The hype surrounding the Eccleston casting continues, and Outpost Gallifrey continues to keep you updated...

An article in today's The Guardian discusses that BBC shows are 'dominating' the British Academy of Film & Television Awards (BAFTAs) this year. New Doctor Christopher Eccleston has been nominated for Russell T. Davies' "The Second Coming" (originally broadcast on ITV), while one of the recent contenders to play the Doctor, Bill Nighy, was nominated for "State of Play" on BBC1, as was actor David Morrissey. Also nominated was Jim Broadbent (for BBC1's "The Young Visiters"), who portrayed one of the future Doctors in the 1999 comic relief presentation "The Curse of Fatal Death". The BAFTA nominations are also mentioned in the Independent and the Telegraph, and the Telegraph discusses Eccleston's casting in Doctor Who.

In another Guardian article titled "Who dares, wins," Andy Bodle discusses the phenomenon of Doctor Who, it's fans and longevity, as he points out "When Christopher Ecclestone steps out of the Tardis next spring, Doctor Who, scourge of fibreglass lumps everywhere, will have been off our screens for 16 years". The article includes quotes from Mark Gatiss (League of gentlemen and new series writer), Nev Fountain (Dead Ringers), Will Baker (Kylie Minogue's creative consultant), and Clayton Hickman (Doctor Who Magazine) who makes the following interesting assertion: "The Doctor Who mafia. That's why the show's coming back. If it wasn't for all the fans in high places, it would just have faded away." In the print edition the piece is accompanied by a caricature/sketch of Eccleston stepping into the TARDIS. Also mentioned in the article is the monthly London Tavern fan gatherings. In another article in the Guardian, Matthew Norman's "Diary" column, the writer refers back to a diary piece in October 7 2003 when, he apparently, mentioned that a campaign was announced "to prevent Alan Davies becoming the new Doctor Who" and went on to suggest that there were "rumours that Christopher Eccleston" was interested. Norman goes on to modestly point out that "at this stage, it's too early to be sure how this uncanny piece of prescience came about". The print edition also carries a cartoon about showing a Dalek and captioned "THE GOVERNMENTS CHOICE FOR THE NEW BBC CHAIRMAN." You can see them all tomorrow at the Cuttings Archive. (Thanks to Roger Anderson, John Cooper)

The official Doctor Who site at BBCi has a photo gallery of Eccleston's various television and film appearances; check it out, there's some good stuff!

As we mentioned yesterday, even some of the big American broadcasters are now mentioning the casting of Eccleston. "Fox Report" anchor Shepard Smith, a nightly report on the Fox News Channel, mentioned the return of the show and the casting. (Thanks to Carl Kleffman)

Clarification on our mention the other day about Eccleston's position on the OK! Celebrity Chart... Peter Nolan wrote in to let us know that the OK! Chart is based on column inches. "Basically they read every article in every newspaper in a given week and count up the number of inches of text about each person. So only one person has had more written about them in the UK newspapers this week!"

Outpost Gallifrey spoke to Steven Moffat, writer of two episodes for the forthcoming first season of the new Doctor Who series, about the Christopher Eccleston announcement. "It's a fantastic casting," Moffat told us. "Not just because he's a brilliant actor, though clearly he is, but because he'll bring people to the audience, who wouldn't touch the show with a barge pole otherwise. The morning of the announcement, I went into the Coupling rehearsals, and the cast - trendy lovelies that they are, hardly the natural Who audience - were bouncing around about the news. Clearly rather more excited about that than the fact that a good friend of theirs was now writing it. So I sacked them all." We look forward to Mr. Moffat's sense of humor shining through in the upcoming season!

Paul Cornell, the Doctor Who novelist penning of one of the teleplays for the first season of the new series, spoke to Outpost Gallifrey today about the choice of Christopher Eccleston as the new Doctor. "I think it's wonderful that we've got such a high calibre actor in the role," said Cornell. "Along with everyone else, it was great to get the rush of a 'new Doctor day' again. My Dad called to read me out a news item about it, just like he always used to. Chris is going to have to get used to being beloved by parents and small children everywhere!"

Outpost Gallifrey has learned that a press announcement confirming the casting of the Doctor for the new TV series is due on Saturday morning in the UK. Several news flashes on UK late-evening news programs have hinted that a press call is imminent, but word is leaking that the Daily Mirror will have a full-page press announcement on Saturday morning. Outpost Gallifrey will keep you posted all evening on the officialconfirmation of a new Doctor!

Update 2355 GMT: The UK Daily Mirror has apparently announced Christopher Eccleston and the Daily Mail has apparently noted that it's Bill Nighy. Could it be one or the other? Or perhaps a different actor entirely? At right is the Daily Mirror cover with the note about "Cracker Chris" referring to Eccleston being cast. (Thanks to "barryum," "DistantDave")

Updated 2330 GMT  Numerous fan sites and our own forum are buzzing with rumors about actor Christopher Eccleston being cast as the new Doctor for the forthcoming series. Eccleston's agent has denied that he has been cast, although the denial could be interpreted as simply not confirming such before the press announcement. An internal BBC memo circulated earlier in the week stated that the discussions were down to "a short list of three," although we've just heard word that there is a possible announcement coming in as early as the next couple of days. Outpost Gallifrey will bring you the news as soon as we hear official confirmation of the casting announcement.

Further to our story yesterday about the report from the UK Teletext, BBC News has picked up the same story, with a headline stating "Daleks May Return to Doctor Who"; the only difference between the two is a BBC spokeswoman stating "We are negotiating to feature the Daleks in the new series, but no deal has yet been made" and a denial that actors had been cast to play the new Doctor and assistant. "Negotiations are going on all over the place about the monsters, including the Daleks," she said. "We are just waiting to see what comes out." Update: the BBCi Doctor Who site also followed this up with this statement: "Cult did its own bit of checking, and was told the same by Publicity. They stressed, however, that they, 'Could not confirm the Daleks, or any other monsters for the new series.'" (Thanks to Rich Kirkpatrick, Steve Tribe, Jean McDonald, Richard Dinnick)

Sheila Dunn, the lovely actress whose Doctor Who roles included smaller parts as Blossom LeFavre ("The Daleks' Master Plan") and a phone operator ("The Invasion") before taking the guest star role as assistant/scientist Petra Williams in the Jon Pertwee classic "Inferno", died on March 3. Dunn had been married to the late director Douglas Camfield, who died in 1984 and had directed all three stories. (Thanks to Ben Jolly, Phillip Madeley)

There have been a few reports of faults and problems with playing the March North America DVD releases, The Seeds of Death and The Three Doctors. If you have trouble with your DVDs, send email tocustomerservice@bbc.co.uk and let them know, whether you bought the discs from BBC America Shop or not. Let them know where you bought the DVD from, in what way it's faulty, and what make and brand of DVD player you use; any information given them to help narrow down this problem will help avoid problems in future and they may be able to tell you how to get a replacement disc. (Thanks to Steve Manfred)

Below are both the final version of the cover illustration for the forthcoming BBC Radio Collection CD release of The Wheel in Space -- which for the first time will be narrated by Wendy Padbury -- and the provisional (and possibly final) cover for the UK DVD release of The Green Death, both due in May. Click on each for a larger version. Update: we now have the final version of the "Green Death" cover, which artist Clayton Hickman sent us to update the provisional one; click on it below! (Thanks to Tenth Planet, Clayton Hickman)

Further to our news story yesterday about the new writers, we've confirmed that Steven Moffat will be penning two episodes for the forthcoming season, a fact apparently mentioned in the latest DWM. Additionally, the BBC press office has put out a press release confirming the details; there's no real new information in it, though it mentions Rob Shearman's Big Finish credentials but nothing else about him, and strangely states that Paul Cornell has written 'two Doctor Who series'. BBC News has also gotten into things with an article here. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)