The official Doctor Who website confirmed the story today, which we reported yesterday from the pages of the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, that Janet Fielding would at last reprise the role of Tegan Jovanka for an audio story to be released next year by Big Finish. "In fact, I'd all but given up asking," Big Finish producer Gary Russell is quoted as saying, with regard to his recent attempts to convince the actress to return to the role. "Then over a lovely dinner a few weeks back she volunteered. 'One,' she said. 'Just the one,' with a steely gaze that told me that it will, indeed, be just the one." Says producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, "I know Peter [Davison] is going to enjoy renewing their sparring partnership, and I hope the fans will get a kick out of hearing this older Tegan getting to say one or two things she probably wanted to get out of her system at the end of Resurrection of the Daleks," indicating that Peter Davison would join her for this audio and that it will take place after the character left the series' continuity. Not noted on the official website was the news that the Tegan story will have character/story links to "Dead Men Walking," an audio starring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and Peri, written by Joseph Lidster (who has also written the Tegan serial, "Summer in the City"); the story features the Cybermen and is due next year. The connection, along with "one or two characters", is Cybertechnology, with the Cybermen returning in Lidster's story, set in Baltimore in 1986, at the home of Peri's parents, "where the Doctor uncovers a sinister plot to reanimate cadavers at a funeral home". The report also notes that Mark Strickson returns for the November audio "Singularity" by James Swallow -- Strickson has not been in an audio for some time -- and that subscribers will receive an additional Sixth Doctor and Peri special CD called "Cryptobiosis" by year's end; the new single-disc story "came from the open-submissions pile" [in 2003], and is written by Elliot Thorpe.

In a stunning reversal from earlier news from the actress herself, the newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that Big Finish has signed Janet Fielding to reprise her role of air stewardess Tegan Jovanka for an audio play to be released in the summer of 2006. Entitled "Summer in the City" and set in her home town of Brisbane, the story will feature the former companion (who joined "Doctor Who" in Tom Baker's final story "Logopolis" and lasted throughout much of Peter Davison's tenure) but it's unclear as to whether she'll be joined by any of her Doctor Who castmates such as Davison. More details soon.

Actor Doug Bradley, best known to horror fans as Pinhead in the "Hellraiser" horror films, has confirmed that he will be guest starring in next year's Big Finish audio Pier Pressure by Robert Ross, due out in February 2006. "I'm going to be in Doctor Who," Bradley told fans. "Whoa... back. Not the TV. I've been sent a script by a small audio production company called Big Finish. They make sci-fi dramas including 'feature-length' Doctor Whos - fully licensed by BBC Worldwide. I heard one a while ago with Peter Davison and was very, very impressed by it. The piece is called Pier Pressure, written by Robert Ross (No relation to Oscar's friend as far as I'm aware), and I will be playing the villain opposite Colin Baker's Doctor. My character is Talbot, a clapped-out end-of-pier fortune teller who has become a conduit for an invading alien evil.........The action takes place in Brighton, England in the 1930s and also features Max Miller." (Thanks to Marcel Hellemons at Bradley's official website and Mark Adams at The Hellbound Web)

Big Finish has informed listeners that both September audio plays, Thicker Than Water by Paul Sutton and Live 34by James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown have been delayed slightly "due to a slight delay at the pressing plant" and will both be out at the end of September. Also, the prologue to the novel The Coming of the Queen by Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett is now available at the site for download; the novel is a biographical work about Erimem, the companion who joined the Fifth Doctor and Peri for recent adventures as played by Caroline Morris.

Big Finish has released details about the forthcomingCyberman audio series, written and directed by Nicholas Briggs and script-edited by John Ainsworth. "The human race is about to become extinct," says the site. "Mankind is fighting a long and costly war with its android creations in the Orion System. The deadlock must be broken at all costs. The president of Earth must think the unthinkable... 'There is nothing to fear'." The cover for part one, Scorpius due in September, is at right; parts two through four are Fear, Conversion and Telos and will be released in October through December. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

The BBC has issued at press release about the forthcoming third volume of Doctor Who At The BBC from BBC Audio. "Elisabeth Sladen presents another instalment of these hugely successful audio spin-offs featuring an eclectic mix of interviews, features, clips and behind-the-scenes extracts from the past and present worlds of Doctor Who. Researchers have combed the avenues of Time and Space, and the basements of Broadcasting House for this compilation of spin-off moments from the much-loved TV and radio series. In an exclusive coup, this third volume features a rarely heard, ten minute mini-drama starring Jon Pertwee and Elisabeth Sladen. Specially recorded for Glorious Goodwood in 1974, it has never been broadcast and features a host of familiar enemies û including the Daleks! Elsewhere on this two-disc volume, the radio programme Wavelength meets the cast and production team of The Two Doctors; Nationwide investigates the work of the Radiophonic Workshop in 1983; and a group of schoolchildren give their views on the series in Take Two from 1984. The Grumbleweeds enjoy their own exciting adventure in Dr Nobbut-Just; 'Ann Robinson' menaces the Doctor in Dead Ringers; and Jane Asher plays the Doctor's granddaughter in Whatever Happened to...Susan Foreman? Rare interview material includes Frank Bough's Nationwide encounter with fourth Doctor Tom Baker (plus Mary Tamm and Carole Ann Ford), Lalla Ward's appearance on Multi-coloured Swap Shop, and a mid-Eighties radio interview with Sarah Sutton. There are also features on the brand new Doctor Who, including comments from Russell T Davies and Christopher Eccleston, and even the seal of approval from Michael Grade..." The audio is released on September 5.

According to Amazon, BBC Audio will release the complete soundtrack of the classic story The Reign of Terror on February 6, 2006. "The Reign of Terror" is the final story of the first season, and will join the other serials already released on CD, with linking narration (likely provided by William Russell, who has voiced others in the series). (Thanks to Gareth Jelley)

Nebulous, the sci-fi comedy series written by Graham Duff (who wrote the Big Finish audio "Faith Stealer") and produced by Baby Cow for BBC Radio 4 returns for a brand new series in Spring 2006... and special guest star Peter Davison plays Dr Diplodicus in the episode "The Deptford Wives". Says the press information from Radio 4 sent to Outpost Gallifrey: "The year is 2099 and eco scientist Professor Nebulous (Mark Gatiss) discovers that the recent spate of male deaths are all down to one thingà.Deptford Wives. Nebulous sets off to save the world's husbands by tracking down Dr Diplodicus at his bride-breeding sanctuary 'Wife-assic Park'àand comes face to face with a herd of wild Stephanies, and a two hundred and fifty foot Vanessa." More details on the exact broadcast date when we get them.