BBC-1 Controller Lorraine Heggessey earlier this week confirmed to various UK listings magazines that when Doctor Who returns to television, it'll be running in the traditional Saturday evening time slot. But, more interestingly, before the new series kicks-off, Heggessey is proposing to run polls in the UK TV listings magazines to find out which Doctor Who stories are the public's favourite (on a Doctor, by Doctor basis). The BBC will then run a repeat of each of the favourites in that Saturday night slot to drum up publicity for the new series. (Thanks to our friends at tv.cream.org)

Issue 68 of Time Space Visualizer, the journal of the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club (NZDWFC) has been released. TSV 68 features a rare interview with Janet Fielding (recorded during her New Zealand visit earlier this year) in which she talks about life before, during and after Doctor Who, provides a Snakedance commentary and tells how she was asked to do Big Finish and what her response was. The packed, 100 page issue also features Robert Shearman's views on Season 20, a history of Target Books distribution in New Zealand, Andrew Pixley's guide to script cuts from Day of the Daleks, reviews of the latest books, DVDs, CDs and more. TSV is available by mail order - details available atwww.doctorwho.org.nz. (Thanks to Paul Scoones)

BBC Worldwide has issued full press releases for two forthcoming, previously announced, releases: the UK DVD release of The Three Doctors and the UK VHS release of The Reign of Terror Boxed Set. The press releases are below.

Radio Times editor Gill Hudson on BBC Radio 4's "The Message" on October 3: discussing RT's 80th anniversary and the "Doctor Who is #1" poll, Hudson mentions she had no idea DW was coming back... she thinks the news leaked and the Beeb was forced to announce the return before they'd planned!

David Bishop's Doctor Who novel Who Killed Kennedy, which was originally published by Virgin Books as an "extra" for their line of Missing Adventures novels, will soon be revived as an e-book on the TSV New Zealand website. The book, out of print for six years, was given to TSV to make the text of the novel freely available for readers, as has been done by BBCi with their current run of Doctor Who electronic book reprints. "IÆm immensely fond of Who Killed Kennedy," the author says. "It was my first official Doctor Who novel and a true labour of love. Alas, Virgin losing the licence meant the book has been unavailable for years. But getting it republished online is the next best thing." The novel will be made available in weekly instalments, building up to a complete online novel. Bishop will also provide background information on the genesis of his novel and notes on each of the individual chapters, including explanations of the huge number of continuity references seeded throughout the text. "Fortunately IÆve got help from New ZealandÆs continuity guru Jon Preddle to annotate the many, many Who references in the story. IÆll also be writing about the genesis of the book and how it became a JFK tie-in." Additionally, Bishop plans to produce a rewritten æauthorÆs cutÆ that will appear alongside the original novel as an alternative version. This new version will remove the JFK elements of the story altogether, thus giving the novel a new climax. "I was never satisfied with the Kennedy aspects of the novel," David says. "They felt bolted on at the time and still donÆt sit well with the rest of the story, seven years later. So when the NZDWFC started talking with me about putting the book online, I suggested publishing two versions - the printed novel with the Kennedy elements and a special online version with a freshly written beginning and end. Anyone visiting the site can choose which version they prefer to read." The e-book is planned to launch on the TSV website at www.doctorwho.org.nz on 22 November 2003 - the 40th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, and of course just one day before Doctor WhoÆs own 40th anniversary. (Thanks to Paul Scoones and David Bishop)

Janet Fielding to TSV on why she's not doing Big Finish audios: "If you don't shut the door behind you at some point in your life, you'll never move on... I've been there, I've done it. On to adventures new."

Daily strip in the October 3 "Guardian" by Steve Bell, "Queer as Daleks"... featuring Tony Blair and his cronies as Daleks at the Labour Party conference. Bell's done Blair as a Dalek before but this must be a reference to Russell Davies & the new show... closet Who fan??

BBC News responds to yesterday's claims by Tom Baker that Eddie Izzard would be the next Doctor: "The corporation says no final decision has been made on who will star in the TV show when it returns in 2005," says the report. "A BBC spokesman described Baker's comments as speculation." Read the full article here.
          Dead Ringers' Jon Culshaw was interviewed on BBC1's about the Labour Party conference. The conversation moved to Iraq & the Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon. Culshaw said he was delighted that "Dr Hoon was returning' and that he didn't feel that they would have much problem against the Ice Warriors! A bit of free series publicity there... (Thanks to Stephen Graves, Steve Jones)

Telos Publishing has released details about the final two Doctor Who novellas to be produced under its license. The fifteenth novella, The Dalek Factor by Simon Clark, was previously confirmed, but new details today indicate that the one novella previously unmentioned is Blood and Hope by Iain McLaughlin, which brings the Fifth Doctor and Peri together with Erimem, the companion created for the Big Finish audios starring Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant. This is Erimem's first appearance in print. Full details of both novellas are listed below. Also noted are the second and third novels in their "Time Hunter" series, spun-off from the Doctor Who novella "The Cabinet of Light" with characters Honor? Lechasseur and Emily Blandish: they are Stefan Petrucha's "The Tunnel at the End of the Light" and "The Clockwork Woman" by Claire Bott. Meanwhile, Telos has noted that Tara Samms' Doctor Who novella "Frayed" has been delayed due to approval issues and should be released in December. (Thanks to David Howe, Roger Anderson)

Would popular transvestite comedian Eddie Izzard make a good Doctor? Tom Baker thinks so. In an interview on the Teletext website Baker notes the following: "I think Eddie would be good as he's so strange, he looks like he has secrets. There is a benevolent alien quality to him." Baker goes on to stated that former Sun Page Three girl Melinda Messenger would be a great companion: "Melinda would be good as she can scream and has bosoms. It doesn't really matter if she can act." Tom would like the opportunity to play the Master in a new production; "I want to play the villain instead of the goodie," Baker says. "Then the Doctor could say lines to me like, 'You look very familiar'."
          Update: Forget being Tom Baker's favorite... the former Fourth Doctor says that Eddie Izzard is the next Doctor, although it's more than likely to be in jest. Tom, speaking on BBC London News this evening, said in a three-minute interview that he was "sworn to secrecy" but then later outed Izzard (see next news item) as the new Doctor. In response to Richard E. Grant playing the role on TV, Tom said "Oh Christ, no, not Richard E. Grant"; then, he stated that it would be Izzard. Again, we'd like to stress that it's very likely Mr. Baker was being clever rather than legitimately announcing Izzard being the Doc. You may be able to find the video of it here.
          We've been told that one other fan news site is suggesting that it will be Paul McGann reprising the role, but Outpost Gallifrey has been told that it will likely be "a new actor" by several sources.