The SFX Magazine website confirms that musician Murray Gold, previously announced as composing the incidental music for each episode of the new series, will be recreating the popular theme tune for the new series. "It's not as radical a remix as many thought we might get," says the article. "The new arrangement updates Delia Derbyshire and Ron Grainer's original, but keeps the basic sounds. Producer Russell T Davies told SFX that the production team did consider keeping the 1960s/70s original, but, 'When we watched it on the small screen, it just seemed a little bit empty and a bit old.'" The article notes that the new theme tune was delivered on January 17 by Gold, and quotes Davies as saying it's "brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I thought the original theme would be perfect though, but the version Murray's done is so faithful." Davies also told SFX that the show would bring back "the classic Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker 'cliffhanger screech'." The issue features an interview with Davies as well as artwork by famed Doctor Who illustrator Chris Achilleos; visit the website for more information.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine features some late breaking updates on the new series. As expected, there is now confirmation of our earlier report that there will be single, on screen episode titles for each episode of the new series. FX house The Mill has completed the new title sequence for the series, which will feature at the start of each episode (previous thoughts about pre-titles sequences have been abandoned, or so we've heard.) The issue confirms that Joe Ahearne will return as director, but notes that Ahearne is directing the final two parter (one episode of which is called "The Parting of the Ways") as the 'sixth block' of filming. However, they state that no director has yet been announced for the 'fifth block', consisting solely of episode 11 (it states that the final two parter is "too ambitious" to allow a third episode into this block; however, this does not discount Outpost Gallifrey's earlier report that Ahearne is directing episode 11, which could indeed be the case but is not 'official.')

The issue also has some new casting additions: In "The Long Game," Colin Prockter plays the Head Chef, and Judy Holt plays Sandra; the issue has several comments about this casting by exec producer Russell T Davies. Also in that story, previously announced cast members Christine Adams and Anna Maxwell Martin have now been confirmed as Cath and Suki respectively. For "The Empty Child" and its second episode, "The Doctor Dances," Florence Hoathplays Nancy; and in roles yet to be announced, Cheryl Fergison, Damian Samuels, Robert Hands, Martin Hodgson, Joseph Tremain, Jordan Murphy and Brandon Miller. The issue also confirms the arrival of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness in the two-parter. Finally, Davies' production notes is a lengthy discussion of spoilers and the real instigators of such, the British press; he notes that it is very likely full synopses of each episode will be out prior to their broadcast, accusing the British press of being potential 'ruiners' of the series.

Issue #353 of Doctor Who Magazine is due out this week; click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version of the cover. Meanwhile, here's the press release for the latest issue (with thanks to Tom Spilsbury, Assistant Editor):

"Ease the agony of waiting for the new series with another feature-packed 68-page issue of Doctor Who Magazine! This issue, Unquiet Dead writer Mark Gatiss talks about the challenges of bringing the Doctor back to television...

'My Doctor Who episode is the most serious thing I?ve done since my first Doctor Who novel, Nightshade. At second draft stage my episode changed a lot, and the reason was that the first draft was far too grim. I can still hear myself saying to Russell [T Davies, executive producer], 'This story?s about grief!' Of course it can be about grief or whatever, somewhere in there, but fundamentally it?s got to be a good, scary, story.'

Meanwhile, we speak to Fifth Doctor companion, alias actress Janet Fielding, who tells us exactly what she really thought about playing Tegan. Former script editor Andrew Cartmel presents the fascinating second part of his article about the making of Remembrance of the Daleks, while we take a look behind-the-scenes of the 1965 movie Dr Who and the Daleks in our Archive Extra feature.

Plus - it's the end of an era as the Eighth Doctor makes his final stand in the shocking final part of our comic strip adventure The Flood. It's one you don't want to miss...

Plus we have all the latest news and cast updates from the set of Doctor Who in Gallifrey Guardian, The Time Team encounter The Deadly Assassin, and there's a grave warning from Russell T Davies in his unmissable Production Notes column.

DWM 353 goes on sale at all good newsagents from Thursday 3 February priced ú3.99."

Issue 70 of Time Space Visualiser (TSV), the New Zealand Doctor Who fanzine, is now out and features revelations from newly-discovered documentation about what was edited out of 1960s episodes in New Zealand; a no-holds-barred interview with David J Howe and Stephen James Walker in which they reveal why the Telos Novellas had to end - and also give a book-by-book commentary; a stunning eight-page Third Doctor and Ice Warriors comic strip; an 'extended edit' of the Missing Years update interviews from the Lost in Time DVD, and much more besides packed into 100 pages. TSV is available by mail order and Paypal is accepted as a payment option. For more details visit www.doctorwho.org.nz. (Thanks to Paul Scoones)

In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, there are a few items of confirmation. From BBC Books: after publication of "The Gallifrey Chronicles" on 28 March, the next regular BBC Books release will be Barry Letts' "Island of Death" on 4 July. All three Ninth Doctor novels, as well as Justin Richards' Monsters and Villains, will now be published on Monday 19 May, to enable "some robust marketing". "Monsters and Villains," the previously announced non-fiction book, will include some new series material written specially by new series producer Russell T Davies. The three novels can be read in any order. The new logo will appear on all four books. And there's been decision yet on which logo will be used for the resumption of the regular book line. As for Big Finish news, Nicholas Briggs' new "Cybermen" miniseries is announced and confirmed for August to November; currently untitled it will feature some of the "Dalek Empire" cast and will have some links to the previous Cybermen adventure "Sword of Orion," "being about the different generations of the Cybermen." Actress Jennie Linden from the Dalek films will be in "Unregenerate!" in June, too.

At last... the first new Doctor Who series cover from Doctor Who Magazine for issue #352, featuring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper. Click on the cover illustration at right for a larger version of the magazine cover scan; meanwhile, the issue has already been received by some UK subscribers.

The official Doctor Who site today featured a preview of the next issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #352... sort of. The feature on the magazine, which features a new design tying into the new series and an expansion to 68 pages, shows the cover design but not the final version of the Ninth Doctor and Rose cover (which can now be seen in a more recent news item above!) (There is also word from elsewhere that the color of the logo will change with each issue.) In the first new-look issue, producer Phil Collinson says about the TARDIS, "The basic idea - a big room with the main controls in the middle - is so fantastic, I mean, why would you change that? It's a brilliant piece of design. The basic idea is the same, but Ed Thomas' design has a feeling all of its own. I mean, with the best will in the world, the TARDIS interior always used to look like a studio set. But this one is enormous and it looks beautiful on camera. Plus, we're doing a couple of things to help ease the way, so that the viewers can imagine that, when you step through those doors, something magic happens and the interior really does tie in with the outside..." Other highlights include an interview with new series author Paul Cornell and McCoy-era script editor Andrew Cartmel presenting a unique glimpse behind the scenes of the show as he rifles through his diaries to document the genesis of Remembrance of the Daleks! Fact of Fiction sets its sights on The Tenth Planet, whilst Earth faces its final hours in part seven of comic strip epic The Flood. More teasing from loose-lipped executive producer Russell T Davies in his unmissable Production Notes, the Time Team tackling The Masque of Mandragora and casting exclusives in Gallifrey Guardian round off the issue.

The Doctor Who fan fiction anthology, the Trenchcoat Farewell Project is now available on CD-ROM and as a hard bound anthology, collecting 40+ stories of the fan fiction canon published in previous years into a single volume with illustrations; details available at the Trenchcoat website.

In a small sidebar news article in the recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine, DWM announces that Autumn 2005 will see the first Doctor Who Annual for twenty years; they got the licence to do annuals as part of their recent renewal, and it will evidently be aimed at a younger audience than the magazine itself.

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #351, has reached subscribers. While no preview of this issue was issued this month, we have a scan below of the cover as well as the free CD that was included, featuring two short pieces from Big Finish: the standalone UNIT audio "The Coup" by Simon Guerrier starring Nicholas Courtney, and a Bernice Summerfield audio featuring the Cybermen starring Lisa Bowerman. Also in the issue are interviews with Paul McGann and Daphne Ashbrook from the TV Movie and all the usual features. This will also be the last issue in this format, as #352 will have a new cover design and carry expanded coverage of the new series. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

Update Dec. 9, 2200 GMT: The editors of Doctor Who Magazine have provided us with a larger scan of the cover; click below left. Also included in the issue is an interview with new series make-up artist Davy Jones; part six of the comic strip "The Flood," part two of the Archive Extra "Doctor Who on the Radio" and more.