Outpost Gallifrey has been sent what we believe is the final version of the cover for the forthcoming UK DVD release of Lost in Time, the boxed set featuring orphan episodes from the William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton eras. (We've contacted artist Clayton Hickman to find out if it's the actual final version.) Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to Tenth Planet as always for sending it!)

Update 10 Sep, 1415 GMT: Yes, this is indeed the final version of the "Lost in Time" UK cover. (Thanks to Clayton Hickman for confirming it!)

The total takeover of DVD means that VHS backstocks are shrinking, Doctor Who included. Steve Manfred has compiled a list at the Doctor Who Video FAQ site with a complete rundown of what's still in production and what's been deleted.

Today's WhoSpy photo on the official site reveals that George Gerwitz is the First Assistant Director on the new series (at least a part, possibly the entirety). Gerwitz also served as First A.D. on "Sea of Souls" produced by Phil Collinson, one of the new Doctor Who series' executive producers.

According to a report in today's "Independent," and now confirmed on the official site, actor Simon Callow will be playing the role of Charles Dickens in an episode of the new series set in Victorian times. "To be honest," Callow told the Independent, "when they sent me the script, my heart sank. As I know all about Dickens, I can say with authority that most attempts to put him on screen are awful - and there are a lot of them. But this script, by Russell T Davis [sic], who wrote Queer as Folk, is fantastic." Davies told BBCi, "It's wonderful to welcome an actor of Simon Callow's calibre on board the TARDIS. As soon as the words 'Charles Dickens' first appeared in Mark Gatiss's clever, scary, inventive script, then we knew there was only one actor we wanted to approach. We're genuinely honoured that Simon has accepted, and I know that Chris and Billie are delighted too. This sets the standard for a Doctor Who with wonderful casts, exciting scripts and the highest production values." Callow's many roles include such films as "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Amadeus," "Shakespeare in Love," "James and the Giant Peach" and the forthcoming adaptation of "The Phantom of the Opera." (Thanks to everyone who caught the Independent report this morning and let us know...)

Please note: A few people have asked us why we posted this since they believe it is a spoiler. Outpost Gallifrey does not consider major casting developments (or the characters they play), or indeed any major developments, spoilers if they are widely reported in the mass media, newspapers or such places as BBCi. Knowing Callow plays Charles Dickens tells you nothing specific about the story. Thank you.

There are several rumors going around that the Sci-Fi Channel has purchased, or will be purchasing, the rights to broadcast the new series in tandem with the rights to rebroadcast the original. According to a letter sent to "This Week in Doctor Who" from Maryland Public Television, this is the case; however, sources at the Sci-Fi Channel (and its parent company, NBC/Universal) have denied that any deal has taken place. In fact, no deal has been signed at this time to broadcast the series in America and is not expected to happen until much later this year or early next year.

Actor Navin Chowdhry will appear in the new series, according to an interview in last weekend's Sunday Express magazine; he began filming yesterday (September 1) for two weeks. Chowdhry is familiar to TV audiences as Kurt McKenna on "Teachers"; he also plays Ralph in "NY-LON," the seven part series that just began on Channel 4 directed by Keith Boak (the new series' first-block director). At right is a small press photo. According to sources, Chowdhry plays a government official in the "Aliens of London" story currently filming. There are rumors, meanwhile, that actor Ruper Vansittart (who played Lord Ashfordly in "Heartbeat") will also be appearing as an alien leader, and that Mark Benton (Johnny Tyler in Russell T Davies' "The Second Coming") will feature in one episode. (Thanks to "the Comic Guru")

ABC TV Australia has brokered a deal with the estate of Terry Nation, and will start showing Dalek serials as part of their re-run of the entirety of Doctor Who, starting with "Death to the Daleks" on 15th September 2004. No Dalek episodes previously skipped in the schedule due to the licence issues will be screened, however. (Thanks to Piers Johnson)

The official Doctor Who website today launches their newest photonovel, with telesnap photos from the missing Patrick Troughton serial The Evil of the Daleks, also the debut story of companion Victoria Waterfield (Deborah Watling).Click here to look at part one.

Actor Frederick Jaeger, the German-born stage and screen actor who played Jano in "The Savages," Sorensen in "Planet of Evil" and, in his most prominent Doctor Who role, Professor Marius, creator of K-9, in "The Invisible Enemy," died on June 18 in Mallorca after a long illness, according to an obituary this week in "The Stage". Says the obituary, "[Jaeger] played a wide variety of characters but on screen he was often cast in military roles, playing German officers on British television and British officers in German productions." Among his many films are The Iron Petticoat (1956), Ice Cold in Alex (1958) and Voyage of the Damned (1976), and he was very prominent on the stage, including touring with Sir Ralph Richardson in Shakespeare productions. He spent his final years with his second wife, Elizabeth Griffits, at a farmhouse in Mallorca after he retired from acting. (Thanks to Chris Winwood)

John Barrowman, confirmed as one of the actors in the new Doctor Who series, spent time on Richard Bacon's late-night chat show on BBC Radio Five over the weekend and was asked about his pending appearance on the show. Barrowman was initially very cautious when being quizzed by Bacon, refusing to say even what length his hair would be, but he did finally relate that he wouldn't start filming until November and that his character was "something of an intergalactic rogue" who would become a companion to the Doctor. We should add that this isn't confirmation that his role -- known only as Captain Jack -- will be a traditional "companion" but will certainly have time with the Doctor and Rose late in the season. (Thanks to Mark Gardiner)