Yesterday's "GMTV" saw television critic Richard Arnold recommend "The Runaway Bride" as the one not to miss: "The money shot on Christmas Day belongs to Doctor Who - I know as much as it is the battle of the soaps this time of year, but I think this could be one of the highest rated shows of the season."

Also, the Christmas Special also made an appearance on BBC's "Breakfast", used as an illustration to the item on the increase of the BBC's licence fee, and how it's lower than expected rise could cause the BBC to reconsider it's current output in light of plans to invest in new services and technology.

Last night's "Screen Wipe" on BBC4 saw Charlie Brooker briefly mention Doctor Who as one of the popular programmes to be used on the Christmas evening, and featured a clip from "The Christmas Invasion" and also one of the notorious outtakes of Tom Baker swearing at K9. (thanks to pixel42 on the forum)

Finally, this morning's "Breakfast" featured an article, not on the Bride but instead on the "Doctor Who Confidential" that will be broadcast at 1:00pm on Christmas Day. Cyberman operator Paul Kasey and Dalek vocalist Nick Briggs were on the programme, and answered questions that had been sent in by children. The item also included clips from the Children in Need concert and a montage of monsters from the series.

Today sees the CD release of Blood of the Daleks, Part 1, the first in a new series of adventures for the Eighth Doctor, produced by Big Finish. The series, to be broadcast starting on New Years Eve at 6pm and midnight on BBC7, features Paul McGann as the Doctor alongside Sheridan Smith as Lucie Miller, and is written by Steve Lyons. Included in the release is a poster and an audio featurette. Full cast and plot information is available at the Big Finish website

Meanwhile, the CD cover for Blood of the Daleks, Part Two has been released; click on the thumbnail below for a larger version.

Two days to the UK premiere of The Runaway Bride on BBC1. To excite fans and promote the debut of the Christmas special, here's another small collection of photos for our readers, below; click on each for a larger version. (As before, all photographs are copyrighted to the BBC and used here solely for promotion of this event!)

"One thing that people have been saying is that it's like a Comic Relief sketch, but it's not," says producer Russell T Davies of the casting in The Runaway Bride. "It's a proper hour-long drama and Catherine Tate has a proper part. She's amazing in it, her and David Tennant together are a joy."

Interviewed by Jonathan Wright for the Media Guardian, the interview does include spoilers, but also features the following questions on novelty casting and other series that Davies might like to revive...

Outpost Gallifrey has learned that the new trailer for The Sarah Jane Adventures will air on BBC1 on the following days and times:

• Monday 25 December - 8.00pm
  
• Tuesday 26 December - 11.53am
  
• Thursday 28 December - 5.05pm
  
• Friday 29 December - 11.42am

Ain't it Cool News is featuring an interview with Graeme Harper, director of several classic Who episodes including The Caves of Androzani and Revelation of the Daleks. He has also had his hand in the new series directing Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel. Read the interview here.

Meanwhile, the two-hour season finale of series 2 airs tonight with Harper's Army of Ghosts andDoomsday on the Sci Fi Channel in the US. "Army of Ghosts" airs in the normal 8:00pm timeslot, while "Doomsday" airs at 9:00pm (previously Battlestar Galactica's timeslot). The Sci Fi Channel is also airing a marathon of Series Two episodes all day today.

David Tennant's appearance as guest presenter on Channel 4 entertainment show The Friday Night Project, reported at the beginning of this month on Outpost Gallifrey, is scheduled to be broadcast on January 5 at 11.05pm.

As the celebrity guest in the first edition of the fourth series, alongside comedians Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr, he will be providing an opening monologue, as well as performing comedy sketches and participating in games.

It is not known if there will be a question-and-answer session with the audience, as there was last January when Billie Piper was a guest host.

It's just three days to the UK premiere of The Runaway Bride on BBC1, and in anticipation of this year's Christmas special, we have a small collection of photos for you, below; click on each for a larger version. (All photographs are copyrighted to the BBC and used here solely for promotion of this event!)