BBC America has announced that their broadcasts of the new series of Doctor Who will start on April 17th. The date has been reported in the Hollywood trade paper Variety, and has been confirmed on BBC America's website and Facebook page.

The start date for UK broadcast has not yet been officially confirmed. There are reports that a trailer has aired with the date of April 3rd, but this may have been broadcast in error. The BBC's official position is that the series will debut "at Easter".

BBC Worldwide have signed a deal with Sony Pictures Television for some 114 hours of entertainment to be shown across Central and Eastern Europe, including countries like Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro. The package includes Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Primeval.

Says Eddie Nelson, GM of Sony Pictures Television's networks businesses in the region:

The press release comes from the BBC Showcase event taking place in Brighton; the show enables BBC Worldwide to promote television programmes to potential buyers from around the world.

Part Two of The End of Time has debuted in Australia to good ratings. The special averaged 840,000 in the five major capital cities, again against stiff competition from the commercial networks, including a 20/20 international cricket match. It was up 40,000 viewers from Part One and was the ABC's top-rating program of the day, rating higher than the popular Sunday 7pm news.

The Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide has rated Part Two of 'The End of Time' its 'show of the week' with Michael Idato writing that it is 'is nearly but not quite the equal of the series's best episodes...it is, instead, a strange ballet of noise and movement, a super-charged run around the block set to the outstanding musical motifs of Murray Gold, which swirls around the simpler truth of the episode's purpose-to give Tennant's Doctor a final, glorious moment of universe-saving indecision and to serve up a helping of sentiment (with a side-order of tears) as he says a fitting goodbye to his life, as we know it, and the lives of those he holds dear.' Idato and Doug Anderson also rate the finale highly in their daily online video TV guide. Melinda Houston of the The Age is less kind, writing of the departure of Russell T. Davies that 'it's been a fun ride but [he] has an undeniable taste for high melodrama and while he's brought some welcome rough edges to the new-style time lord, and a wicked sense of humour, he's also brought a fair whack of sentimental emoting that's not always so much fun.'

Meanwhile, ABC Online's 'The Drum Unleashed' has an amusing blog comparing the different hosts of the long-running Media Watch program with various incarnations of the Doctor.

Part One of The End of Time has debuted in Australia to respectable ratings. The special averaged 799,000 in the five major capital cities, facing stiff competition from the commercial networks, including a one-day international cricket match.

Meanwhile, David Tennant's final appearances as the Doctor has attracted some local media attention. Carolyn Stewart of the TV Week spoke to Tennant about his departure after four years, who expresses his excitement for his successor Matt Smith, saying that 'it'll be fantastic to see what he does with the role. He's a great actor and is full of ambition for the show. He's hungry for it and I'll think he'll be terrific.' Meanwhile Kerrie Murphy of The Weekend Australian writes of 'The End of Time' that while it is 'dense for those not schooled in Who mythology...once it gets going, it mixes the silly humour with adventure and an emotional undercurrent.' Erin McWhirter of the Herald-Sun also comments of the special that it is 'visually appealing and well scripted' but Conrad Walters of the Sydney Morning Herald is less kind writing that 'aside from a few lovely touches...the story is weaker than loyal viewers have a right to expect.'

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Day One of Torchwood: Children of Earth delivered a record audience for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's digital channel ABC2. The first episode had 190,000 viewers, including time-shifted viewers.

The New Zealand Herald has revealed that The End of Time will air in New Zealand in February.

Part One of David Tennant's swansong is scheduled for Sunday 7th February with Part Two following a week later on the 14th.

TV Tonight blog reports that Part One of The End of Time will make its Australian debut on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Sunday 14 February 2010 at 7.30pm on ABC1. 'TV Tonight' also reports that Part Two of 'The End of Time' will screen the following Sunday, 21 February 2010, also on ABC1 at 7.30pm.

Thanks to TV Tonight.

Following its ratings success with The Waters of Mars, BBC America is broadcasting nothing but Doctor Who for the first 46 hours of 2010. Almost the entire run of David Tennant episodes will be shown starting with the Christmas Invasion at midnight New Year's Day and going right through to The End of Time Part Two ending at 10pm on 2nd January.

The BBC have released a couple of Christmas messages from David Tennant, as The Doctor, wishing viewers a Merry Christmas, both of which are available on the BBC's YouTube Channel.

The last time The Doctor gave a Christmas message was 44 years ago at the end of the episode The Feast of Steven, broadcast on Christmas Day 1965, when William Hartnell raised a glass and wished a 'happy Christmas to all of you at home.'





The YouTube channel also has a number of clips from the upcoming Doctor Who themed edition of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

The 'fast-tracked' The Waters of Mars has debuted in Australia to modest ratings. The special averaged 731,000 in the five major capital cities. Though 'Mars' was still the ABC's top rating drama of the day and its second highest rating show after the 7pm news. The trailer for The End of Time also immediately followed the special, although the ABC is yet to confirm when it will broadcast the two-part special in the new year.

Meanwhile, 'Mars' and the casting of Australian actor Peter O'Brien as 'Bowie Base One' second-in-command, Ed Gold, has also attracted some local media attention. Debbie Schipp of The Sunday Telegraph has spoken to O'Brien about his appearance in the iconic show, who jokes that 'all the interiors were done in Wales, and then we had to go to Mars for the exteriors'. The Herald-Sun, The Daily Telegraph and The Sun-Herald also feature interviews with the Aussie actor. Kerrie Murphy of The Weekend Australian writes of 'Mars' that it is 'an absolute ripper, mixing rapid-fire humour with a complex and emotional story.' Scott Ellis of The Sunday Age also comments that 'fans will not be disappointed, especially by his new companion, 59 year-old Captain Adelaide Brooke.'