Editor's Note: Sorry for the brief couple of days away... I'll be updating my weblog soon about that. In the meanwhile, here's what we've missed the past three days:

The End of the World continued Doctor Who's strong lead over the main ITV competition, "Ant + Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway", with "Doctor Who" being watched by 7,254,214 million viewers according to ViewingFigures, versus 6,021,897 viewers for Ant + Dec, and receiving a 36.05% share versus Ant + Dec's 30.86% share. "Doctor Who" also had a higher audience share than last night's "Casualty." The figures suggest that viewing figures on BBC One and ITV1 were significantly lower last night across the board, and that Episode 2 still performed very strongly despite the lower performance against the first episode. The Daily Record notes today that the Doctor beat his rivals "despite a 2.6million drop in viewers. Saturday's second episode of the new series, starring Christopher Eccleston, attracted an average of 7.3million viewers, compared with 9.9million last week. But the Timelord's adventures still beat Ant and Dec, whose show featuring Tony Blair was watched by six million viewers." CBBC Newsround has an article about the making of this weekend's episode online, noting that the filming done last summer at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff was for the interior photography on this episode.

The new edition of Doctor Who Magazine says that recording on the new series was completed on Monday 14 March, but post-production work will continue "almost for the entire duration of the series’ transmission". It is also confirmed that Rose is the only episode of the run that does not feature a pre-titles opening sequence! There is casting news for episodes 11, 12 and 13. "Boom Town" will feature Mali Harries as Cathy Salt. Episodes 12 and 13 include a cameo appearance from Jenna Russell, as well as Jo Stone-Fewings as the Male Programmer, Jo Joyner as Lynda Moss,Nisha Nayaras the Female Programmer, Martha Cope as the Controller and Sam Callisas the Security Guard.

The BBC Press office has a new Features document up (a PDF copy is here) on behind-the-scenes stuff, largely (possibly entirely) drawn from the Phase 2 press pack of a week or two back. Also, the Highlights for Saturday (PDF again) has photos and a brief write-up for Aliens of London: "The Doctor takes Rose home in Aliens of London, the first of a two-part story. But when a spaceship crash-land in the Thames, London is closed off and the whole world goes on Red Alert. While the Doctor investigates the alien survivor, Rose discovers that her home is no longer a safe haven. Who are the Slitheen?"

The cover illustration for the new Doctor Who series first DVD set is now out; click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version. This cover illustration was found on the BBC Shop website, and the cover suggests that it will indeed carry the first three episodes, "Rose," "The End of the World" and "The Unquiet Dead." These "vanilla" DVD releases of Series One are, according to Doctor Who Magazine, confirmed for May, June, August and September, as is the November box set in TARDIS packaging. As previously reported on OG and elsewhere, only the box set will contain extra material – details remain unconfirmed, but DWM cites Russell T Davies suggesting at the press launch that there will be commentaries, interviews and deleted and alternate scenes, while elsewhere in the issue it is revealed that RTD was using "a state-of-the-art camcorder" throughout filming to capture behind-the-scenes footage for the DVD set. BBC Video stress that it is a deliberate strategy to publicise both the box set and the separate releases at this point, so that "fans will be aware that this is coming out in plenty of time". Also confirmed for this summer: the Penguin range of Funfax, Stickerbook, and Activity Book which is described as containing "a pull-out board game, wordsearches, spot-the-difference games and other puzzles".

Character Options have revealed details of some of the 24 different toys and gifts the company is to release over the next few months. There are provisional illustrations of the radio-controlled Dalek and the Sonic Screwdriver (with flashing lights and sound effects), as well as of a couple of coffee mugs, one of which apparently says "Exterminate!", and the other seemingly makes a TARDIS noise (with luck, only when you pick them up, rather than while they’re sat in the cupboard). The Doctor/Slitheen character walkie-talkies shown recently on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross are also mentioned, as are a "Dalek-killer" LCD game, a TARDIS moneybox that plays sounds when coins are dropped in, key-rings and bottle-openers that make Dalek noises, and "a TARDIS phone-alert desk-flasher". Whatever that is.

Doctor Who debuts this week in Canada with a showing of "Rose" on Tuesday, April 5 at 8:00pm on the CBC Network. CBC now has a dedicatedDoctor Who website featuring news items and downloads, as well as a six-part Doctor Who documentary series, Planet of the Doctor which will feature interviews with Doctor Who stars and comments about the return of the series. (Incidentally, the entire trailer for "Planet of the Doctor" seems to have been shot at our ownGallifrey 2005 convention!)

Blue Peter on Monday, April 4 will focus on Doctor Who: "Simon Thomas and Zoe Salmon try out Britain's newest rollercoaster, and the team demonstrate how to make a Dalek out of a compost bin. Plus, the results of the mural competition."

The BBC4 programme "Timeshift" will be focussing on Russell T Davies for one of it editions (11th April @ 22:00, repeated 12th April @01:10 and 03:25). "Russell T Davies Unscripted" is a "pofile of TV dramatist Russell T Davies, who talks frankly about his controversial career. He began in children's BBC and achieved fame through his C4 series Queer As Folk. Russell is now the main write and executive producer on two key BBC series - Casanova and the relaunch of Dr Who. Contributors include Christopher Eccleston, broadcaster and TV critic Mark Lawson and children's presenter Andi Peters."

The BBC South East Wales site has launched a Doctor Who Locations Guide, which will be updated each week (after TX of the appropriate episode) with details of Welsh locations used on Doctor Who, as well as behind-the-scenes images from the locations, which you can access here. And South East also has a website about their three-part documentary Back In Time about Welsh connections with Doctor Who, previewing the new series, and of course, the Daleks!

The big story of the week, overshadowing the second series and Christmas special, was the resignation of Christopher Eccleston at the end of the first series. The Times reports that "Casanova star David Tennant is the corporation's choice to become the 10th Doctor Who after the sudden departure of Christopher Eccleston" (p.23). The Daily Mirror says that "Christopher Eccleston was ordered back on set to re-shoot crucial final scenes after his decision to quit Doctor Who" (p.11) and has a profile of David Tennant (pp.26–7). "BBC bosses are furious over Christopher Eccleston's decision to quit as Doctor Who after spending millions on merchandising carrying his image," according to the Daily Mail (p.12), and The Sun agrees that "Fury erupted at Christopher Eccleston's decision to quit as Doctor Who" (p.9). There was a ton of coverage including many newspaper and online articles including Reuters, Scifi.com, Cinescape, Sci-Fi Online,Megastar, ContactMusic, Evening Times, Scotsman,Register, BreakingNews, BigNewsNetwork,Pittsburgh Live,SyFyPortal, DeHavilland, RealityTVWorld, Macleans, The Great Link, CBC TV, Monsters And Critics, Victoria Herald Sun, Xtra MSN,The Edge, Filmforce/IGN, Gulf Daily News, Express News Line, theNew York Times, Yorkshire Today, Dark Horizons, Canoe.ca,ProFindPages, Yabedo, Canada.com and many other news and print sources.

The Western Mail says that "Dr Who actor's departure will unfold on screen," noting that "the news Christopher Eccleston has quit as Doctor Who just days after the new series started may have come as a shock to fans, but the show's writer says the actor had never intended to stay long term. And Russell T Davies says he wrote the scripts for the 13-part series around Eccleston's decision to leave once it had been filmed. 'This had all been planned,' said Swansea-born Davies, pictured, about the announcement Eccleston is leaving. 'You will see the story [of his departure] unfold on screen and it's brilliant. We've got 13 episodes of the best Doctor in the world - he [Eccleston] worked himself to death on the show.' There has been speculation about who should replace Eccleston as the Time Lord and one of the early favourites is actor David Tennant, the star of BBC3's Casanova, also penned by Davies. The BBC has confirmed it is in talks with Tennant. But the Doctor Who writer is remaining tight-lipped on who he wants to take over. 'I couldn't possibly comment but there are talks going on. It's very exciting.'" The article also mentions the second series and Christmas special, quoting Davies: "I'm delighted the show is working. It's wonderful there will be more work for people in Cardiff. Everyone thinks we already secretly knew there would be another series but we didn't."

sThe Sun dealt Eccleston him a severe bashing following his decision to quit with a page nine lead, "Dr Who Do You Think You Are?" with the subhead "Viewers and Beeb furious at Eccleston exit". The story focuses on the backlash among fans, while a Beeb "insider" is quoted as saying: "The BBC has shot itself in the foot. It spent considerable money and energy on him as the new Doctor." The paper claimed that questions were being asked as to why Eccleston wasn't contracted for a second series. Sun TV Editor Emily Smith adds a footnote saying: "It's a huge slap in the face for ten million fans who eagerly awaited the big-budget new series . . . He's Time Lord-ing it over us." It was illustrated with a picture of Eccleston with a superimposed Dalek exclaiming: "Well, that Doctor didn't put up much of a fight. We barely got to say 'Exterminate!' and he was off. And I thought some of his performances were a bit mechanical." The piece also said David Tennant was the most likely replacement, and had a picture of him as well. Page 11, meanwhile, which is devoted to columnist Richard Littlejohn's various rants, has a cartoon of Prime Minister Tony Blair, dressed in Tom Baker costume of hat and scarf, stepping out of the Tardis while clutching a piece of paper and saying: "And the date of the election is . . . ". The piece is about how Blair is beyond parody in relation to his media campaign. It finishes by mockingly suggesting that Blair might put himself forward for the role of the Doctor, and says: "And don't be surprised if Blair turns up on Monday in a long scarf on the doorstep of the Tardis and announces the election will be held on May 5 in the year 2525."

Plenty of coverage about the merchandising chaos caused by Eccleston's departure, too. The Daily Mail says that "a Who collectors item featuring Christopher Eccleston will still be made available for sci-fans - even though the Salford actor may not be in the role by the time they are released. ... The BBC, who are planning A Doctor Who Christmas special with Eccleston, have already developed a range of toys - including a remote controlled Dalek - which are expected to take the High Street by storm. Toy distributors Character Options, based in Lees near Oldham, who have worked on the innovative new range, say the decision by Eccleston to quit Doctor Who will not affect them. A spokesman said: 'We're involved in producing everything from themed Doctor Who mugs and key rings to a remote-controlled Dalek, and it doesn't really matter who is playing Doctor Who. The remote-controlled Dalek we're working on is just awesome. We're going ahead with an image of Christopher Eccleston as Doctor Who which will be available at Christmas. This can always be updated if there is someone else playing the character.'"

David Tennant was in the news this weekend after his name was linked to the new series... and the possibilities are open that Tennant may be in place by the end of the first season. The Times profiled Tennant in an article that notes that "from Bathgate, West Lothian, Tennant previously took a lead role in the BBC One musical drama Blackpool, appeared in the Stephen Fry movie Bright Young Things and on stage in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet. A BBC insider said: 'Tennant was the only name in the frame to take over. It is a matter of agreeing terms with his agent at this stage.' A long-time fan of Doctor Who, Tennant voiced a role in an internet episode, Scream of the Shalka, in 2003 and claims that his earliest memory was of seeing the Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee regenerate into Tom Baker. The BBC wants Tennant in place to shoot a 'regeneration' scene at the climax of the 13th and final episode of the revived sciencefiction classic. He is then expected to make his first appearance as the Doctor in a Christmas special, in which he will team up with Billie Piper, who plays his assistant, Rose. The BBC wants to secure Tennant for the high-profile role before his film career takes off. He is playing the part of Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which will be released this autumn."

The Mirror, meanwhile, has an article on David Tennant's career, and his thoughts on maybe being Doctor: "'It would be a great role to play,' he declared this week," says the article. "It would also have another, less obvious benefit for David - no sex scenes. Because if there's one thing he hates, it's stripping off for the cameras... 'All the time, you're worrying about what the other person is thinking,' he said. 'When you finish, you think: 'Is that what everybody else does, or is it just me?' ... I do get told I'm nice quite a lot and I'm happy about it. But you do wonder if it makes you a little bland, a little unsexy. I have my dark moments but basically I'm content.' Playing Doctor Who may be a strange transition for him - off the chaise longue and into the Tardis - but there is little doubt that, even as the chaste Doctor, his appeal to female viewers will be as strong as ever. ... It was highly unlikely before but if, as expected, the BBC unveils David as its next Doctor Who, it is certain he'll never need to contemplate an alternative career."

But will they actually refilm the end of the first season? The Mirror says that "Christopher Eccleston was ordered back on set to re-shoot crucial final scenes, following his shock decision to quit as Dr Who after just one series. The 41-year-old actor had already filmed one dramatic ending (span for spoiler content) in which the Time Lord escaped unscathed from the Daleks. But after Eccleston's surprise announcement, BBC1 bosses hastily scheduled a specially re-written climax to pave the way for a new star to take his place in the next series. The alternative ending is believed (spoilers) to show the doctor disappearing into the ether - watched by his horrified assistant Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper. An insider said yesterday: "The doctor and Rose escape to the Tardis and launch themselves into the Universe. Then he tells her, 'I've taught you all you need to know - now you can do it yourself'. The Doctor is then sucked out of the control room into space. But, of course, given his alien powers, he can always come back in another form." A Beeb spokeswoman confirmed: 'We have filmed two different endings for the series finale, but we don't want to give anything away. You'll just have to wait and see.'" TheSunday Independent says that "Doctor Who fans who don't like to have their plots spoilt should look away now. But the fact is that the writing was on the wall for Christopher Eccleston (pictured) in his brief stint as the Time Lord even before he announced he was quitting. The final episode of the new series already gives something of a clue, with the title "The Parting of the Ways". ... The word is that the plot is open for his assistant to revive him in another guise when the show returns for a Christmas special." This contradicts a statement on the BBC Doctor Who website as it says "His last appearance as the Doctor will be in a sixty minute Christmas special," although to be fair this may simply be what the site editors were told.

Christopher Eccleston's departure from "Doctor Who" was covered in an item on March 31's children's show Newsroundat 5.25pm. Eccleston's departure was described as "...a big surprise because the new TV show is proving such a big hit". The reasons for his departure are cited as him wanting to leave to pursue other projects "...and he also confessed to us ("Newsround") he found the filming hard work". In a brief on-set interview Chris' comment is: "...Working six day weeks, fourteen hour days, for nine months and I'm finding... finding that really tough". The report goes on to state that the new Doctor hasn't been chosen "...but the rumours are...": David Tennant, Bill Nighy, Richard E Grant, David Thewlis or Alan Davies. Also of note is that the report was well represented by clips from unscreened episodes and included a plug for Saturday's behind the scenes show. On the "Newsround" website, children have been suggesting who they believe should be the next Doctor. Also on the website are picture galleries of new monsters and the Doctor/Rose. It's also possible to watch an 8 minute "Newsround" showbiz special from last Saturday introducing "Doctor Who" to a new generation.

The Daily Mail said that "BBC bosses are furious over Christopher Eccleston's decision to quit as Doctor Who after spending millions on merchandising which carries his image. They had hoped to cash in on the show's popularity by exploiting the lucrative Christmas market with toys and other merchandise with the actor's distinctive features." The article noted that "BBC Worldwide licensed Manchester firm Character Options to design more than 20 items. And a 12in action figurine of him is ready to be in the shops by October. But by Christmas, Eccleston will have already been long departed as the Doctor - his last appearance on television being in June - and will have already been replaced by a new Docousfor the second series, rendering the merchandising obsolete." The article also hints at other reasons why he left: "Last night friends said one reason Eccleston decided to quit Doctor Who was because he thought the part was 'too effeminate'. They said he had grown uncomfortable playing such a 'fey' Doctor and was concerned that if he continued, he would lose out on gritty serious roles later in his career. One source close to the actor said: "Chris thought playing such a flamboyant Doctor was a laugh for a while and a real challenge. "But he soon realised that being so outrageously camp in such a mainstream popular show was going to kill his career as a seritor-actor. 'Russell wrote a very fluffy, effeminate script, which is great for the show, but where does an actor go after that? Chris didn't want to be typecast as the camp Doctor Who.'" Other sources carrying the news about BBC 'furor' include Sky News, Ananova,InTheNews, The Observer, theTimes ("Who the hell does he think he is?"), and the Sunday Mirror, which quotes a 'BBC insider' as saying, "Bosses were fuming about Christopher walking out. He had made a gentleman's agreement to stay for at least another series. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth."

The Express and Star called for a new Doctor to have a little more forethought. "Despite universal acclaim, new Dr Who Christopher Eccleston has announced he is to quit after just one series. He is worried about typecasting. Which makes one wonder why he took such a high profile job in the first place. Perhaps, as a highly strung actor, he got the willies from those nasty Daleks - after all, the new models have apparently learned to get up and down the stairs. Whatever his reasons, Mr Eccleston will now have to join the rest of us, cowering behind the settee, as someone else takes up the mantle of the nation's favourite Time Lord. Let's hope that this time the good people at the BBC use their brains and realise it just might be a good idea to sign up the next candidate for more than one series."

Last Thursday's "PM" on Radio 4, about 53'45" in, featured a piece about Eccleston leaving, ostensibly about actors' fears of typecasting. They interviewed Jonathon Morris (Snakedance), George Jessel (in the US), and Julie Goodyear (British Soap Star from Coronation Street) about typecasting. Jonathon Morris (they say) was considered for the role as the Doctor. Also, on this weekend's "Now Show," Mitch Benn performed a song about Eccleston leaving the show as well as being the voice of a Dalek in some of the sketches. And on April 1, GMTV had a brief chat about Eccleston going, and then a preview of End of the World ("pick of the day"); while BBC Breakfast news had an article on the live Quatermass for Saturday, with Mark Gatiss in studio and also talking about Who!

While Ladbrokes mentioned odds earlier in the day, William Hill won't accept any as they believe the role of the next Doctor will be David Tennant's if he wants it! Spokesman Graham Sharpe says at the William Hill website: "I'm afraid that it is a question of Dr No for Dr Who punters. It appears that the BBC has moved quickly to secure David Tennant's services following the departure of Eccleston - and it seems that the role is his should he want it, which makes it impossible for us to open a book."

Outpost Gallifrey was itself part of the news cycle over the weekend; theMirror ran an article noting that the site's Forum had closed for two days "after fans fell out about the show's star quitting the role. Popular online forum Outpost Gallifrey was swamped with strongly worded emails from fans furious over Christopher Eccleston's shock departure from the programme. As fans accused the actor of using the show to boost his profile, his supporters defended him, leading to bitter clashes on the forum. Website editor Shaun Lyon said: 'Tempers have become incredibly heated. Perspective on the subject has been lost and some incredibly poor- spirited exchanges have taken place. Sometimes emotion and sentiment boil over to extremes. Many Doctor Who fans who should have been rejoicing in the renewal of the series have instead found themselves dealing with the news that Eccleston isn't returning to the role. Some of what's transpired in the past two days has been an embarrassment. It's the first time we've had to do this.'" The story was also covered by the Daily Record.

Digital Spy says "Daleks may not be back for second 'Dr Who'". "BBC bosses have yet to secure a deal allowing the Daleks to appear in the next series of Doctor Who. Daleks creator Terry Nation negotiated a deal with the BBC for the latest series, and the Doctor's scariest enemies will be back soon. However, a spokesperson for The Terry Nation Estate has revealed that the BBC will have to negotiate another deal for the second series. 'We decided to see how this first run goes before deciding anything,' the spokesperson told The Sun. The BBC will now be left to decide whether to reach an agreement for the next series, or continue the show without the Daleks next year."

The latest edition of Cult Times has an interview with Russell T Davies, in which he discusses pretty much the same things as he has in every other interview. Although it's now something of an academic issue, he does though clarify his thoughts on a McGann-Eccleston regeneration: [...] Was there ever the intention to do a regeneration scene? "Absolutely none. I didn't even consider it for a second. Do you know, we never even discussed it at the BBC either..." [...] How about going back at some point and showing it? "No, to be honest. I think that'd be weird. If it ever happens on screen, for a new audience, it's new... for a new audience that would be a phenomenal event. To flash back to another actor saying 'I was once someone else' just doesn't make sense. That would never happen - not when I'm on it anyway."

Yesterday's Daily Express on the possibility of Eddie Izzard being the 10th Doctor (we've been down this road before, haven't we?): "Comic Eddie Izzard has claimed that former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker wants him to take the role of the Time Lord. The cross-dressing comedian said yesterday: 'Tom Baker said it would be a fun idea.' ... He told BBC1's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross yesterday: 'There isn't enough time and I'm not being asked.'" Of course, we were looking at Izzard as a rumored Doctor more than a year ago!

On the official Doctor Who site, there's some small updates to the site itself, plus the "Who is Doctor Who?" website (click on "Lies" at the bottom) has also been updated. The planned live chat with Russell T Daviesscheduled for this past Saturday was abruptly canceled, with no explanation offered. Today's edition of Heaven and Earth, which was to feature Doctor Who coverage, was also rescheduled to 11.30am due to continuing coverage of the death of the Pope.

Anthony Stewart Head spoke to the SciFind website, which asked him if he'd ever take the role of the Doctor if asked. "I think there have been rumors of me doing it since, well for a long time. I think it is very unlikely that they will ask me as I was the readers choice in the 'Radio Times' and that is enough to put any producer off actually coming to me to ask if I'll do it. I don't know to be honest. I've done one character in a 'cult' series [in Buffy] and I don't want to get a reputation for doing that. But then never say never."

The April 1 Canterbury Adscene said that "bosses at Marks & Spencer have been forced to remove window dum mies from their Canterbury store after last Saturday's Doctor Who TV show. More than 50 worried parents contacted the city centre store this week after their children said they were terrified of going inside. They claimed the opening episode of the new Time Lord's adventures, which showed plastic mannequins coming to life and attacking humans, had given their children nightmares." April fools, anyone? Or maybe not...

A rather harsh article on Spiked Online says that "the Tardis has been knocked off course by 'fanwankery'." "I'm a lifelong fan of the science fiction series Doctor Who. Yes, that kind of fan - the kind who revels in the minutiae and trivia of the Doctor Who mythos, who goes to conventions (although I draw the line at dressing up), and who as a youth once wrote a letter to the BBC demanding that it resurrect the programme. Now us fans have had our wish granted - a new season of Doctor Who is now showing on BBC1, and a follow-up season has already been announced, albeit with a different lead actor. What to make of all of this?" It notes that "Audience figures for the first episode of the new series were high, while the fan reaction was largely favourable. Personally, I don't care for this approach at all. I prefer to willingly suspend my disbelief, rather than being corralled into an ironic perspective by some insecure smartarse. And I like it when programme makers have the good grace to take material like Doctor Who seriously in its own terms, regardless of how ridiculous those terms are. But maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, who's spent too much of his life absorbed in fanwank. Apparently, it can make you blind. In any case, the series still has potential. It always will. With a premise as flexible as 'alien travels through time and space righting wrongs', the possibilities for making either brilliant or dire TV are pretty much unlimited."

The Globe and Mail features an article about the series' return to Canada. "It's a new beginning that will be scrutinized closely by Doctor Who fans in Canada -- although perhaps not as closely as it was in the U.K. where the show is an institution. (This is a country that issued a postage stamp in the 1990s featuring a Dalek, a favourite Doctor Who villain shaped like a life-sized salt shaker and intent on exterminating everything in its path.)"

Says the Evening Mail, Bruno Langley who will appear in several episodes of the new series, "will headline this year's Stafford Festival Shakespeare. The 22-year-old will play the part of Romeo in the open air production of Shakespeare's famous tragedy Romeo and Juliet, set against the dramatic backdrop of Stafford Castle. The role will be the first theatre performance from Bruno, who is also due to star in The League of Gentlemen"s film Apocalypse and Brit-Asian Romantic comedy Halal Harry. The play, part of Stafford"s 15th Shakespearean festival, will run from June 30 to July 16 at the impressive venue." For tickets telephone the box office on 01785 254653

During a recent airing of "CSI" on Australia's Channel 9, during one of the ad breaks there was an ad for the ANZ bank - specifically advertising their customer help phone centres and the fact that they are staffed by people and not computers. The ad starts with the Robot from Lost in Space, who picks up the phone and says something like: "Your call is important to us, please hold..." He then passes the phone to the Robot from Forbidden Planet: "Your call has been placed in a queue. Your call is important to us..." Then a Dalek takes over and (by this point i was laughing too much to really hear but): "You will be Exterminated! Exterminate!" The ad then cuts to a human phone operator and the ad launches into its speel about how if you call the ANZ Call Centre you will be helped by a human, not a machine...

Some other web articles from the past couple of days: the Dundee Courierdiscusses a Dalek helping Dee4Life campaign; Terry Wogan makes comments about Doctor Who in this weekend's Telegraph; People discusses Chris Evans' comments blaming Doctor Who for his marriage breakup with Billie Piper, while Billie says precisely the opposite toWales on Sunday and Digital Spycommenting on that; Digital Spy also comments on Eccleston's comments to the MIrror saying he would stay for 3 years on a now-removed BBC website interview; a negative review at Blogcritics and a positive one at DVD Times; the Evening News, on the Eccleston figure remaining as collectors item; Darlington and Stockton Times on the new series measuring up; and "The real Doctor Who is a Welshman", says the Western Mail. And a couple of April Fools comments: Monsters and Critics on Orlando Bloom as the Doctor (with companion Prila Loof - get it?), and WaveGuide on Jordan being in the next series.

(Thanks for this monstrosity of an update goes to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, John Bowman, Rick Mawson, Brian at SciFind, Jamie Austin, Andy Parish, Keith Armstrong, Barry Housman, Reverend Kathy Smith, Graeme Burk, Don McKinnon, Paul Jennings, Robert Booth, Matthew Harris, Steve Rogan, Paul Scott Aldred, James Hellyer, Martin Montague, Michael Jones, Robin Shannon, Andrew Wong, Drew Johnston, Kenny Davidson, Paul Rees, Peter Anghelides, Mustafa Hirji, Andrew Flynn, Gareth Drawmer, Simon Bishop, Alan Darlington, Darren Powis, David Traynier, Peter Shaw, Adam Richard)

Hello readers! Due to the extraordinary amount of time the New Series news section has taken the past month, updates to the general Doctor Who page have been sparse... but this week I should have some time to get through a backlog of items (including our regular special events updates!) Thanks for your patience!

As previously reported Doctor Who was the big winner on Saturday night: the final numbers out for the top twelve Saturday night programs note that the show received 9.94411 million viewers, a 43.20% share of the audience, and at times peaked up to 10.5 million. The show's competition, ITV's "Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway" received a 31.38% share with 7.17512 million viewers to be the night's third highest rating program, after "Casualty" (with 7.45706 million viewers/33.21% share).

Also, Doctor Who: A New Dimension scored great ratings for its timeslot and genre; the 5.25pm documentary that aired on BBC1, produced by the same people as "Doctor Who Confidential," received a 26.08% share with 4.05670 million viewers, number eleven on the night's viewing charts.

Meanwhile, BBC3 scored a big night with their broadcast of Doctor Who Confidential, which according to ViewingFigures received 820,630 viewers (or 5.45% audience share). The numbers are said to be "huge" for a documentary on BBC3. BBC's Sunday night repeat of "Rose," the first episode of the new series, scored 484,020 viewers (or a 3.51% share).

With the imminent broadcast of the new series in Canada, the Canadian edition of TV Guide Magazine, the most widely-read magazine in North America, carries Doctor Who on its front cover. Click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version of the cover. Meanwhile, the Canada.com website has an article about the show; nothing really noteworthy beyond a vague description on how the Daleks have been updated in their look, and Phil Collinson stating that he thinks the series must be "adapted to the times."

Italy is the latest confirmation as a broadcaster of the new series, as a story in today's Media Guardian makes note that "the programme has been sold to CBC in Canada, Prime TV in New Zealand and Sky Italia's entertainment channel Jimmy." It also mentions Australia in the article: "Production sources said that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which is currently broadcasting every Doctor Who episode since the beginning, would shortly buy the series after it has viewed all 13 completed episodes."

The official Doctor Who website now has the trailer for episode 2, The End of the World, on their site; click here for the media player to watch it. They've also made some, er, changes to their "Who is Doctor Who" site... the page "formerly" run by Clive from the first episode. Go to the front page of the Doctor Who site, and look next to Billie Piper's hands for a secret entrance to Clive's site.

Doctor Who Uncovered is a radio program to be broadcast after the BBC3 repeat of "The Unquiet Dead" on Sunday, April 10 at 7.45pm. The program lasts 15 minutes (running to 8pm). There's currently no word on the content of the program.

More broadcasting updates: Christopher Eccleston is scheduled to be a guest on "The Heaven and Earth show" on BBC1 at 10.30am on Sunday, April 3. One day earlier, on Saturday April 2, the CBBC Channel will be doing a feature behind the scenes on "End of the World" at 15.50 on the programme "Newsround Showbiz".

The new edition of Radio Times (2û8 April) is published today and continues its heavy promotion of the new series. Once again, Doctor Who is at the head of the recommended viewing for the week (page 4), with a small picture of Jabe and a brief description: "Rose learns the hard way on her first time-travel trip with the Doctor in this fresh, funny romp. Bizarre aliens ahoy, including Jabe." On page 10, there is a letter from a viewer complaining that the Mastermind special was won by the contestant with the lowest score in the Doctor Who round ("I was horrified..."). This week's big "Doctor Who Watch" feature runs on pages 12 to 15 and goes behind the scenes on creating the various aliens for episode 2, with comments from Phil Collinson, Neill Gorton, Davy Jones and Lucinda Wright, as well as eight colour photographs. (There's also coverage of both Quatermass and Casanova, featuring Mark Gatiss and David Tennant.) Saturday's televison pick of the day is illustrated with the Face of Boe, and a write-up that mentions that no preview tape was available, "so we can't tell you whether the promise of the excellent thrilling opener is realised and sustained." The listing for the episode (which includes a credit for Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler) at 7pm has another alien's mugshot. The listing for Doctor Who Confidential says that "the focus is on the memorable monsters from the past 40 years of the show". UKTV Gold is listed as showing The Creature from the Pit and Nightmare of Eden in its weekend omnibus slots; BBC1's Heaven and Earth Show (Sunday, 10.30am) has an interview with Christopher Eccleston; BBC4 is reshowing its Fantasy 60s documentary, which deals briefly with Doctor Who, at 11.40pm on Saturday. Finally, on Monday 4, at 5pm, Blue Peter on BBC1 shows "how to make a Dalek out of a garden compost bin."

Heat magazine have more support for the new series in their new issue. In the Picks for Saturday night they have a joint pick for Doctor Who and Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway: "Doctor Who/Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, BBC1, 7pm/ITV1, 6.45pm. Now that you've seen the first episode of Doctor Who, or made your mind up sight-unseen on whether it's your particular cup of Saturday-evening tea, the nation can divide itself into Who people or Ant people - so to speak. We could all just use our videos or Sky+, but we don't all have time to press confusing buttons. On BBC1, it's the year five billion AD and someone's using spider-things to bump off the alien spectators who have gathered to watch the sun explode and destroy the earth. Will the Doctor and Rose sort it out in time? On ITV1 it's 2005 AD and Emma Bunton is stitched up like a blonde, musical kipper on Ant and Dec Undercover, Ainsley Harriott joins in the Grab the Ads fun in the studio and And and Dec go head-to-head in Kirsty Gallacher's Ant versus Dec challenge from last week. Not to mention the weekly treat that is Little Ant and Dec's celeb interview. Make your choice now! "

Fans on the air: Timothy Farr of TIMELESS (the DWAS local group South Wales) and Julia Raysight of the Guardian were on the BBC Radio Wales morning programme "Good Morning Wales" at 8:55am chatting about the success of the weekend. Also, on BBC Radio Five Live, Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogerty discussed the series on their "Breakfast" show with Boyd Hilton, edtitor of Heat Magazine, at 8:55am. Its around 02:51:00 in on Radio 5 Live's Listen Again Service (Monday). And the Preston Doctor Who group in England appeared on BBC Radio Lancashire today to review the first episode. The 20 minute segment formed part of the Ben Thompson show at 2.15pm. It was a follow-up appearance to a show in December 2004, again discussing Doctor Who.

Monday's issue of the Daily Express has yet more coverage of the new series. A quarter-page photo of a smiling Billie Piper on the front cover is captioned: ôBILLIE HELPS YOU KNOW WHO WIN THE RATINGS WARö, promoting a full-page feature on page three which covers the ratings victory. The page three headline is ôBillie the Whizz Kidö with ôDr Who wins Saturday night TV ratings warö. The article is accompanied by a large photo of Billie, a smaller inset photo of Chris and Billie from the second promo photo, and a picture of Ant and Dec. Amusingly itÆs a recent photo of the ITV pair (Dec has his arm in a sling from a recent injury) and is captioned ôLOSING OUT: Ant and Dec were TV warÆs casualtiesö. Perhaps a little unfairly though, the article compared Doctor WhoÆs peak figure with Ant and DecÆs average, saying: ôITV wheeled out a line-up of celebrities, including soccer star David Beckham, but the BBC pulled in an audience of 10.5 million compared with Ant and DecÆs Saturday Night Takeaway at 7.2 million.ö On page 13, the paperÆs TV reviewer Charlie Catchpole gives the episode a glowing review, his only complaint being the new arrangement of the theme tune. The review is headlined ôThis Doctor is the right prescriptionö, and his comments include: ôThe Tardis has landed. The Doctor is among us and allÆs well with the world. Or pretty much all. Christopher Eccleston makes a marvellous new Doctor Whoà The special effects are dazzling, the script by Russell T Davies is sharp and wittyà The opening episode was perfectly in tune with the showÆs traditions but it could just as easily have stood alone.ö Then on page 24, the newspaper has its top 10 ôOK Magazine Celebrity Chartö, with Christopher Eccleston equalling his No. 2 position from the week he was cast as the Doctor last year, and Billie going straight in at No. 3 (they must be so proud, eh?). The write up for Chris is ôThe Salford-born actor is showered with praise as he brings Doctor Who back to television screens as the ninth Timelord.ö And for Billie: ôThere is praise too for Billie, who plays Doctor WhoÆs companion Rose û with critics impressed by Chris EvansÆ estranged wifeÆs acting talent.ö They were both beaten out by David Beckham at No. 1. Interestingly, the Daily Expres also quoted from a review posted at Outpost Gallifrey by David Farmbrough (using the words 'Billie's performance is spot-on, and very easy on the eye' from it) to indicate that fan reaction to her has been positive.

Monday's Times had a bottom-page panel with a pic of Piper and Eccleston and the headline "Happy landing" and sub-heading "New Doctor Who wins acclaim - and an audience", directing readers to page nine where it was the page lead under the headline "Who's the daddy as 10m find time to see the Doctor". Readers were also invited to e-mail their comments on the subject "Is Dr Who the way forward for the BBC?" to debate@thetimes.co.uk - a section (separate to the Letters page) where readers' views are printed. In today's debate@thetimes.co.uk section, the invite is repeated, albeit worded slightly differently, saying "What do you think of the new Dr Who?" - the responses will appear in the next day or two. Page 20 of The Times also had a cartoon utilising a Dalek chanting "Exterminate" inside Conservative HQ while someone exclaims "Crisis? What crisis?"; it's a comment on the latest Conservative party turmoil and borrowing a phrase misattributed to former Labour premier Jim Callaghan - whose death was announced straight after Rose had aired on Saturday. By one of those strange Doctor Who-world coincidences, when Callaghan (who was born in Portsmouth - where I'm writing this) was ennobled in 1987, he became Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, which, of course, nobody needs reminding is where the new series was made! Reviewing the weekend's TV in The Times, Paul Hoggart gave the show a definite thumbs-up, calling it "a joyful, exuberant reinvention".

Monday's Daily Star made the show's ratings triumph against Ant and Dec its page one splash, with the full story on page six. It was the lead piece in a two-page feature that also had two other (non-DW) programme-related stories. The headline, stretching across pages six and seven, was "Who's The Daddy!" and the strap was "New look Doctor makes dummies out of Ant 'n Dec as the fans go wild for a trip in the Tardis and another monster showdown". There was a positive review by Peter Dyke and a negative one by Iain Burchell. There was also a preview pic story for episode two that mentioned Rose likening Cassandra to Michael Jackson because of the number of cosmetic ops she's had! (I don't think that counts as a spoiler, does it?) Charlie Catchpole's piece in the Express is repeated - with a slight edit - on page 15 in the Star (both newspapers are owned by the same organisation).

Many other new series episode reviews have been published the past two days, including at the following sites: The Great Link, icWales, the Mirror (a very negative review, sadly), Leeds Today, Logicvoice, Blogcritics, two articles in the Times here and here, and the MediaGuardian. Other papers such as the Leicester Mercury and Daily Express also carried printed reviews.

Several papers have run stories about the wide variety of merchandise marketing that will be done, including some quotes of up to 70 pieces of merchandise for the new Doctor Who series alone: Daily Record, MediaGuardian (also noted for its broadcast info, above), and Telegraph (with another story here).

Lots of additional coverage of the ratings for the first episode: Times Online ("Who's the Daddy?"), the Mirror("Decterminate"), icWales, Sky News, IGN, RealityTVWorld (also here as well), Brand Republic, the New York Times, Express Newsline, This is London, Express and Star, MediaWeek, Yabedo, Leeds Today,Monsters and Critics, DeHavilland, Sydney Morning Herald, InTheNews and ContactMusic.

Some general articles germaine to the new series: The Western Mail ran an article about the various locations used in the shooting of the episode "Rose". Yorkshire Today ran some of Christopher Eccleston's comments from previous papers. The Sun ran a brief version of its paper story on a burnt up police box! And BBC News ran an article about a "Tardis builder [who] awaits new Daleks".

The April issue of the horror magazine Rue Morgue (the one with "The Amityville Horror" on the cover) is on newsstands now and contains an extensive article on Doctor Who examining the classic seriesÆ relationship to the horror genre, with particular attention to the Hinchcliffe-Holmes era, written by our correspondent Joe O'Brien. You can find out more at the website.

BBC Radio 4 still has "The Now Show" available on their 'listen again' feature. From 2 minutes to 3 minutes in they sing a nice acoustic ditty called 'Call me during Dr Who and I'll kill you...'

And finally... The Sun on Tuesday still reckons Doctor Who makes good copy, for it carries a woeful tale (apparently an exclusive) about Washington DC fan Richard Briggs, 47, who flew over to recover a plywood Tardis said to have been used by the BBC in 1983 and left behind after filming at Plas Brondanw, north Wales (presumably during the Five Doctors shoot) - only to discover that the gardener who had been keeping it in his shed had got fed up with it and dumped it on a bonfire two weeks beforehand. Story was accompanied by a pic of Briggs and a mock-up of, er, what a police box would look like if being consumed by flames. (Presumably readers' imaginations needed that bit of extra help.)

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Paul Hayes, Chuck Foster, John Bowman, Mike Doran, Graeme Burk, David Farmbrough, Joe OÆBrien, Robin Shannon, Michael Luchka, Paul Wheeler, Mick Snowden, Tim Harrison, Jonathan Massey, Macfadyan, Peter Nolan, Ken Moss, Robert Booth, Mustafa Hirji, David Brodie, Andy Davidson, and Liam Burch for the TV Guide scan)

The official Doctor Who website has regenerated again... now bearing a teaser splash for episode 2, "The End of the World." Much of the content is the same, but there is an additional piece of infomation: producer Russell T Davies will be in a live chat at 7.45pm next Saturday, right after the episode. A few new sound downloads were added (including "the burp"), along with footage of Davies and Julie Gardner at the press launch.

The BBC Shop has now confirmed the release dates for the two Doctor Who new series DVD sets, the three-episode, no-extras versions due out May 16 and June 13, respectively. The pages are here and here. Of note, they now have DVD #'s attached; the serial for the first is BBCDVD1755 and the second, BBCDVD1756.

Has Christopher Eccleston's successor already been picked? The Mirror thinks so, bounding on the reports that Eccleston is waffling about coming back for a second series, and says that "Casanova heart-throb David Tennant is being lined up to play Doctor Who - just a week after Christopher Eccleston made his debut as the time lord." It notes that Eccleston has not committed to a second series, "and BBC insiders revealed last night that Paisley-born Tennant, 33, who played young Casanova on BBC3, is the man to replace him. Even if Eccleston does decide to stay on for another series, Tennant will have first refusal on the job after he goes. A Beeb source said: 'At the end of this season, you are led to believe that (spoiler, highlight for full details) the Doctor could be dead after he's saved his companion Rose - played by Billie Piper - and the Earth from the Daleks. But it turns out that there's a way for Rose to save him and that's how the second season starts. So she gets back to the TARDIS and is able to get the Doctor brought back to life. If Chris is still in the role, no problems. He's been brilliant and it will be good to have him back. If David is in the role, it will just be explained as the Doctor using up one of his regenerations, which has happened many times before. Lining up replacements isn't bad form - the BBC has a hit on its hands and is just doing what it can to keep it going.'" Tennant, obviously, is quoted as saying he's "flattered" but has not been offered the role. "I've never made any secret that I'm a big fan of Doctor Who and it's the reason I got into acting, but I haven't been asked to play the Doctor. I haven't been approached at all. ... It would be a great role to play, but as far as I know it's not up for grabs." But the Mirror says, that "Tennant WILL play the Doctor at some point - and will be asked to stay for the long haul. Even if Christopher returns for a second season and wants out after that, David will get the role. He is the hot favourite at the moment. He's a fan and incredibly talented as anyone who saw him on Casanova will testify. He'd be great for bringing in lady viewers in the same way that Billie Piper is bringing in the blokes." Obviously, this is almost completely speculative, but worth reporting... Meanwhile, it should be noted that David Tennant already has a connection to Doctor Who, having appeared in no less than seven plays for Big Finish, including "Colditz," "Medicinal Purposes," "Sympathy for the Devil" and the "Dalek Empire" series.

"No, I Don't Fancy A Tree-Some!" proclaims today's Daily Star, which says that "sexual tensions rise in the new Doctor Who series when the Timelord makes his sidekick Rose jealous. And to make matters worse, he starts getting cosy with a woman who looks like a tree! The Doctor... meets the alluring alien Jabe, who is half-woman and half-log. The time traveller is immediately smitten with the strange-looking lass (actress Yasmin Bannerman) and flirts with her, right in front of his assistant Rose ... As a gift of peace, Jabe offers the Doc a plant and says: 'This is a cutting from my grandfather!'" There's a bit more dialogue exchange, but mostly just innuendo before the episode continues.

Katy Manning, best known as Jo Grant from the 1970's era of Doctor Who, "has some advice for Billie Piper, the new young actor who plays Doctor Who's assistant" according to the Australian Associated Press General News. "She (Piper) is as good as anybody else, better than some and she will bring her own magic to it," Manning says. "The key word to this show is truth because you are dealing in totally unreal situations. Truth will get them every time because it should make you laugh, cry, feel afraid. That is what the show is all about." She also notes that she's heard good things about the series: "From what I hear, the show is frigging fantastic. Don't look for the wobbly sets anymore because they're not there. ... Miss Piper could become a millionaire out of this. I am lucky if I can pay for a couple of years in my maturity for a bath chair."

Today's Times has a note about Simon Callow, who will be in the third episode, "The Unquiet Dead." Callow, it says, "is not a fan of the Time Lord: 'I saw the first episode in 1963 with William Hartnell as the Doctor. It wasn't for me so I missed the entire procession of Doctors that followed.'"

As reported previously, Newsround Showbiz on the CBBC Channel ran a special Dr Who edition on March 26. It covered many of he same points made in earlier shows, such as Blue Peter and acted as a bridging tool for children new to the show. It included brief interviews with Chris Eccleston, Billie Piper and Russell T Davies. All were asked were they would like the TARDIS to take them, as in previous interviews, Chris Eccleston said Salford of the 1960Æs, Billie Piper said sheÆd like to see what happens to her in her 30Æs, while Russell T Davies said heÆd like to go two to three hundred years into the future. This is to be followed up with a behind the scenes look at episode two of the show, which as we reported yesterday is due to broadcast on the CBBC Channel April 2nd at 15:50.

The industry magazine Hollywood Reporter ran an article yesterday about the show. "The new treatment is very much Davies's baby. He is an executive producer and has written nine of the new 45-minute shows. With "Queer as Folk" to his credit, Davies was bound to bring a fresh imagination to what could easily have degenerated into a tired rehash. But his "Doctor Who" (Eccleston) should please died-in-the-wool fans and attract new audiences to a children's program that will please adults too. Davies deals delightfully with the background to the good doctor's character in a way that should satisfy cultists and also bring newcomers up to speed." It says that "One of the great appeals of the earlier shows was a sense of amateurishness, not only in the bookish approach of its scientist hero but also in the special effects. Here they've spent some money sprucing up the effects and the Tardis, the doctor's time-travel machine that looks like a police call box on the outside, is spectacular. But Davies keeps the stunts at a manageable level and it's all just cheesy enough to maintain the affection of the show's many fans."

Today's Daily Express runs a list, "Ten things you never knew about. . . doctors" with three Doctor Who references: "In the late 1970s, eight Doctor Who episodes were scripted by Douglas Adams (author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), four under the name David Agnew. The first episode of Doctor Who was screened the day after John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Doctor Who's time-travelling Tardis (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) is powered by energy from an artificial black hole called the Eye of Harmony."

Other reports: a review/report on the ratings in the Evening Times, the Scotsman discusses the battle between Doctor Who and Star Wars for British toy store sales, and the News and Star says that Eccleston's performance as the Doctor is a "triumph" and notes that "Dr Who has much in common with James Bond. It is a huge challenge to be the next in line to play a part which is an institution where you will be compared mercilessly with all those who have gone before."

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, John Leivers, Alan Chadwick, Steven Penfold)

Note: There was a spoiler in the above text that I didn't notice until several people complained; it wasn't intended (it's easy to let these reports pass when you're amalgamating hundreds of emails.) I've now corrected this.

Update 30 March 1625 GMT: The official Doctor Who website now confirms the second series/Christmas special story!

Today's MediaGuardian and The Stage reported that both a second year of the new Doctor Who series as well as a special episode to be aired this coming Christmas season have now been commissioned. "The BBC has wasted no time in commissioning a Christmas special and second series of its Doctor Who revival, less than a week after the time traveller returned to BBC1 after an absence of 16 years with nearly 10 million viewers," says the report. "However, the BBC head of drama commissioning, Jane Tranter, was unable to confirm whether Christopher Eccleston, the ninth doctor, or Billie Piper, who plays his sidekick, would be returning - opening up the possibility that the man with the sonic screwdriver might have to undergo yet another regeneration within a year. Ms Tranter said she had commissioned the Christmas special and a second series of Doctor Who yesterday - just three days after the sci-fi show began its new 13-part run on BBC1 with 9.9 million viewers, beating off stiff opposition from Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. 'So now we've got to start talking to Billie and Chris about what they want to do. I want to make Doctor Who again, but there is a mischievous element to it, in that you can keep regenerating [the Doctor],' she added. 'I think Chris is fantastic as Doctor Who. But we've still got another 12 episodes to go. People will have to wait and see what happens." Tranter made her comments today at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch, and added that Eccleston and Piper's contracts included options to do more series, which is standard practice in returning TV dramas, but that it was not yet certain that the pair would continue to be part of the show. Russell T Davies, it notes, will write the Christmas Special.

Russell T Davies told the official Doctor Who website that "It's fantastic news. It's been a tense and jittery time because the production team has been working on plans for Series Two - scripts are being written already! - without ever knowing if it would ever get made. We could all have ended up unemployed. But now we can put all those plans into action and get going. It's particularly good for BBC Wales. This is a major flagship show for the region, and their staff and crews are the best you could find. It's a tribute to them that Doctor Who is returning. Cymru am byth!"

Tranter said that Doctor Who was "probably the riskiest thing I've ever commissioned", because of the cost and the commitment to a 13-episode series, adding that she was shocked at how popular the first episode had proved on Saturday night. "In all honesty I had got myself into proverbial steel jacket as far as Doctor Who was concerned. I told myself I'd be completely and utterly thrilled if it got 6.5 million, but there was a little voice inside whispering '4.5 million'." She said that Barb's AI index, the audience research measure of how much viewers enjoyed a show, had scored 81 out of 100 for Doctor Who - above the average for the corporation's dramas, which is 78. Tranter added that the BBC had always envisaged that the Doctor Who revival would be scheduled early on Saturday evening, even though this put it head to head with Saturday Night Takeaway, one of ITV1's biggest entertainment hits. "We wanted it to be early Saturday evening, because that had been the slot before, and Russell [T Davies] had written it with that time in mind. There's something there for every adult to chew on, but also something for children. If you played it at a different time, it's just not going to work."

Breaking news from a variety of sources, which note the following:

"Cult sci-fi hero Doctor Who won the battle of prime time as 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the series return after a 16-year absence, figures revealed today.

"The much-loved time traveller beat off competition from ITV's Ant and Dec - and their guest David Beckham - to claim an average audience of 9.9 million on Saturday night.

"Salford-born Christopher Eccleston became the ninth small screen Doctor in a special effects-packed comeback, with former pop star Billie Piper starring as his new sidekick.

"The series, which was screened at 7pm, had an average audience share of 43.2% and hit a peak of 10.6 million viewers.

"Ant and DecÆs Saturday Night Takeaway, which ran against Doctor Who, had an average of 7.2 million viewers, taking a 31.4% share.

The Geordie duo peaked with an 8.5 million audience, 37.5% of the viewing public."

The past two days have seen a whirlwind of press, much of it regurgitating each other over and over. Here's a quick recap of what's transpired late Saturday, all day Sunday, and into Monday morning's press:

A large collection of papers (many of which do not have online versions) have printed reviews. Internet-accessible ones include BBC News with a review by Sylvester McCoy!; The Herald ("Cracking script makes this a welcome visit from the Doctor"), Scotstman (includes comments on ratings), also reviewed here; The Observer; The Independent; TheSunday Herald; Times Online; CBBC, a special page on children's first reactions to Doctor Who; Express Newsline, India; The Telegraph; the Sunday Mail (a review by the "McInnes Family");

Summing up what many of the papers said today:
• "I was hooked from the outset. The whole thing thing was stuffed with in-jokes I wasn't sure I was fully getting, but I laughed anyway" - Guardian.
• "After 16 years locked in the warp-shunt fantasies of the plasters-on-specs brigade, Russell T Davies has breathed new life into an old favourite. The doctor got his girl and BBC1 found itself reacquainted with an old pal.Quality. Brilliant." - News of the World.
• "The current incarnation of the Time Lord has barely moved on and the one thing the future can't afford to be is old-fashioned" - Sunday Times.
• "The new Who is poorly cast, badly written, pointlessly northern, relentlessly silly and, fairly crucially, the sci-fi is thoughtless and throwaway." - The People. (They also manage to insult Billie Piper; the writer obviously thinks he's quite clever, when he's not.)
• "The new Doctor Who succeeded in establishing its own reality: skewed, sprightly and assured, without ever taking its audience's attention, or goodwill, for granted." - Sunday Telegraph
• "The much-vaunted special effects with which the series has been retro- fitted struck me as being as clunky as ever, and Ecclestone's performance was a bit too reminiscent of a nerdy teenager, but it has a real heartbeat... or perhaps even two." - The Independent
• "After such a fanfare, Doctor Who could hardly fail to disappoint. But amazingly, it didn't. OK, the monster was feeble and the lack of a cliffhanger ending was a shame. But Christopher Eccleston portrayed a far more complicated Doctor character than we've become used to seeing, certainly since Jon Pertwee - and far more interesting as a result." - Independent on Sunday
• "Dr Who, with Christopher Eccleston in the title role and Billie Piper as his comely assistant, was ill received in the Highland home where I spent Easter. The much-hyped special effects were considered a prodigious waste of money by the BBC." - Daily Mail
• "If it's all the same to you BBC1, I think I'll stick with Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. But thanks for trying." - Mirror (spoilsports!)
• "An alien form, called entertainment, has been discovered on Saturday nights. It's a thoroughly bizarre, glossy new concoction called Dr Who." - Sunday Express. (There's also a positive little review of "Project: Who" in the radio review column on page 63)

Lots of coverage of the ratings (which we reported on as early as we could this morning!) Many stories on this includingBBC News, Media Guardian, The Sun, ITV, CBBC, Times (mentions Outpost Gallifrey!), Telegraph, Scotsman, with commentary about what it means for the BBC, Daily Record, Guardian, Pittsburgh Live, Washington Times, Channel 4, WaveGuide, Big News Network, Manchester Online (with fan review). The Daily Mail and other papers also covered this (articles not online).

Photos of a flying Dalek appeared in today's "News of the World" (actually, a photo of the Dalek as seen in the latest trailers, as well as a photo of the underside of a Dalek on a staircase). The tabloid mentioned the return of the Cybermen, too; however, we know that this is only a rumor that's been discounted already (they aren't in this season... well, not exactly.) A photo of the Gelth, the aliens from episode 3, "The Unquiet Dead," appeared in yesterday's The Sun.

Lots of places commenting on last night's gaffe with the Graham Norton voice in the BBC 1 broadcast. Says BBC News: "The Time Lord had Graham Norton breathing down his neck too, as a technical problem meant the sound from Strictly Dance Fever was briefly played over the opening scenes of Doctor Who. 'There was a technical problem which was resolved as quickly as possible,' a BBC spokesperson said. 'We apologise if it affected viewers' enjoyment of Doctor Who.'" Says the Sunday Express: "The BBC was last night probing an embarrassing technical blunder which allowed the voice of Graham Norton to drown out Dr Who's triumphant return to the small screen" they happily exaggerate. However, they do go on to point out that "...last night's technical problems echoed technical difficulties with the very first episode of Dr Who." A BBC spokesperson says that "It was a technical problem which meant the voice of Graham Norton - who had been presenting Strictly Dance Fever on BBC1 - continued faintly when his show transferred to BBC3 on digital. It only affected the first few minutes of Dr Who and we apologise to any viewers whose enjoyment was in any way impaired." BBC3 did run the show this evening without the voiceover... but of course, with the BBC THREE logo emblazoned on it for the entire broadcast!

Last night's Tommy Boyd Show on BBC Southern Counties radio apparently had a great response. The folks at the Tommy Boyd Shrine wrote us to say that "For those who missed Dalek mastermind among many other features, we have the show up on the site now," so click on the link.

The Independent says Doctor Who puts his sonic screwdriver to work to boost BBC funds: "The mysterious silver gadget has helped to keep the Daleks and assorted life forms at bay for hundreds of years - when it actually worked. Now Doctor Who's unreliable sonic screwdriver is expected to become one of the must-have toys this Christmas."

Today's Sunday Herald and This is London mention that "a Doctor Who fan prompted a security alert when he posed as a Dalek outside the Houses of Parliament. Ken Meikle, 46, from Barrhead, Renfrewshire, was filming a promotional video for a stage version of the sci-fi classic. But armed Metropolitan Police officers suddenly confronted the "alien invader" as he approached Parliament over London's Tower Bridge."

Oh, and the "Can Doctor Who Be Gay?" article reran in today's Sunday Independent...

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, Paul Hayes, Andrew Hearne, John Paul Street, David Traynier)

Some of the press and updates from Saturday morning, today on Opening Day:

Last night, Mark Cossey, Executive Producer of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC Three was on BBC Midnight. He had little to say, beyond "Please watch it." We heartily agree - watch it!

Today's Financial Times says "the BBC's reincarnation of Doctor Who is likely to give some middle-aged viewers a rude awakening." "Is anyone better placed to illustrate just how fast time travels than Doctor Who? Tonight's Easter weekend resurrection of the Doctor is going to make some uncomfortable viewing for middle-aged fans," says Robert Shrimsley. "It may be he who is the alien, but the manner and style of his return makes it all too painfully clear that is we who now inhabit a different planet from our youth. Anyone looking to relive their childhood by dragging their puzzled and nonplussed spawn in front of the television to watch the 'show I loved when I was your age' is set for a rude awakening. For it is not only in the significantly enhanced special effects that the much-heralded return of the Doctor leaves those who knew him the first time around clearly aware of how time has passed us by. The revival is, above everything else, one of those Hornby train set moments where parents have to bite their tongues and remember that this is meant to be for their children. ... While we may still have the Daleks and the Tardis, the monsters and the (quite) glamorous assistant, this reincarnation is largely aimed - as it always was - at the young

Also in today's Financial Times, a discussion of Russell T Davies' influences. "No television drama has ever stoked the imaginations of its fans quite like Doctor Who. When the BBC decided to axe the time-travel fantasy because of falling ratings in 1989 after a run of 26 years, the Doctor's devotees fought back in a unique way: they started making up their own stories. It was reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451 where, in a future without culture, members of the resistance defiantly commit great works of literature to memory. The fans simply refused to accept the doctor's demise. They produced novels (there are now about 350), audio plays and animated stories on the internet to keep the character alive. ... The Doctor's appeal goes deeper than mere nostalgia. As a child, Davies dreamed of discovering the Tardis somewhere in his hometown of Swansea and running away with the Doctor to frolic in a world of limitless imagination and adventure. ... 'Doctor Who made me a writer,' says Davies. 'It really did. My earliest memory is of William Hartnell turning into Patrick Troughton. I was only three at the time. You forget how strong it is when you are a kid. I used to make up Doctor Who stories. I used to walk home from school burning with them!'" It goes on to mention that "One of the ironies of Doctor Who is that, for all the power of the Time Lords of Gallifrey, the show itself has proved pitifully vulnerable to the passing of a mere handful of decades. Most episodes from the 1960s, including a glorious story about monstrous yetis in the London Underground that gave me nightmares when I was nine, have been lost. They survive only as stills, scripts, sound recordings and memory. Russell T. Davies wouldn't have it any other way. 'I love the fact we are missing episodes. How romantic is that? All these programmes we'll just have to imagine forever!' He is adamant that the new series must concern itself with both the present and future. 'It has got to be for new viewers. Even for the old viewers it's got to be new, otherwise there is no point. Otherwise, you become a nostalgic pastiche.'"

Today's Daily Record says that "a fortune is being gambled on tonight's big telly clash - Doctor Who versus Ant and Dec. Viewers will be torn between Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper's new adventures in the Tardis and the Geordies' show featuring David Beckham. Bookies have been taking hundreds of bets on the winners, with Ant and Dec, who usually get eight million viewers, edging in front. Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said: 'I can't remember the last time there was such expectations over a new drama series like Doctor Who. The bookmaking industry is taking a five-figure sum over this and many hundreds of pounds from individuals. Most of the money has been for Ant and Dec. You can't underestimate them, and it's typical that they have David Beckham on. He could clinch it for them.' But he added: 'The BBC could have a slow-burner on their hands, as Doctor Who's audience grows to win the war.'" Today's Scotsman also mentions the challenge with Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. "Doctor Who fans are trembling with anticipation today û and itÆs not from behind their sofas through fear of the dreaded Daleks. They will be glued to their televisions tonight, having had to wait 16 years for the Time Lord to return to BBC1." They note that bookies Ladbrokes have cut the odds on Ant and DecÆs Saturday Night Takeaway winning the ratings battle with BBC1Æs Dr Who from 8/11 to 1/2, while the sci-fi classic has drifted from evens to 6/4. Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said: "Money suggests Ant and Dec will take away the highest ratings but we havenÆt seen such an intense battle for viewers on Saturday night since the finals of Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor went head-to-head at the end of last year."

Today's The Sun interviews a Doctor Who fan who says "his obsession saved him from mental illness. The show took over Will Hadcroft as a teenager, driving him to tape-record episodes, collect memorabilia and even build his own K9. Will, who first sought help for anxiety attacks, was told by experts his obsession had helped him cope with AspergerÆs syndrome, a form of autism. He said: 'I always felt like an alien, like IÆd fallen to Earth from somewhere else. I used to wish I had a Tardis I could get in. My psychiatrist said, æYou are not mentally ill, but if you had not used the show as an escape route you almost certainly would have beenÆ.' Will, a 34-year-old bank worker from Bolton, Lancs, has written a book about his condition which was endorsed by his favourite Dr Who, Colin Baker." (Will is also a reader and contributor to Outpost Gallifrey, and we salute him for the opportunity to give the interview!)

The Sun today had a picture today of ghosts haunting the Doctor and Rose in "The Unquiet Dead". "The spirit, called a Gelth, appears in the third episode, when the Time Lord and Rose travel back to Victorian Cardiff. They link up with novelist Charles Dickens to battle the ethereal creature. Talk about Grave Expectations." The Sun also calls Doctor WhoBest New Series in its What to Watch This Weekend listings.

The Independent discusses feminism in an article "The Prognosis for Feminism is Not Good" in which there's an interesting paragraph of note: "How lovely, then, to see that one little corner of the debate remains relatively uncomplicated. Reams of wordage have been dedicated to considering the issue of whether Billie Piper will make a properly emancipated assistant to Doctor Who, or whether she will descend, as so many have before her, into damsel-on-the-train-track cliche. Less intellectual energy has been spent on considering how it is that while the good Doctor can travel through time and space with ease, the body that is so marvellously mutable never manages, even briefly, to adopt a new gender."

Director James Hawes, who helmed the two part 1940's serial by Steven Moffat for this first season, discusses his thoughts in today's Independent. "I am not a Dr Who geek. True, I strode off in 1978 from my rural comprehensive to Oxford in a Tom Baker outfit, but I quickly dumped the scarf, got a girlfriend and honestly never gave The Doctor a thought for 20 years. Then, when my son Owain was four and I 40, I happened on a second- hand video shop during one of those long, wet, quality-time Sunday afternoons that hung-over, part-time single parents so heartily dread. Among the piles of old Disney films on VHS, I saw a Dr Who from the black-and-white days. I hadn't even known they existed. The title set off little bells of memory. I bought it and we retired to the sofa. Owain loved it - he jumped and hid in delighted fear, just as I'd done - but it scared the existential hell out of me." The article notes that Hawes has a new book coming out, "Speak for England" (we assume this is the same person as the director, anyway!)

Today's Times says "Abandon hope, all you who press Enter here" as it discusses futuristic gadgets with a brief DW mention: "Doctor Who landed back on sublunary screens last night. His pet gizmo is a 'sonic screwdriver'. This is a state-of-the-art MerlinÆs wand. It unlocks the high-tech traps that encompass Doctor Who about the Tardis. His is the sort of magical multitasking tool that all do-it-yourself girls and boys dream of finding in their Christmas stockings."

The Telegraph today says that after a long absence, "smack, bang, up-to-date. It works. Thumbs up. Let them live. It is like watching a completely new programme but with enough references to the great tradition to make it authentic. It has the Tardis, the monsters, the female companion responsible for the sexual awakening of boy viewers everywhere, the sonic screwdriver and that crucial balance between scariness and comedy. But no scarves. Gone are the flamboyance and the air of theatricality. The theme tune is more edgily orchestrated, like the whole show. Christopher Eccleston's doctor, with his black leather jacket and northern accent, is modern, urban and of today, manically driven by his desire to save the world." It notes that its popularity "is not for an adult to say. My teenage son twice purred 'This is really cool,' which augurs well. But he worried that his friends would not watch it. 'It's sad watching programmes your parents liked.' Do these children have no sense of tradition?"

There is a mention of Doctor Who on the the Red Dwarf website today. It encourages people to watch the show because it's british sci-fi, has a good writing team, but mostly because it has two Red Dwarf Alum, Mike Tucker of Special effects fame, and actor Joseph Green seen on Red Dwarf VIII. You can visit the Red Dwarf official site here. (Hey, isn't it time for the boys from the Dwarf to come back too!?!?)

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Matt Landry, Chuck Foster)

For those of you tuned into BBC1 today for the broadcast of the first episode, "Rose", your ears were not deceiving you... that was actually BBC3 sound-bleeding into the BBC1 broadcast, and not presenter Graham Norton actually being inserted into the broadcast. This Sunday's repeat is likely not to have that faux pas included in the broadcast

It's been a very long day here at Outpost Gallifrey, and your editor is exhausted... so instead of the lengthy and time-consuming round-up of press clippings from the day, here instead is a list of links from today's press and newspapers, courtesy Chuck Foster of the DWAS and Paul Engelberg and Steve Tribe. There will be more coming tomorrow at some point.

March 27 - Early Reviews
The Observer
Sunday Mail
Sunday Herald
The Telegraph

March 26 (and prior)
CBBC, waiting ratings
CBBC, "What did you think of Dr Who?"
BBC News, Sylvester McCoy review
UK Gay News, commentary
DeHavilland, ratings war
Simon Harris weblog review of Rose
BBC News, fan gathering in Farringdon
Telegraph, preview
Guardian, preview
Globe and Mail, preview
Sun, who was in Who (brief online version)
Sun, Will Hadcroft (fan) interview on Aspergers Syndrome
Scotsman, series return and ratings battle (also here)
DigitalSpy, ratings
DigitalSpy, "Living in a Box"
Daily Record, ratings
ITV, ratings
Breaking News, ratings
Mirror, ratings
Times, Whys and Whats of Doctor Who
Times, Who vs Cyberkids
Times, The Mill
Times, Gadgets (sonic screwdriver)
This is North East, return of sereies
Belfast Telegraph, return
News and Star, return
Express and Star, return
This is Devon, Morning News
Sun, frightening moments
Useless Knowledge, commentary
Slugger O'Toole (Ireland), commentary
Belfast Telegraph, review
Ireland Online, ratings
Irish Examiner, ratings
The Age (Australia), commentary
Sunderland Echo, history of the show