Issue 360 of Doctor Who Magazine is not only due... in fact, it's out (at least to subscribers). Here's the release info about this edition (with thanks to Clay Hickman and Tom Spilsbury).

Find out more about the new-look Tenth Doctor - including some exclusive images not seen anywhere else - in the latest issue of the official Doctor Who Magazine!

In this month's edition, executive producer Russell T Davies chats about new Doctor Who, David Tennant, in the second part of our exclusive interview: "David worked very closely with our new costume designer, Louise Page, on the Tenth Doctor's look. We've been talking loose ties, scruffy jackets and sneakers for months now. It's good to see them at last! It's a little bit punk, a bit scruffy, a bit student-y, even a bit schoolboy-ish, and yet with the smartness of a suit thrown in. Oh, and I can't tell you the days and days and days of work that went into getting the right pinstripe!"

Meanwhile, Rose's mum - alias Camille Coduri - chats about Jackie's close encounters; production designer Ed Thomas talks about his designs for the Doctor's universe; and there's a quick chat with Elisabeth Sladen about her imminent return as Sarah Jane Smith!

On top of this, Gallifrey Guardian reports all the latest news from the Doctor Who set - including exclusive casting news, and more info on November's DVD box set - and an old favourite returns to DWM's pages after many years away!

Plus there's the second part of the new comic strip adventure The Cruel Sea written by Dalek author Robert Shearman; the results of the 2004 DWM survey; reviews of Boom Town, Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways - and all the usual features.

DWM 360 goes on sale on Thursday 18 August, priced ú3.99.

A few items of note making the rounds today: according to the latest issue of Doctor Who magazine, "The Sunshine Camp" is notthe title for the first episode (though of course, it doesn't say what that title actually is...) The rest of it what's transpired is mostly casting and other rumors making the rounds, so we've protected them in the spoiler tags below; click on it to read.

Outpost Gallifrey will be catching up over the next week on the press coverage that happened throughout July; there was a lot of it, but very little was actually consequential, so we've kept the news page updated with the major stories in the meanwhile. Here's some of the highlights of press coverage from this past week:

The Sun featured an article about the start of production with some photos (collected from the official press photographers Outpost Gallifrey has linked to over the past several days). "The Time Lord clutches the hand of assistant Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, as they film on a South London council estate," says the sun, which shows a wintry TARDIS scene and robotic Santas. "David [Tennant], 33, donned a natty pinstripe suit for one scene with Billie [Piper], 22 - before changing into a leather jacket." The Daily Star also covered the start of filming, asking "Who else but the Doctor could conjure up wintry scenes like these slap-bang in the middle of summer? While Britain lurches from heatwaves to tornados, the Doc's sexy sidekick Rose is wrapping up warm... Piper looks chilled to the bone as she shoots a special festive edition of the sci-fi smash. ... These new shots of the Doctor clasping hands with Rose seem to show that things are set to pick up where they left off. Pictured on a south London housing estate, the Timelord and Rose looked very close as they filmed a Christmas special." More coverage of the start of production at ITV, Channel 4, Digital Spy,Regional Film and Video, CBBC,

BBC News says that "he's been a dandy, an Edwardian cricketer and most famously wore a long scarf. Doctor Who's togs change as he regenerates. And the latest Time Lord is kitted out in high fashion. Flamboyant. Garish. Bizarre. Seldom does Time Lord fashion make it to the High Street. Until now. When David Tennant takes over the role later this year, it will be in what he describes as 'geek chic'." The article describes the cocstume as "the type of man Kate Moss might date, kitted out in a brown pin-stripe suit, white shirt - unbuttoned at the collar - a loose tie and scruffy white Converse trainers. The ensemble, put together by a freelance costume designer, is finished off with a long brown trench coat, a cross between old hack's Mac and flasher attire. The suit is skinny and crumpled - much tighter and Norman Wisdom will be demanding copyright. The look is just-got-out-of-bed, dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards, only-thing-I-could-find. It's Franz Ferdinand cum Kaiser Chiefs. But is it Time Lord? Does it have the gravitas, the power and the magic that goes with such an eminent position? Will it make the Slitheen, the Autons and the Gelth quake in their boots, or will it simply reduce the Daleks to helpless laughter? Only time will tell, but the new look should further cement the popularity of the series." The Guardian says that "last season was all rather jolly (RIP Christopher Eccleston), but the next one is already winning, fashion-wise - not something one thought one would ever say about a show associated with weird hats and 70s perms. The lovely David Tennant has wisely ditched the leather jacket, a garment loaded with embarrassing 'rocker dad' connotations, and kitted himself out in a charming tweedy suit with white trainers. For some reason, the BBC has dubbed it 'geek chic', as if any man not wearing an Asbo hoodie must be a nerd. And we pay our licence fee to these ignoramuses? So Saturday evenings will now be spent leching over - sorry, watching - TV. Sorry, swains." Additional mentions of this at Media Guardian, The Times, Manchester Evening News, The Daily Record, The Herald (Glasgow), The Scotsman, The Western Mail, Ananova, The Daily Mail, The Examiner, Ireland Online, Megastar, Glasgow Evening Times, Syfyportal,Hello Magazine, IC Wales, Sky News. (Note that some of these also feature comments about the start of production.)

The official Doctor Who website has a feature article on some of the new toys due out later this year, including a 12" remote control Dalek, action figures of the Doctor, Rose and a Slitheen, character walkie-talkies, sonic screwdrivers, Sound Effects mugs, a talking TARDIS moneybank with speech and a TARDIS desk Phone Flasher.

David Tennant says he wants to be the first naked Time Lord. The actor has joked he would love to film a whole series with nothing but computer technology to protect his modesty: "I'm going to be nude throughout. It's a whole new thing, with a bit of pixelation around the groin." But seriously, he says, he does have a new costume. Tennant tells the Sun: "Casanova and the Doctor have a similar joy and wit about them. There is less sh**ging in 'Doctor Who', but who knows? We might change that, too!" Also reported at Female First. Also CBBC has a poll where you can vote on the Doctor's new costume.

The BBC Press Office last week put out a press release with highlights of David Tennant's interview in the new issue of DWM, in which Tennant notes that he's paid a bit of attention online. "Well, when I was announced, I admit, I did go on [Doctor Who website] Outpost Gallifrey to have a quick look, because I just couldn't help myself, and everyone was encouraging me to go on and see what the fans were saying about me. So I went on there and the first comment I read was very nice, and the next comment was terribly flattering, and then the next one said something like 'I can't bear the sight of him!' And the one after that said 'Who?' The one after that said 'I'd rather have David Morrissey.' The one after that said 'That's it! The dream is finished! Somebody who looks like a weasel could never play the Doctor! It's over!' And then I thought to myself that maybe it's best not to read this sort of thing too much!" Naturally, Tennant's comments -- obviously meant as a side note -- were taken by the media and turned into a major story, reported in BBC News, Daily Record, Western Mail, the City Beat, U.TV, Evening Standard, Daily Post, Monsters and Critics, RTE, and in print editions. (Outpost Gallifrey wishes to remind everyone that a couple negative comments on the forum do not reflect the opinions of this website or the opinions of fans and fandom in general.)

Other items: The Stage features a report about dramas dominating ITV's autumn schedule in the wake of their catastrophic fall opposite Doctor Who this spring; Sunday Life features a short piece about an actress, Lisa Hogg, who says she auditioned for Doctor Who when it looked like Billie Piper was set to leave; The Sun mentions today that Billie Piper's role in the forthcoming autumn BBC1 serial "Much Ado About Nothing" features her as a 'sexy weathergirl'; theHexham Courant discusses a local school production "Return to the Forbidden Planet" featuring a Dalek; and more mentions of Queen Elizabeth II being a fan at The Mirror, Ananova, Female First.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, Andrew Harvey, Paul Hayes, Mustafa Hirji, Paul Greaves, John Bowman, Mark Healey)

Published in August, details of the first Doctor Who Annual since 1985 have been featured in the latest DWM. The upcoming annual will feature "Mr Nobody", a comic strip by Scott Gray, John Ross and James Offredi, and four text stories: "The Masks of Makassar" by Paul Cornell; "What I Did on My Christmas Holidays" by Steven Moffat; "Doctor vs. Doctor" by Gareth Roberts; and "Pitter-Patter" by Robert Shearman. Russell T. Davies has contributed two features û "Meet the Doctor" and "Meet Rose" û and Benjamin Cook has a behind-the-scenes report. There will also be puzzles by Gareth Roberts and "a æWho's Who' by Philip MacDonald", as well as a frontispiece by Alister Pearson, "a full-colour illustration of the Doctor and Rose".

Issue #359 of Doctor Who Magazine will be out this week. The press release and cover are below; click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine has started to reach subscribers and some retailers, and its attention is already turning to Series Two and this year's Christmas special. The magazine went to press before negotiations between the BBC and Billie Piper for her appearance throughout the next series were completed, although Russell T Davies is quoted advising readers "don't worry too much about scare stories in the papers or other magazines." DWM is, however, able to confirm that both Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler) and Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith) will be returning for "a good few episodes". The same report (again perhaps suffering from printing deadlines) suggests that John Barrowman will not be back "for the time being" (Series Three is mentioned in this context), although this seems to be at odds with statements made at the BAFTA screening of "The Parting of the Ways" last week; Davies attributes any non-appearance for Captain Jack to "the results of the DoctorÆs regeneration. Jack [à] would take regeneration in his stride. We need to see RoseÆs dilemma." Also revealed are some working titles for the second series: the third episode, School Reunion, is by Toby Whitehouse; Russell T Davies is writing Army of Ghosts, which is the twelfth episode. The Christmas Invasion, meanwhile, is referred to as æEpisode XÆ to avoid confusion in the production office! Block One, directed by James Hawes, comprises "The Christmas Invasion", Episode 1 and "School Reunion". Block Two, directed byEuros Lyn, and Block Three directed by Graeme Harper will be two and four episodes respectively, although it is not yet known exactly which episodes these will be. There is also a new script editor, alongside Helen Raynor: with Elwen Rowlands moving on to Life on Mars, Simon Winstone (who has worked on EastEnders and is a former editor at Virgin BooksÆ Doctor Who range in the 1990s) has joined the crew. There will also be changes at Wardrobe and Make-up, as Lucinda Wright, Davy Jones and Linda Davie depart and discussions are being finalised with their replacements. The Mill and Neill Gorton have renewed their contracts. Finally, Russell T Davies comments that the Tenth Doctor "will encounter one or two elements from Series One", then muddies the waters by saying, "the presence of Jackie and Mickey might already have given away that little secret!" Beyond that, heÆll give nothing away. Pick up issue 358 of Doctor Who Magazineon the shelves on Thursday.

DWM has also confirmed that this November's boxed set release of the first season on DVD will feature all 13 episodes in 5.1 stereo surround sound mix for the first time, and that the set will have over 200 minutes of special features, with "a special episode" of "Doctor Who Confidential", exclusive to this release.

Canada's Planet of the Doctor web documentary has been completed, with parts 5 and 6, Doctor Who and Culture I and II, now available online. An additional special episode, The Nine Doctors, is also available. All can be viewed at the CBC website.

More comments about "Parting of the Ways"... in today's Daily Star: "It's the ones you love that always break your heart and, after my tidal wave of gushy emotions over Dr Who, blow me if the last episode wasn't . . . well . . . a little bit pish. Don't get me wrong. I was gripped throughout and tears were in my eyes when Eccleston gave his farewell speech. And that's what made the writing so brilliant. Because these flowery speeches masked the fact that actually the plot of the last episode was bollocks."

An article at Rainbow Network discusses Crusaid's recent Walk for Life, a charity event that raised ú325,000 to fight HIV and AIDS with 4200 register walkers. John Barrowman participated and said, "Walk for Life shows me that there are five to six thousand people who are in support of people living with HIV; that they're in support of finding a cure for HIV; and that they're in support of having fun. ItÆs a great day out and a great way to see London."

The official BBC website is asking for feedback about how fans have enjoyed the site this year and what they'd like to see in the future. "Help us plan what we should be doing in the future, and tell us what you think about the website so far... What are your favourite/least favourite bits of the website? What kind of video content would you like to see more of? Should we make more of sites like badwolf and UNIT? Are there enough pictures? Should WhoSpy return - and if so, how could it be different? Do you have any ideas of the kind of content you'd like to see on your phone/interactive tv/infra-red head set?" A list of comments are also available on that page. (And thank you to the folks who have made kind comments about Outpost Gallifrey in the process!)

Down in Australia, the Courier Mail says of "Dalek": "Saturday marks the return to the small screen of the most evil creature to trundle through the universe. Yes, it's the moment every Doctor Who fan has been waiting for -- the Daleks are back. ... The return of the Daleks this Saturday night should be cause for celebration. Alas, they have been hijacked by the hand-wringing forces of political correctness. ... Don't let this put you off watching this episode, because there are some marvellous developments, the least of which is discovering how Daleks have finally mastered the art of climbing stairs. But be aware that the ending, in which the Dalek succumbs to the ultimate expression of self-pity after being infected with human DNA, is a cop-out of the first magnitude. It entirely misses the point of the Daleks. They are there to be hated. Their absolute evil is essential to the balance of the universe." And in The Age: "For the filming of this very special and interesting episode of the remastered, new-millennium Doctor Who, all cast and crew were issued with extra-large umbrellas to protect them from the flecks of spittle flying from Christopher Eccleston's mouth, such is his overacting. ... It's been tempting to jump aboard the backlash bandwagon against the return of Doctor Who, and though I was never really a fan, I've always had time for the wacky concepts, cheesy low-end production values and sheer pace of this most enduring of television space operas - an appreciation that has been enhanced by DVD. Even non-fans should find this episode a corker and I just know everybody will get a hearty chuckle as the show knowingly confronts that age-old joke: How does a Dalek climb stairs?"

The Independent reported today on a rather interesting proceeding in Parliament. "Yesterday, as Parliament debated the draconian Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, the Labour backbencher Harry Cohen was hit by a pressing example of heavy-handed political censorship," says the article. "Earlier in the week, Cohen tabled an Early Day Motion praising the BBC's recent series of Doctor Who, starring Christopher Eccleston, right. But before publication, Commons authorities altered the text, to delete references to 'the episode with farting aliens in Downing Street'. Apparently, parliamentary officials were unable to agree on what language (if any) was appropriate to describe bodily functions."

In today's the Newsquest Media Group syndicated column: "I had been forced to watch the late-night repeat of the programme on BBC3, having made a botched attempt to tape the original broadcast on BBC1. We were moments from the end. Christopher Eccleston had just made his exit from the programme and we had been given our first sight of his replacement, David Tennant. He opened his mouth to say his first lines. And exactly at that moment, a blue bar appeared across his face, bearing the words 'Next: Doctor Who confidential.' Yes, this was one of those channels where the programmers think you constantly have to be told what's coming next, no matter how much it might interfere with your enjoyment of what you're seeing at the moment. ... Terrestrial channels already annoy their viewers by squishing up the picture and running intrusive trailers over the credits. This means that, in the unlikely event of a peak-time drama actually leaving you moved or thoughtful, you will instantly be snapped out of the mood and exhorted to watch something much less worthwhile. ... I think this is not just about television. It's about a society where we can't seem to be happy with where we are and what we're doing, just in case we're missing out on something."

Other stories: the Mirror and Scotsman cover an arrest at BBC Wales; and we're told there will apparently be a scene on Monday's edition I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue involving the Doctor and a Dalek in a most romantic scene from "Brief Encounter".

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, David French, Matt Clemson)

Details have now been revealed for the forthcoming DVD release of The Web Planet, the First Doctor serial starring William Hartnell, Jacqueline Hill, William Russell and Maureen O'Brien, due out in the UK in September. According to anarticle now available on the Restoration Team website, the disc will feature a commentary by producer Verity Lambert, director Richard Martin and stars William Russell and Martin Jarvis, with Gary Russell moderating; a making-of featurette called "Tales of Isop" produced by Andrew Beech and edited by John Kelly, which features the four production people in the commentary, plus Maureen O'Brien (interviewed in France), Sonia Markham (make-up) and John Wood (designer); a reading by William Russell of the short story "The Lair of Zarbi Supremo" from the first Doctor Who annual (with the entire annual being made available on the disc in Adobe PDF format); an alternate soundtrack in Spanish for episode six; plus production notes and photo gallery. (The new DWM announces two short stories but it was cut back after the magazine went to print to one.) All six episodes have been remastered from the negatives and VidFIRE processed. (Thanks to the Restoration Team and DWM)

The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine is due out at the end of the week; below is the press release for the issue along with a high-quality version of the cover (click on the thumbnail for a larger version.) (Thanks to Tom Spilsbury/DWM)

Bad Wolf scored 6,229,490 viewers and a 35.91% audience share in overnight ratings, according to ViewingFigures. While the figures are lower than in previous weeks, all viewings for the evening were down (as it's coming up on summer), and "Doctor Who" still beat ITV to rank highest for its time slot.Doctor Who Confidential episode 12 had 621,000 viewers (5% share), the highest rating of the non-terrestrial channels last evening. The late-night repeat of "Bad Wolf" had 247,200 viewers (2.5% share) and the "Confidential" repeat scored 153,400 viewers (2.1% share).

New Zealand fans, take note: PrimeTV will start to screen the new Doctor Who series in July. This according to a report in the Sunday Star Times.

Reactions to "Bad Wolf": The Daily Star praised the "increasingly edible Chris Eccleston" and the idea of introducing death for losing reality TV contestants and felt that it could liven up current schedules. Marshall concluded with: "As I'm in mourning over the end of Doctor Who next week, I'm taking a week off to cry over my Chris Eccleston posters..."Digital Spy calls it "an ace episode, IÆm even warming to Captain Jack, though IÆm unsure quite how well his innuendo charged exchanges with the Doctor are playing with nationÆs seven year olds." The episode made the Critics' Choice in last evening's Financial Times: "When they were last seen, the Doctor, Rose and captain Jack were trapped in a monstrous TV satellite but heading off in different directions. It turns out that they are all to become the victims of sadistic future game shows that bear eerie similarities to contemporary shows, complete with replicant versions of Anne Robinson, Davina McCall, and Trinny and Susannah. Some will applaud this foursome for lending their voices to attacks on what they and their shows represent. Others will not." Charlie Brooker in the Guardian says, "The episode (which finally explains all the 'Bad Wolf' references that have cropped up throughout the series) also finds room for futuristic versions of both The Weakest Link and What Not To Wear. It's not quite clear whether the inherent nastiness of these shows is being satirised or faintly celebrated: perhaps staging crueller facsimiles which didn't use the actual voices of Davina, Anne Robinson et al (who crop up in robotised form) would've been a better way to go. Or perhaps I'm being stuffy. Perhaps it's been included to annoy a specific, rare strain of Who fan: the dusty, real-ale fanatic who thinks this entire series has been a grotesque Hollyoaks respray of the original (which it could so nearly have been), rather than a thrilling and enchanting update occasionally let down by fart jokes (which is what it actually is). Best. BBC. Family. Drama. Series. Ever."

Canada's Planet of the Doctor web documentary continues... episode 4 is now up. You can view it at the CBCwebsite.

According to today's Sunday Mail, new Doctor Who David Tennant has been given an "intergalatic seal of approval" by Tom Baker. "Paisley-born Tennant, 33, has said Baker's performance in the BBC series inspired him to become an actor. Tom, 72, said: 'It makes me feel very happy and proud. I have caught a glimpse of Tennant and he has a kind of mercurial quality. I suppose it's star quality. You can believe he has secrets. I'm looking forward to David being hugely successful.'"

Christopher Eccleston was a phone guest on BBC Radio 5 Live's Eamonn Holmes show on Saturday morning, mainly discussing Malcolm Glazer 's takeover of Manchester United football club, Eccleston having previously tried to prevent this by donating ú10,000. He also took part in a spoof 'pub quiz' where all the answers were 'glazer'. Holmes ended by asking Eccleston if he had enjoyed working on Doctor Who, to which Eccleston intriguingly responded, "Mixed, but that's a long story" and left it at that. The suggestion seemed to be that elements of the experience may have left a sour taste with him.

The Broadcast magazine in the Guardian this week says Doctor Who "has created a must-view Saturday-night slot, but Doctor Who has also stayed true to its creative roots. ... At a time when creative leadership in television is as fragile and elusive as Jonny Wilkinson's fitness, Davies and his editors at the BBC have demonstrated that a passion for the medium, intelligently and uncynically deployed, can deliver what the contrived and compromised cannot - a big Saturday early evening audience of family viewers. Until now 'appointment to view' has been an alien concept for the under-10s - the assumption being that unless a show is stripped and stranded on a daily basis no juvenile can hold in their heads a once-a-week day and time. Doctor Who has proved that the complex weaving of social commentary, acute satire and daft monsters does not have to be the exclusive preserve of The Simpsons. And it has given children a glimpse of that nostalgic concept of shared experience, the type normally enjoyed only via the proxy of a Channel 4 list show - think Stuart Maconie sitting on a Spacehopper eating Spangles in front of Magpie. ... It is a shame Christopher Eccleston signed up for only one series as it is unlikely he will encounter this quality of material to interpret many times in his career - and his audience will certainly never be more gripped and grateful, if a little scared."

Broadcast Now on Thursday carried a large article in praise of the new series, describing it as "a must-view Saturday-night slot" that's had "the momentous achievement of leading broadcast television back onto the path of righteousness [...] the remarkable resurrection of the Time Lord has given us some of the best domestic television of the past decade." The article goes on to applaud "a passion for the medium, intelligently and uncynically deployed, [that] can deliver what the contrived and compromised cannot û a big Saturday early evening audience of family viewers. Until now "appointment to view" has been an alien concept for the under-10s - the assumption being that unless a show is stripped and stranded on a daily basis no juvenile can hold in their heads a once-a-week day and time." The full article can be seen at

In today's Guardian, a positive spin on the new show: "Riding over the hill to the rescue comes Russell T Davies, who, as everyone else in the country now agrees, has delivered a series of Doctor Who better than anyone had imagined was possible. My eyes prick with tears of gratitude as I contemplate his achievement. For not only has he got the whole family round the telly together on a Saturday evening (even Unslack Mum is hooked) - but he also has revitalised the concept of fatherhood. For, by happy chance, while I may not possess the northern accent or the unsettling grin of Christopher Eccleston, I do have the short hair, big ears and nose, leather jacket, and general know-it-all demeanour, sometimes backed up by actual knowledge."

Says Garry Bushell in today's The People: "Big Brother perked up last night. They brought in a new housemate, a bolshie Northerner who didn't want to be there. He was bright, shrewd, rebellious. A proper handful. Sadly this wasn't on the C4 show, but a version set hundreds of years in the future where evicted housemates were apparently disintegrated. If only... The Northerner was Dr Who, and this was TV designed to turn human minds to mush. A nice idea, but it didn't reflect the way telly is going. It was far too tame. The real Big Brother becomes dumber, coarser and nastier by the year. In just two weeks, we've seen bullying, endless rowing and sexual shenanigans. At this rate, future housemates will be stripped naked before entering the house, smeared in chocolate and hurled into a perpetual orgy where the groping and poking would stop only for the odd spot of random bloodletting."

Clippings Update: The new TV and Satellite Week (11-17 June) featured a "Doctor Who" cover with Christopher Eccleston in front of the "Big Brother" logo. The title ran: "Doctor Who Meets Big Brother. It's The Craziest Episode Yet!". Inside was a 2-page preview ("Doctor Who's Big Bother") which included an item on the theme of Bad Wolf in the series. The episode was also Pick Of The Day. The "Next Week" promotion ran over a picture of a Dalek with the title "Time's Up For Doctor Who". The current issue of Starburst features a "Doctor Who" cover and "Massive Who Coverage". Inside are interviews with Bruno Langley, Paul Cornell, John Barrowman and an article on The Mill. The current "Cult Times Special" focusses on "Doctor Who". Inside are episode guides and an item called "Doctor Who For Beginners". There are also interviews with Rob Shearman, Gary Russell, Paul Cornell, Steven Moffatt, India Fisher and Conrad Westmaas. TheDaily Mirror TV Magazine "We Love Telly" (11th June) had "Doctor Who" on the cover. Over a picture of a Dalek and a "Silver Nemesis" Cyberman with Anne Robinson's head stuck on it a caption ran: "Double Trouble: the Doc faces Daleks and a robot Robinson!". Inside was half-page preview entitled "Reality Bites!". The episode was also Pick Of The Day. The Daily Star (11th June) included an item entitled "Billie's No Sci-flier" and stated that although Billie Piper would be in the next series she wouldn't be in every episode. In the accompanying TV magazine "Doctor Who" was TV Pick. The latest isssue of FAB, the magazine of the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, compares the relaunch of "Doctor Who" to BBC1 with the return of "Captain Scarlet" to ITV and believes that ITV has a lot to learn from the "Doctor Who" campaign which resulted in "...a massive success, creaming the opposition and sending the ITV schedulers scurrying to Lucasfilm to find something that might do better for them than yet another bloody talent contest or interactive D-list celebrity peepshow". The Newsround website has posted the ten winners of "Doctor Who" Volume One DVDs. TheDaily Star Sunday(12th June) featured a number of "Doctor Who" references, primarily a half-page article titled "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" which included a large photograph from the final episode along with pictures of the spray-painted TARDIS and a selection of characters from previous episodes. "Sharon Marshall On TV" made repeated reference to "Doctor Who", including comments on the concluding episode: "SWITCH ON: There's not just one Dalek back - there's millions. And it's brilliant. But it's also the last of the series. Sniff". Also, a "TV TURN-OFF" was "The news that Trinny and Susannah will still be with us in 200100".

ITV Teletext (11th June) had "Doctor Who" as its TV Pick: "Penultimate episode of what has been a memorable return for the Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper find themselves trapped in a Big Brother-style reality TV nightmare. They face fearsome new foes in the shape of Anne Robinson as cruel quiz show host Anne Droid and Davina McCall, Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine pop up as their futuristic namesakes. Clever stuff...". Also, BBC Ceefax had "Bad Wolf" as its TV Choice (11th June) with a somewhat mixed preview: "No tapes were available of this one, so we're all flying blind. Yet it promises to be umissable - even as it doesn't necessarily promise to be good. It's definately bold, and you have to acknowledge that - this penultimate episode sees the Doctor trapped in the Big Brother house. Could go either way, couldn't it? The android Anne Robinson looks dodgy, yet the Bad Wolf storyline could be good. Fingers crossed. Weird to think that we'll only see Eccleston one more time".

The edition of the popular BBC Radio Panel Game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, broadcast on 6 June, featured a reference to Doctor Who, during a round in which the panellists had to act out a proverb. Given the proverb An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away, panellists Tim Brooke Taylor and Jeremy Hardy pretended that they were Daleks and planned on using Apple Computers to keep the Doctor at bay.

There was something of a Dalek presence at the G8 Finance Ministers' meeting in London on 11th June. The World Development Movement charity (website) had 3 fullsize Daleks, two of which were being operated, and 7 inflatables present at the event in central London. Media coverage included BBC 1 teatime and evening news, Sky News, BBC Radio 4, BBC News 24, and CNN!

BBC News further covered the ongoing saga of the kidnapped Dalek from Somerset, which we reported in our last news update. "'Kidnappers' who stole a Dalek from a Somerset tourist attraction have sent its owners a ransom note - and the alien's amputated plunger. The 5ft model, believed to be an original from the cult BBC Dr Who series, was taken from Wookey Hole Caves near Wells on Monday. On Thursday, staff found the plunger arm and a ransom note on a doorstep. The note read: 'We are holding the Dalek captive. We demand further instructions from the Doctor.' The group, signing themselves Guardians of the Planet Earth, added: 'For the safety of the human race we have disarmed and removed its destructive mechanism.'" Also covered at CBBC News, Western Daily Press, The Register (also here), This is Devon, Bristol Evening Press, BoingBoing, P2Pnet.

Other press notes: the Big Brother website recommends Doctor Who (no wonder why!); the Scotsman features recycled comments from Russell T Davies on series two; the Digital Spy mentions David Walliams not writing for series two (from a DWM interview last month); the Sydney Morning Herald reviewed Aliens of London, the episode showing this week, very positively; the Gloucester Citizen comments on a Dalek owner and his obsession;FilmCritic reviews the first DVD release; and the Bath Chronicle reports on women getting to drive a Dalek for charity, also reported atFalkirk Today.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Jamie Austin, Dominic May, Jon Preddle, David James, Keith Armstrong, David French, Faiz Rehman, Andrew Norris, John McVie, Paul Blewett, Adam Kirk, Iain Keller)

Doctor Who û What's he doing with Anne Robinson and Trinny and Susannah? asks the cover of the new Radio Times, published today (Tuesday). As always, this weekend's episode features in "RT recommendsà the week's best television" (page 4): "There's plenty of fun poked at TV, including Jack getting a What Not to Wear makeover from a robotic version of Trinny and Susannah." The weekly "Doctor Who Watch" is a double-page spread entitled "Reality can be a killer" (pages 16û17), with five photos from Bad Wolf, the next new series episode, that concentrate on Captain Jack and the various TV show parodies in the episode. The article itself comprises another interview with Russell T Davies, looking at his vision of reality television in 200,000 years from now and how the show has secured the rights to use authentic sets and logos from Big Brother, The Weakest Link and other programmes, as well as the guest contributions of the likes of Anne Robinson: "The new Doctor Who series has a pretty good record in guest names [à] Not one C-lister among them." Davies comments that "There is something about Doctor Who that opens doors," referring both to guest stars and to the availability of various locations, some of which have previously refused other television programmes. He is also asked whether he has included any Simpsons-style lines about Anne Robinson: "No, there's nothing quite like that. Although the fact that she is killing off the contestants is a bit of a comment." This week's films on television are detailed from page 47, this week including Shaun of the Dead on Sky One (starring new series stars Simon Pegg and Penelope Wilton alongside the Daily Mail's Ninth Doctor, Bill Nighy) and Carry On Sergeant with William Hartnell on Channel 4. "Bad Wolf" is Pick of the Day in "Saturday's Choices" (page 64), a photograph of the Doctor with the Game Station Controller accompanying a write-up that again focuses on Anne Robinson and comments that "there's a corker of a cliffhanger as the most deadly enemy of all marshals its forces." There's another Eccleston photo at the head of Saturday night's listings (page 66), the episode listing reading, "The entire human race has been blinded to a threat on its doorstep. With Armageddon fast approaching, the Doctor must act immediately. The star-studded episode û and series û concludes next Saturday." The listing also promotes the first two DVD volumes and the three new novels, as well as an appearance by Christopher Eccleston's on BBC2's Top Gear at 8pm on Sunday evening. The listing for Doctor Who Confidential says "As the series prepares for its climax next week, has the Doctor got what it takes to prevail in his showdown with the ultimate foe? As well as Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, there are contributions from Russell T Davies and Noel Clarke, who plays Mickey." The Radio section (page 121) includes comment from David Tennant on his role in Dixon of Dock Green next Wednesday morning on Radio 4. Also of note in the television listings: BBC3's Saturday midnight repeat of "Bad Wolf" will this week be at 10.55pm, with a second showing for Confidential immediately afterwards; while the Sunday showings are as usual at 7pm and 7.45pm, there is also a third repeat for the episode on BBC3 on Friday 17 June at 9pm, with another outing for Sunday's Confidential Cut Down edition following at 9.45pm, in preparation for Episode 13 on Saturday 18 Juneà

The official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated with a theme previewing "Bad Wolf". There may be a few spoilers present, as usual. (Also, note that the 'bison' password no longer works to access the whoisdoctorwho website there.)

Heat magazine says of "Bad Wolf," "Conclusive evidence that Doctor Who fan, chief writer and exec producer Russell T Davies is quite rightly behaving like a sweet-toothed kid in the world's best candy shop, comes with this two-part story that ends the first series. ... If you have hairs on the back of your neck, prepare for them to stand erect." The article (which has spoilers, removed from this report) gives the episode 5 out of 5 stars. Also, the Daily Telegraphsays of the episode, "Bad wolf is, ultimately, proof that the writers of Dr Who have really thought about what they are doing; have worked to give a real, satisfying and complex shape to Saturday-night schlock. They're ambitious. As Clive James once remarked: good schlock is always better than bad art. The new Dr Who - ahead of any possible expectations - is a triumph. Funny, scary, moving, silly and above all really, really well crafted, it is as good a piece of popular entertainment as television has lately produced. It serves - and for this we must surely thank it - as a standing rebuke to the notion that the unplanned formats of reality TV and docudrama are the way forward." And says today's Media Guardian, "Close watchers of Doctor Who will have noticed the numerous unexplained references to "Bad Wolf" - sprayed on the side of the Tardis, that kind of thing. The web is abuzz with what it all means. One theory - spoiler alert! - is that the Doctor has been the unwitting star of a Big Brother-style reality show. Is nothing sacred? No word yet, though, on whether the climactic episode features the scariest Doctor Who monster yet - the Bazalgette." Also, about last week's episode, says the Herald, "BBC Wales is having some fun with Doctor Who. ... All of a sudden, it's alive, and telepathic to boot. Stare into its heart and you cease instantly to be a satirical symbol of New Labour. It could only happen in science-fiction."

David Tennant has picked up the Best Actor Award at the Critics Awards for Theatre in a Scotland ceremony. Tennant was honoured for his outstanding performance as Jimmy Porter in the revival by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, Edinburgh, of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger. Accepting the honour from Vicky Featherstone, the new National Theatre of Scotland artistic director, the actor said his remarkable rise in film and television did not mean he would be abandoning the stage. He said: "I'm supremely chuffed to win this award. It's a part I've wanted to play for such a long time. Theatre work is part of what I do and I don't see it as something you leave behind." The story has been covered atTimes Online, Scotsman, Daily Record, Dundee Courier, The Herald, icNews.

Christopher Eccleston will appear on this Sunday's "Top Gear," June 12 at 8.00pm on BBC2, in their "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" feature, where celebrities do one circuit of a track in as fast a time as possible in a Suzuki Liana.

SFX Magazine has an online treat: the first visualization of the TARDIS interior (requires QuickTime to view)! "Travel with us, readers, back through the mists of time, to the Spring of 2004, long before filming started on the new series of Doctor Who. Acclaimed comics artist and chum of SFX Bryan Hitch was desperate to work on the series. When he told us as much, we put him touch with Russell T Davies - who turned out to be a huge fan of Bryan's work. A few weeks later, contracts were signed, and Bryan was the concept artist for the series. Hurray! But before Bryan even had any meetings with the BBC, he'd already started sketching out his ideas for the TARDIS interior. Bryan recalls his thinking as follows: 'The simple up front determination was that it needed to be big. Huge. From the earliest sketch I did, before I was even offered a job of the series, I was going for the big dome shape. The central section changed as we went and adapted to comments and requirements and we were constantly reworking it in the finish. My friend Niel Bushnell, who has a vibrant young graphic and CG company up North, kindly rendered an animated 3D turnaround of that initial thought, which I took along to my first meeting. It helped show the space as it could be used, and even though it underwent massive changes as we went through months of work, that basic idea remained intact.'" You can visit the website and see the visualization for yourself.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of SFX contains a ten-page feature on the new Doctor Who series, which includes an interview with Executive Producer Russell T. Davies, who is already making plans for Series 2, and is determined to hold onto the Saturday night audience that have made the series a weekend ratings hit for the BBC: "I can't yet see us doing a hard sci-fi episode. The essence of [an early Saturday slot] is to keep it simple. Which doesn't mean dumb. Look at [æDalek'] û it's completely pure and simple, and because of that, massively strong, and then underneath that simplicity is a whole storm of complex emotions and ideas. But the important thing on Saturdays is to shout the headline. Dalek! Dickens! Blitz! Big Brother! A headline shouting 'Interesting Exploration of Temporal Physics!' isn't gonna work the same way. We need to hold on to that new audience and not take them for granted. Let's face it, if [Terrestrial TV broadcaster ITV] introduce a Saturday [episode of the popular soap, Coronation Street], and that's not such a mad idea, then were in trouble. So we've got to keep it strong and clean, emphasise the drama above the sci-fi. Feel free to disagree, of course. Feel free to disagree and yet get these viewing figures, ha ha! Expect the 'same old mix' of stories for Series 2, 'some darker, some lighter. Some traditional û although if anything, the traditional stories are BBC Drama's least favourite, but I love them, so I'm gonna keep them in there. We're keeping the same mix of singles and two-parters, that seems to work.' To be blunt, this show is a success, and it's our job to maintain that success, not wander away from it. Fans might study each episode 20 times, and therefore demand something different, but ordinary viewers are still getting used to this concept û not just the show, but its slot, its feel, its place in their viewing habits û and there is a genuine strength in consolidating that...[there's one story in Series 2] that could be pure horror....and there's one episode which could be very, very funny. And a brand new Doctor will automatically make it a brand new show." Speaking of the new Doctor, "[David Tennant] can do anything! And he will! This is the wonderful legacy of Chris Ecclestion, he's made the part available for and desirable to our finest actors....the clothes [for the new Doc] will be different, because it'll be David's preferences." Thanks to The Great Link website for posting the quotes; you can pick up the issue on the stands now.

BBC1's Points of View this past weekend featured a short piece about the new series, including a couple of letters praising the show, especially Chris Eccleston's portrayal, and a couple of letters complaining about the level of scariness (in particular, "The Empty Child"), and also complaining about the imminent departure of both the leads. This was followed by a short interview with Julie Gardner, featuring clips from "Dalek," "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances". Gardner defended the show against the usual complaints of too much violence, stressing that they were always careful not to show gratuitous violence or too much blood, especially bearing in mind the 9.00pm watershed. She also said that the Moffat two-parter would be about as far as they would be prepared to go in terms of scariness. Gardner was coy on the subject of Billie Piper's departure, saying only that she was coming back for season two, and stressing that there were exciting storylines still left to tie up season one (including a few spoilers we won't reprint for the final episode.) Points of View host Terry Wogan ended the piece by mentioning the Christmas special.

The JoongAng Daily of South Korea writes "Sci-fi reigns at the Queen's birthday ball," noting that the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's birthday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul last Saturday featured a TARDIS, which served as an entrance to the ballroom, a six-foot-tall "Dalek" and black-and-white footage of the series... all to celebrate the start of the new series in that country. Sue Hollands, the president of the British Association of Seoul, said in her opening address that Doctor Who was not only "quintessentially British" but also "familiar to expatriates." Dai Billington, the first secretary and head of the commercial section of the British Embassy, the evening's master of ceremonies, appeared on stage the Doctor himself, complete with wig and costume, saying he remembered as a four-year-old child being scared by the Daleks. Read the full story for further details.

Several news sources are now (finally) reporting on the return to the series next year of another famous group of Doctor Who monsters... the Cybermen. The Sun quotes Doctor Who Magazine, which in turn quotes producer Phil Collinson: "The Cybermen exist in that category of classics, as monsters just about everyone of a certain age knows. They were a work of genius back in the 1960s. It will be a loving recreation [sic] of an old foe." Among the online locations mentioning it are Female First, Contact Music. (Note: we can't keep this a spoiler/surprise any longer, considering DWM printed it as a major news story and it's now making the rounds in all the media, as well as other websites)

In Germany, the TV and Film Festival Cologne will include screenings of two episodes of the new series, likely "Rose" and "The End of the World". The festival will be held from June 30 to July 6; more information is available at theirwebsite.

The Sun yesterday stated in the parliamentary gossip column The Whip that its Westminster mole was near Lambeth Bridge in London "and bumped into about half a dozen of those classic, evil Doctor Who villains the Daleks. The police blocked off the road so the little fellows could be filmed in peace". No word on what the filming was for.

Other items: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (Radio 4, 6th June) featured a brief "Doctor Who" sketch involving the Daleks and computers, revolving around the proverb "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away"; BBC News, CBBC,Police.uk all cover the theft of a Dalek stolen from storage near Wookey Hole, which had been stored in preparation for a forthcoming convention; and the Western Mail talks about the appearance of the newspaper in "Boom Town" last weekend.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster, Jamie Austin, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Andrew Norris, Cameron Yarde Jnr, Andrew Frueh, Harald Gehlen, David Traynier, Paul Blewett, Kendal Mills, Stephen Dray, Steve Manfred, Matthew Kilburn, Chris Howell/The Great Link and Ian Berriman/SFX)