Who always did historical stuff, so last year, we met Charles Dickens [in the episode 'The Unquiet Dead'], and this year, we meet Queen Victoria [in episode two, 'Tooth and Claw']. Next year, there will be another one of those stories, because I really love that Dickens episode, and I absolutely adore the Queen Victoria one this year. So that's a little format within a format.' ... Davies added: 'There's also the big end-of-season climax, which seems built into every show these days, and even though it's a much less British thing to do that, we've kept it very much the same.'"

Broadcast magazine says that "Visual effects outfit Mill TV has once again provided the special effects for the forthcoming series of Doctor Who, which kicks off on Easter Saturday (15 April). The company used Maya, Shake 4 and Flame to create the effects for characters such as the Werewolf and the Krillitanes - bat-like creatures who masquerade as teachers in a school. As well as being commissioned to do the effects for the third series of Doctor Who, Mill TV is also working on the upcoming spin-off series, Torchwood, starring Captain Jack (John Barrowman) from series one. The 13 x 50-minute series will air after the watershed due to its darker content and sexier storylines, and starts in the autumn on BBC3. "

The Daily Star says that "Doctor Who is set to become a cosmic Casanova. New Time Lord David Tennant, 34, has already played the 18th century lover in a BBC drama last year. And he said: 'Of course, there's much less s**gging in Doctor Who. But we may change that. Stay tuned. We'll have some interplanetary s**gging.'"

Miscellaneous

Hemel Today says that "Just a week before the new Dr Who series starts, another clue has come in as to why two of the original Daleks visited Hemel Hempstead in 1964. The mystery started last month after a researcher into the Daleks found a picture in Hemeltoday's local history section of a Dalek at a children's Christmas party in the town in 1964. He identified it as one of the 'original' Daleks from the 1960s Dr Who series and is trying to find out what happened to the original six. This weekend an email brought more information on Hemel's link with Dr Who. Another 1960s picture showed the actor William Russell who appeared in the series pictured with Hemel schoolchildren and the Dalek they had made. Our emailer identified the schoolchildren, their school and says Mr Russell's daughter went to the school. "

icWales has more from the initial press launch, including questions put to David Tennant and Billie Piper; SyFyPortalcovers the broadcast of the TARDISodes on mobile phones; brief mentions of season two about to start at About.com.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Assad Khaishgi, John Bowman)

"This week's Radio Times has a unique 16-page supplement all about the new series," says a press release issued by Radio Times and the BBC. "As well as a stunning gatefold (see attached pic) cover featuring K-9, the Cybermen and of course the Doctor and Rose, we've also managed to secure an episode by episode guide from series writer, Russel T Davies. There are also interviews with David Tennant and Billie Piper, plus some incredible behind-the-scenes photos and an amazing group cast and crew shot. As if this wasn't enough, RadioTimes.com will be hosting video footage of the cast and crew group shot and how it was achieved online from tomorrow." The cover illustration is at right; click on the thumbnail for a higher-quality copy of the full wraparound cover.

Finally eliminating the confusion surrounding the timeslot for the first broadcast of the series two premiere, New Earth, on BBC One, the homepage of the BBC Doctor Who site states: "Doctor Who 7.15pm, Saturday 15 April, BBC One. Doctor Who Night 7pm, Sunday 9 April, BBC Three." The Radio Times website has also now been updated to reflect this with complete schedule information for the Easter weekend debut.

The first edition of the second series of the documentary Doctor Who Confidential will be transmitted at 8pm, as soon as 'New Earth' finishes on BBC One. A BBC Three repeat of Episode 1 is now listed for 7.05pm on Sunday 16 April, and this is again followed by Doctor Who Confidential from 7.50 to 8.20pm.

There will now be three opportunities to see the first installment of theTotally Doctor Who series following its BBC One debut on Thursday 13 April: it is repeated on the digital CBBC channel at 6.30pm on both Friday 14 and Saturday 15 April, and again on Monday 17 April at lunchtime. The Digiguide listings service indicates that the Friday repeat may be a one-off, with Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays being the regular slots for the children's show.

Note: The broadcast schedule on the news page will be updated later today.