The BBC have released some new images to promote the forthcoming 50th Anniversary adventure, The Day of the Doctor, featuring the three "Doctors" Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt, with Jenna Coleman as Clara and Jemma Redgrave as Kate.

David Tennant is to 'regenerate' into an American version of his character Detective Inspector Alec Hardy in a US adaptation of the successful drama Broadchurch to be made by Fox. Writer Chris Chibnall is also involved, saying: "I'm very, very fascinated to see this story in a different landscape with an acting ensemble that's just as strong but taken from really great American actors. The DNA of the original is absolutely intact and filtered through a new prism, so it should still feel just as vibrant, and interesting, and strange, and unique, and beautiful, but just in a different setting — and then it's exploring the dramatic opportunities that that offers up. We're not gonna do the terrible version. We're gonna do a great version." [Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct 2013]

Co-star Arthur Darvill has confirmed that he would be back in the second series of the UK version: "I'm meant to be doing the next series. I actually don't know whether that's an episode or a whole series, I'm in touch with the production company and my agent, [but] it's quite nice not knowing because I really can't give anything away. I'd quite like to find out soon so I can plan my life!" [Mirror, 18 Sep 2013]

Paul McGann is to provide the face of a new website to pay tribute to people from Merseyside who fought in the First World War. The actor said: "The First World War has only just ceased to be within living memory, the last trench soldiers have just died. I was privileged enough to know them for the last 20 years of their lives. It’s in my own family and that’s what this website is about – it’s a living history. This is to me what makes it so potent." Merseyside Experience of War, 1914-1918 is a project undertaken by Liverpool John Moores University and will be officially launched in November. [Liverpool Echo, 3 Oct 2013]

A poster featuring Christopher Eccleston as Malekith the Accursed from the forthcoming film Thor: The Dark World has been revealed. [Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep 2013]

Steven Moffat is to appear at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on 12th October. Sherlock, The Doctor and Me is being hosted by the Radio Times, with behind-the-scenes discussion of his two successful BBC One shows. [Radio Times, 3 Oct 2013]

John Barrowman is to host a new quiz show for BBC One called Pressure Pad which will be broadcast from November; the actor said: "I am thrilled to be hosting this new innovative quiz show for BBC One and look forward to seeing whether contestants can take the heat on the Pressure Pad, and join in having fun with me." [BBC Media Centre, 2 Oct 2013]

The actor is also looking to buy a home in Scotland: "With whatever filming I'm doing in Scotland, it’s better to have my own house rather than a hotel. It’s nice to have somewhere to have parties by the sea. I want a house on the water. If anyone knows of a modern building with at least five bedrooms, we’ll keep it as our Scottish base. I know exactly what I’m looking for. I’ve been looking at the west coast and I’m not averse to it being on a loch or near a big town for when we want to go to the cinema or eat in restaurants. It also needs a two to three car garage because I have 10 cars." Barrowman has become a regular attraction for Glasgow during the Winter pantomime season alongside The Krankies, this year's presentation being Dick McWhittington. [Daily Record, 20 Sep 2013]

Karen Gillan has wrapped filming for the forthcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy - a film in which she shaved her hair to much media interest. The actress has this week been promoting Not Another Happy Ending, her film which is due to be released in cinemas on 11th October. Interviews can be found via the Irish Independent. The official trailer can be watched on YouTube.

Billie Piper will be appearing as Brona Croft in the new series from Showtime called Penny Dreadful. The series, from Skyfall director Sam Mendes is described as a "psychosexual horror" series which brings to life characters from Victorian literature alongside orginal creations, with Piper's character an Irish immigrant with a shady past. [Comic Book Resources, 19 Sep 2013]

The actress will also appear in Foxtrot, a play to be broadcast on Sky's Arts Channel as part of their Playhouse Presents series. She appears alongside Ben Whishaw and Lindsay Duncan. [Radio Times, 17 Sep 2013]

David Tennant's Winter turn in the RSC will be as the title role of Richard II; his performance will also be screened live in cinemas around the United Kingdom on 13th November as part of the National Theatre Live season. In addition, the Manchester International Festival's production of Macbeth starring Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston will be screened at venues around the United States as part of the National Theatre Live's Encore programme. [Manchester International Festival, 3 Oct 2013] [Shields Gazette, 26 Sep 2013]

An Evening with Kate O'Mara takes place on 19th October at The Misty Moon Gallery in London; speaking about whether she'd ever reprise her role as the Rani in the new series, the actress said: "I have white hair now, but a lot of it, and I'm still very glamorous and so I won't disappoint, I hope! I'll still be wearing the tight leather trousers and high-heel boots, regardless of what age! That's what the fans are expecting, so that's what you've got to give them. If you put a much older woman in Doctor Who, they can identify with it. I think it's quite an interesting concept and if you remember things like Grimm's Fairytales, the older woman is often the villainess, often the terrifying figure - why I do not know, but often she is. I think it's an idea to be exploited." [Digital Spy, 4 Oct 2013]

BBC America is to mark the era of the Tenth Doctor by showing the episodes The Stolen Earth and Journey's End on Sunday 27th October as part of its celebratory season Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited.

They will be preceded at 8pm ET/PT by the special documentary Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited - The Tenth Doctor, which will feature David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, and current lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat among those discussing how and why the Tenth Doctor became one of the most popular Doctors of all time.

Written by Russell T Davies and directed by Graeme Harper, the episodes - which were originally broadcast in June and July 2008 - comprised the epic finale of Series 4 and saw the Doctor, companions, and friends unite to take on the might of a new Dalek empire and Davros.

UPDATE: The associated DVD, which will be released on Tuesday 3rd December and is available to pre-order, will comprise three discs and will have the Revisited stories shown for the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors, as well as the accompanying documentaries plus special introductions by Steven Moffat to each two-parter. The product description states that the episodes for the Eleventh Doctor's era will be The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon. Their broadcast date is still to be announced.

.As previously reported, Splendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon Crawl, Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom Outland, Boxcutters podcast).

Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK. The podcasts to previous episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at iTunes.

Tickets are now on sale for their Tenth Doctor show! Their tenth major episode brings the Splendid Chaps to many people’s first (and favourite) Doctor, David Tennant. Phenomenally popular, and quickly establishing his own fanbase independent of the show, Tennant stayed in the role over five years, all the way to the end of Russell T Davies time as showrunner, cementing the programme's success and becoming "the" Doctor for a whole generation of viewers.

Seemingly a big part of Tennant’s success was his sex appeal – something foreign to many fans of the classic series. The Doctor of the Old Time (and most of his friends) seemed uninterested in sex, save for the occasional bit of flirting, but in the new series he clearly romances Rose, spurns Martha, fends off Amy and perves on Clara; he’s snogged every female companion, and “danced” with or married a slew of historical figures. Then there’s future pansexual Captain Jack; Amy and Rory, who spend their honeymoon in costume and their wedding night in the TARDIS; and the love affair that lasts lifetimes between the Doctor and Professor River Song. Is this weird? Is it awesome? What does modern Doctor Who say about sex, relationships and sexuality, and did the classic series have anything to say about them?

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by writer, broadcaster and critic Richard Watts (artsHub, RRR’s SmartArts) and erotica writer and burlesque performer Aimee Nichols. Plus music from Melbourne geek rock band Blue Turtle Shell, giveaways from their lovely sponsors, and all the usual tomfoolery! (But no hanky panky.)

Space: The Gasometer Hotel, 484 Smith Street, Collingwood (corner of Alexandra Parade)
Time: Sunday 13 October; recording starts 5 PM
Accessibility: Splendid Chaps regret that this venue is not wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com or at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23 October 2013.

Voting has now opened for the nineteenth National Television Awards, and it wouldn't be a ceremony if Doctor Who and its stars hadn't been nominated for awards!

The show itself is nominated in the Drama category; candidates at this stage is always large, with this year's nominees covering a variety of genres from both the UK and USA: The Fall, The White Queen, Shetland, Love and Marriage, New Tricks, Doc Martin, Foyle's War, Jonathan Creek, Poirot, Silent Witness, Death In Paradise, Scott & Bailey, The Village, Call The Midwife, Under The Dome, DCI Banks, Revolution, Endeavour, Ripper Street, Vera, Homeland, Lewis, What Remains, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Luther, Last Tango in Halifax, Broadchurch, Midsomer Murders, Law & Order: UK, Holby City, Downton Abbey, Casualty, Mr Selfridge and The Syndicate.

This year, the Drama Performance category is combined, meaning that Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman are nominated against each other, not to mention facing a wealth of talent: Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Joanna Vanderham (The Paradise), Jeremy Piven (Mr Selfridge), Claire Danes (Homeland), Emun Elliott (The Paradise), Mark Addy (The Syndicate), Emilia Fox (Silent Witness), Rosie Marcel (Holby City), Alison Steadman (Love and Marriage), Maxine Peake (The Village), Sunetra Sarker (Casualty), Rebecca Ferguson (The White Queen), Max Irons (The White Queen), Anne Reid (Last Tango In Halifax), Caroline Catz (Doc Martin), Miranda Hart (Call The Midwife), Larry Lamb (Love and Marriage), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Jessica Raine (Call The Midwife), Guy Henry (Holby City), Sarah Lancashire (Last Tango in Halifax), Martin Clunes (Doc Martin), John Simm (The Village), Siobhan Finneran (The Syndicate), Katherine Kelly (Mr Selfridge), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Derek Jacobi (Last Tango in Halifax), Suzanne Packer (Casualty), and Damian Lewis (Homeland).

Other Who names include David Tennant, nominated for his role as DI Alex Hardy in Broadchurch within the TV Detectives category, which also features Bradley Walsh, Lesley Sharp, Olivia Colman, and Suranne Jones (not to mention Benedict Cumberbatch for Sherlock!). Lesley Dunlop has been nominated in the Serial Drama Performance category for her role as Brenda Walker in Emmerdale. Alexander Armstrong is nominated in the Entertainment Presenter category.

Voting is open until 11th October, with the shortlist of up to four from each category announced for the final vote in early January. The ceremony itself will be broadcast live on ITV1 from the O2 in London on 22nd January 2014.


Doctor Who failed to win any awards in 2013, in spite of the series being nominated for Drama, Matt Smith for Drama Performance: Male, and Karen Gillan for Drama Performance: Female (both actors won their respective categories in 2012).

A complete list of winners over the years can be found on the NTA website.

Catherine Tate will be among the guests joining David Tennant later this month for the question-and-answer panel at the BFI's special event celebrating the Tenth Doctor's era.

The Stolen Earth and Journey's End, which formed the Series 4 finale, are being shown on Sunday 29th September at 2pm when, as reported last month, Tennant will be the headline guest. It has now been confirmed that he will be joined by Tate, with the other guests named as the episodes' director, Graeme Harper, plus producer Phil Collinson and casting director Andy Pryor.

The sell-out screenings are part of the BFI's Doctor Who At 50 season, curated by Dick Fiddy and Justin Johnson.

Check here for returns or try the BFI on the day for stand-bys.

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Daybreak's entertainment correspondent Richard Arnold caught up with Peter Davison during the evening; speaking about the 50th Anniversary Davison said:

Christopher Eccleston has paid tribute to Doctor Who in a special message read out to the audience at the British Film Institute's retrospective of the Ninth Doctor's era.

The event is the latest in the BFI's year long celebration of Doctor Who, looking back at each era of the programme. The Ninth Doctor event, held yesterday in London featured a screening of the final Eccleston story Bad Wolf/The Parting of The Ways

The event panel included director Joe Ahearne, producer Phil Collinson and actor Bruno Langley. Although Eccleston did not attend, he sent a written message which was read by BFI host Justin Johnson. The BFI has also confirmed that both David Tennant and Paul McGann will appear live on stage for the look back at their retrospective eras as The Doctor.

The Tenth Doctor event on Sunday 29th September will include a screening of the Series 4 two-part finale The Stolen Earth/Journey's End, while the Eighth Doctor screening of the TV Movie will be held on Saturday 5th October.

Doctor goes up against Doctor in the final shortlist for the 2013 TV Choice awards with both Matt Smith and David Tennant being nominated as Best Actor, the latter for his role in Broadchurch. The two actors face competition from Brendan Coyle for Downton Abbey and Jeremy Piven for Mr Selfridge.

Jenna Coleman is nominated for Best Actress for her performance as Clara and faces competition from Olivia Colman for Broadchurch, Miranda Hart for Call The Midwife and former Big Finish actress Sheridan Smith for Mrs Biggs.

Doctor Who is nominated for Best Drama Series, a title it has taken for the past three years. It faces opposition from Call The Midwife on BBC One, Downton Abbey on ITV and Waterloo Road on BBC One.

Voting is open online until Friday 12th July with the winners being named at a ceremony hosted by Ben Miller at The Dorchester in London on Monday 9th September.

David Tennant has won a daytime Emmy for his voice work on the Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars series.

The Tenth Doctor was named Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program at a ceremony in Los Angeles for voicing Huyang, a droid who trains Jedi on how to build lightsabers.

Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni said Tennant’s work as the Doctor convinced him that the actor, himself a Star Wars geek, was perfect for Huyang: