David Tennant and Billie Piper spoke to BBC One's Newsround at 5.25pm on Monday (1 August), at slightly greater length than the interviews that appeared on the main BBC News programmes. It's about five minutes into the eight-minute programme, which is available on the CBBC website to view in Real Player for twenty-four hours until about 5.25pm BST Tuesday. The following is a brief transcript (with thanks to Steve Tribe).

David Tennant spoke at a BBC America fall press preview event in Los Angeles over the weekend, according to the Scifi.com website. "It's very exciting and fantastically daunting that you come to L.A. and everyone here knows about it as well, because there's a lot of attention," Tennant said. "It's very scary right now, because I haven't started." The article notes that Tennant "grew up watching it... as everyone in Britain did," and his girlfriend, Sarah Parish, noted, "He knew about it? He was obsessed!" Tennant smirked and added: "I was a bit of a fan. So, yeah, I was very, very aware of it." The article discusses Tennant's reported pay cut due to budget slashing, and also mentions his role in "Casanova," likely the reason why he was appearing at the event (as BBC America has not announced any broadcast plans.)

Doctor Who û What's he doing with Anne Robinson and Trinny and Susannah? asks the cover of the new Radio Times, published today (Tuesday). As always, this weekend's episode features in "RT recommendsà the week's best television" (page 4): "There's plenty of fun poked at TV, including Jack getting a What Not to Wear makeover from a robotic version of Trinny and Susannah." The weekly "Doctor Who Watch" is a double-page spread entitled "Reality can be a killer" (pages 16û17), with five photos from Bad Wolf, the next new series episode, that concentrate on Captain Jack and the various TV show parodies in the episode. The article itself comprises another interview with Russell T Davies, looking at his vision of reality television in 200,000 years from now and how the show has secured the rights to use authentic sets and logos from Big Brother, The Weakest Link and other programmes, as well as the guest contributions of the likes of Anne Robinson: "The new Doctor Who series has a pretty good record in guest names [à] Not one C-lister among them." Davies comments that "There is something about Doctor Who that opens doors," referring both to guest stars and to the availability of various locations, some of which have previously refused other television programmes. He is also asked whether he has included any Simpsons-style lines about Anne Robinson: "No, there's nothing quite like that. Although the fact that she is killing off the contestants is a bit of a comment." This week's films on television are detailed from page 47, this week including Shaun of the Dead on Sky One (starring new series stars Simon Pegg and Penelope Wilton alongside the Daily Mail's Ninth Doctor, Bill Nighy) and Carry On Sergeant with William Hartnell on Channel 4. "Bad Wolf" is Pick of the Day in "Saturday's Choices" (page 64), a photograph of the Doctor with the Game Station Controller accompanying a write-up that again focuses on Anne Robinson and comments that "there's a corker of a cliffhanger as the most deadly enemy of all marshals its forces." There's another Eccleston photo at the head of Saturday night's listings (page 66), the episode listing reading, "The entire human race has been blinded to a threat on its doorstep. With Armageddon fast approaching, the Doctor must act immediately. The star-studded episode û and series û concludes next Saturday." The listing also promotes the first two DVD volumes and the three new novels, as well as an appearance by Christopher Eccleston's on BBC2's Top Gear at 8pm on Sunday evening. The listing for Doctor Who Confidential says "As the series prepares for its climax next week, has the Doctor got what it takes to prevail in his showdown with the ultimate foe? As well as Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, there are contributions from Russell T Davies and Noel Clarke, who plays Mickey." The Radio section (page 121) includes comment from David Tennant on his role in Dixon of Dock Green next Wednesday morning on Radio 4. Also of note in the television listings: BBC3's Saturday midnight repeat of "Bad Wolf" will this week be at 10.55pm, with a second showing for Confidential immediately afterwards; while the Sunday showings are as usual at 7pm and 7.45pm, there is also a third repeat for the episode on BBC3 on Friday 17 June at 9pm, with another outing for Sunday's Confidential Cut Down edition following at 9.45pm, in preparation for Episode 13 on Saturday 18 Juneà

The official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated with a theme previewing "Bad Wolf". There may be a few spoilers present, as usual. (Also, note that the 'bison' password no longer works to access the whoisdoctorwho website there.)

Heat magazine says of "Bad Wolf," "Conclusive evidence that Doctor Who fan, chief writer and exec producer Russell T Davies is quite rightly behaving like a sweet-toothed kid in the world's best candy shop, comes with this two-part story that ends the first series. ... If you have hairs on the back of your neck, prepare for them to stand erect." The article (which has spoilers, removed from this report) gives the episode 5 out of 5 stars. Also, the Daily Telegraphsays of the episode, "Bad wolf is, ultimately, proof that the writers of Dr Who have really thought about what they are doing; have worked to give a real, satisfying and complex shape to Saturday-night schlock. They're ambitious. As Clive James once remarked: good schlock is always better than bad art. The new Dr Who - ahead of any possible expectations - is a triumph. Funny, scary, moving, silly and above all really, really well crafted, it is as good a piece of popular entertainment as television has lately produced. It serves - and for this we must surely thank it - as a standing rebuke to the notion that the unplanned formats of reality TV and docudrama are the way forward." And says today's Media Guardian, "Close watchers of Doctor Who will have noticed the numerous unexplained references to "Bad Wolf" - sprayed on the side of the Tardis, that kind of thing. The web is abuzz with what it all means. One theory - spoiler alert! - is that the Doctor has been the unwitting star of a Big Brother-style reality show. Is nothing sacred? No word yet, though, on whether the climactic episode features the scariest Doctor Who monster yet - the Bazalgette." Also, about last week's episode, says the Herald, "BBC Wales is having some fun with Doctor Who. ... All of a sudden, it's alive, and telepathic to boot. Stare into its heart and you cease instantly to be a satirical symbol of New Labour. It could only happen in science-fiction."

David Tennant has picked up the Best Actor Award at the Critics Awards for Theatre in a Scotland ceremony. Tennant was honoured for his outstanding performance as Jimmy Porter in the revival by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, Edinburgh, of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger. Accepting the honour from Vicky Featherstone, the new National Theatre of Scotland artistic director, the actor said his remarkable rise in film and television did not mean he would be abandoning the stage. He said: "I'm supremely chuffed to win this award. It's a part I've wanted to play for such a long time. Theatre work is part of what I do and I don't see it as something you leave behind." The story has been covered atTimes Online, Scotsman, Daily Record, Dundee Courier, The Herald, icNews.

Christopher Eccleston will appear on this Sunday's "Top Gear," June 12 at 8.00pm on BBC2, in their "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" feature, where celebrities do one circuit of a track in as fast a time as possible in a Suzuki Liana.

SFX Magazine has an online treat: the first visualization of the TARDIS interior (requires QuickTime to view)! "Travel with us, readers, back through the mists of time, to the Spring of 2004, long before filming started on the new series of Doctor Who. Acclaimed comics artist and chum of SFX Bryan Hitch was desperate to work on the series. When he told us as much, we put him touch with Russell T Davies - who turned out to be a huge fan of Bryan's work. A few weeks later, contracts were signed, and Bryan was the concept artist for the series. Hurray! But before Bryan even had any meetings with the BBC, he'd already started sketching out his ideas for the TARDIS interior. Bryan recalls his thinking as follows: 'The simple up front determination was that it needed to be big. Huge. From the earliest sketch I did, before I was even offered a job of the series, I was going for the big dome shape. The central section changed as we went and adapted to comments and requirements and we were constantly reworking it in the finish. My friend Niel Bushnell, who has a vibrant young graphic and CG company up North, kindly rendered an animated 3D turnaround of that initial thought, which I took along to my first meeting. It helped show the space as it could be used, and even though it underwent massive changes as we went through months of work, that basic idea remained intact.'" You can visit the website and see the visualization for yourself.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of SFX contains a ten-page feature on the new Doctor Who series, which includes an interview with Executive Producer Russell T. Davies, who is already making plans for Series 2, and is determined to hold onto the Saturday night audience that have made the series a weekend ratings hit for the BBC: "I can't yet see us doing a hard sci-fi episode. The essence of [an early Saturday slot] is to keep it simple. Which doesn't mean dumb. Look at [æDalek'] û it's completely pure and simple, and because of that, massively strong, and then underneath that simplicity is a whole storm of complex emotions and ideas. But the important thing on Saturdays is to shout the headline. Dalek! Dickens! Blitz! Big Brother! A headline shouting 'Interesting Exploration of Temporal Physics!' isn't gonna work the same way. We need to hold on to that new audience and not take them for granted. Let's face it, if [Terrestrial TV broadcaster ITV] introduce a Saturday [episode of the popular soap, Coronation Street], and that's not such a mad idea, then were in trouble. So we've got to keep it strong and clean, emphasise the drama above the sci-fi. Feel free to disagree, of course. Feel free to disagree and yet get these viewing figures, ha ha! Expect the 'same old mix' of stories for Series 2, 'some darker, some lighter. Some traditional û although if anything, the traditional stories are BBC Drama's least favourite, but I love them, so I'm gonna keep them in there. We're keeping the same mix of singles and two-parters, that seems to work.' To be blunt, this show is a success, and it's our job to maintain that success, not wander away from it. Fans might study each episode 20 times, and therefore demand something different, but ordinary viewers are still getting used to this concept û not just the show, but its slot, its feel, its place in their viewing habits û and there is a genuine strength in consolidating that...[there's one story in Series 2] that could be pure horror....and there's one episode which could be very, very funny. And a brand new Doctor will automatically make it a brand new show." Speaking of the new Doctor, "[David Tennant] can do anything! And he will! This is the wonderful legacy of Chris Ecclestion, he's made the part available for and desirable to our finest actors....the clothes [for the new Doc] will be different, because it'll be David's preferences." Thanks to The Great Link website for posting the quotes; you can pick up the issue on the stands now.

BBC1's Points of View this past weekend featured a short piece about the new series, including a couple of letters praising the show, especially Chris Eccleston's portrayal, and a couple of letters complaining about the level of scariness (in particular, "The Empty Child"), and also complaining about the imminent departure of both the leads. This was followed by a short interview with Julie Gardner, featuring clips from "Dalek," "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances". Gardner defended the show against the usual complaints of too much violence, stressing that they were always careful not to show gratuitous violence or too much blood, especially bearing in mind the 9.00pm watershed. She also said that the Moffat two-parter would be about as far as they would be prepared to go in terms of scariness. Gardner was coy on the subject of Billie Piper's departure, saying only that she was coming back for season two, and stressing that there were exciting storylines still left to tie up season one (including a few spoilers we won't reprint for the final episode.) Points of View host Terry Wogan ended the piece by mentioning the Christmas special.

The JoongAng Daily of South Korea writes "Sci-fi reigns at the Queen's birthday ball," noting that the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's birthday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul last Saturday featured a TARDIS, which served as an entrance to the ballroom, a six-foot-tall "Dalek" and black-and-white footage of the series... all to celebrate the start of the new series in that country. Sue Hollands, the president of the British Association of Seoul, said in her opening address that Doctor Who was not only "quintessentially British" but also "familiar to expatriates." Dai Billington, the first secretary and head of the commercial section of the British Embassy, the evening's master of ceremonies, appeared on stage the Doctor himself, complete with wig and costume, saying he remembered as a four-year-old child being scared by the Daleks. Read the full story for further details.

Several news sources are now (finally) reporting on the return to the series next year of another famous group of Doctor Who monsters... the Cybermen. The Sun quotes Doctor Who Magazine, which in turn quotes producer Phil Collinson: "The Cybermen exist in that category of classics, as monsters just about everyone of a certain age knows. They were a work of genius back in the 1960s. It will be a loving recreation [sic] of an old foe." Among the online locations mentioning it are Female First, Contact Music. (Note: we can't keep this a spoiler/surprise any longer, considering DWM printed it as a major news story and it's now making the rounds in all the media, as well as other websites)

In Germany, the TV and Film Festival Cologne will include screenings of two episodes of the new series, likely "Rose" and "The End of the World". The festival will be held from June 30 to July 6; more information is available at theirwebsite.

The Sun yesterday stated in the parliamentary gossip column The Whip that its Westminster mole was near Lambeth Bridge in London "and bumped into about half a dozen of those classic, evil Doctor Who villains the Daleks. The police blocked off the road so the little fellows could be filmed in peace". No word on what the filming was for.

Other items: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (Radio 4, 6th June) featured a brief "Doctor Who" sketch involving the Daleks and computers, revolving around the proverb "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away"; BBC News, CBBC,Police.uk all cover the theft of a Dalek stolen from storage near Wookey Hole, which had been stored in preparation for a forthcoming convention; and the Western Mail talks about the appearance of the newspaper in "Boom Town" last weekend.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster, Jamie Austin, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Andrew Norris, Cameron Yarde Jnr, Andrew Frueh, Harald Gehlen, David Traynier, Paul Blewett, Kendal Mills, Stephen Dray, Steve Manfred, Matthew Kilburn, Chris Howell/The Great Link and Ian Berriman/SFX)

News items from Saturday through Monday. (Note: we're still awaiting ratings news for Saturday night's "Confidential" and yesterday's BBC3 repeats...)

David Tennant was at last night's BAFTA awards ceremony, though he was not nominated. He did, however, speak briefly about his role, noting that "The expectations are fierce." Asked how long he had signed up for, he said: "Let's get through one at a time. I'd love to do 100 years but they might sack me". He also noted that Tom Baker wore a long scarf but they havenÆt worn one since so I donÆt know if I will wear one." Asked if he was going to play the part in a Scottish accent he said: "All of that is up for grabs at the moment but Dr Who is the best show ever and I canÆt wait." Tennant also noted that he was delighted that Billie Piper would continue in the role as his assistant Rose: "SheÆs not going to get away from me, I think sheÆs a very good actress." You can view news stories at the following sites: BBC News,Hello Magazine, Vogue, Evening Times, Scotsman.

Lots of coverage of the David Tennant casting news the past two days. Here's an updated list of everywhere we know of with links, although no new information in any of them: Times Online (updated link), FilmForce, ABC Australia, Dark Horizons, CNN, NineMSN, Contact Music,InTheNews, TV New Zealand, The Herald,Sydney Morning Herald,Evening Standard, RTE, , , CBC News, TV Squad, Stuff.co.nz, NZ Herald, BBC Radio 1, Zap2IT, The Stage, Regional Film and Video Ireland, Ananova (with second story here),icNetwork, MegaStar,MyTelus, Yabedo.

The official site's parody site Who Is Doctor Who? (glimpsed in the first episode, "Rose"), now has at least two companions. The BBC has opened theunit.org.uk UNIT website and has registered the site badwolf.co.uk. Keen-eyed viewers may start recognizing clues as to what that last site will entail...

The BBC has begun to trail Saturday's episode in tandem with "Strictly Dance Fever". Starting with "Strictly Dance Fever" the voice-over runs: "An entire nation desperately trying to stay in time...and a Time Lord who's biggest problem is just staying alive! Saturday from six on BBC1." The "Doctor Who" segment contains a mix of the specially shot trailer (Eccleston walking to the TARDIS console and Rose and the Doctor standing facing the camera) along with clips from the upcoming episode: the Doctor's "Oi! You want aliens? You've got 'em!", a Slitheen smashing through a door and chasing Rose and Harriet Jones through another door, two Slitheen and the Doctor running through a corridor, and Rose/Harriet Jones hiding behind furniture as a Slitheen crows "Where are you?". The whole trailer runs to 20 seconds and was transmitted this evening at 10pm straight after "Casanova" (Strange that...!).

Christopher Eccleston is to star as "an albino killer monk" alongside Tom Hanks in the movie version of "The Da Vinci Code," according to news reports. "Insiders say he will play brainwashed monk Silas whose life is controlled by the Opus Dei religious sect in the best-selling novel about the Holy Grail," says theMirror. "A movie insider said: 'As soon as film producers spotted Chris on Doctor Who they knew they had to go for him - he has everything they want. He is a very serious and respected actor who always gives a great performance. He would be brilliant as Silas. Some big names have already signed up for the film. Chris has now been sent a script and is mulling it over - but he has been told he may have to wear a long white wig.' Oscar winner Hanks plays the book's hero, American academic Robert Langdon, while French beauty Audrey Tatou will be codebreaker Sophie Neveu. British film veterans Sir Anthony Hopkins and Michael Caine are tipped for the role of eccentric Holy Grail hunter Sir Leigh Teabing and craggy French star Jean Reno has been cast as police chief Bezu Fache. The movie will be directed by American Ron Howard and is due to be released in May next year. Shooting is about to begin in Paris and will also include locations in London and Scotland." Sites covering this includeMovieHole, Dark Horizons, Digital Spy,FilmForce, The Hollywood News.

One of the telephone numbers from the episode "Aliens of London" turns out to have been real. Says the Behind the Sofa Again site, "As well as the episode being set in a year's time, there are a couple of other things I noticed (and I don't think anyone else has mentioned) on watching it again: The housing project in which Rose lives is called The Powell Estate. Could this be a reference to the controller of the BBC who actually cancelled the show in the late eighties? Although neither of the telephone numbers for the Alien Helpline on the Rose posters work, there is another one on the doors of the army vehicle which are block The Doctor's sight of the craft and what's happening. If you call it, there is an answering machine which thanks people for calling what sounds like the Freephone Army Driving line (whatever that might be)." Of course, we'd rather you don't call it...

New Zealand Broadcaster Paul Holmes talked to UK correspondent Malcolm Stuart on Holmes' weekday morning Breakfast show on 15/04/05 on NZ Radio Station Newstalk ZB. Amongst the topics discussed was of the reaction from the New Series amongst many parents who believe that it is too scary for their children to watch. An audio link can be foundhere; scroll down the page and look for the heading marked 'Dr Who spooks kids'.

From our correspondent Prakash Bakrania regarding our report about televised announcements (or, a lack thereof) of the Tennant casting: "I just read the following about News 24 not covering the Tennant announcement much. Admittedly there wasn't much because of Rover but I did leave the DVD Recorder running from 3am to 9am and it did record about five news instances of Tennant's arrival as the Tenth Doctor."

Additional discussion of the ratings report from yesterday at Sky News, theMirror, the Guardian and the Daily Record.

The Guardian reviewed the latest episode: "Doctor Who (Saturday, BBC1) has picked up a lot of publicity in the last week for terrifying the nation's tots - just in time to promote the best episode yet. It was called Aliens in London, and it actually lived up to that marvellous title. A spaceship crashed into Big Ben, and this was such an audacious opening, fraught with echoes of 9/11, that we watched the rest in delighted disbelief. A pig in a spacesuit ran down a corridor into a hail of bullets, sinister farting fat people took over 10 Downing Street, and, best of all, some horrible baby-faced aliens were unleashed to terrify yet more kiddies. Now that's what I call entertainment." "Aliens of London" was also the Pick of the Day yesterday in the Times: "Davies's cartoonish sense of humour is one of the main obstacles standing in the way of the current series improving on the Pertwee and Baker eras. His reliance on noisy bodily functions (the burping bin in the first episode, the farting lizards here) might appeal to the eight-year-old in him that he aims the new show at, as will the Benny Hill style chases through No10 that really require a Yakety Sax soundtrack (and somebody who is able to run and can stand in for Billie Piper). He also seems overly proud of one of the best lines from the pilot episode ('Lots of planets have a north'), so that gets wheeled out again. Fortunately, however, there is something for an adult audience, too, including political satire -naughtily smuggled into a normally escapist drama shortly before a general election. As the Doctor tries to prevent nuclear destruction, aided by Rose and an earnest MP (Penelope Wilton), the PM's grounds for making war mockingly echo Tony Blair's: somewhere in space there are 'massive weapons of destruction' that can be 'deployed in 45 minutes'. Fortunately, the Doctor remembers how Hannibal managed to cross the Alps with his elephants, so the world may yet be saved."

Today's edition of Blue Peter contained a report on the Wray Village Scarecrow Festival and began with presenter Simon Thomas' introduction: "Now, today the Blue Peter garden has been invaded by some very strange things. Not aliens from the brand-new Doctor Who series...". However, despite Simon's promise, a small mock-up of a Black Dalek could clearly be seen throughout most of the item on scarecrow building...

In today's edition of The Sun TV critic Sara Nathan chooses "Casanova" as one of her TV Picks, ending her preview with: "Fans of David Tennant, fear not, pretty boy will return...in a Tardis." Also, in today's edition of News Of The World is an article in which it is claimed that Christopher Eccleston is splitting from his Cardiff-based girlfriend as he "needs more space". It is also reported that the Labour Party is attempting to recruit Eccleston, with his 'working class' background, for their General Election campaign.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, Jamie Austin, Prakash Bakrania, Paul Hayes, Faiz Rehman, Jamie Austin, Stuart Ian Burns, David French, Alistair Moore, Ben Goudie, Mark Oliver, Rich Kirkpatrick, John Bowman, Chris Wischer, Matt Kimpton, Mustafa Hirji, and Jon Preddle)

The big news today is, of course, the David Tennant casting announcement. ITV Teletext and BBC Ceefax carried the story, it was noted briefly on BBC Breakfast News and there are articles in the morning papers. CBBC's Newsround Showbiz seems to have abandoned its behind-the-scenes reports, but Newsround did, shortly before 5pm, cover the announcement of the new Doctor, with a report read over various clips from the first couple of episodes of the series. BBC News 24 doesn't seem to have covered the announcement (being largely dominated at the moment by the collapse of Rover cars and the election campaign), and the only BBC News coverage seems to have been at about 6.10 this morning, with a brief report of the announcement during Breakfast News. Meanwhile, a six-second teaser featuring the spaceship crashing into Big Ben, has been used to trail Aliens of London since about 5.30 yesterday evening.

Lots of additional media coverage today of the Tennant casting; besides the sites noted in the news story from last night, there is coverage of the event today on the official Doctor Who site, Mirror (which also mentions the salary amount), Manchester Online, icScotland, WaveGuide, Yahoo! News, Monsters and Critics, icWest Lothian,Reuters India, Kerala News, Cult TV, DarkZero, CBBC News, icWales, Reuters,DeHavilland, Daily Mail,ObviousNews, Slashdot (which references us but calls us "Output Gallifrey"), and a trio of Harry Potter sites (due to Tennant being in the next film), Harry Potters Page, MuggleNet andWizard City. Print editions of many newspapers without online notices include the Globe and Mail (Canada), the Newcastle Chronicle and Journal; also the Press Association news feed carries two stories about the casting.

The Who Is Doctor Who? website (a tie-in page run by the BBC's official Doctor Who website) has been updated again with content from "Aliens of London"... check it out (but beware of spoilers if you haven't seen the episode!)

The BBC have been promoting tonight's episode with a five second trailer, which is a sequence from the episode of the spacecraft approaching London and striking Big Ben. The clip is dubbed with the theme and the stark commentry "Doctor Who. Tomorrow at 7 on BBC1". The clip has been running since at least yesterday and appeared at 8pm and 9.30pm last night. "Aliens of London" was also today's BBC One Pick of the Day, complete with a graphic banner across bbc.co.uk (the official BBC website) with a scene of the ship crashing into the Thames: "There's an emotional homecoming for Rose when the TARDIS takes her and the Doctor back to London this week. Then, a UFO crash-lands in the city, destroying Big Ben and causing chaos. Will the occupants turn out to be friendly or deadly?" The Guardian says of today's episode, "Trenchant political satire this week, as the shape-shifting Slitheen invade present-day London from within... Downing Street, to be precise. Well, we always suspected our leaders came from another planet. 'I quite enjoyed being Oliver,' muses one alien of the MP whose skin he borrowed. 'He had a wife, a mistress û and a young farmer.' Whatever can he mean? Can Penelope Wilton stop the Slitheen slithering? Find out next week"

SyFyPortal's take on "The End of the World": "EcclestonÆs Doctor develops, too. Initially he swaggers like a big kid showing off his cool toys. But when things happen that are not supposed to, heÆs the man of action. His anger is unsettling when he finally corners the villain. And the writers suggest a hint of emotional vulnerability in the last Gallifreyan when the topic of his provenance arises. His fans shouldn't be upset, though. The DoctorÆs future is in safe hands."

BBC NewsVote has added a poll about who you'd prefer playing the Doctor. At press time, Eccleston is in the lead, followed by Tennant, then "someone else". "Results are indicative and may not reflect public opinion" says the site.

The cover of today's "Daily Star" features Billie Piper with the headline "Billie. Who's The Sexiest Of Them All". The centre pages of the newspaper are devoted to Colin Baker's views of Billie under the title "She's Out Of This World" where, amongst other things, Colin is quoted as saying "My two assistants were great but Billie is amazing" (from his interview earlier in the week.)

Interestingly, there were a couple of "Doctor Who" references on yesterday's "Have I Got News For You...?" (BBC1) in which Paul Merton claimed that Ian Hislop was the new Doctor. Also, several "Doctor Who" references appeared on yesterday's "The Now Show" (Radio 4) including a short sketch entitled "Doctor Dentist".

The current issue of "Ultimate DVD" magazine has a "Doctor Who" cover featuring Chris, Billie and the TARDIS and has heavy "Doctor Who" content. Besides the interview (noted on the main news page) about the DVD releases, there is a five page article in which Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner discuss the new "Doctor Who" on DVD, which is complemented by a range of new series photographs; a one-page article interviews marketing manager Matthew Parkes about November's DVD boxset release of the new series DVDs; a two-page article on the monsters in the new series; and an interview with Billie Piper, in addition to classic Who material.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster, Paul Hayes, Jamie Austin, Simon Bishop)

Some biographical information on David Tennant, the tenth Doctor Who: Born in West Lothian, Tennant is a respected classical actor who trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. He began his career on the stage, performing as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company, including such roles as Touchstone in "As You Like It", Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet", Antipholus of Syracuse in "The Comedy of Errors" and Captain Jack Absolute in "The Rivals", and performing in such venues as the Yourng Vic, the Edinburgh Lyceum, the 7:84 theatre company and Dundee Rep. Tennant was was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for "Best Actor of 2002" for his performance in "Lobby Hero" at the Donmar Warehouse and the New Ambassador's Theatres.

Tennant's connections with the Doctor Who genre are extensive. A fan of the program, he hosted "Doctor Who: A New Dimension," the special preview documentary aired prior to the first episode of the new series on BBC1. He also played the role of the Caretaker in BBC Online's animated serial "The Scream of the Shalka" and has appeared in a variety of audio programs for Big Finish Productions, including as Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood in "Sympathy for the Devil," as Galanar in the "Dalek Empire III" series, as Daft Jamie in "Medicinal Purposes" as well as in "Colditz" and "Exile". Tennant also portrays the title role in Big Finish's audio adaptation of Bryan Talbot's "Luther Arkwright" series.

Among his many film and television experiences include roles in "Jude," "Duck Patrol," "Love in the 21st Century," "Bright Young Things," "The Deputy," "Bite," "The Last September," "Blackpool," "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)," "The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries," "Holding the Baby," "Posh Nosh," "Being Considered" and "L.A. Without a Map." He recently starred in the title role in BBC3's miniseries "Casanova" alongside Peter O'Toole, and as Briscoe in the BBC special live broadcast event "The Quatermass Experiment." He recently completed filming on "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," playing the role of Barty Crouch Jr.

"I was very small, about 3 or 4 I think, and just wanted to be the people on telly telling these wonderful stories," Tennant said about his longing to become an actor. "Obviously the idea grew and matured with me but I can't ever remember wanting to do anything else. I've just sort of taken it for granted all my life that that was what I would do." On how theatrical training has helped his career: "Drama school is a pretty intense experience and I think it changes who you are. I think I grew up at drama school (which was fairly useful personally as much as professionally) and I certainly got exposed to a huge range of ideas, techniques and practices that I had no previous experience of. I wouldn't have known what I was doing as an actor if I hadn't gone."

More details on Tennant can be found at his page at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).

David Tennant will take over from departing actor Christopher Eccleston for the second series of Doctor Who to be aired in 2006, according to a BBC press releaseissued Saturday morning just after midnight UK time. Tennant was originally rumored to be "in talks" to take over the role from Eccleston, who it was announced in late March would not be returning for the second season. As the Doctor, Tennant will be seen in the role in this year's Christmas special, as well as continuing in the role throughout the entire second series (and hopefully, many years to come). Billie Piper, who plays Rose Tyler, is already signed on for the second year of adventures.

Below is the official press release, issued minutes after midnight UK time, from the BBC Press Office.

Update 0240 BST: Another Scotsman article discusses the Tennant casting: "For David Tennant, playing the Doctor is a dream come true - watching the show was the reason he became an actor in the first place." The article biographies the actor, including some of his plays and television roles.

Update 0720 BST: News coverage of the event continues... so far, news reports carrying the announcement about Tennant's casting include theGuardian (the first online news service to print after the announcement went out), Daily Record (noting a salary amount: "David Tennant has landed a £500,000 deal"), the Times, Digital Spy, theTelegraph, BBC News,Scotsman, Morons.org, MovieHole, WaveGuide, ic Wales, and theLeaky Cauldron (Harry Potter site).