The official Doctor Who website has revealed the cover for the first volume of episodes from Series 2, which comprises 'The Christmas Invasion' and 'New Earth' and is scheduled for release on Monday 1 May. Says the site, "2Entertain have revealed their design for the first vanilla DVD release of the Tenth Doctor era. The disc will contain both the festive special The Christmas Invasion and New Earth, the first episode of the 2006 series. The DVD is expected to be released on 1 May 2006 although, as always, dates are subject to change. Four further DVDs will be released, each containing three episodes apiece, before a complete, extras-enhanced set becomes available at the end of the year."

Warner Home Video has, at long last, officially announced the release ofDoctor Who: The Complete First Seriesfor American audiences. The DVD set was originally due out on February 14 but, due to the acquisition of the program by the Sci-Fi Channel, it was delayed in the US until July, though still receiving wide release in Canada; now, WHV, has announced the release confirmed for July 4, 2006 (although it's very likely that the DVD would not be on shelves until July 5, considering that July 4 is a US holiday) as catalog #E2501. The US release will be identical to the Canadian set with no difference whatsoever.

Costume designer June Hudson, whose extensive repetoire of costume designs include many of Tom Baker's most famous accoutrements in later seasons of his tenure on "Doctor Who" as well as work on such series as "Eastenders," "The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin," "Survivors" and "Blake's 7," will be instructing a class on designing for SF film and television at the University of Redlands in southern California, which will include an exhibition of her work on Doctor Who from March 29 through May 2. Says the release from the university, "The culminating project of her class will be to design costumes for Shada, and both her own drawings and student work for this project will be featured on one of the university's web pages." Meanwhile, on May 20, the Armacost Library at the University of Redlands will be hosting a one-day exhibition, including a panel on science fiction design that will involve Hudson as well as designer Chrisi Karvonides (Carnivale, Birds of Prey), on May 20. The university will also be publishing a catalogue of the drawings in the show, with extensive new interview material with Hudson and many previously unpublished images. For further details on these events and the catalogue, contact Piers Britton at the University of Redlands viaemail. Outpost Gallifrey will also feature further information and visuals at a later date. (Thanks to Piers Britton and Mariko Chang)

Has another title for series two been leaked out through the press? It looks that way; Newsquest Media Group's news feed, published widely in several UK newspapers, revealed in an article about the casting of comedian Peter Kay as the 'cold and powerful' Victor Kennedy in episode ten of the second season that "Filming will take place next month and the episode, entitledLove and Monsters, will be the final one to be filmed in Cardiff. It will probably be shown in June." This does jibe with what Outpost Gallifrey had heard rumored over the past several months (that the episode bore the word 'love' in the title), so we believe this to be the actual working title -- of course, it could change prior to transmission. (Other titles for episodes 8 and 11 -- first rumored in the Outpost's forum a few weeks ago and reprinted on various websites -- are incorrect; those titles have not yet leaked.)

Meanwhile, Outpost Gallifrey has been informed that a press launch for series two is, in fact, scheduled for March 28 in Cardiff. This will likely be another major extravaganza like last year's March debut of "Rose" in Cardiff attended widely by members of the press and used as spot feeds on various morning and news programmes. There were rumors elsewhere that there would be trailers shown this past weekend, which were contrary to what the Outpost has been told about the BBC's press plans this year. A mid-April target date (possibly April 15) for series two's debut, as we first reported was being widely rumored in the press in late 2005, is still very likely.

Also... buried in the press release announcing Peter Kay was a new name, heretofore unmentioned by other casting reports: Danny Webb, whose film credits include "Henry V" and "Alien 3" and on TV in "Brookside" and "Our Friends in the North". There is currently no word on which story he'll be in, although it's possible it's the two-parter concluded in "The Satan Pit".

A BBC press release today announces that comedian Peter Kay will appear in the tenth episode of Series Two, playing "the cold and powerful Victor Kennedy". Russell T Davies notes that "this is not a comedy turn" and points to Kay's experience as "a versatile actor" in Paul Abbott's Butterfly Collectors and The Secret Life of Michael Fry. Kay's casting was prompted by a letter he wrote to Davies in praise of Series One.

The story is reported by BBC News, which also lists Kay's appearances in Phoenix Nights and Coronation Street, and by the official Doctor Whowebsite, as well as The Sun, U.TV, The Telegraph, Evening Echo,Manchester Online, Brand Republic, ITV,Addic3d,EntertainmentWise, Channel 4, ITN, N-E-Life, Paramount Comedy, Evening Times, Ireland Online,Chortle, Daily Snack. (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Shaun Lyon Hearn, Tim Colman, George Watson, Chuck Foster, Peter Weaver)

A second, 30-second trailer for the first season of the new Doctor Who series is now airing on the Sci-Fi Channel in advance of the show's debut on March 17. Noting that the Doctor is "over 900 years old" and is "a legendary adventurer through space and time," the trailer notes that the Doctor's "limitless power fuels an endless quest for ... the perfect vacation." "The British smash hit comes to Sci-Fi," says the advert, noting the premiere date. The trailer also uses a different logo altogether, reminiscent of the previous logo used throughout the late 1990's and early 2000's; a thumbnail is at right.

The previously reported "Doctor Who Friday," the children's BBC series accompanying the next series of Doctor Who, is now going under the nameTotally Doctor Who, Outpost Gallifrey has learned. The producer is Simon Hall (a CBBC staffing producer/director who recently did Beckham's Hotshots) and the show is produced by the Children's Department.

The nominations for this year's Broadcasting Press Guild Programme Awards 2006 were published this morning, and Doctor Who is nominated five times in four categories. The shortlist for Best drama series contains just two shows, Doctor Who and Bleak House, while Russell T Davies is shortlisted for the Writer's award for Doctor Who and Casanova, against the writing team for The Thick of It Andrew Davies for Bleak House. Billie Piper is one of five nominees for the Best actress award, alongside Anna Maxwell Martin, who guest-starred in 'The Long Game' and is listed for her lead role in Bleak House. The shortlist for Best actor includes both of 2005's Doctors, with Christopher Eccleston nominated for Doctor Who and David Tennant for Doctor Who, Casanova and Secret Smile. The Awards will be presented on Friday 31 March; more details will be available at the Guild's website. This morning's (Thursday 2 March) Media Guardian carries registration-only reports on the nominations in "Timelords tussle for TV award" (story) and "Broadcasting Press Guild Programme Awards 2006" (story), and the announcement has also been picked up by the UK comedy guide, Chortle (link). (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Cliff Chapman)