BBC One has broadcast its first generic trailer for its forthcoming Christmas season drama programming, debuting the promotion before Saturday 2nd December's episode of current Doctor Who slot-filler Robin Hood. (Coincidentally, an episode written by Paul Cornell and directed by Graeme Harper).

The trail, which highlights many BBC One drama programmes to be shown over the festive season, includes clips ofDavid Tennant and Catherine Tate from the forthcoming Christmas special The Runaway Bride. Also seen from the episode are several Robot Santas, similar to those featured in last year's The Christmas Invasion, and a brief clip of the TARDIS hovering at speed along a motorway.

The trailer also features some clips of Billie Piper in the forthcoming Philip Pullman adaptation The Ruby in the Smoke.

Update (Chuck Foster):
A second, longer trailer has also been broadcast at various times during the following week;
this extended version also includes a fleeting glimpse of the unmasked Santas in black, plus more of the Bride and the TARDIS-chase along the motorway.

The BBC Press Office has released programme information for the Christmas period, including a synopsis of The Runaway Bride, The Sarah Jane Adventures and the final three episodes of Torchwood.

The transmission date and time for The Runaway Bride is yet to be confirmed but is likely to be Christmas Day (as noted by Russell T Davies at the Children in Need Concert). The episode features Catherine Tate as Donna and Sarah Parish playing The Empress of Racnoss. The synopsis can be found below.

The Sarah Jane Adventures will be a 60 minute special, featuring Samantha Bond as Mrs Wormwood, Porsha Lawrence Mavour as Kelsey, Yasmin Page playing Maria, and an appearance by K9. It will be broadcast over the Christmas period as part of CBBC on BBC One, as well as on the CBBC Channel, followed by a series later in the year.

The official Doctor Who website has also updated to feature an online advent calendar in the run up to Christmas.

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)

BARB has now posted the final ratings data for the week ending on Christmas Day, showing an increase in viewing figures for The Christmas Invasion from 9.4 million in the overnights (originally published by ViewingFigures and BARB's own overnight estimates) to 9.84 million total viewers. As well as winning in its timeslot (against ITV1's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on 5.80m), the Christmas episode has ended up as the second most-watched programme of the day, behind BBC One's EastEnders (10.60m) but well ahead of ITV1's Coronation Street (8.83m, despite overnights showing a tie on 9.4m). Doctor Who was BBC One's fifth-placed programme of the week, behind four episodes of EastEnders; four high-rating episodes of Coronation Street make 'The Christmas Invasion' the ninth-placed programme of the week across UK television, with Doctor Who being the third most watched show, behind the two main soaps but 0.44m ahead of the highest-rated episode of Emmerdale. A more detailed breakdown of the figures is not yet available.

Also, the initial AI (Audience Appreciation Index) figure for the BBC Three repeat of "The Christmas Invasion" on January 1 has been reported as a very high 88, in fact more than the initial AI figures reported for the original broadcast on Christmas Day, which was 84. As with final ratings, final AI figures are computed later (with a significantly longer lead time, usually at least a month) and will be posted when available.

The final BARB ratings (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) have been released for the Children in Need special that aired last November. The ratings show that the quarter-hour that featured the Children in Need mini-episode gained 10.8m viewers, the highest Doctor Who-related audience since the first broadcast of "Rose" in March. The previous fifteen-minute segment of CiN had 10.1m viewers and the subsequent fifteen minutes saw a drop back down to 10.0m. Note that, as with the overnight ratings previously reported on Outpost Gallifrey, it remains difficult to be exact, since viewers in Scotland saw the special a few minutes later than the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, according to overnight ratings provided by ViewingFigures, 501,700 viewers (2.7% audience share) tuned in for BBC3's repeat of The Christmas Invasion on New Years Day. Though it wasn't in the top ten for the week on the non-terrestrial channels (beaten by episodes of The Simpsons and Little Britain among others), it ranks at or slightly below average from the second-run BBC3 repeats from series one... the difference being that it achieved this score on a holiday. BARB ratings are due very shortly for the original Christmas Day broadcast of "The Christmas Invasion".

Finally, the initial Audience Appreciation Index (AI) figure for "The Christmas Invasion" has now been reported at 84. The figure will likely change for the 'final' version (the final figure usually released two months or so after broadcast, after all figures are taken into account) but the initial version was the second-highest AI ranking on Christmas Day, beaten only by ITV's broadcast of "Creature Comforts". (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Keith Topping)

Editor's Note: The TARDIS Report

Hello, Outpost Gallifrey readers... The site's editor has been under the weather since just before Christmas, so this article should catch you up with what you've missed since the broadcast of "The Christmas Invasion". Also, please note that as of January 2, 2006, the "Press Clips" column familiar to Outpost Gallifrey readers has been reformatted, as it's frequently less press clips and more factual information; it's now called The TARDIS Report, a general catch-all column (as frequent as can be published) with general clips from both classic and new series. Stories that merit their own articles will be reported individually as always. Now, on with today's TARDIS Report:

Awards

The South Bank Show Awards have teamed up with The Times to open their "Breakthrough" award to a public vote on the web, noting that the award highlights "ten young people whose talents have flourished in the past 12 months."Billie Piper is one of the finalists: "From idle celebrity to serious actress is not a transition many could make easily. In two years, Billie Piper has surprised everyone." Times Online has an article about it, encouraging viewers to vote for their choice!

The year ended well for Doctor Who: December 31's 2005 TV Moments awards, voted for online by the viewing public, saw the series win not only its category (May to June), but also the top award of Golden TV Moment of 2005 for a scene from 'The Doctor Dances'. Billie Piper accepted both awards, thanking cast, crew and viewers, with Phil Collinson and Steven Moffat also in the celebrity audience. There were several other clips from the series shown in various highlights compilations, including the first appearance of the Dalek, the climax of the series, and scenes from 'The Christmas Invasion', as well as a nomination for 'Secret Smile' starring David Tennant. Also mentioned (and shown) was the interruption of 'Rose' by Graham Norton, who talked briefly about the event with the awards host, Jonathan Ross. A winners list is on the TV Moments website, and was mentioned in the Register and The Mirror.

People

David Tennant made a guest appearance on December 26's "The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2005" on Channel 4, talking about the new series with Jimmy Carr, the shows host, and asking a question of the three teams which included such stars as Sharon Osbourne and Jonathan Ross. After talking about the new series with Jimmy Carr, a clip of the regeneration was shown and david makes his appearance and says "hello", the clip is then paused and Tennant poses the question, "what part of his anatomy is he about to mention?" Jonathan Ross commented again on how much he loves the new show and drew pictures of Daleks, a TARDIS and various other Doctor Who related items on his answer board.

The Stage has published its annual Top Ten Movers and Shakers "in the world of theatre and light entertainment" in the UK. Russell T Davies is #1 on the list: "Hats off to Davies – the clear winner of this year’s poll. The man has achieved the almost impossible and transformed Doctor Who for a cynical 21st-century audience and made them fall in love with it again. He wrestled Saturday nights out of the hands of Ant and Dec and revitalised family drama. The Christmas special has gone down a treat and fans will soon be salivating over series two. The triumphant return of the Time Lord and the gloriously camp Casanova to boot, has cemented Davies' position at the head of the holy trinity of British scriptwriters [alongside Paul Abbot and Jimmy McGovern]." Also on the list at #6, David Tennant: "The cheeky Scotsman has had a tremendous year, creeping slowly but relentlessly into popular consciousness with one quirky primetime show after another. First up was the rather odd singing detective in BBC1’s Potteresque comic thriller Blackpool, then came the charismatic Casanova on BBC3. More recently he switched over to ITV1 for a stint as a deranged stalker in Secret Smile before jumping into the Tardis for the Corporation’s Christmas special. His transformation into the tenth Time Lord has made the nation sit up, take notice and ask, 'Christopher who?'"

EntertainmentWise and Ananova both noted that glamour modelJordan "is hoping to bag herself a role in the new series of Doctor Who as a baddie. She is hoping that she could play a killer model who kills people with her [cleavage]…"InTheNews says that "Dr Who has faced countless enemies from the Daleks to the Autons, but he could be facing the greatest challenge yet – the double-barrelled wrath of glamour model Jordan. The busty half of tangerine singer Peter Andre reportedly has set her eyes on a part in the BBC's hit drama, Dr Who, which she feels is a prime place to nurture her acting talents. What acting talents? Well, straight from the horse's mouth regarding her thespian abilities, Jordan told The Sun: 'I could be a baddie who doesn't speak but kills with my ample charms.' Now that would be a sight. We don't think the Time Lord has had to escape being smothered yet, so it would be a first."

Billie Piper is Doctor Who's sexiest assistant, according to a story in the TV biz section of last Tuesday's Sun. It says Louise Jameson, who played Leela, came second and Wendy Padbury (Zoe) was third, while Nicola Bryant, who portrayed Peri, came fourth in the poll of fans. It did not say for whom the poll was conducted - or how people many took part. The piece - with the stunningly original headline of "Dalektable!" - was illustrated with a main close-up colour picture of Piper out of character standing in the doorway of the Tardis, plus mono headshots of Jameson and Padbury as their characters, and a colour headshot of Bryant, which looked to be a portrait shot of the actress and not one of her as Peri. Piper was also chosen at BBC News as one of the "faces of the year": "As the youngest solo artist to debut at Number One in the UK and then as wife of media millionaire Chris Evans, it seemed Billie Piper attracted more sneers than cheers. Her marriage ended in divorce, but Billie's acting career has silenced the critics. Her irresistible appeal won her the title of Britain's most popular TV actress at the National Television Awards for her role as Doctor Who's sidekick, Rose, in the comeback series. "

January 3's Independent notes that "When Christopher Eccleston quit as Dr Who after just one series, he was said to have tired of the superficial demands of prime-time TV. Little surprise, then, to hear that the earnest actor, left, has agreed to make a (resolutely lofty) return to the London stage He will play Christopher Marlowe in The School of Night, a play about the 16th-century playwright's mysterious death, which opens next month. Eccleston's agent, Lorraine Hamilton, said yesterday that he's currently in rehearsal for the show. It will be staged at the Comedy Theatre, and directed by Bill Alexander. Meanwhile, theatreland pundits are waiting with bated breath to see if the occasionally prickly Eccleston will be granting them interviews. 'In most West End plays, the leading man will do the rounds,' reports one. 'But Eccleston can be tricky, and hated the media circus that came with being a Doctor Who star. So we aren't exactly counting chickens.'" There's another mention of Eccleston's turn in the play at Broadway.com.

According to UNIT News, John Barrowman appeared with Natasha Kaplinsky on the BBC's New Years Eve show and said that he expected to start filming Torchwood "in April".

On to Series Two

Last Wednesday's Daily Record previewed Series Two: "The Doctor's enemies have their claws out for him in the new series of the sci-fi show. Evil Cat Women are just one of the alien races the Time Lord, played by Scots actor David Tennant, and Rose (Billie Piper) will face when the new series of Doctor Who starts in the spring. Viewers got their first look at them in a trailer after the special Christmas Day episode. There was also a glimpse of the much-anticipated return of robot dog K-9 and Sarah-Jane Smith. Journalist Sarah Jane (actress Elizabeth Sladen) travelled with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker's incarnations of the Doctor between 1973 and 1976. And she teamed up with K-9 for the one-off spin-off K-9 And Company in 1981. Viewers also saw Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head as a villainous headmaster and Shirley Valentine's Pauline Collins as Queen Victoria. The trailer included a look at the redesigned Cybermen, second only to the Daleks as the Doctor's fiercest foes. It is rumoured that the final episode of the series will feature a war between the two evil races. Writer and producer Russell T Davies said: 'We can promise new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new aliens. The Doctor and Rose are destined to meet Queen Victoria, an evil race of Cat Women and the dreaded Cybermen - 2006 is going to be scarier than ever.' Producer Phil Collinson added: 'The villainous Cybermen are as much a part of Doctor Who heritage as the Daleks,so it's a huge personal thrill to see them back. I hope that the evil silver giants will terrify a whole new generation of viewers.'"

Sunday's edition of The Observer previewed the next few months in the arts, including returning television programmes, and featuring: "The Doctor Who Christmas special, which witnessed the doctor getting used to his new skin as David Tennant took over the role from Christopher Eccleston, was just a primer. Here in the second series, he and the surprisingly ace Billie Piper as his assistant Rose go farther into the future than they've ever gone before, zip back for an appointment with Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins) and confront returning terrors the Cybermen." It notes "date to be announced" as a start date for series two. A separate item profiles how posh Cardiff is: "Success at last. In the hotel's relaxed Tides bar, the Krug champagne is flowing (well, trickling, but then it is 24.50 a glass), a DJ is playing and the first celebrity has been bagged. David Tennant, the new Doctor Who, is sitting about a foot behind me. Doctor Who is made in the city so he, Billie Piper and the rest of the cast are often around."

Sky Showbiz noted that, in a preview of the new series, "we hear that Rose and the trendy new trainer-wearing Doc get it on when David Tennant makes his proper debut on Christmas Day. A 13-part series, in which the Cybermen, K9 and seventies assistant Sarah Jane Smith return, follows the Christmas special."

As if they didn't learn the last time... ITN says that "Ant and Dec are to front a revival of the hit 80s gameshow Bullseye, and ITV bosses are planning to pit the darts-based family favourite against Dr Who. The Beeb has scored a huge saturday night hit with Dr Who and the new series starts in June - but this time they will be battling it out with the Geordie duo who always seem get it right." They forget that Ant and Dec didn't get it right the last time with their proven successful winner, "Saturday Night Takeaway..." Meanwhile, Channel 4 and Digital Spy also report the story.

End-of-Year Wrap-Up

BBC Wales Southeast has two new websites working about Doctor Who items: one on the Doctor Who Up Closeexhibition, the other aChristmas Invasion Location Guide.

The Guardian "Guide" section on 31 December includes Charlie Brooker's review of the year's television; Brooker is on his usual coruscating (and readable) form for most of the year's output, but does conclude that "the Best Overall Show Of The Year was clearly, obviously and undeniably Doctor Bloody Brilliant Who." The Guardian two days earlier said in a separate storyabout, of all things, trombones, that "As it transpired, the Christmas Day Dr Who was not the further dent in their image trombonists must have feared. Once we'd witnessed huge alien ships hovering like clouds from Hemel Hempstead, though rather more solid, over the House of Commons, and everyone in the world with an A-positive blood group poised on the top of high buildings and ready to jump, and a Punch and Judy parliament of Sycoraxes baying for earthling blood, death-dealing trombones (some of which didn't look at all like trombones) seemed the least of the doctor's worries. And just possibly (let us end the year on a positive note) the evening's pre-teen audience may have started to look on trombones in a new, more exciting light. If in 10 years' time the doors of our music colleges are being besieged by hordes of young people set on a life of tromboning, we may well have Russell T Davies to thank for it."

The December 29 Daily Record noted that "The BBC phones went wild on Boxing Day with thousands of frantic calls from Edinburgh. Apparently, legions of desperate Hearts fans reckoned their only chance of understanding club owner Vladimir Romanov's statement would be if Doctor Who dropped by with his inter-galactic translating powers. After all, if wee Davie Tennant understood what the gurgling Sycorax were slavering on about on Christmas Day, chances are he'd be able to translate Vlad's 'farewell on the road to hell' into English too. Davie might not be a Gorgie Road hero, but darling of Earthlings - and winner of the Christmas Day ratings war - he most certainly is. ... Tennant's special. Very special. I was a huge fan of Eccleston's screwball take on the Timelord. Still am, in fact. And I worried too many of us Scots would gush about DT's performance simply because he was Scottish and not famous enough for us to start slagging him off. There's no sign (yet) of his Scottish accent - a minor gripe - although rumour has it that's not for long. Otherwise, this was rollicking good festive fun. The dialogue gleamed like the Milky Way, laced with so much camp humour it was a whisker away from being a French & Saunders mickey take. ... And what's this? A superhero who is disappointed by not being regenerated a ginger? Yes, but we're the chosen ones, Doc. Better luck next time."

A few other choice comments: says the Belfast Telegraph: "Tennant's experience as Casanova came in useful when he indulged in a bit of sword play with an alien who looked like a Christmas candle had melted over his head. All a lot of inglorious hokum, if you ask me, and high time they got rid of the police box tardis. No one under 60 knows what on or off earth the thing is." The Scottish Herald: "It began by putting itself in danger of becoming an ultra-camp parody of itself, complete with spinning Christmas trees and zombified Father Christmases. Although he seems likely to become a well-liked doctor, David Tennant's first performance got off to a shaky start, with him asking Rose to tell him if he was ginger or not (must poor Billie Piper's career always be overshadowed by her marriage to Chris Evans?) and over-egging his part terribly. ... One second it's a super-smart, dazzlingly written, perfectly plotted wonder, the next it's a piece of ironic sci-fi silliness, perilously close to undoing its good work by over-doing the in-jokes, and working harder by the episode to strike the balance. But, for a show that will always have its history weighing it down, it doesn't do badly in settling for being entertainingly dichotomous. So, we're saying it's nonsense then. Just cleverer nonsense than pretty much anything else." The Daily Record: "I've found myself warming to it a little bit. Maybe it's the scripts, or the rubbery monsters, or the fact that Billie Piper can act (a bit). But no, if I'm being honest, it's none of these things. It's because finally, after 30 years of bog-eyed uglies in long scarves, Doctor Who is hot. Yes, the famous Timelord has finally regenerated into something us ladies can really get to grips with, and if David Tennant ever fancies taking me off to the distant galaxy of Buggerlugs 5, then I'm quite happy to hold his sonic screwdriver for him while he takes the Tardis up to warp factor 11."

Merchandise

The online store Forbidden Planet has a bunch of new Doctor Who merchandise items previewed. There are 5" action figures from the new series including two of David Tennant, one in a long coat and one in his suit, as well as Rose, Slitheen and Sycorax figurines, which will be available from 18 January, and then Cassandra and the Moxx of Balhoon on 28 January. The 12" figure of Tennant, as seen on The Jonathan Ross Show, will be available from 12 May 2006, along with a 12" Cyberman figure. There will also be a Cyberman Animatronic Room Guard and a Cyberman Voice Change Helmet, both available on 7 July.

Miscellaneous Items

A few more articles on the BBC's Christmas Day triumph at The Mirror,icWales, InTheNews, the Daily Mail and theEvening Times. Also, another mention of John Barrowman's civil ceremony at WaveGuide.

December 29's The Herald noted that "An Edinburgh entrepreneur has flogged the December 17 issue of The Herald's magazine on auction website eBay for 21 pounds, reveals Martin Meteyard. The chancer's whopping 20.10 profit came from English Dr Who fans wanting the magazine's cover photo of new timelord David Tennant. In refuting the vendor's claim ('available from newsagents on day of publication only . . . supplies extremely limited'), we assure Dr Who devotees that back-issues are available from The Herald for 90p. An old Edinburgh proverb once read, 'you'll have had your tea?' Now it's, 'you'll have been had via eBay'."

The Florida Sun-Sentinel, of all places, answers the time-honoured question, "When can we expect to see the wonderfully updated BBC staple Doctor Who on American sets?" Their answer: "It might be a while before the new batch of Dr. Who episodes crosses the Atlantic. Both seasons, one starring Christopher Eccleston, the other David Tennant, are on the radar screens of BBC America, according to a network spokeswoman, but no deals have been struck. Despite common ownership with the BBC, BBC America has to bid for imports against other American networks, she said. This process has not yet begun."

Says December 30's Romford Recorder, "Daleks ran riot in a department store in Upminster during a special Dr Who themed event. Fans crammed into Roomes Stores, Upminster, to meet Time Lord actor, Sylvester McCoy, who played the seventh Dr Who in the classic BBC sci-fi children's series, while real Daleks were causing havoc down the aisles. Then, on the following day veteran Dr Who actor Nicholas Courtney, who played Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart in all of the series except for the current one, visited the store. He signed copies of his book..."

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Paul Hayes, Lerys Campbell, Gregg Allinson, Matt Kimpton, David Guest, Chris Winwood, Paul Bensilum, Luke McCullough, Leighton Haberfield)

Canada got the new series tonight... and several of our readers noticed that the CBC network wasn't noted as a co-producer this time, but rather was noted with a "special thanks to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation" notice. Meanwhile, Billie Piper hosted the show in much the same way Eccleston did, wearing a red Roots hoodie with "Canada" on the front, and at one point explicitly thanking the viewers for making Series One a success.

The Daily Mail has comments from a BBC1 spokesman on the ratings triumph for the BBC on Sunday: "We are delighted that the audience turned to the BBC to be entertained this Christmas. It has been a wonderful climax to the year for Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing. And once again EastEnders proves to be the jewel in the Christmas schedule."

Tomorrow's Times notes that "science fiction has overtaken reality shows as space-and-time travel becomes the new hit formula on TV. David Tennant’s first appearance as the Doctor in the Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who was watched by 9.4 million viewers, beaten only by BBC One, with more than ten million switching on to EastEnders. In America, entire channels are devoted to big-budget space dramas. Now digital technology has made convincing sci-fi epics affordable on British budgets. ITV is responding to Doctor Who with Primaeval, a 6 million, six-part epic about scientists who travel into prehistoric times through black holes. The team behind Walking with Dinosaurs is creating the graphics. Next year the BBC will follow up the success of Red Dwarf, the sitcom set on a spaceship, which has spawned four million DVD and video sales. A new BBC Two sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive consciously echoes its predecessor, the channel’s highest-rated sitcom with eight million viewers. ... The resurrection of sci-fi has surprised some. Senior BBC figures were sceptical about Doctor Who, believing a revival would fail to reach a mass audience despite a much bigger special effects budget for the 13 million series. In fact there is a large international audience for British sci-fi. The new Doctor Who has been sold to 12 countries, including South Korea and Australia."

The Times also notes that a "pre-Christmas mini-revival that pushed ITV1's audience above BBC One has not stopped Britain's leading commercial broadcaster losing viewers this year, denting its prospects of pulling in advertising in tough conditions. The BBC, which is usually strong over the holiday, has featured shows such as Dr Who this year."

Tomorrow morning's Daily Record says "Thank you David Tennant. The new Doctor Who triumphed over the Sycorax in a rattling good Christmas special. And he did so in a woollen dressing gown and striped winceyette pyjamas and made them sexy - according to a highly scientific poll of females in and around my house. Now, if I can manage a regeneration of my own,by losing four stones and 15 years while regaining a luxuriant head of hair, maybe those aforementioned females will consider me in my night attire to also be 'hot.' As opposed to a sad old git schlepping around in dressing gown and PJs."

More comments on the ratings success of "The Christmas Invasion" are atThe Guardian, The Telegraph, Digital Spy, and the Daily Record. Meanwhile, BBC News has a feature on "Entertainment Year in Pictures 2005" with shots of Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Mustafa Hirji, Brian Newall)

BBC News today reports that while EastEnders was the most watched television programme in the UK on Christmas Day, Doctor Who was immediately behind it at #2. EastEnders managed an average viewership of 10.1 million viewers, peaking at 11 million, while Doctor Who's ratings averaged 9.4 million viewers, peaking at 9.8 million, and managing a 42.7% share according to the overnight ratings. ITV1's "Coronation Street" also averaged 9.4 million viewers but peaking slightly less than "Doctor Who", putting it into the #3 slot. Seven BBC1 items got into the top 10 viewing figures for the day, too, adding to the channel's success. Complete details are also available via The Sun, CBBC News, The Telegraph. The final ratings report from BARB will be out within a few weeks, where as usual, the expected final rating will likely be somewhat higher. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg)

Today's Daily Star reports that there may be a cameo appearance this year by football star David Beckham! "The Real Madrid ace, 30, is a massive fan of the BBC1 show. Wife Victoria, 31, bought him a whole stack of Dr Who goodies for Christmas and admits Becks is 'completely obsessed.' Now we can reveal that the England captain is about to get a cameo role in the next series, thanks to writer Russell T. Davies. Russell, 42, told the Daily Star: 'I have heard Becks is a big fan of the show. Well, I'd love him to be in it. I am looking at ways we can write him into an episode.'" A separate report in the Daily Star says that "BBC bosses are lining him up for a guest appearance".

Today's The Independent notes that "On Christmas Day, the new series of Doctor Who started, with David Tennant falling unconscious from the Tardis as the latest avatar. Not exactly the right season for a resurrection (but I don't suppose that devout Whooligans are going to be fussy about that), and the good news is that Tennant makes a winningly puckish Timelord. Russell T Davies, the architect of Who's renaissance and the writer of this Christmas special, had a lovely time with his festive gags. The aliens who decided to invade Earth first appeared as a group of murderous Santas armed with high- calibre brass-band instruments and later tried to kill the Doctor and his assistant with a remote-controlled Christmas tree. But he'd also managed to smuggle a bit of a political motto into the cracker. 'He's not my boss and he's certainly not turning this into a war,' said the female PM, when asked whether she'd consulted the American president about how to deal with the aliens. ... I think even the Queen may have enjoyed the joke about the Royal Family, up on the roof of Balmoral and prepared to jump to their death after the mass hypnotism of the human race ... "

Canada's Toronto Star previews "The Christmas Invasion" tonight (we've been told that the BBC embargoed coverage in Canada until after the UK's transmission). "It's an almost Dickensian, picture-postcard British Christmas -- snow falling fluffily to the ground, cheery carollers wending their way through cobblestone streets, brightly wrapped presents under the tree, department-store Father Christmases ringing bells -- at least until the tree turns into a whirling green buzz-saw of death, and the Father Christmases are revealed as zombie robots armed with flamethrowers, harbingers of an evil alien race bent on seizing the planet for their own nefarious purposes. This looks like a job for ... Doctor Who. ... Imagine what it must be like for Billie Piper, the doctor's (both of them) travelling companion in the current series, now filming its second season. Particularly since, unlike the fans, until she showed up on set last year, Piper had never even seen an episode of Doctor Who. 'We were never really a TV family,' allows the pop star turned actress by cellphone from Cardiff, Wales, after a long day of battling intergalactic evil. 'We were always very big on films. But TV, I don't know, it wasn't a big thing in the house. So I kinda missed out on it. I remember people talking about it a lot in school, and at times I did feel I was missing out on something special. But before I did Doctor Who, I wasn't a huge sci-fi fan.... What's so great about Doctor Who is that it celebrates life and humanity -- I really missed that before. And now it's something that I'm such a huge fan of, and advocate Doctor Who in such a strong way. It's topical, it's about life and existence and how greedy and how hateful we are at times, and how we forget how wonderful things can be and how special and extraordinary life really is. ... Lots of people are asking, Are you scared about the new doctor coming on, and how he's going to be received? And I've never for one moment thought, you know, people are not going to like him. I think people will love him! He really, really plays with it — it's very kind of light and free, a very energetic performance ... it's just great. I mean, I loved working with Chris, and I think that he is an incredible actor. David matches Chris, and then goes off and does his own thing, and in that way is truly unique.' ... While American fans wait for their first glimpse at the reborn series -- a first-season DVD set is apparently imminent -- Canadians can look forward to a second season chock full of Who-vian delights, including the return of the Doctor's robot dog, K-9, and a guest appearance by a former companion, Elizabeth Sladen, who rode the TARDIS as Sarah Jane Smith from 1974 to 1977, alongside Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. It was a rare chance for current companion Billie Piper to make a connection to the show's storied past. 'She was so lovely,' Piper says. 'Just absolutely incredible. It was very different for her, in the old studio, with, like, 12 cameras.... I think it came as a bit of a shock when she started (with us). But soon she was completely back on track, and loving every moment. I actually think she prefers it.' Piper hopes to one day be able to return the favour, and finally get around to some of Sladen's old Doctor Who adventures. 'I still haven't yet,' she sighs. 'It's just an issue of time, really. The thing about making Doctor Who is that it becomes your life, and anything outside of that ... I mean, really, the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is go home and plow into some Tom Baker episodes. But I fully intend to. I'll get a few box sets after Christmas and maybe have a look at them then.'"

The The Northern Echo says that "Unspeakable things were seen on television over Christmas. 'The face of an alien life form was transmitted live tonight on BBC1,' we learnt in Doctor Who. I didn't think this was anything new. After all, Patrick Moore and Vanessa Feltz have been seen on telly screens for years. But they're not Sycorax, who are unique in the intergalactic monster world because the face underneath is even more horrible than the mask they wear to cover it. David Tennant's new doctor was worried about his looks too after taking part in the Regeneration Game. 'Am I ginger?,' he asked companion Rose with a look of horror. Russell T Davies's The Christmas Invasion was quite rightly given centre stage in the schedules by the BBC. This contained all the elements that made the revival of the sci-fi series so successful last year. Tennant has a hard act to follow as Christopher Eccleston made the role his own even though he only hung around for one series. The signs are that the new Doctor will be just as good."

The Daily Mailsays that "former Dr Who star Christopher Eccleston has assiduously developed a reputation as an actor of repute. But when the dour-faced thespian took part in a celebrity Red Cross event in Indonesia for victims of last year's Boxing Day tsunami, he found his fame had not travelled the distance. Eccleston -- who quit Dr Who after just one series -- took to the stage to sing to children in the remote Aceh province. However, none of his audience had a clue who he was. 'It got slightly embarrassing because more of the audience were asking a BBC cameraman for his autograph than Christopher,' says a Red Cross worker. 'They hadn't a clue who he was.' Their confusion turned to laughter as the earnest actor stood up to sing the Frank Sinatra number Nancy With The Laughing Eyes -- and banged his head on the ceiling. The youngsters chortled even more when his head became entangled in bunting. To add insult to injury, when Eccleston decided to make a call from the local airport to say he was on his way home, he discovered his mobile phone had been stolen."

The The Globe and Mail of Canada says of Doctor Who this past year that it "returned amid much hype, but for once the hype was a true reflection of the show's importance. The BBC's decision to revive the hoary old sci-fi series was inspired, especially the decision to use Russell T. Davies (creator of the original Queer As Folk) as the main writer. He gave it a glorious camp quality, and Christopher Eccleston was perfect as the weird doctor. Then, in a twist that could only happen on a BBC show, Eccleston abandoned the role and walked away." Also, Doctor Who made their list of "Ten Shows That Mattered Most in 2005".

Other brief items: Waveguide repeats the story on Tennant watching the program on Sunday night; TV Squadconcludes its "Christmas Invasion" countdown with a review; Lovetripper mentions John Barrowman's civil ceremony; and the Irish Independent has another report on Christmas Day viewing figures.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Peter Weaver, Graeme Burk)

Post-transmission reviews from the press have started coming in. The Sunsays that "it's hard to believe it is less than a year since the Beeb brought back this cult classic. But the Timelord's battle against the ugly Sycorax really was the jewel in the BBC's crown yesterday. From the moment the Tardis hurtled out of the sky and crash landed in a council estate, you knew you were in for something special. New doc, David Tennant has not just stepped into Christopher Eccleston's impressive shoes, he jumped into them at full pelt -- not an easy feat. The only thing slightly dodgy was his accent — a mixture of Dick Van Dyke and Tiny Tim. But I can just about forgive him that as his comic timing was one of the best things about the Christmas special. ... David brings back the humour and is not as menacing as Eccleston, while Billie Piper was a real jingle-belle as she tried to stand up to the aliens. But the Christmas special is a tribute to writer Russell T Davies, who masterminded the Dr Who revival and whose words crackle and spit hotter than a roast turkey dinner. If this is anything to go by, roll on the next series..."

The Times also has choice words: "Casanova, in pyjamas, fighting the Sycorax with a broadsword? What greater gift could womankind receive on Christmas Day? Of course, gay men always give the most exquisite and generous of gifts, so it was little wonder that Russell T. Davies, the head writer and fairy godfather of Doctor Who (BBC One), made the 'Christmas Day special' not just a treat for those ovulating on the 25th -- which, to be frank, would have been every female viewer at the point where David Tennant burst out of the Tardis for the first time -- but a thrill for everyone. Personally, I don't know anyone who harboured a single doubt over Tennant making a totally splendid and, more importantly, very hot Doctor. And this complacency has proved to be wholly correct. He's twinkly, he's foppish, he's clever, he's taller than you'd expect, and he's clearly going to roam across the galaxy, making anything with receptive genitalia stare into their drinks, sighing: 'Gvenx attr! dopo'. This Doctor revival works so well because everyone involved is a fan, and therefore knows what other fans want from their Doctor. In many ways, it's like multimillion-pound fanfic -- stories written by fans, where decades of frustration with the plot not going the way they want is vented -- and so Leia and Han end up shagging frenetically, through access-panels in their snow-suits, in an ice corridor on Hoth. This sense of finally getting your hands on your idols, and making things go the way that you have always dreamt of, is why every episode of the new Doctor Who series has a moment that makes the Doctor fan simultaneously shivery and tearful. Obviously you'd have to go a long way to beat the last episode of the last series, when the Doctor and Rose had to kiss out of both galactic and medical necessity ('You need a Doctor.' YES! YES! YES, I DO NEED A DOCTOR NOW!) -- but Christmas Day came pretty close. Having seen off the evil leader of the Sycorax while dressed in his pyjamas ('Oooh, very Arthur Dent'), the Doctor turned to the Sycoraxian hordes on their spaceship. 'Go across the Universe, and tell whoever you meet that the Earth is DEFENDED!' the Doctor said. Of course, what he meant was that the Earth 'is defended by ME, Sexy Who, over another 12 episodes this year, and with a shooting schedule confirmed up until 2007'. And that, frankly, is something I would like to go across the Universe telling everyone I meet."