Lots of reports coming in from the various press outlets building on rumors that the Daleks, now confirmed as being in the series in the first season, will be given legs in the new series. "Show bosses are looking at the exterminators being able to climb stairs, fly and hover," says The Sun (obviously not being aware that the Daleks hovering was established in the original series, in "Remembrance of the Daleks"). "Their legs may be like those of Star Wars robot R2D2. Or the BBC could use our ideas -and have the Doctor's enemy with Penny Lancaster pins or Hobbit-like tootsies from The Lord of the Rings." Tim Hancock of the estate of Terry Nation is quoted as saying, "We all accept that the Daleks were designed in the early Sixties and need to be updated. They have got to be able to move, be mobile, but they have also got to retain the initial look of the original Daleks about them." The Daily Telegraph notes about the various Dalek stories, "Whoever's in charge of the PR for the new Dr Who series has been doing a knockout job" and notes about the various press leaks involving the negotiations around bringing the nasty metal monsters back. Various other news journals including the Register (with a second article here), Ananova and local media. (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Mark Healey, Paul Engelberg)

The new issue of Heat Magazine features what is certainly a major spoiler about the new season... if it's true (and we certainly don't vouch for the validity of anything reported in the article at all; we merely bring it to your attention!) Click on the spoiler tag to read the brief article clip, and don't say we didn't warn you. (Thanks to Ian Wheeler)

Bonnie Langford (Mel) will be taking her "Jazz at the Theatre" concert to the Arundel Festival this year in Sussex, on Sunday August 22 at 7:30pm. The evening under the stars will feature Langford's signature song-styling and a few special guests... if you haven't seen Bonnie perform live, you're in for a treat! Tickets are apparently going fast. For more details visit the Arundel Festival website, or visit Bonnie's website here.

According to a report on BBCi, The Now Show on Thursday evening featured a special Dalek song written by comedian/musician Mitch Benn (who, coincidentally, is a regular participant in the Outpost Gallifrey Forum!) The Now Show is broadcast on Radio 4 on Friday at 18:30 with a repeat on Saturday at 12:30. After its repeat it will then be available for one week via the Radio 4 website; people can listen in live, or again after the fact, via the Radio 4website. (Thanks to BBCi, Martin Montague)

UK fans take note: Lalla Ward and Adrienne Corri can be seen in the cult film "Vampire Circus" on BBC1 just after midnight Friday night/Saturday morning, August 13/14.

Today's Daily Telegraph has an article asking "Is Mastermind dumbing down? Pass", which includes brief interview with Gavin Fuller, who won in 1993 with Doctor Who as his specialist subject. He defends the inclusion of 'populist' subjects like Who on the ground that it's actually a very broad area - 158 shows to Jane Austen's six novels. You can read the article here. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

New series (and longtime Doctor Who fiction) writer Mark Gatiss has penned "The Vesuvius Club," a novel due out in November in hardcover from Simon & Schuster. Says the promo: "The League of Gentlemen writer/actor with an oddball comedy about Lucifer Box, Edwardian portrait painter, dandy, serial seducer and secret agent, who frequents London's seedy underworld. The cover - emulating Strand magazine - is terrific, and this is to be the first of many Lucifer Box adventures." Apparently, the promotion for the book will include hand-outs of sample chapters on London railway stations!

BBC7 Radio will be rebroadcasting the Colin Baker/Nicola Bryant Doctor Who adventure Slipback in three 20-minute installments on Saturdays at 18.40 and 00.40 from August 21; you can listen online here.

An article in today's Media Guardian today is laden with PR conspiracies about the return of the Daleks. The article by Mark Borowski asks, "was this 'crisis' just a piece of well-placed PR?" Says the article, "Yes, 'our' soaraway Sun has been railing against the BBC's inability to come to an agreement with Terry Nation's estate... And now? Quelle surprise! The publicity has made the forthcoming show as famous as the original, and LOOK OUT! THE DALEKS ARE COMING BACK AFTER ALL!" You can read the article (registration is required)... and see if you agree or disagree. (For the record, everyone involved says it was not planned and was a legitimate disagreement.) (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

At right is the cover illustration for Short Trips: Repercussions, the latest Doctor Who short story anthology from Big Finish. Originally due in late July, it was pushed back to early August and will be out next week. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to Gary Russell)