Issue 367 of Doctor Who Magazine will be out on 2 March and the press release and cover are below; click on the thumbnail for a larger version. (Thanks to Tom Spilsbury/DWM)

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, due out officially next week, carries a new free CD, The Veiled Leopard. The audio stars Nicola Bryant (Peri), Caroline Morris (Erimem), Philip Olivier (Hex) and Sophie Aldred (Ace). Says the blurb: "Monte Carlo, 1966: Four time travellers. Two missions. One costumed ball. The Doctor has sent Peri and Erimem to prevent the fabulous Veiled Leopard diamond from being stolen. Which is odd, seeing at the Doctor has sent Ace and Hex to steal the diamond. How will the two teams cope with this contradictory task? Will Peri's asp slip? Why does Ace have to pretend to be a French maid? How will Erimem cope with Pharaoh Rammalamadingdong? And can Hex really 'do posh'?"

The new issue of DWM has details of Big Finish's plans for the second half of 2006. The monthly Doctor Who releases continue with The Nowhere Placeby Nicholas Briggs (Sixth Doctor, July), followed by Red by Stewart Sheargold (Seventh Doctor, August); The Reaping (Sixth Doctor, September, formerly "Dead Man Walking"), which features a trip to Baltimore to meet Peri's mother, and The Gathering (Fifth Doctor, September), both by Joseph Lidster; Memory Lane by Eddie Robson (Eighth Doctor, October); We Are the Dead by Martin Day (Seventh Doctor, November); andCircular Time, featuring four "seasonal tales" by Paul Cornell and Mike Maddox (Fifth Doctor, December). There will also be a subscribers-only single-CD release at the end of the year, Return of the Daleks by Nicholas Briggs, which will be "a crossover of sorts" with Briggs's earlier Dalek Empire series.

A few notes also came up at the recent Gallifrey 2006 convention about the year's earlier items: The Kingmaker by Nev Fountain is "a comedy".Something Inside was altered to use that title instead of the original "The Cube" because Trevor Baxendale decided he didn't want to have any associations with the cult film "Cube," which he hadn't heard of when he wrote the story. The next series of Gallifrey will be the last one, for creative reasons (producer Gary Russell says it will have reached its logical conclusion). Down the road, there will be eventually a story set in the trenches of WW1, a story based around the assassination of Lincoln and a pseudo-historical set around the British occupation of India.

Big Finish has just recorded two Bernice Summerfield audios. There are eight Benny Summerfield audios planned for release this year. Series star Lisa Bowerman will be directing an installment of Big Finish's other series, "The Tomorrow People".

(Thanks to DWM, Big Finish and John Hutton)

Issue 367 of Doctor Who Magazine has started to reach subscribers - ten days early - and has more news of Series Two, as well as some extra content for mobile users:

According to DWM, mobile phone users will be able to download exclusive additional content before each episode of Series Two airs on BBC One. With scripts by Gareth Roberts, the thirteen instalments of 'Vortext' (the working title) will contain "exclusive footage, state-of-the-art special effects and new material directly linked to the following episode". Russell T Davies reveals that "new material is being shot alongside the regular crew" for each episode, while Gareth Roberts says, "These are proper, full-on productions", which are being made by the team responsible for 'Attack of the Graske' at Christmas.

The new issue suggests that April is the most likely start date for Series 2 and, although the magazine has no news yet of a more definite date, its next issue (368) will carry previews of the first two episodes and is published on 30 March. DWM also reports that Ron Cook (as Mr Magpie), Debra Gillett (Rita), Rory Jennings (Tommy), Marie Lewis (Mrs Gallagher),Sam Cox (Bishop), Jean Challis (Betty) and Jamie Foreman (Eddie) will all be guest starring in 'The Idiot's Lantern'. The guest cast for Episode 11 will include Erica Eirian (as Neighbour), Tim Faraday (Dad), Stephen Marzella (Policeman) and Richard Nichols (Driver).

The director for Episode 10 has also been announced: Dan Zeff, who has previously worked on Linda Green with Phil Collinson.

The title of Episode 6 is confirmed as The Age of Steel.

This month's 'Production Notes' column in DWM is by James Goss, who is in charge of the BBC's official Doctor Who site. He reveals that there will be "dozens" of fictional tie-in sites this year, "not an enormous in-joke for fans - it's a game. Each week you've got a mission. Perhaps it's Mickey needing help after he's accidentally switched off the Earth's satellite defence system..." Goss also states that there will be more content available for video, mobiles and iPod, as well as more commentary tracks (as for 'The Christmas Invasion'); there will also be more video diaries, this time provided by the Doctor Who Confidential team.

Broadcasting

According to Radio Times, The Christmas Invasion will be repeated in the UK on BBC Three at 9pm on Friday 10 February.

Meanwhile, more from ABC Australia on its series two plans, or lack thereof: according to an email sent to a fan, ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs said, "The ABC is currently negotiating the rights for the 'The Christmas Invasion' 2005 special and Series 2 of the new Doctor Who, both starring David Tennant as the 10th Doctor. We anticipate that the Christmas special and the new series will be broadcast later in 2006. At this stage, I cannot be more specific about when this may occur."

There are rumors currently circulating that the BBC has supposedly 'confirmed' April 15 as the date of transmission of Series Two in the UK. In fact, Outpost Gallifrey reported in December that there were rumors of an Easter weekend debut, based on news reports including a press release about the Tenth Doctor novels mentioning Easter weekend; these reports are nothing new. We have been informed that, in fact, no final decision has yet been made on transmission, and in fact the date last year was in flux until approximately six weeks prior. When the BBC makes its final determination and announces it, that is when it will be official.

Doctor Who Magazine Specials

The DWM Special Edition #13 will be The Ninth Doctor Collected Comics,according to the latest issue, with all four comic strips from last year's DWM, as well as 'Mr Nobody' from "The Doctor Who Annual 2006." Also, already listed on Amazon, the early autumn publication of The Doctor Who Storybook 2007 is also confirmed in the new DWM. Comprising a jacket by Alister Pearson, 84 pages, seven illustrated stories and a 15-page comic strip by Scott Gray, this will be a 7.99 hardback.

Press Coverage

Manchester Online has a new article about the series "Dancing On Ice" on ITV1 on Saturdays. It notes the high prospects of two Doctor Who celebrities when it says "Current odds-on favourite is actor John Barrowman, who was born in Scotland but raised in America. The Broadway and West End stage star is best known for his role as Captain Jack in Doctor Who. 'I was fortunate growing up,' he says. 'My family had a lake, which our neighbourhood all shared, and the parents used to clear off part of the lake and we would ice skate and play hockey. We got a little adventurous when the ice was hard enough and we'd go in a swamp area where the lake froze - all the trees froze out of the lake and we had all these obstacles to go around.' John - who also co-presented one series of former BBC1 Saturday morning show Live And Kicking - has made no secret of his desire to win alongside partner Olga Sharutenko. 'I'm going for broke. It's a competition and I'm probably one of the most competitive people you'll meet.' Aiming to stop him is second favouriteBonnie Langford, who also knows a thing or two about dancing. But the former child star says there's a big difference when ice is involved. 'I'd never, ever, skated in my life before. I never put skates anywhere near my foot because being a dancer, you never did. It's a very late venture in my life.'"

The Guardian has published a Dalek-themed cartoon commenting on the
British government's new incapacity benefit rules.

The Sun features a new interview with Tom Baker. "Dr Who legend Tom Baker says he would consider a shock return to the hit sci-fi show - despite never having watched it in his life. The veteran actor is one of the most-famous Timelords ever, having spent a record seven-year stint in the role. But the 72-year-old, who quit the show in 1981, told us he'd now think about a comeback. He said: 'If they could come up with a good enough part I would consider it. It would depend what the proposition was. But I wouldn't want to make an entrance just for a cheap laugh. I've got nothing against cheap laughs but I just don't need to do that now. I'd rather have an interesting part... for a few minutes at least.' Amazingly, Tom has never seen an episode of the show, which returned to screens last year starring Christopher Eccleston and later David Tennant in the lead role. He laughed: 'I haven't even seen it. I didn't watch the show when I was in it so I'm not about to watch it with someone else in it. They send me all the DVDs but I never watch them. I usually give them away. It isn't some big principle - I just can't be bothered.'" Read more of the interview, which also discusses his appearances in "Little Britain" and mentions his BT voiceover job.

The Independent also has an interview wih Tom, which it calls "Tom Baker: The 5 Minute Interview". "Being the voice of text appeals to me because ... Everybody wants to give good news. All my life I wanted to. And text is largely good news and making people happy. If I wasn't talking to you right now I'd be ... Telling lies to someone else. A phrase I use far too often is ... 'Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.' I say it often to my wife who is a good deal younger than me, but she doesn't often see the joke." The full interview is available at their website.

The Independent today features the obituary of John Woodnutt who last month we reported passed away. "John Woodnutt was one of the most prolific character actors from the golden age of television drama, his long, thin face well suited to expressing disapproval, particularly as cold officials or implacable villains. ... He appeared in four Doctor Who stories, beginning with Jon Pertwee's debut 'Spearhead From Space' (1970), also the first in colour, later playing scaly, pointy-headed aliens in 'Frontier in Space' (1973) and 'Terror of the Zygons' (1975), before being cast as an elder in Tom Baker's penultimate story, 'The Keeper of Traken' (1981). In the same vein, he did the extremely silly The Tomorrow People (1973), and was a villainous Thin Man in The Boy from Space (1971)." The full obit is at the site.

The Norfolk Eastern Daily Press says that "Dozens of Daleks are heading to Holt in June - but their invasion has a mission to entertain rather than exterminate. The mechanised monsters will join in fun events such as trolley dashes and themed breakfasts. They are among the stars of a Dr Who weekend which will see the town's Georgian streets replete with a range of science-fiction and comic-book characters. Organiser Nigel Pearce said they aimed to attract 100 Daleks to 'roam the town'. There will be sci-fi breakfasts at Byford's cafe and the trolley dash, as well as a parade with other Dr Who enemies like Cybermen. It was hoped ex-Doctor Colin Baker would appear during the weekend, with the East Anglian Air Ambulance the main benefactor. Co-promoter Andy Argyle said the event would also feature characters from Star Wars, Star Trek and comic books like Spiderman. The carnival day and parade has been cancelled, but a treasure hunt, quiz and family disco will go ahead, linked to the Dr Who festival. The country park is holding an orienteering competition on June 24 at 2pm. A buffet at the Feathers Hotel will feature actors such as Terry Molloy, who played the Daleks' evil creator Davros. Sunday events will be centred on the market place."

Several websites have new reviews of the Beginning Boxed Set DVD release including VideoBusiness, Computer CrowsNest.

Radio 4's current Book of the Week is "Tete a Tete", Hazel Rowley's biography of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, read by Eleanor Bron ("City of Death," "Revelation of the Daleks"). Meanwhile you can hearChristopher Eccleston pitching in on reading duty for the network's interminable history series This Sceptred Isle: Empire. Both are available for up to seven days via the bbc's Listen Again service, here for Book of the Week and here for This Sceptred Isle: Empire.

In brief... there's more coverage of the announcement of Tom Baker as the new voice of BT mobile at BBC News, The Register, The Guardian,Reuters, Computing, WhatPC, Engadget, Channel Four, ITN,ComputerActive,Stuff NZ, Infomatics Online, Funny.co.uk, IT Week, Hecklerspray, Cellular News, Special Broadcasting Service. Plus, there is a new press release from BT.

Meanwhile, there's more coverage of Billie Piper's award at the official Doctor Who website as well as The Stage,RTE; and more mentions ofMaureen Lipman in Series Two at FemaleFirst, DigitalSpy.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Faiz Rehman, Dave Masters, Robert Davis, Matt Kimpton and Murray Harper)

According to the latest DWM, Big Finish will soon embark on a new four-part miniseries, beginning this September: actorTerry Molloy, who played Dalek creator Davros on television and in several audios for the company, "will star in I, Davros, the definitive chronicle of the journey from man to monster to Creator of the Daleks and then Nemesis of the Doctor". The four plays will be written by Gary Hopkins ('The Last', 'Other Lives'), James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown ('Live 34'), Lance Parkin('Davros', 'Primeval', 'The Gallifrey Chronicles', etc. etc.) and Scott Alan Woodard ('The Juggernauts'). DWM reports that elements of [the 2003 release] 'Davros' will be woven into this new mini-series, which is directed by Gary Russell and covers Davros's life from teenager to Dalek creator in 'Genesis of the Daleks' on television.

Also coming with the March issue of DWM (#367) will be another Big Finish-produced CD release, "a complete new audio adventure starring Sophie Aldred as Ace, Nicola Bryant as Peri, Caroline Morris as Erimem andPhilip Olivier as Hex."

This week's issue of Doctor Who Magazine has details of the latest additions to the crew and cast of Series Two. According to the magazine, the director for Block Five (two episodes out of Episodes 8 to 13) is James Strong, whose previous directing credits include BBC One's Rocket Man and episodes of Casualty and Holby City.

Further casting announcements for Block Four (episodes unconfirmed, but we're told very likely to be in Mark Gatiss' episode "The Idiot's Lantern," include Edna Dore as Maeve -- Dore's forty-five-year career has included roles in series from "Z Cars" and "Dixon of Dock Green" to "EastEnders", "Our Mutual Friend" and "The Bill"; and, as Trish, Nina Sosanya, well known for a leading role in Channel 4's "Teachers", as well as co-starring with David Tennant in "Casanova" and Billie Piper in "Much Ado about Nothing" last year.Abdul Salis plays Kel, Abisola Agbaje is Chloe andChristopher Driscollplays a Security Guard. The cameo appearance by TV psychic Derek Acorah is also confirmed in the magazine.

According to Phil Collinson, the series producer, Block Three filming was nearing completion as DWM went to press and that the readthrough for Episodes 7 and 11 (Block Four) had been scheduled for Wednesday 18 January, with a day's rehearsal the next day before starting filming. Block Five is starting pre-production and Block Six will be a single episode and filmed last, with some double-banking alongside Block Five (repeating a pattern from the previous series' schedule). Director Graeme Harper is now editing his episodes, Episode 1's final mix took place on Friday 6 January, and Episode 4's incidental music and special effects were due to be completed by Friday 20 January.

Meanwhile, the first four editions of the second series of Doctor Who Confidential, BBC Three's accompanying documentary series, now have titles, and DWM confirms that these are 'New New Doctor', 'Fear Factor', Friends Reunited' and 'From Script to Screen'.

Finally, the magazine confirms that there will be a second series of 'vanilla' (meaning no extras) DVD releases this year, this year broken into five volumes... the first one will feature "The Christmas Invasion" and "New Earth," with the other four featuring three episodes each. The series will follow the same pattern as last year's Series One releases, with a boxed set with extra features in the autumn.

For more, including the latest Production Notes column and additional information, pick up the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#366), on newsstands today.

Issue #366 of Doctor Who Magazine is due out next week and we have a preview... click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover. (Thanks to Tom Spilsbury/DWM)

Confirming a story we ran in early December, the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms the launch of Doctor Who Adventures in the spring. It will retail at 1.99 and will be published fortnightly, with a free gift with each issue. Aimed "primarily at 6-12-year-old boys", it will comprise "comic strips, interviews, competitions and puzzles" - as Russell T Davies comments, a format that's "exactly what DWM was, when it was originally launched as Doctor Who Weekly in 1979". The magazine’s editor is Vincent Vincent and contributors include Moray Laing. DWM itself will continue to carry its own comic strip. Outpost Gallifrey previously announced this after one of our readers located a job advert for "Doctor Who Adventures" on the BBC's jobs site, which was removed shortly thereafter.

Issue #365 of Doctor Who Magazine has more news of Series Two, including official confirmation that the episode being written by Stephen Fry and formerly scheduled as Episode 11 will now appear in Series Three; the writer of its replacement is confirmed as Matthew Graham, co-creator of "Life on Mars", which is about to begin transmission on BBC One. Graham's participation was first noted in a BBC press release in December which mentioned him as one of Series Two's writers. Russell T Davies explains to DWM that Fry's episode has been rescheduled because it fits better with his overall season outline and "to allow extra time to plan some of the FX and prosthetics". As with Series One, the eleventh episode was "left blank" in Davies' outline, and Graham's script was actually commissioned at the same time as Fry's, always with the possibility that it would appear in Series Two not Three, and its first draft was delivered on 20 September. The episode will be made as part of production block four, directed by Euros Lyn, with Mark Gatiss' ‘The Idiot's Lantern' (Episode 7).

Also, as well as confirming Nicholas Briggs return to the series for voicing of the Cybermen (which was previously announced here), DWM reveals that the Cybermen two-parter (Episodes 5 and 6, the first of which we've reported bears the title "Rise of the Cybermen") will feature Mona Hammond as Rita-Anne and Raji James as Dr Singh. Both actors are known to UK audiences for regular roles in EastEnders. Block Three -- Episodes 5 and 6 and/or two other episodes, which Outpost Gallifrey believes is the final two-parter, "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" -- will also featureHadley Fraser as Gareth, Oliver Mellor as Matt, Rachel Webster as Eileen, and Takako Akashi, Hajaz Akram, Maddi Cryer, Anthony Debaeck, Paul Fields, Kyoko Morita and Andrew Ufondu in unspecified roles.

Additionally, joining the cast of Block Three episodes is David Warwick, playing the Police Commissioner. Warwick is the latest actor from the classic Doctor Who series to return to the series in its new incarnation; Warwick played Kimus in Douglas Adams' 1978 serial "The Pirate Planet" starring Tom Baker, and later appeared in two audios for Big Finish, "The Harvest" starring Sylvester McCoy and "Gallifrey: A Blind Eye" featuring Lalla Ward and Warwick's real-life wife, former Doctor Who companion Louise Jameson (Leela). (Warwick will also appear, as Outpost Gallifrey readers will note, at next month's Gallifrey 2006 convention in Los Angeles alongside Jameson.)

For more details on these and other stories, pick up issue 365 of Doctor Who Magazine, now available on newsstands (and see the blurb about and cover of the issue in this news column below, dated January 3).