BBCi's webcast animated serial The Scream of the Shalka, starring Richard E. Grant, Sophie Okonedo and Derek Jacobi, concluded last week, with episode six uploaded to the BBCi website. The serial will be available on BBCi for at least the next couple of months, pending a release on DVD. According to James Goss, BBCi producer, posting on the Outpost Gallifrey forum, BBC Worldwide has indeed licensed the rights to release "Shalka" on DVD from BBCi: "We're rather puzzled by the number of people who are querying the DVD release. We've not said much about it, 'cos we didn't think much needed to be said." Of course, Goss does point out that whether Worldwide does something or not with the material is up to them, but it looks very likely for DVD release. Meanwhile, "Scream of the Shalka" will be broadcast on the BBC's new interactive TV service starting on December 30 beginning at 7:30pm; viewers on the Sky Digital platform "will only have to press their red button" to watch the story. The schedule for the show is as follows:

• Episode One: 30 December, 7.30pm - Midnight
• Episode Two: 31 December, 7.30pm - Midnight
• Episode Three: 1 January, 7.30pm - Midnight
• Episode Four: 2 January, 7.30pm - Midnight
• Episode Five: 3 January, 7.30pm - Midnight
• Episode Six: 4 January, 7.30pm - Midnight

Says Goss, "This will be an enhanced version of the webcast... All the animation is 25 frames per second, with various lovely features that are slightly tricky to explain (um, for instance, when the house explodes in episode two, there's a lovely rippling 'whoomph' effect). Soundwise, this is also going to be a stronger experience than on the web - one thing that will have been largely lost through the compression used for the webcast are the various subsonic sounds used whenever the Shalka approach in the early episodes - a lovely, chest-rattling vibration." As of this time, this presentation will NOT be available on Freeview or Digital Cable. Make sure you check it out! (Thanks to BBCi, James Goss)

BBCi has debuted the first episode of The Scream of the Shalka by Paul Cornell, starring Richard E. Grant as the Doctor, Sophie Okonedo as Alison Cheney, with Diana Quick, Craig Kelly and Derek Jacobi. It's fully-animated using Flash technology and can be seen on your computer by visiting the BBCi site. There are stories about the launch in the popular media as well, including at Empire Online, the Manchester Evening News and Reuters. Visit the BBCi site and enjoy the first episode!

BBC News has posted information about the imminent launch of BBCi's The Scream of the Shalka; click here to read the article. Among the details is a brief chat with Cosgrove Hall animation studio producer Steve Maher. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

BBCi today opened a new page to cover official news details on the new TV series. Says BBCi: "This means that we can only report what has been officially announced by the BBC about the new series of Doctor Who. As the new series approaches our screens, we'll be keeping you up to date with its development and production. But we won't be reporting speculation or uncomfirmed rumours." Very kindly, they singled out Outpost Gallifrey in our coverage of the media frenzy surrounding the announcement and continued to recommend us for the latest scuttlebutt. We've always supported BBCi (and vice versa), and we'll continue to keep you posted on developments, news, and the latest rumor & speculation (clearly identified as such) here at the Outpost too. (Thanks to BBCi, and a nod to James, Rob, Ann & Daniel for their kind comments about my site...)

The BBC has released press details for the forthcoming The Scream of the Shalka, which has been announced as starting on Thursday, November 13 on BBCi. Says the press release:


The article from the BBC Press Office goes on further to describe the story, the first story information so far released:


Looks like it's only a few weeks away. (Thanks to Phil Creighton, Steve Tribe)

David Bishop's Doctor Who novel Who Killed Kennedy, which was originally published by Virgin Books as an "extra" for their line of Missing Adventures novels, will soon be revived as an e-book on the TSV New Zealand website. The book, out of print for six years, was given to TSV to make the text of the novel freely available for readers, as has been done by BBCi with their current run of Doctor Who electronic book reprints. "IÆm immensely fond of Who Killed Kennedy," the author says. "It was my first official Doctor Who novel and a true labour of love. Alas, Virgin losing the licence meant the book has been unavailable for years. But getting it republished online is the next best thing." The novel will be made available in weekly instalments, building up to a complete online novel. Bishop will also provide background information on the genesis of his novel and notes on each of the individual chapters, including explanations of the huge number of continuity references seeded throughout the text. "Fortunately IÆve got help from New ZealandÆs continuity guru Jon Preddle to annotate the many, many Who references in the story. IÆll also be writing about the genesis of the book and how it became a JFK tie-in." Additionally, Bishop plans to produce a rewritten æauthorÆs cutÆ that will appear alongside the original novel as an alternative version. This new version will remove the JFK elements of the story altogether, thus giving the novel a new climax. "I was never satisfied with the Kennedy aspects of the novel," David says. "They felt bolted on at the time and still donÆt sit well with the rest of the story, seven years later. So when the NZDWFC started talking with me about putting the book online, I suggested publishing two versions - the printed novel with the Kennedy elements and a special online version with a freshly written beginning and end. Anyone visiting the site can choose which version they prefer to read." The e-book is planned to launch on the TSV website at www.doctorwho.org.nz on 22 November 2003 - the 40th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, and of course just one day before Doctor WhoÆs own 40th anniversary. (Thanks to Paul Scoones and David Bishop)