Today's edition of Blue Peter on BBC One featured yet another Doctor Who item, demonstrating once again the strong support the show is receiving from Children's BBC's flagship show. The first feature on the programme, it opened with the presenters showing some of the large amount of mail they have been receiving from their viewers regarding Doctor Who, and they showed various children's drawing of Daleks and so forth that had been sent into them in recent weeks. Then presenter Gethin Jones talked about the Doctor having faced all kinds of monsters down the years, while a few brief clips from the classic series were shown. He then said that the Doctor's latest enemies were his old foes the Cybermen, and this linked into a pre-recorded item of Jones on-set in Cardiff for the shooting of Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel, in which he was to have a guest appearance as one of the Cybermen.

Brief interview clips of Jones talking to some of the actors were then shown, starting with his CBBC colleague Andrew Hayden-Smith, who plays Jake. Jones asked him if he'd learned any Welsh (Jones being a Welshman) while he was shooting in Cardiff, and Hayden-Smith replied that he had learned one phrase -- "Doctor Pwy", Welsh for Doctor Who. Billie Piper was next, and she said she thought the Cybermen were terrifying, before David Tennant discussed some of the background of the creatures, with some brief clips of 1960s Cyberman episodes being shown as he did so. After Jones had finished speaking to him, Tennant turned directly to the camera and assured the Blue Peter viewers that when Jones was a Cyberman the Doctor would "get him!" The rest of the feature was taken up with Jones's experiences as a Cyberman, being fitted out for his costume, rehearsing how to walk and finally shooting a scene from The Age of Steel... He received praise from producer Phil Collinson for his performance, and finally a brief clip of the finished scene was shown. (Thanks to Paul Hayes)

Rise of the Cybermen Publicity

As well as this week's Tardisode for Episode 5, a 20-second trailer for Saturday's episode debuted last Saturday night on the Doctor Who media player on the official website, as part of its update for "The Girl in the Fireplace". Composed almost entirely of footage shown in Episode 4's 'Next Time' trailer, this trailer was first broadcast on BBC One on Sunday afternoon and has been shown frequently throughout the week. Mid-week, it gained an extra line of text noting the series' BAFTA-winning success this week.

The Radio Times for 13-19 May, published on Tuesday 9 May, featured Doctor Who's fifth cover in just over a year (see OG News, May 10), with a five-page Doctor Who Watch feature with several photographs of the new Cybermen design and comments from Neill Gorton (special make-up and prosthetic effects) and Edward Thomas (production designer). "We wanted to bring the Cybermen into the 21st century ... and give them a uniformity that they didn't have previously," says Gorton. "Russell T Davies was adamant they had to look like steel ... We ended up doing it as 'cold-cast metal': you take a powdered metal, add it to a resin and brush that into your moulds, then put fibreglass behind that." Edward Thomas reveals that "The whole design concept of the episode was that it was going to be Art Deco, so we kept the very Art Deco lines [for the Cyberman design] ... it all has to feel as if it clips together." The actors playing Cybermen wear a Lcra suit underneath the cyber-costumes, and actor Paul Kasey says that "It took about half an hour [to put it all on], the first time. By the end of the shoot I'd got it down to about ten minutes." Also shown are a couple of the initial alternative designs for the new-look Cybermen. Writer Tom MacRae is interviewed, commenting, "We've gone to the root of what's scary, which is that they come and they take you and they don't kill you, but they turn you into one of them. That's the story." Alison Graham selects Rise of the Cybermen for her moment of the week: "It's the noise that attracts everyone's attention. The steady thud, thud, thud of metallic feet crunching inexorably towards a country house where Britain's powerful people are enjoying a party ... They're back, and they're terrifying." Graham also previews the episode as one of Saturday's choices: "Gripping though all this is, the real interest of tonight's episode is the return of the Doctor's old foes ... There's a big build-up to their first appearance ... If anything, they're more scary [now], and there's a geniune dread as they clump, clump, clump towards the Doctor and Rose, ready to take over the world." According to Saturday's listings, "The Tardis is trapped on a parallel Earth and an old enemy is about to be reborn." Also noted in the magazine is a Blue Peter feature on Monday 15 May at 5pm, "How [show presenter] Gethin played a Cyberman in Doctor Who", which is previewed more fully in the Kids' TV section. There's also a letter following up on last week's correspondent, correcting the idea that K9 mark 3 was not built by the Doctor.

A trailer for the episode has also been broadcast on BBC radio since midweek. It shares several scenes with the TV trailer, but also includes a brief piece of Cyberspeech. It can be heard via Radio 4's Listen Again on the BBC's Today programme for Wednesday May, about 1 hour 30 minutes in, for six days after broadcast (you can find it here).

Wednesday's regular update to the official site introduced a noisy Cybermen flash animation to the homepage, with a picture gallery of 13 photos, mostly publicity shots of Cybermen. Also, the BBC homepage has a Cyberman on the front, along with various links to Doctor Who items.

The episode preview on Totally Doctor Who on Thursday (repeated Saturday, 6.30pm, CBBC) comprised a fairly long continuous scene, with Lumic unveiling a Cyberman - which speaks to him and correctly identifies him.

The CBBC Newsround site now features several new promotional pieces on Rise of the Cybermen. A behind-the-scenesarticle appeared on Thursday, and includes an interview with Cyber-actor Paul Kasey. Lizo's weekly episodepreviewwas posted on Friday afternoon - it includes some possibly mild spoilers for later in the series, as well as some conversation with Russell T Davies, mostly confined to dismissing certain theories about the series' story arcs as "Nonsense!" Intriguingly, most of said theories appear to have originated with Davies himself, in various interviews! At the same time, aquizquiz on the Cybermen debuted at Newsround's Doctor Who mini-site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/specials/doctor_who/default.stm).

On the review side, Heat magazine's reviewer Chris Longridge awards Rise of the Cybermen the max five stars and writes that: "We've been lucky enough to have nothing but one-off eps so far this series, but now we have to cope with one of those cliffhanging two-parters that make us every bit as frustrated as they did when we were kids. We join the Tardis as it crash-lands on an alternative Earth, where Zeppelins are the only mode of transport for the well-to-do. Mickey is London's most wanted terrorist and Rose's dad is alive - and successful enough to have his own annoying catchphrase. As you may have read elsewhere, the big threat comes from the Cybermen - an old enemy of the Doctor's who are essentially humanoid Daleks, but instead of shouting "Exterminate! Exterminate!", prefer the altogether wackier, "Delete! Delete!" (Come on, chaps, you could have tried a bit harder there.) But where do these robo-bastards come from? Well, the episode contains a coded warning about the prevalence of a popular media accessory called an "earpod". Are they trying to tell us something?" Heat places this week's episode at number 3 in their week's Best TV Shows.

Closer comments that: "The monsters in this series of Doctor Who have been a bit namby-pamby so far.So tonight it steps up a level, when the Doc stumbles upon an old enemy, in fact he stumbles on about 100 of them. Enter the Cybermen, who are very, very scary. Rose, the Doc and Mickey land the Tardis back in London - but not London as we know it. this is the big smoke in a parallel world. The two-parter ends on a real cliffhanger, and while Roger Lloyd-Pack is brilliant as the baddie, to us he will always be Trigger from Only Fools and Horses." (reviewer: Hannah Wright).

New magazine has this week's episode at number 5 in their Top Ten Picks and writes: "The Doctor and Rose come face to face with an old enemy when they travel to a parallel Earth. There, they meet an army of Cybermen created by evil genius John Lumic. It's an emotional experience for Rose, because int his world her dad is still alive. Concludes next week." (reviewer: David Bell)

Reveal writes: "Since being handed the keys to the Tardis last year by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant has become a firm favourite with fans of the sci-fi series. So far in this run, he's seen the return of Sarah Jane and K-9, and fought several particularly nasty baddies. In this first of a two-part adventure, hwoever, he faces his toughest challenge yet as he takes on some of his deadliest ever foes. The Time Lord and his intrepid sidekick arrive back in the rpesent day to find history has been dramatically altered, with Rose amazed to learn her father is still alive in this alternative reality. She must quickly put her elation to one side, though, as the Cybermen are planning to take over the world. Roger Lloyd-pack guest stars." The magazine gives this episode 4 stars and it's their Must See - Pick of the Day.

Star magazine gives Rise of the Cybermen four (out of 5) stars and it's their Pick of the Day. "After the Daleks, the Cybermen were teh most legendary of the Doctor's foes back in the early days. They get a revival in this mammoth two-parter. The Tardis crashes and ends up trapped in an alternative world - one where Rose's father is still alive, she is a Yorkshire terrier and the wealthy live in Zeppelins! Her father is entangled with a powerful businessman, whose enterprises involve downloading information into peoples' heads. He's dying and the only way to save himself - and spare the world from pain - is to create Cybermen, immortal, unfeeling types." (reviewer: KH) (the magazine also has this ep at number 3 in their top 10 terrestrial TV shows)

BBC Books Sales and Audiobooks News

All three Tenth Doctor novels have spent the past fortnight in the top six of the Top 20 Fiction Heatseekers chart, published by trade magazine The Bookseller. This week, The Resurrection Casket remains at number 6, while The Feast of the Drowned has moved up one place to number 4, and The Stone Rose has slipped from number two to number three. As The Bookseller notes, this was a week that saw "a feast of new entries" in the chart, but the Doctor Who sales have remained steady at around 3,000 copies of each book per week. The total sales for the three novels in the past four weeks are: The Stone Rose 12,923; The Feast of the Drowned 10,836; and The Resurrection Casket 10,699, still substantially ahead of sales figures for the initial Ninth Doctor releases in May 2005.

The next batch of novels expected in the autumn (see OG News, 21 April) are also due to be released on audiobook, according to listings at Amazon.co.uk. There is no news yet of who will be reading them, but Amazon lists all three CDs for release on Monday 2 October.

BBC Books' contribution to the Quick Reads literacy initiative, I Am a Dalekby Gareth Roberts, is now beginning to appear in shops in the UK, a little ahead of its official publication date of 18 May.

The Girl in the Fireplace Post-publicity

The official site update after Saturday's episode The Girl in the Fireplaceincluded a larger number of video diaries than have featured over the previous three weeks: there are interviews with Sophia Myles (Reinette), Louise Page (Costume Designer), and a horse (the horse), as well as features on the making of the clockwork men and the eye camera. This week's new game, via Mickey's 'Defending the Earth' official spin-off website (http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk), is called 'Tick Tock' and involves defeating clockwork men to locate missing crystals from various eighteenth-century locations. As usual, it is preceded and followed by short video messages from Mickey Smith.

The commentary this week was by writer Steven Moffat and actor Noel Clarke. Available for download from the official site, it was also a red-button extra on the BBC Three repeats on Sunday and Friday evenings - now a regular BBCi extra, and listed as such in the Radio Times.

Added to the CBBC Newsround site on Thursday was an interview with Jessica Atkins, who played the young Reinette in The Girl in the Fireplace.

This week's Totally Doctor Who interviewed Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Jessica Atkins and Sheelagh Wells (Make-up Designer), and had behind-the-scenes features on the fire extinguisher/ice gun used to stop the clockword droids and the costumes used for the episode.

The episode was enthusiastically reviewed by Slade's Noddy Holder on the Mark Radcliffe show on BBC Radio 2 on Thursday evening at about 11.30pm. (This should also be available on Listen Again on the BBC Radio Player).

Series Two Repeats (Already)

According to the Radio Times website, BBC Three will be running consecutive weekday repeats of The Christmas Invasion and the first three episodes of Series Two from Monday 22 May at 7pm, with a 7.45-8.00pm cut down Confidential after each episode. This scheduling is clearly provisional - The Christmas Invasion is shown incorrctly as running at 45 minutes, and the same Confidential episode is listed for all four evenings.

Other Media Items

Wednesday's Marina Hyde column in The Guardian newspaper references the episode Tooth and Claw in a piece discussing the recent revelations of Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten about his private life, titled Never mind battling demons and consulting a shrink. "This failure to assume anything puts me in mind of a recent episode of the majestic Doctor Who," writes Hyde, "in which the Doctor, Rose and Queen Victoria are en route to Balmoral, and use the house of a highland lord as a staging post. Little do they realise that the owner's wife has been taken prisoner and his staff replaced by psychotic, shaven-headed men, who force him to act as if nothing is amiss. Towards the end of the episode, when the day has been saved, his lordship asks the Doctor why he didn't realise sooner that something was up. 'Well,' comes the cheeky reply, 'your wife was away, you were surrounded by bald, athletic men... I just thought you were enjoying yourself.' Ah, beware the simple answer, Doctor! As the Time Lord eventually discovered, the wife and servants were in fact being held hostage by a werewolf-worshipping cult. If only Mr Oaten had cared to name the psychiatrist he has been seeing for all these years, I would call him and moot the possibility that the MP and his family were in the thrall of some terrible evil - possibly lupine - and advise him to flag down the Tardis without delay."

The website of the Belfast Telegraph newspaper is carrying a news story about David Tennant having visited the city recently, and taking in a Derry City football match while he was there. He was evidently visiting as part of the making of his forthcoming episode of the BBC geneology show Who Do You Think You Are?, and has a connection to the Derry City football team - according to the article, "His grandfather Archie McLeod was a record goal-scorer for the side in the 1930s." Derry City's Chairman, Jim Roddy, is quoted as saying that "He is a quiet, decent fellow and very proud of his roots - I think he was very humbled by the whole experience."

Outpost Gallifrey will feature a recap of the rest of the week's press coverage (nothing major, but mentions here and there) in our next TARDIS report.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Chuck Foster)

As we noted early in the week, Doctor Who was one of the awards announced in the BAFTA coverage as shown on ITV, coming up about forty minutes into the show which was hosted by Bad Wolf guest voice Davina McColl. Kevin Whately and Amanda Holden announced the nominees in the Drama Series category, and the clip shown of Doctor Who was of thousands of Daleks flying through space from The Parting of the Ways. Here's a recap of what transpired:

Billie Piper, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner and Russell T Davies came on stage to accept the award after the winner was announced, with David Tennant applauding from back at the show's table. Gardner did the acceptance speech on their behalf, thanking Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper and particularly Davies as well as everyone else who makes the show. When she mentioned Davies, his name got a large round of applause from the audience. Then suddenly from the wings - and much to the audience's delight - a Dalek appeared. Oddly, given that press and last night's news coverage had shown a regular gold Dalek gliding down the red carpet, this Dalek, although new series style in construction, was painted jet black. It angrily announced, with the familiar Nick Briggs voice, that "all BAFTAs will be surrended to the Daleks!", before Kevin Whately foiled it by placing his hand over its eye. The Dalek protested that it could not see, and then sternly warned them not to touch the Dalek. Gardner, clearly quite amused by the creature's presence, admitted that they wouldn't have been there without the Daleks.

One hour into the show the winner of the Pioneer Audience Award was announced, the nominees for which had been shown in two groups of four clips earlier in the evening between other awards. This award was announced by the Chairman of Pioneer, who simply stood there and didn't say anything, and much-loved British television actor Sir David Jason. Jason ran briefly through the nominees, and compared Doctor Who to Strictly Come Dancing - "one is about a spry but eccentric one million year old man and his sexy sidekick, the other is about a flying police box." After Jason, following some initial struggles with the envelope, announced Doctor Who as the winner, Billie Piper accepted the award on her own, the theme tune playing loudly through the hall as she walked to the stage. Grinning and describing the award as "a treat!" she enthused about how much the award meant to the cast and crew and how grateful they were, before wishing everyone else a "great evening".

Finally, around one hour twenty minutes into the ceremony, David Tennant came on stage. After speaking briefly about Dennis Potter, he said how any writer who receives an award presented in Potter's name must be very special. He then said how he was proud to count Davies as a boss and a friend, and then outlined the writer's career and achievements to date. There then followed a collection of clips of Davies's work since The Grand, interspersed with clips of actors and colleagues enthusing about his work. They included Julie Gardner, Nina Sosanya (Casanova), Anthony Cotton (Queer as Folk), Lesley Sharp (Bob & Rose and The Second Coming), Matt Lucas (Casanova), Nicola Shindler (founder of Red Production Company), David Liddiment (former Director of Programmes at ITV) and Billie Piper. Said Tennant, "Dennis Potter understood that television was an art form that was new and unique. His writing was consistently fresh, often controversial and always stimulating. Television drama would never be the same again after him. Any writer who gets a BAFTA presented in his name has to be something very special indeed. It is safe to say that tonight's winner is just that. He is one of the most unique voices in television today. I am delighted to describe him as my boss, but I'm proud as punch to call him a friend. It is Russell T Davies. ... A self-confessed Doctor Who enthusiast, Russell achieved the apparently unachievable – revitalising and updating a television icon that many thought was beyond redemption. But he injected the series with a heart, a wit and an imagination that made a forty year-old concept fresher than just about anything else around it. Russell's great friend, the writer Paul Abbott, said: 'the humanity and wit that Russell crams into the tiniest corners of human behaviour sets him far far above the professional typists masquerading as writers in this industry'. The exceptional quality of his output is only achieved by a working day that would leave most Calvinists shrinking in shame. He is the finest inspiration any friend and colleague could wish for, and he's given me two of the best roles that I could ever hope to get, so it is a great, great privilege for me to be chosen tonight to present the Dennis Potter Award to a man so fabulously deserving." Tennant then introduced a montage of clips followed by introducing Davies, who came to the stage to great applause and hugged Tennant. He thanked the Academy for "an honour beyond words". He said there were too many people to thank it was like "drowning in a sea of faces in your head". He thanked his agent and his boyfriend, and then thanked his friend Sally Watson, not a member of the television industry, but who once told him "why don't you write like you?" when he worried about comparing himself to other writers. He claimed it was the best piece of advice he had ever been given.

(Thanks to Paul Hayes)

People

Yahoo News reports that "Hollyoaks star Rochelle Gadd is preparing to swap text books for time travel when she appears in two episodes of Doctor Who. The actress, who plays student and part-time waitress Olivia Johnson in the soap, will feature in the final instalments of the current sci-fi series. She will take the role of Sally in the two-parter, which is rumoured to involve the Cybermen and, according to writer Russell T Davies, will end with a huge cliffhanger. Gadd was first seen on our screens in Grange Hill, where she played schoolgirl Delia 'Dill' Lodge for six terms. During that time, she could be seen in another CBBC programme, Out of Tune, and has also had small parts in Holby City, The Bill and The Robinsons, which she featured in alongside The Office's Martin Freeman. Other familiar faces guest starring with the Time Lord will include psychic medium Derek Acorah, Cash in the Attic presenter Alistair Appleton and chat show host Trisha Goddard. EastEnders' Barbara Windsor and Tracey-Ann Oberman are also lined up for cameos. Despite the Walford connection, BBC producers have categorically ruled out the Tardis will landing in Albert Square."

The official Doctor Who website reports that "Helen Raynor - Doctor Who script editor and one of the writers for series three - has a new 15-minute TV play on BBC One next week. Cake stars Mali Harries and Andrew Dunn, and is the first in the Brief Encounters series of short plays by writers new to television. You can catch Helen's play on Monday 8 May at 2.35pm, inbetween episodes of Doctors and Homes Under The Hammer."

The Paisley Daily Express reports that "Stunned regulars at a town centre pub couldn't believe their eyes when Doctor Who strolled in for a surprise visit. David Tennant, who plays the Time Lord in the hugely popular BBC TV series, turned heads when he walked through the doors of the Bull Inn, in New Street, Paisley sporting a hairy new look. The 35-year-old actor was back in his home town to film a documentary series about Paisley and his connection with it. But bar staff, let alone customers, at the historic Bull had no idea David was turning up until half an hour before he put in an appearance. Pub boss, Iain MacKinnon, 28, said: 'We knew there was going to be filming but didn't know who was taking part. Then one of the people involved told us it would be David. When he arrived you could see people turning to look at him. He sat in the corner while the filming was happening.' Iain revealed the former Paisley Grammar School pupil was extremely friendly. 'He posed for a picture and we are going to put it on our Bull Inn Mug Shots board which we have here,' Iain added. And there was a treat in store for Iain's niece Robyn, 13. 'She is a massive Doctor Who fan, and I managed to get David Tennant's autograph for her,' he revealed. David, son of the Very Rev Dr Sandy McDonald and his wife Helen, who live in the Dykebar area, caused quite a stir with his flying trip in and out of town. Excited female staff at the nearby Castelvecchi fish and chip shop had spotted the famous Buddie popping into the pub. And they were desperate to know if the bachelor boy was back in town for good. One fan, 32-year-old Jenny Wright, said: 'I didn't realise it was him at first glance because of the new look, which by the way I liked. It was a bit of a shock when I realised I was only feet away from Dr Who himself. It made my day and I'll have something to tell my friends for decades to come. He is pretty handsome.'"

Thursday's The Sun says that Tennant "has been named the sexiest Doctor Who ever by one of his co-stars. Camille Coduri, 41, who plays Billie Piper's screen mum Jackie Tyler, said: 'I think David the sexiest Doctor I have ever seen. 'I didn't think he was so sexy until I saw him at a screening of the show then I realised that he's gorgeous. He is 110% sexier in real life and he's great to work with.'"

The Mirror says that "Only Fools and Horses star Roger Lloyd-Packbased his evil genius role in Doctor Who on US defence chief Donald Rumsfeld. The actor best known as Del Boy's friend Trigger in the BBC sitcom plays power-crazy John Lumic - creator of robot monsters the Cybermen. Roger, 62, said: 'I thought, 'Who is a power-hungry mad person who believes he is completely right and has a lot of control?' Donald Rumsfeld came to mind. He's as bad a man as I see around now.' Lumic battles the Doctor and Rose, played by David Tennant and Billie Piper, as they try to stop his plan... The two-episode story - Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel, on May 13 and May 20 - is the most eagerly awaited of the current series. ... Rumsfeld is not the only famous face to have inspired a Dr Who character. Writer Russell T Davis based the villain Lady Cassandra - a thin piece of skin with a brain - on film star Nicole Kidman. Russell revealed the idea came as he watched her at the Oscars. He said: 'It was horrific seeing those beautiful women reduced to sticks. Nicole Kidman struck me in particular.'"

AfterElton features an interview with John Barrowman: "Viewers who have never heard of Doctor Who, even those who think they don't like sci-fi, might want to consider tuning in to Episode Nine of the new series when it shows tomorrow night at 9pm on the Sci Fi Channel. The cult British show about a time-travelling Doctor and his companions--which has been on and off screens since 1963--has recently been given a 21st century makeover, courtesy of UK Queer As Folk creator Russell T. Davies. And one of the results of Davies's helmsmanship is that the Doctor has a new companion, making his debut appearance tonight: bisexual intergalactic con man Captain Jack Harkness, played by Scottish-American actor John Barrowman. ... He says that he still had one unrealised ambition: 'I grew up in the UK as a kid, I was born and raised in Scotland, and so, having the knowledge of [the show], it was kind of a fantasy of mine to be involved in Doctor Who, though I never thought it would happen.' That fantasy became a reality when his agent called him in for a part that was 'right up your alley'. And Russell T. Davies, seeing the dashing matinee-idol quality that he was looking for in Captain Jack, proceeded to write the character around Barrowman. Barrowman acknowledges that part of his character's energy and optimism may have come from him: 'Anybody who you might talk to who knows me, knows that I love life, I love to have fun, I'm very open, I don't mince my words, I say what I feel, and--you know, that's just the way I am. I put a lot of my own personality into Jack. ... First off, when he was introduced, people didn't like him. And that's what I wanted, I didn't want him to be likeable [straight away]. Because then towards the end of Episode Ten, there's a complete turnaround of his character, and he becomes passionate,. He loves these two other people, the Doctor and [the Doctor's companion] Rose, and so he fights and sacrifices things for them. Basically, I think people see a lot of themselves in him. Because a lot of people would love to say the things that Jack says, and do the things that he does, and make those kind of commitments to people--but some people are just afraid to. And Jack does it, on camera.'" On the subject of Torchwood: "Barrowman says, 'It's a team of five people including Jack, and we have a place called the Hub, which is near the Opera House in Cardiff [in Wales, in the UK]. It's underground, this fictitious place. We are an organization that fights alien crime, and tries to figure out alien happenings on earth. A lot of the things that have happened with Doctor Who [in the second series, currently showing on UK television], the Torchwood team have been responsible for--you know, fixing or annihilating after the Doctor does his bit.' Although Barrowman has been contractually sworn to secrecy on the content of the episodes, he says that his character will still be bisexual: 'Oh yeah, he's still gonna be the same Captain Jack. A little...maybe a little bit more mysterious. Because, remember, he's come back to the present-day. He doesn't even want his team to know a lot about where he's come from and what he's done. But you'll find out a lot about Jack, in this series, and some of the stuff, some of the...[laughs] oh, I can't even say it, but some of the alien things that happen are so great [laughs].' As well as writing Torchwood, Russell T. Davies will continue to work on Doctor Who (where Captain Jack is scheduled to appear in Series Three, although not Series Two). Of Davies's writing, and the lack of public fuss about Jack's bisexuality on a family show, Barrowman says: 'the fact that Russell has done this...the British public have accepted it with open arms, because it's done with the right type of humour, the right type of realism. It's not salacious, it's not done in a rude or crude manner. 'Russell takes a look at characters, particularly--and this is kind of going off Doctor Who a little--he takes a look at characters and people, and whether they be gay, straight, bisexual, or, you know, red, green, black, whatever they may be, or what they're into, he treats it as a norm. And that's why I think it's so acceptable amongst so many people.'"

Today's Daily Express says that "Bonnie Langford, who played Dr Who's assistant Melanie in the Eighties, has given her blessing to her successor Billie Piper and latest Timelord David Tennant. Like Billie, the former child star (left) was assistant to two Doctors – in her case Sylvester McCoy and Colin Baker – and she told us after the show at the Cambridge Theatre: 'I love the new series. I think both David and Billie are marvellous.' Is she thankful that, unlike Billie, who locked lips with Tennant on a recent show, she was never required to pucker up with the somewhat less – ahem – attractive McCoy? 'It's not something I ever considered, ' she says diplomatically. 'I was just relieved I never had to snog one of the monsters!'"

Other Press Items

BBC News has a brief picture essay of the Cybermen, from their origins to their appearance in "Rise of the Cybermen" one week from Saturday. CBBC Newsround also does the same.

Both Manchester Online and the Mirror give away spoilers on the forthcoming episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel" (we won't be spoiling it, however!) You can read the full articles, but here's the non-spoiler material: "Doctor Who's old enemy the Cybermen are about to crash the party in terrifying style - 40 years after they first appeared on screen. The next level of mankind, with all emotion removed, aim to give humans the ultimate upgrade, to be metal men just like them." (That's it; you'll have to read the articles for the rest!)

Sci Fi Wire from the US Sci Fi Channel says today that "Steven Moffat, who wrote the Doctor Who first-season episodes 'The Empty Child' and 'The Doctor Dances,' told SCI FI Wire that he was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response to the two-parter, which makes its U.S. debut on SCI FI Channel May 5 and May 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. 'I have to be modest and say they did go over exceptionally well,' Moffat said in an interview. The episodes were recently nominated for a coveted Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation, short form. 'But you never really know,' he added. 'You end up doing interviews in which you explain how brilliant you are and how you thought of all these great ideas, but it's not like that at all. You really have no idea if it's going to be the biggest slop or the biggest success. I didn't know the story was going to be as powerful as it was, and I certainly had no idea there would be kids saying, 'Are you my Mummy?' So that was all very exciting.' In 'The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances,' the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) travel back to World War II London during the Blitz, where they encounter an army of gas-mask-covered zombies, as well as Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a 53rd-century adventurer of somewhat ambiguous sexuality. 'People always think of television as a series of very clever decisions you make, but sometimes it just happens,' Moffat said. 'If it's set during the London Blitz, you can more or less assume it's not going to be a musical. It's also 'Doctor Who-does-the-Blitz,' so if you're going to tell that kind of story, it's almost impossible not to be 'Who Noir,' as we called it: '40s clothing, night time and bombs. So you've got 'The Empty Child' right there!' The two-parter also features one of the show's early catch-phrases, with the eponymous gas-masked child chillingly asking, 'Are you my Mummy?' 'You have to remember that Doctor Who is at its heart a children's program,' Moffat said. 'So it''s very important to remember children and the specific niche for Doctor Who, which is a kind of domestically scaled menace. You try and take ordinary things and give them one little twist to make them suddenly weird, so a little boy asking for his mummy is something you hear all the time. It's easily imitated, which is very important for Doctor Who monsters, because children have to be able to imitate them in playgrounds.' Moffat has also written an episode for the new second season of Doctor Who, which is currently airing on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. Moffat's episode, 'The Girl in the Fireplace,' debuts on BBC1 May 6. 'I really enjoyed this one,' he said. In the episode, the new Doctor (David Tennant) encounters French noblewoman Madame du Pompadour (Sophia Myles) in the 18th-century court of Louis XV. 'Without the slight nervousness of the first one and the unfamiliarity of working on someone else's show, it was extremely enjoyable, and I think Sophia Myles looks stunning in the episode.'"

Newsquest Media Group reviews the DVD release of Series Two, Volume One: "Rejoice... and then suffer a nagging feeling that the two instalments on this DVD - The Christmas Invasion and New Earth - somehow managed to slip through quality control. The special effects are polished and there are loopy leaps of imagination but the scripts lack character development and taut plotting. ... It's frothy almost to the point of being nothing but hot air; hopefully not a sign of things to come. As with the first series, Doctor Who will be released as five separate DVDs throughout the year, culminating in a complete DVD box set on November 20, which will comprise all 13 episodes, The Christmas Invasion and myriad extras in special packaging. Never let it be said that the BBC doesn't know how to milk Doctor Who fans dry."

Also: IGN lists its top 50 TV themes, with "35. Dr. Who: Yeah, we're talking about the Tom Baker-era theme, here… not that other drivel. Perfectly matched to the interstellar odyssey, the spacey, haunting theme song is an instant mood-setter, and one of the great, iconic pieces of sci-fi music ever recorded"; Now Playing reviews "School Reunion".

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, John Bowman, Paul Greaves, Peter Weaver, Tony Longworth)

May 3, 2006 • Posted By Shaun Lyon
Last week the UK paper The Sun gave away DVD copies of "Doctor Who" episodes as part of a special promotion, which asked, "Who are the luckiest newspaper readers in the whole universe? YOU are, of course. Starting today and every day this week, we are giving you a FREE Doctor Who DVD. We have SIX classic episodes, featuring six of your favourite Doctors from across the decades." Six episodes were given away: the full installment of "Rose," which started the new series; individual existing episodes of "The Faceless Ones" (episode 3) and "The Daleks' Masterplan" (episode: Day of Armageddon); and the first episodes of "The Robots of Death," "Spearhead from Space" and "Earthshock". The cover illustrations were on the Sun site and are below; click on each for a larger version.

Broadcasting

Doctor Who Confidential... Cut Down again for rebroadcast? The 7 May repeat of "Confidential" is now listed in a 15-minute space prior to the rebroadcast of "The Girl in the Fireplace". We'll keep you posted.

Elisabeth Sladen was interviewed on BBC One's Breakfast this morning (Thursday). There were clips from 'The Hand of Fear' and 'School Reunion', the latter featuring some material that has not previously appeared in the various BBC trailer packages. The interview, which lasts about eight minutes, can be seen online at BBC News.

Official Sites

The BBC Doctor Who website has undergone its weekly revamp and unveiled its pre-transmission 'School Reunion' theme. As well has the new flash-animated homepage, featuring Rose, Sarah Jane, Mr Finch and some flying Krillitanes, there is a new gallery of seventeen photographs from the episode; the latest 20-second trailer and the third Tardisode are also available on the Doctor Who media player. The downloads page has also been updated this week, with five brief sound clips from 'Tooth and Claw' joining three from 'New Earth'. Also posted, is the Fear Factor entry for this week's episode.

Also, the BBC has opened up a brand new spinoff site after this past weekend's episode, "Tooth and Claw". Visit Torchwood proclaims "Welcome to Torchwood House: Torchwood House is one of Scotland's achitectural treasures. Owned by the MacLeish family since the 1500s, it was purchased by the Crown in 1893. Famed for its beautiful grounds and stunning Observatory, the house was opened to the public in 1981. A real jewel of the Highlands, it has received over a million visitors since opening." The site includes a game revolving around the house's observatory.

School Reunion Pre-Broadcast Publicity

Doctor Who gets its fifth consecutive Radio Times cover mention this week - 'Welcome back, Sarah Jane and K-9!' - echoed in the 'Editor's letter' (p.3) and continued in 'RT recommends... the week's best television' (p.4), with 'School Reunion' chosen as a Saturday highlight: 'An episode to relish'. The regular 'Doctor Who Watch' feature is again three pages (pp.14-16), its main article, 'Friends Reunited', comprising a brief interview with Elisabeth Sladen. As well as dealing with Sladen's reservations over returning as Sarah ('My agent was far more excited than I was'), the piece mentions a dinner invitation - 'Phil and Russell are going for a meal with Billie and David. Oh, and Stephen Fry's going to pop along. I thought, 'Hell, I'm out of my league here!'' - and the read-through for Block One - 'There were abouut 100 people in the room! The cameraman, bless, came up and said he used to watch me as a child.' There is a small illustrated article on rebuilding K-9, with Mike Tucker explaining that 'He was originally made of fibreglass, which is why he's lasted well ... we added rust marks and coffee cup rings, and bits of paint that had flaked off ... we decided that the interior workings should look a bit more as if they'd been designed by a Time Lord and less like radio spares!' Anthony Head is asked about his character, Mr Finch ('oleaginous ... He's a bit New Labour') and about working with K-9 ('A bit like talking to a box on wheels ... it was fun.'). A small photo feature also looks at the new CGI monsters, the Krillitane, whose transformation Will Cohen of The Mill describes as 'more magical and organic, and in keeping with the tone of the rest of the episode - rather oily.' Writer Toby Whithouse is also interviewed, discussing reworking his script: 'It was quite a long process. They said they wanted to bring back Sarah Jane and K-9. 'Aside from that, do anything you want.' So I went away and wrote a story and they said, 'No, that's rubbish. Do anything you want as long as it's not that.'' Whithouse also talks about the special effects required for his episode: 'They calculated how many days of special-effects work would be required and it was about seven years, so we pared it down after that.' As usual, 'School Reunion' is one of 'Today's Choices' for Saturday (p.60), with TV Editor Alison Graham calling it 'a smart and funny episode, considerably enlivened by the initial mistrust and jealousy between Sarah Jane and Rose ... There's emotional depth too ... The final scene ... is a great big 'aaaaah' moment.' This is illustrated with a large photo of the Doctor on a staircase in the school, one of fifteen new picture in the issue, with one of Mr Finch heading Saturday evening's channel listings (p.62). The episode blurb runs: 'The Doctor chances upon erstwhile companion Sarah Jane - can they resolve old scores? - and robotic bow-wow K-9 as he pursues strange bat-like creatures reportedly haunting a school.' In Doctor Who Confidential (Saturday listing, p.63), 'Elisabeth Sladen talks about her return to the series after an absence of 30 years, plus chats with David Tennant and guest star Anthony Head.' And in Totally Doctor Who (Thursday listing, p.101), 'David Tennant talks secrets, competitions and K-9, and Noel Clarke reveals how his car stunt was achieved.' 'Letters' (p.144) includes two contributions, one attempting to rate David Tennant's performance ('brilliantly mercurial') against Christopher Eccleston's ('fascinating tough loneliness'), the other more concerned with how old police boxes are; the same page features a small boxout of Who companion statistics ('32 official companions, 20 women, ten men ... Two companions died, two had their minds wiped' etc.), alongside a cartoon of a Dalek researching Doctor Who in a library. May's DVD release of Series 2 Volume 1 is advertised on page 47 ('The adventure continues on DVD'). And the Radio Times for 13-19 May (out on 9 May) will have a free Doctor Who sticker album and wall chart, with 'free stickers in that and the next three issues' - details are on page 51 ('Subscription offer'). And Lynda-with-a-Y from 'Bad Wolf, Jo Joyner, is revealed as a new regular on EastEnders (p.12).

The Children's BBC website have put up a review of episode three, School Reunion, apparently the first part of a new regular feature in which 'our biggest Doctor Who Fan Lizo will be bringing you his verdict on the week's episode of Doctor Who before it's even hit your screens!'

The Sunday Times says of this weekend's episode, "Old-school Doctor Who fans might well feel a particular frisson of adolescent excitement tonight as Tom Baker's former time- travelling companion Sarah-Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) makes an appearance. She encounters the new -and let's be honest, more attractive -incarnation of her old colleague at a London school that is suffering a nocturnal infestation of bat-like creatures. There are old scores to settle and Rose has a chance to find out how following the Doctor round will affect her life long-term. Devotees of Buffy the Vampire Slayer might also relish an appearance by Anthony Head."

Heat reviewer Boyd Hilton gives School Reunion 5 stars and writes: 'It's always a nervous moment when you get an episode of Doctor Who not written by its new supremo Russell T Davies. Not that many of them ever turn out to be anything other than top-notch, it's just that Davies sets the benchmark so high. This one is penned by Toby Whitehouse, who has previously done episodes for No Angels and Hotel Babylon, and he doesn't put a foot wrong. It's a tale which proves yet again that the producers of the new Doctor Who have fun first and foremost in their minds, as they bring back some faces from the Doctor's past - his former 'companion' Sarah Jane Smith, last seen accompanying Little Britain narrator Tom Baker to peculiar worlds back in 1976, and legendary cute little robot doggy K9. The setting for this mini-reunion is a London school, which is haunted by weird, bat-like creatures at night and run by a dodgy headmaster, splendidly played by Anthony Head, having as good a time as he does when he's the PM in Little Britain.
Heat also lists this episode at number 4 in the week's Best TV Shows.

Closer magazine has this episode as one of their Saturday Choices: 'Diehard Who fans are in for a treat. There's a double blast from the past when the Doc bumps into his old sidekick Sarah Jane Smith, with a rundown K9 in tow. The rusty old hound has seen better days, but he still has enough wag in his tail to help his time-travelling chums get the better of some strange bat-like creatures haunting a school. Anthony Heaed stars as the baddie.'

Inside Soap's Telly Hero of the Week is K-9: 'Readers of a certain age will be pleased to see Doctor Who's plucky robot dog let off the leash once again this Saturday, helping his Time Lord chum defeat sinister goings-on in an English school. To be strictly accurate, however, this is K-9 Mark III - built as a gift for the Doctor's favourite former assistant, journalist Sarah-Jane Smith, who also shows up this week. And while poor K-9 might be a bit rusty and battered these days, he's still got bite - as the Doctor's alien enemies will soon find out!'

New magazine: At number 5 in their Top Ten Picks, they write: 'Poor Doctor Who. The fella never gets a moment's rest. Which is strange, seeing as he owns a time machine. Surely he could park it in a lay-by, have an hours' kip, then travel back to before his nap? Hmm. This week the Doc investigates a London school that's being haunted by bat-like creatures at night.'

Reveal magazine's Pick of the Day, they give this episode 4 stars: 'The latest series of Doctor Who is already gonig down a storm with sci-fi fans after only 2 episodes, but for any still in need of convincing, this edition is bound to seal it. Sarah Jane Smith and her faithful robotic friend K-9 return to lend the Time Lord a hand. The journalist was, of course, companion to Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker in the 1970s, but pops up here when her Gallifreyan friend finds himself in a London school investigating reports of strange creatures haunting the place. Rose also benefits from her predecessor's experience, and learns a few harsh truths about travelling with the Doctor. Elisabeth Sladen reprises her role as Sarah Jane, alongside Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head and series regular Noel Clarke.'

Sneak has School Reunion as their Pick of the Day: 'Tonight, Rose and the Doctor end up prowling around a creepy London school which is haunted by bat-like animals. As you do. But will the never-ending sexual tension between the twosome finally crack? Just get a room!'

Star magazine awards this episode 4 out of 5 stars: 'Doc's off to a school in London this week, which is haunted by bat-like creatures. While there, he meets old pal Sarah Jane Smith, one-time companion to the Doctor. She teaches Rose what it really means to be the Time Lord's sidekick.'

Tooth and Claw Reviews

The Sunday Mirror: "Satanic black eyes bulging wide in an expression of freakish fury, thin lips twisted into a horrible leering grimace - and that's just the Doctor! This Tennant guy is really scary-looking. The werewolf was pretty frightening. But nowhere near as spine-chilling as demon-faced Dave. In a big improvement on the half-baked first episode... What DID happen to Tennant's accent? Why did Scotsman Dave decide that the latest time lord ought to speak mangled 'Mockney' - like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins? I mean, gor blimey gov'nor. It's proper 'orrible."

Newsquest Media Group: "If Sharpe's Challenge was slow and dull, Doctor Who was the exact opposite - another pacy, funny, exciting, scary rollercoaster ride involving Queen Victoria, a werewolf, bald kung fu fighting monks and a naked Billie Piper. Only joking about the last bit. Her companion, Rose, was garbed in appropriate 1979 gear, T-shirt and short skirt, for a trip to see Ian Dury and the Blockheads at the Top Rank, Sheffield. Unfortunately the Doctor's time coordinates were out and the Tardis landed in 1879. ... The pair met up with Queen Victoria in Scotland and the monarch was alarmed by Rose's lack of clothing. 'Her nakedness' as she called it. I regret to say the time travellers failed to show due respect to the monarch (played by Pauline Collins having the time of her life). 'Pardon me, your majesty, you will have to leg it out a window,' the Doctor told her as the hairy beast - no, not Prince Albert - pursued them through the old dark house. The monks were determined to keep everyone in the house during the full moon so the werewolf could do what werewolves do - rip people to shreds. This being before the watershed, we were spared the sight, if not the sound, of the grisly deaths. And why, you may well be wondering, didn't the Doctor realise that something was wrong when the royal party arrived at the house and found all those monks? 'They're bald, athletic, your wife was away - I thought you were just happy,' the Doctor told the man of the house."

The Liverpool Echo: "What has happened to Doctor Who? Last time I checked, the acting was almost as plastic as the timelord's adversaries. But Saturday's romp in Victorian Britain was gladly lacking in rubber masks and Lycra leggings. The doctor, ably played by David Tennant, and Rose, the ever-more appealing Billie Piper, faced a truly formidable beast in the form of a werewolf. They were charged with the task of keeping Queen Victoria out of the clutches of the monster hell-bent on destroying the human race and taking over the world - yes, that old chestnut. For a show renowned for its not-so-great special effects, the werewolf was extremely well executed in CGI, demonstrating a willingness by programme-makers to progress from the Play Doh and drinking straws of yesteryear. However next week sees the return of K9, proving the writers have not written off the old characters completely."

Newsquest Media: "So far, Tennant's Doctor has been much too lightweight, with a repertoire of clownish expressions and a laddish demeanour ill suited to the role of a being with enough years of existence on the clock to have learned how to grow up. He wasn't helped in Saturday's episode by Billie Piper's Rose spending the whole time trying to make Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins) say that she was not amused. I certainly wasn't by that tiresome joke and actually cheered when the monarch banished the meddlesome pair at the end of the adventure. It isn't as if Tennant can't do serious - and even magnificently menacing. I saw him in one of those ITV dramas (Secret Smile) as a psycho boyfriend, and he conjured up one devilish look that scared the life out of me! Unfortunately, the CGI werewolf that rampaged through the Scottish manor house on Saturday did not have the same effect. It looked more like something from Ice Age 2 (an overgrown fox?) than a flesh and blood carnivore that you felt could actually do some damage."

There are also web reviews of Tooth and Claw at BlogCritics, TVSquad,Now Playing;

People

BBC Norfolk features a video interview with Elisabeth Sladen, who reprises the role of Sarah Jane Smith in the episode to be broadcast this Saturday, "School Reunion". "Earlier this month, Lis came to Norwich for a DVD launch event at the Norwich Puppet Theatre, organised by the science fiction store Kulture Shock. While in the city, she spoke exclusively to Martin Barber about working with David Tennant, Sarah Jane's relationship with Rose and her fond memories of her time in the TARDIS." Highlights of the interview: "Why do you think, of all the companions, you're still voted as one of the most popular in the entire series? 'I really don't know. I hit a lovely time in the series. I hit the time of Pertwee and Baker... and sometimes you can almost taste when something is really working. And maybe Sarah was the kind of character that they needed at that time. So she took on the companion that had to be for the series and the companion that they wanted.' ... You've worked with many of the Doctors, but what's it like working with David Tennant? 'I knew that David was a big fan of the series. Before we did the read through he gave me this big cuddle. On the very first day we did some running scenes and he can't half run. I'm in heels, he's in trainers! At the very end of the day we did a very important scene where she meets him and recognises him for the very first time. To me it's very important that the Doctor is alien. You think he's on your wavelength and he's not.' ... This month also marks the release of the Genesis Of The Daleks to DVD. Why do you think it's held up as one of the best ever stories in the series? 'It's really tightly written and you've got David Maloney as your director. From the beginning shot it is so good for what we had to work with at the time. I think Genesis Of The Daleks is a tribute to Doctor Who and our time in it. I'm really so proud to have been part of it.' ... And what does the future have in store for Sarah Jane - will she be back? 'I knew what they wanted and I think she's been used for what they wanted. It's nice to do something and let it stand, leave them wanting. I think it's the last time that you'll see her in the new series, but not the last time you'll have seen Sarah Jane -- I hope not.'"

BBC Somerset also features a video interview, this with actor Anthony Stewart Head who plays the role of the head master in this weekend's episode.

The Stage is claiming an exclusive with news that Billie Piper is 'in talks' to play Fanny Price in an ITV adaptation of Mansfield Park ('ITV moves in to poach Piper'). (In fact, OG first reported the Daily Mirror's version of this story back on 18 November.) The paper repeats suggestions that Piper 'will return for a third series of Doctor Who - although she is expected to bow out early in order to juggle other projects'. The new edition of DWM simply states that 'there has been no official confirmation from the BBC about who will be coming back for Series Three,' although all this is in the context of the production team's hope that this series' ending will remain a surprise for viewers. Also reported at Monsters and Critics, In The News. Also, Piper has been ranked at #11 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" poll, as reported at IOL,Irish Examiner, This Is London, Breaking News,Virgin.net, U.TV, The Evening Echo.

The Southland Echo interviews writer Toby Whithouse on his script for this weekend's "School Reunion". "Toby Whithouse grew up in Southend and first started acting at the Focus Theatre Workshop. ... Now 35, he has appeared in several hit TV shows and has written many more. No Angels, the hit Channel 4 show which he helped to create, has just finished but just around the corner is the first public showing of the third episode of the new series of Doctor Who, called School Reunion, in which the Doctor catches up with his former travelling companion Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog K9. Toby's children Lucas, seven, and Maddy, four, have already had a sneaky peak at it and loved it. 'It's the first thing I have ever written that they could possibly watch,' he said. 'They loved it. My son's very proud.' When he started working on Doctor Who, Toby thought he was a bit of an expert because he knew the names of all the actors who have played the Doctor, but he soon found out he was a complete novice compared to the other writers. But he got stuck in regardless and starting writing, assuming Christopher Eccleston would still be playing the Timelord. Last March, after the first episode was broadcast, Eccleston broke the news that he wouldn't be staying for a second series. It was eventually decided to replace him with Casanova star David Tennant. Toby said: 'I started writing it before the first series went out. I found out on the news when I was about halfway through writing the episode. Nobody knew how David was going to do his Doctor. With Christopher Eccleston I knew what his Doctor was like. David had just been on TV in Casanova and I'd watched that and thought he was fantastic. I thought I'd write it as if he was playing that character - without all the sex! That seemed to do the trick.' ... The episode is now a distant memory to Toby who is already working on a fresh project - the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. ... 'It's a mixture of everything I like - sci-fi and swearing,' laughed Toby. He is also working on new series for Channel 4 and the BBC but won't spill the beans on what they are about. One of his biggest hits, hospital series No Angels, ended this month after three successful series."

The Edinburgh Evening News reports that "David Tennant has helped out his father's former church in Edinburgh by donating his copy of the script from the Time Lord's latest adventure. The Bathgate-born actor has given a signed script of the first episode from the new series to St Andrew's and St George's Church in George Street to sell at its annual Christian Aid book sale. David's father, the Very Reverend Dr Sandy McDonald - Tennant is David's stage name - is a former Kirk Moderator who served as minister at the church for six months in 2003. ... Sale organisers are consulting Dr Who memorabilia experts before setting a price on the script, which has also been signed by David's co-star Billie Piper. The script will be just one of the star attractions amongst thousands of books donated to the sale, including a signed copy of Muriel Spark's last work. Mr McDonald, who is now retired and living in Glasgow, said his 35-year-old son offered the script after he mentioned the sale in passing during a recent telephone conversation. He said: 'He is particularly interested in the work of the special sale at St Andrew's and St George's. He and I were talking about it and he offered to give something. The script couldn't be handed over until after the first episode went out on Easter Saturday and I have it now. David is genuinely concerned and hopes the script makes a lot of money for Christian Aid.'" Also reported atBBC News Scotland, icLanarkshire, Daily Record.

The Mirror profiles Mike Tucker, whose work on the original Doctor Who series on its effects led him to do the same for the new show. "When Dalek maker Mike Tucker received his Bafta nomination letter, he was gutted. It's not that he's got anything against being honoured for his TV model-making work, it's that in the same post he received his redundancy notice from the BBC. But at least he could prove he was good at his job - which helped him make the decision to set up his own effects business. 'It certainly sweetened the pill a little,' says the 41-year-old. 'I knew I wasn't being got rid of because my work was rubbish!' But that doesn't mean he wasn't worried about his future. 'I was suddenly thrust into the outside world - I was scared.' He'd gone from working on Daleks and the Big Ben model for the last series of BBC1's Doctor Who to not having a job to go to. But the work he got the Bafta shout for - a reconstruction of the Brighton Grand for a show called The Brighton Bomb - cemented his already-strong reputation. So he used his redundancy money to form his own firm - and he hasn't looked back. 'Setting up on my own has worked out really well. I'm doing loads of work for my old contacts and I've got more freedom now.'"

The South Wales Evening Post says that "The man behind the smash hit BBC series Dr Who could join the judging line-up for the literary world's most lucrative award. Swansea-born writer Russell T Davies is being tipped to play a part in the £60,000 Dylan Thomas Prize. The former Olchfa pupil is very much the man of the moment. He has won a series of top awards for his work on the revamped series. ... The prize is being billed as the world's biggest literary award... The new biennial competition is aimed at young writers and is likely to attract entries from all over the world, putting Swansea well and truly on the map. The only person so far confirmed as a judge is Cardiff-born screenwriter Andrew Davies, famous for popular historical TV adaptations such as Pride and Prejudice. He will chair the panel. Organisers are promising the identity of all the judges will be revealed at a special ceremony in Laugharne next month. But if Russell T Davies is one of them, it will go down well with writer Helen Veale, director of city production company Old Garbo. 'I have met Russell T Davies and he is a lovely chap,' she said. 'I am genuinely a huge fan of his work. He is a great advert for Swansea and he is very supportive of young local talent.'"

The Herald asks Elisabeth Sladen various interview questions: "I still buy records. When I was at school, I used to play poker in the sixth form - and, probably because it was the only record I had, I'd put on Murder in the Cathedral, with Robert Donat. What an amazing voice. I got a copy recently and it takes me right back. ... I love second-hand bookshops. I recently found a wonderful book on the film-maker Alexander Korda. I'm fascinated by the studio system. In one way actors were so manipulated, but in another they got to work so often and learn so much. ... I like to go to a small place outside Palma - and I love going up to Scotland. I don't go to a lot of Doctor Who conventions, but I enjoy them. It's awful to say, but it's interesting to talk about yourself. You have a captive audience. And it was a very fun, happy time on the show. ... I've got a Dalek, because my husband, Brian Miller, was the voice of one. I've also got a figurine of Sarah Jane Smith and a Tardis. It's a nice remembrance. But some of the merchandise in the 1980s was so awful. I actually wrote to complain. ... When I was at a Doctor Who convention at Longleat with Tom Baker many, many years ago, they served the most wonderful venison, and I've always remembered that. I bought some recently and put it in my slow-cooker. I probably overcooked it but it was really good. I'd love to buy more organic, but you have to be realistic. We're told to eat more healthily - but how can people with a large family do that? You go for the thing that says two for the price of one. ... When we moved into our house in London there was everything to do, so we had to take a lot on ourselves. I once loved shopping and going to the antique places - I've just bought a lovely old leather sofa - but I've stopped now because I've got too many knick-knacks. You don't realise, and then all of a sudden you think, gosh, I've got no room. I dream about a clearout. Brian is such a hoarder so I've gone the other way. I'm not allowed in his wardrobe - I know he's got books in there. I'm sure I'll still find the old Betamax video recorder in there too if I look hard enough."

The UK Press Association features another biography/story with Sladen: "On a dark October night in 1976, 12 million people tuned in to Doctor Who, unaware their hearts were about to be broken. Having received the summons to return to his home planet of Gallifrey, the Doctor (then played by Tom Baker) made a quick stop at the slightly less sci-fi location of Hillview Road, South Croydon. It was here he unceremoniously dropped off his long-suffering assistant, Sarah Jane Smith, who reluctantly disembarked the Tardis after three years of memorable adventures at the time-traveller's side. ... For anyone who grew up watching the series during those years, Sarah, as played by Elisabeth Sladen, has indeed remained unforgettable. ... 'I had a call from my agent that [Doctor Who's executive producer and lead writer] Russell T Davies and [producer] Phil Collinson would like to take me to lunch and talk about the show,' explains Elisabeth, who, at 58, incredibly looks hardly a year older than when she last stepped out of the Tardis. I thought they might be asking me to come back for just one small jokey scene, in a little homage to the old programme,' she continues. 'I was actually thinking, 'How can I turn this down? My agent will kill me', because I wouldn't have wanted to have done anything like that.' ... 'I suppose I just thought it was a really good opportunity, and also a challenge to see if we could get it to work.' Despite the fact it's been three decades since she starred in the show, Elisabeth laughs that 'it was surprisingly, embarrassingly not odd' to be back in Doctor Who. 'I just thought, 'Oh, there's the Tardis, there's the Doctor'. Both of them fitted, far too snugly.' Current Doctor and confirmed fan of the old series, David Tennant, has gone on record as saying he found it almost overwhelming to work with Elisabeth, having spent his growing-up years watching her on television. 'I spied him at the read through and he spied me,' she reveals. 'We circled each other a bit, and then I thought, 'Well, how ridiculous'. So I said hello, and I got the biggest hug of my life. I mean, he's absolutely delighted with the role and what he's doing with it now.'"

Sci Fi Wire spoke to Toby Whithouse, who says that "he wasn't as rabid a Who fan as his fellow writers. 'I could probably name all the Doctors in the right order, and maybe four monsters, so I thought that made me quite a big fan—until I met the other writers and realized that I knew absolutely nothing!' Whithouse said in an interview. 'They were genuine lifelong fans, so whereas I'd be standing much more on the sidelines holding the coats, they had all been immersed in that world for most of their lives.' ... 'After we had the first read-through of my episode and a couple of others, I took the train back to London with some of the other writers, and that's when I realized that I was really an amateur in this world,' Whithouse said. 'They had this encyclopedic knowledge, and compared to them, I knew basically nothing.' ... 'The irony is, my episode is the only one that really hearkens back to the past, with the inclusion of the two ex-assistants, Sarah Jane and K9. But I think the advantage of not being really immersed in that world is that when I had the first meeting to talk about my episode with Russell and Julie, and they said to me, 'We want you to bring back Sarah Jane and K9!' had I been more of a fan, the thought of bringing back those two characters would have filled me with absolute terror. I knew they were popular characters within the mythology, but I hadn't realized how iconic they were in the eyes of a lot of the fans. So I think had I been involved more in that world, it would have put the fear of God into me. As it was, I felt it was just another element I had to take on, so it didn't particularly faze me.' Although the writer admits doing some research into Sarah Jane Smith's appearances in the original series, he insisted that the current version is stylistically very different in terms of storytelling. 'Consequently, I think it was more useful to watch Russell's first season rather than go too much into the past. In terms of facts and figures,' he said. 'I actually remembered a little more than I thought I did, and the producers sent me tapes and DVDs of Sarah Jane episodes, which is really what I needed a refresher on. But, as I say, because Russell had reinvented the series, I don't think anyone would have thanked me if I had written a story too much like the previous Doctor Who, because the way it's done now has changed so radically. I think it was more important that I got that right.'"

Sci Fi Wire also interviews director James Hawes who helms this weekend's "School Reunion". "'I think it's going to surprise a lot of people,' Hawes said in an interview. ... 'There's so much going on,' Hawes said. 'From the relationship between the old assistant [Sladen] and the now-assistant [Piper] to the menacing sparring between Anthony Head's character and the Doctor. So you've already got two separate character journeys going on. And then you've got the 'spare part' Mickey, a metal dog, and I haven't even got to the aliens yet. I think the guys at the Mill have done some of their best [computer graphics] work ever, and I'm absolutely delighted with them.' Hawes said that one of the most unforgettable aspects of the episode is the performance by fan favorite Sladen, who reprises her role as Smith from the original series. 'The first scene she did with David was a tiny little scene, with an explosion and the Doctor shouting 'Run!'' he said. 'We had them running hand in hand, so she went right into a piece of iconic, familiar performance as the Doctor's assistant.' Hawes added: 'What Lis was concerned about was that the style of performance on television drama has changed dramatically and is now so much more understated and naturalized. She was concerned that it was something she wouldn't instinctively feel and wanted to watch what the other artists around her [were doing] and asked for guidance whenever she could.' While directing the episode, Hawes admitted that he didn't pay all that much attention to the admonition never to work with children and animals, even if the latter in this case was a robotic dog. 'There was a moment when K9 first came out,' he recalled, 'and I knelt down to give him notes! I fell so completely under his spell that I literally forgot there was an operator I needed to be talking to. The decision was made to build a new K9 for the episode, but he couldn't move around on the parquet floors, because he couldn't get enough grip. And the tiled floor in the kitchen was too rough, so frankly it's amazing that he ever turns up [at] all, let alone saves the Doctor. But it's an extraordinary character, and of course I grew up with K9, so to find him on your set and be so beguiled by the thing that you're suddenly on your knees talking to the dog instead of the operator was an interesting experience.'"

According to the David Tennant fan site, "David will be appearing as Jimmy Porter in the Look Back In Anger reading as part of their 50th Birthday Celebrations on Monday 8th May. They say: Jimmy Porter will be played by David Tennant (Dr Who, The Pillowman), Alison will be played by Anne-Marie Duff (The Virgin Queen, Shameless) and Helena will be played by Helen McCrory (Casanova, As You Like It) " Also, Hello Magazine says "There was no shortage of glamorous gowns on show when the Royal Court Theatre marked its 50th anniversary with a glitzy bash in London. But despite the presence of some of the capital's most stylish women, it was the laid-back look of an eccentric Timelord that turned the most heads on Wednesday night. Doctor Who star David Tennant made quite an impression on the other revellers in the exclusive Titanic bar when he made his entrance sporting a straggly beard instead of his normally clean-cut features. 'It's my new look -- do you like it?' asked the small screen favourite as other celebs in attendance craned their necks to catch a glimpse. With his open-necked white shirt, the 6ft 1in actor easily stood out from the rest of the guests, most of whom had gone for a rather more polished look." And this week'sHeat mentions that "David Tennant will put Dr Who to one side next month to star as a brain injury victim alongside his former Blackpool co-star Sarah Parish. He stars as a building-site manager who suffers personality changes after he's involved in a car accident and has to try to rebuild his identity."

Inside Soap writes, "Fresh from his Doctor Who stint, Christopher Eccleston will return to TV later this year in new ITV1 drama Perfect Parents. He'll be playing a father who pretends to be Catholic, in order to get his daughter into the best local school." Manchester Online also reports that Eccleston will "appear in Celebrity Pig's new production of Romeo and Juliet at The Lowry ... The former Dr Who star became patron of Manchester's Celebrity Pig Theatre Company, which is an independent company for people with learning disabilities, after one of their members - Dorothy Cockin - played his mother in acclaimed BBC drama, Flesh And Blood. ... Romeo and Juliet - A Question of Choice, is a new take on the Shakespearean tragedy of star-crossed lovers, drawing on personal experience of the cast on why it is so difficult for people with learning disabilities to be together. Romeo and Juliet is at The Lowry on Monday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 16."

Whats On Stage discusses the casting of Adam Garcia from "The Christmas Invasion" in the forthcoming London version of the play "Wicked" which opens at the West End's Apollo Victoria Theatre on 27 September. Garcia, who will play the role of Fiyero, helped develop the role in the 2002 workshop of "Wicked" in New York. Also, the Mirror says that "Will Young will be wowing us with some raunchy moves for his next stage show. He demanded film hunk Adam Garcia showed him how to do his dirty dance from Coyote Ugly at London's Paper club on Saturday. A spy tells us: 'The pair were necking tequilas and before long were standing on chairs and dancing. Will asked him to show him the famous raunchy bar top dance. Will caught on really quickly. It was hilarious.' Well, he is Young at heart. '"

Miscellaneous

Various news services have reported that "Doctor Who fans have been turning up to secret filming locations in Cardiff after being tipped off about the crew's whereabouts. And surprisingly the tips came from the BBC's own website leaving bosses fearing for the cast's safety. A Beeb source told the Daily Star: 'Fans were turning up on set in Cardiff and we couldn't work out how they knew where we were. Eventually one person was quizzed about how he discovered our whereabouts and we were stunned when they told us it was our own website. People were posting sighting so Billie (Piper) and David (Tennant), giving details of their locations within minutes.' The BBC have now decided to censor any items posted on their websites that they feel may put the cast or crew in danger…still there are plenty websites out there that they can't censor." This 'story' actually seems like a collection of misinformation; the official Doctor Who site doesn't have a message board anymore (though they could be referring to the Outpost Gallifrey forum or other communities), and the production office has been fine with fans turning up, so long as they do not impact filming. Reported atEntertainmentWise, Monsters and Critics, In The News.

TV Guide said of the US broadcast of "The Long Game" last Friday, "Oh how I missed the sound of that TARDIS whooshing into some strange, foreign time period or space region. It's too damn cool for words. So is the Doctor quite frankly. It's a shame Christopher Eccleston only stuck around the one season because he's so much fun in the part. However, I await David Tennant's interpretation with an open mind. ... A slightly heavy-handed episode which wouldn't be out of place plot-wise on Twilight Zone, the Satellite 5 visit coasts on mainly on its atmosphere. Rose's beef slushy and Adam's vomit-o-matic experience are both hilarious while the corpses up on Floor 500 are downright ooky. Adam must be one of the shortest-serving and most ignominious companions in Who history. I liked that the Doctor left him at home with that conduit chip still in his head. The greedy little weasel tried to cash in on knowing future events by sending info through Rose's cellphone to his mom's answering machine back on Earth. 'He's your boyfriend,' sniffed the Doctor. 'Not anymore,' retorts Rose. (Can't wait to see her explain this to Mickey.) You can't trust anyone. No wonder Adam worked for Van Statten (and kudos to those who caught me messing up that name...mea culpa), they are a lot alike. The snapped fingers from Adam's mum and her subsequent double take provided the perfect punch line to an entertaining, if unspectacular (IMHO), tale. To be fair, anything would pale after that incredible Dalek episode. Questions: Did anyone else suspect the Ice Warriors when they cut to Floor 500 for the first time? I don't know if this is the Jagrafess's first appearance. (I don't remember him.) And is there something brewing between the Doctor and Rose, romance wise? 'It'll take more man than me to get between you two,' quips Adam in a rare moment of humility (as opposed to humiliation). Later, as Adam is begging for a second chance, the Doctor bluntly tells him off: 'I only take the best, I've got Rose.' Without her, he might just be a giddier House without the pills and with a functioning right leg."

The South Wales Evening Post: "I fear Swansea's Doctor Who script writer Russell T Davies could be in for a hard time, despite more than eight million people watching last Saturday's first episode of the new series. That is very impressive, but it was a noticeable drop compared to the 11 million-plus viewers who had watched last year's first series opener. So: is Russell losing his touch? I sincerely hope not. But if viewing figures start to slump, how quickly will the national (that is, English) newspapers start making a point of mentioning his Welsh origin?"

Said the Derby Evening Telegraph, "It is every Doctor Who fan's dream to enter the Tardis and they can now make that dream a reality at a Derbyshire tourist attraction. Once they step inside they will find only a telephone, rather than a physics-defying time machine, but that has not stopped enthusiasts spending thousands on its restoration. The Mark Two Metropolitan Police box, which is believed to be one of only two remaining, found a home at Crich Tramway Village in the 1970s after being rescued from London's Ealing Broadway. Sci-fi enthusiasts from around the country began raising funds three years ago to restore the 50-year-old phone box after it started crumbling through general wear. Expert restorers spent five weeks fixing the cracked concrete on the box. It was also given a new coat of blue paint to match the Tardis from the popular BBC television show. The enthusiasts are now proud of the final result and it was unveiled at the attraction yesterday."

The Guardian praises the use of signature tunes in series, including noting that "Familiar music as a programme opens is a reassuring device for cushioning change. The exuberant scripts of Russell T Davies may be light years away from the bumbling progress of William Hartnell, but there's always the reassuring whoosh of Ron Grainer's signature tune to tell you it is still Dr Who."

The Daily Record says that "The Doctor went all 'Och Aye The Who' on Saturday, with Timelord svengali Russell T. Davies allowing David Tennant out to play with his Scottish accent for just one episode. Davies denies it, but I'm concerned some suit in the Beeb's bosom decreed that the new Who wouldn't be speaking 'Scotch', because...well, let's remember they chose to subtitle Sweet Sixteen."

The New York Daily News says of the first season of the new series, "Great if you love: 'Veronica Mars,' 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'Angel'. What it is: This reimagined version of the British cult hit - with significantly better production values - follows the enigmatic Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and present-day teen (Penelope Wilton) as they travel through time and space, in a phone booth, to save the world. Why you'll like it: The show's naughty humor and likable characters make it easy for science- fiction-phobes to love. Why you've never seen it: The channel itself is the usual barrier for most people, who will admit to liking 'Star Wars' or even 'Star Trek,' but would never call themselves sci-fi fans." Of course, they seem to have gotten one of the members of the cast wrong (Piper, not Penelope!)... but why quibble?

The Times says, "Could any acting role tempt Ian Hislop? 'Doctor Who', the Private Eye Editor tells TV Times. 'I'm a huge fan. If Russell T. Davies wanted me to appear, I'd be there . . . I think it's time for Davros to be back, isn't it?'"

A writer for Media Blvd says, "When I was growing up, many things were essential discussion topics in the school playground: Was George from Rainbow a boy or a girl? Do magic torches like Jamie's really exist? Why can't you reach under a bench and find a perfect model you made earlier when following a Blue Peter make? Who was the scariest baddie in Doctor Who? For me, it was always the Daleks. Way back in the 70's, the highlight of my week was fighting my sister for the cushions in order to hide behind them when watching Doctor Who. With my child's mind, if the Daleks couldn't see me, I was safe. I loved the Doctor, he was an alien, a time traveller, and he didn't die because he regenerated into someone else. He always, always found a way out of trouble despite being stuck in the most frightful of cliff-hangers on a weekly basis. But his enemies were the reason I watched the programme. That, and K9! Excitement mingled with anticipation and fear as the Cybermen or Daleks or one of the other terrifying world-destroying enemies attacked. The cushions on our sofa were well used! Our glee and astonishment shone through when the Doctor once again proved victorious (and we suddenly developed amnesia about the need for the use of the cushion). We didn't notice the wobbly sets, the men beneath the obvious costumes, or the fact that the Dalek weapon was really a sink plunger. We were immersed in a world of terror and joy, and we loved every minute of it. We watched Doctor after Doctor come and go, and changed our favourite Doctor with each regeneration. We fell in love with, or loathed, the companions, and we begged our parents for a K9 dog (our own flesh and bone dogs just weren't good enough after K9!). We worried that the Earth would be invaded, and we would be exterminated without a care. But, above all, we escaped worries of real life for 45 minutes a week and bonded as sisters, and as a family. And then, suddenly, it was gone. Doctor Who was cancelled! ... Yet I was sceptical when I learned of the planned return of this iconic programme. Other remakes or renewals of classics had failed to impress me some had downright infuriated me and I had little hope for the new Doctor Who being any different. I was nervous and sick to my stomach: was my childhood memory about to be destroyed forever? Hope began to burn when I learned of the casting of Christopher Eccleston, and then died again when news broke about the casting of Billie Piper as his companion. How could an ex-teen popstar ever hope to be a serious companion to the Doctor? I expected to hate the new Doctor Who... I was pleasantly surprised! This new Doctor had a Northern accent (always a plus when you also have a Northern accent) and a wicked sense of humour. His comic timing and tongue in cheek, matter of fact delivery won me over. And Billie, as Rose, proved to be an inspired choice. Rose is feisty, modern, intelligent, and far from the helpless companions of old. This is a new Doctor Who. A funnier Doctor Who. The show shines with the typical British sense of poking fun at itself, and not taking itself too seriously, while being totally serious and totally entertaining all at the same time. This Doctor has fun, while also acknowledging the tragedy of life. So what if the monsters are no longer scary? I've grown up, and no longer get scared at these enemies attacking my hero. I admit to a little sadness at this revelation; I think I prefer being the scared child but I now have the adult appreciation of the fear and danger that the Doctor faces instead, which is a consolation. But the cushions in my home are still used. A new generation has discovered the joy of the Dalek, and my daughter now sits and hides her face whenever one shows it's face (or plunger). And so a generation gap has been filled. The children of yesteryear watch the programme with the children of today. One with fond memories rekindled, the other with new memories forged. Doctor Who is, once again, must see TV and Saturday evenings are once again something to anticipate. As Season 2 begins in the UK, with yet another Doctor to get to know and love, my daughter and I will sit huddled together on our sofa (and my sister and her children will be on theirs), and once again, the cushions will be fought over as the scary aliens appear. And maybe, just maybe, a new generation of Sci Fi lovers will be born..."

There's more coverage of several recent stories at the following locations: the Welsh BAFTA awards at ICWales,ICNorth Wales, SyFy Portal,Contact Music, Digital Spy, Yahoo News; the recent Torchwood casting news atSyFy Portal, Digital Spy; Tom Baker out at BT as their mobile voice at VNUNet, What PC, Computing, UPI; the ratings situation atMedia Guardian; the new K9 series at K9 Magazine, SyFyPortal.

Other items: The Independent calls Billie Piper the 19th happiest person in Britain: "Former teen pop star with a failed marriage to DJ Chris Evans. Now at 23 an acclaimed actress and the first assistant in history of 'Doctor Who' to be bigger than the Time Lord."; Unison.ie profiles Sophia Myles from "The Girl in the Fireplace"; Peterborough Today comments on the TARDIS prop arriving at the Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery at the weekend; the BBC Press Office issued a new release about the BBC's vision for new media and technology for the future, including use of new technologies on the Doctor Who site; Now Playing also reviews the Doctor Who novel "The Deviant Strain"; Milton Keynes Todayreports on a London Marathon runner dressed in a Dalek costume; the Oldham Advertiser talks about a fan who took his K9 model out for a walk through Manchester. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Paul Hayes, John Bowman, Stephen Askew, Simon Bishop)

More "Tooth and Claw"

At half-time during the Liverpool - Chelsea game today, the trailer was shown for 'Tooth and Claw' after a brief BBC News summary. Immediately after the trailer, the football coverage presenter, Gary Lineker, assured viewers that the episode would follow 'even if the match goes to penalties', thus reassuring all us nervous Who fans! He even said that 'The Time Lord is a bit of a football fan you know,' and suggested that if viewers had a TARDIS they could have gone back 20 years to see Maradona knocking England out of the 1986 World Cup, linking into a forthcoming BBC documentary on the Argentine player.

Garry Bushell writes in tomorrow morning's The People, "So Dr Who is an Ian Dury fan. Good man. Unfortunately the Blockheads could be writing his scripts. Let's be honest about Russell T Davies: His sci-fi sucks like the Lotus Thirst Pocket elephants. He's great at thinking up/nicking striking images... creepy cat nuns, killer monks, zombies with rice crispy-blitzed faces. And last night's werewolf will have scared the pants off more kids than Jacko. But no amount of flash computer images can disguise the pot-holes in his plots. Russ never bothers to knit a ale together, which is why his Who episodes fail to live up to the hoo-ha. As with last series, the best stories will be written by others. David Tennant, left, is a great casting, though: fun, upbeat, and his relationship with Rose is far less creepy than Chris Eccleston's was."

Says The Guardian, "There's been a bit of griping about the casting of young master David Tennant. True, he's no hefty thesp like Eccleston, and yes, his Ritalin-starved toddler shtick (part David Helfgott, part butch Kenneth Williams) does grate occasionally. But if you liken his Doctor to Patrick Troughton taking over from William Hartnell, you'll sleep better. This week he and Rose travel back to 1879 for an encounter with Queen Victoria (the wonderful Pauline Collins), a band of warrior monks and a very scary werewolf..."

The Evening News of Scotland says of tonight's episode, "Much has been made of the fact that with David Tennant's tenure as Doctor Who now well underway, there is a Scot back at the controls of the Tardis. ... For former Boroughmuir High pupil Ruth Milne, however, the most terrifying aspect of tomorrow's adventure will the fact that more than eight million viewers are expected to tune in to watch the episode in which she makes her TV debut. 'Everyone that I have ever met seems to know that I'm in Doctor Who tomorrow,' laughs the bubbly 18-year-old, as she reacquaints herself with a Tardis of sorts, an Edinburgh Police Box. I play Flora, the youngest maid in a big Victorian house. She gets separated from the rest of the staff and is looked after by Rose and the Doctor. But I'm so nervous about watching it because I've haven't had a chance to see the finished episode yet.' Although set in Scotland, filming took place in Wales - Treowen House in Dingestow doubling as Torchwood Estate, a castle in the Scottish Highlands. At a recent press screening producer Russell T Davies excused this by saying: 'We just didn't have a big enough budget. But there was no need to go to Scotland because we've made Wales look like London, France and Mars. So we could make it look like Scotland too.' However, if the locations are less than authentic, the same cannot be said for the cast, the majority of whom, like Milne, are Scots. Casting sessions were held at the Scotsman Hotel last August and it was at one of these that Milne, then just 17, was discovered, when the then leader of the Lyceum Youth Theatre, of which she was a member, put her up for the role. 'I'd been with the Lyceum Youth Theatre for five years when the BBC contacted them and asked if they had anyone they thought might be good for the part of a Victorian maid - I got a call to tell me about the auditions and I went along.' Two weeks later, she was offered the role of Flora. 'I was absolutely thrilled, because at the time everyone was watching the first series and thought it was really good.' Filming of Tooth and Claw started last October and lasted for two weeks. And on her first day on the set Milne admits she had to pinch herself. 'It was my first ever job, so I was very nervous and really excited, but everyone was very nice and looked after me. On my first day it was quite good because we weren't filming my bigger scenes, just the ones where I was in the background. That eased me into it, but it was really weird to be there - I even had my own little trailer. It was crazy. When someone says you have a part in Doctor Who that's one thing, but when you get there and David Tennant and Billie Piper are standing beside you, it's like: 'How did I get here.' In tomorrow's tale, the time-travellers set out to earn their By Royal Appointment crest by saving crown and country from the threat of an ancient werewolf. This being Doctor Who, the crown is that of Queen Victoria, played by Pauline Collins who returns to the show after a break of almost 40 years. Previously she played Samantha Briggs in a story called The Faceless Ones, alongside the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton. 'Obviously it's much more hi-tech now and I did absolutely adore Patrick Troughton, he was a wonderful Doctor. Our story was about aliens who inhabited human beings, which was quite advanced for its time. However, now, having seen David Tennant in action, I believe he is going to be the best Doctor ever,' she enthuses. 'He seems to combine authority and humour and quirkiness which, in a way, is an amalgam of all the very best Doctors. He's terrific in it and I think he'll be great,' Collins opined recently. Milne agrees, but says everyone on the show was really friendly, especially Queen Margaret University College trained Michelle Duncan, who plays Flora's boss, Lady Isobel. 'Pauline Collins was really lovely and I had a scene with her at the end. But the first actor I met was Michele Duncan. We were staying at the same hotel so I spent quite a lot of time with her and she looked after me,' says Milne. Other Edinburgh actors appearing the story include Jamie Sives, who plays Captain Reynolds, and Tom Smith, who has to morph into the werewolf. 'There were a few Scottish actors in the episode and Tom Smith was really good,' says Milne. 'He is a great actor and even though special effects hadn't been put on, he was still quite scary.'"

The television listings section of 'Saturday' magazine in today's Daily Express featured a preview of 'Tooth and Claw', which it marked as their 'critic's choice' for Saturday, with a picture of Rose and the Doctor above the following write-up by Mike Ward: "We're going to be seeing oodles of guests in this latest series. Here in episode two it's Pauline Collins who pops up, delivering what I'd imagine could well be a fine impression of Queen Victoria (I can't be sure, I never met the woman). The Tardis delivers the Doctor and Rose back to 1879, where it turns out things aren't all they appear to be in the Scottish Highlands. This is partly because the programme is actually filmed in Wales and they're hoping nobody will notice, but mostly it's thanks to the presence of some rather sinister monks, blatantly up to no good. Oh, and there's a sort of werewolf-type thing on the rampage, which doesn't help. The Queen herself comes across as a tiny bit less stern and grumpy that you might expect."

School Reunion

SFX Magazine has a full (and somewhat spoiler-laden) preview of "School Reunion," the next Doctor Who episode to air, next Saturday.

The Manchester Evening News says of next week, "Hi-tech K9 is set to return to the small screen as Dr Who's sidekick next weekend. But the robot dog has already been spotted being walked around parts of Manchester. While it may be more than 24 years since the clever canine last appeared on screen alongside the Time Lord, played by Tom Baker, he was quickly spotted by fans. And while the spin-off K9 and Company was a ratings flop in 1981, BBC bosses believe the pet, who has already had three screen comebacks, will help boost the huge success of the Dr Who revival. Mark's K9, which usually lives in his sitting room, is made from the same mould as the mark three version, which returns next Saturday. Mark, 33, a law costs clerk in Oldham, said: 'Everyone loved K9 when he first appeared on Dr Who. There was something about the way he looked and sounded that appealed to everyone, even people who weren't big fans of the series. He got a great reaction today. One woman couldn't take her eyes off him. People definitely remember him. It's really exciting that he is coming back. He was one of the best things about the vintage Dr Who episodes and I can't wait to see what he gets up to this time. He is part of what made Dr Who great and unique, not a soap opera and not a documentary, just real family fun.'"

Other Items

CBBC News says, "Doctor Who is starting to dominate Your Charts again. Series two has only just started and you've already voted the new Doctor, David Tennant as a new entry in the celeb chart. He replaces singer Kelly Clarkson, but can he take on the mighty Emma Watson for the title of your fave celeb? The top sci-fi TV show also enters your fave thing chart this week as you are bored with books!"

TV Squad reviews "The Long Game" which aired Friday night on the Sci Fi Channel in America; The Sun discusses Big Brother star Michelle Bass' desire to be in Doctor Who;

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Paul Hayes, Andy Parish, Peter Weaver and 'Shaun Lyon')

Tooth and Claw Pre-Press Continues

Several stories in the past two days about this weekend's broadcast of the second episode of the season, Tooth and Claw:

The Daily Record says that "when Glasgow actor Derek Riddell dies in Doctor Who this weekend, it's at the hands of a man-sized Teletubby. The No Angels star, who last night brought the curtain down on the hit Channel 4 comedy-drama, switches to BBC1 on Saturday playing a Scottish nobleman who meets a grisly end fighting a giant werewolf. Despite his convincing portrayal of being eaten alive, Derek's adversary was nothing more than a student earning pocket money. He said: 'The werewolf was a guy in an all-in-one Lycra bodysuit with a pole attached to the top of his head. I just needed an eye-line, something the right height, so it looked like I was acting with a werewolf, which was all done with computer-generated imagery (CGI). That was a challenge - I had to look scared of a student in a body stocking.' ... New Doctor David Tennant, from Paisley, has already received flak for not playing the famous role in his native accent. Viewers will hear the Doctor and - less successfully - his assistant Rose (Billie Piper) pretend to be Scottish on Saturday, after the Tardis crash-lands in the countryside in Victorian 'Scotland'. But Derek doesn't see why that should be aproblem. He said: 'David doesn't do a lot of his stuff in a Scottish accent now. It's good to do somethingthat's not your native tongue, that's what you're trained to do. I remember wondering whether he'd play the Doctor Scottish or not, but that's a decision made between David and Russell T. Davies. It works really well, as it's allowed David to change his accent for this episode, which gives it an extra dimension. And Rose can't manage, so they make a gag out of it.'"

Newsquest Media Group notes that "This Saturday night the eagled-eyed residents of a Monmouth village will be glued to their television screens to try to catch a glimpse of their leafy home on Dr Who. BBC Wales film crews were in Dingestow last October filming scenes at Treowen House for the second episode of the new series - entitled Tooth and Claw - which is due to be screened this weekend on BBC One at 7.15pm. But residents may be disappointed to find that only footage filmed inside the historic building has been used. So local villagers will be unable to see any views of the outside of the Grade I Listed building, nor Dingestow itself, on the prime-time cult show. Saturday's 45-minute episode sees the Doctor and Rose Tyler, played by David Tennant and Billie Piper, travelling back to the year 1879 to Victorian Scotland. Programme makers had been struggling last year to find a suitable grand staircase for a chase scene in the episode, until one of the designers recalled attending a wedding at Treowen House and that it boasted a suitable flight of stairs. And after viewing the property, owned by Monmouth brothers John and Dick Wheelock, the crew not only agreed to shoot the chase scene; but filmed scenes in other interior rooms including the hallway and a reception room. John's wife Jane Harvey said last week: 'We will indeed be watching, and I know a lot of the people who come down and hire out Treowen House will be too.' The family staying this week at Treowen House are great Dr Who fans and are avidly awaiting Saturday's screening. In Tooth and Claw, the heroes are forced to battle with a terrifying werewolf and the epi-sode is one of the very few not to feature the infamous Daleks. The Dr and Rose come into contact with Queen Victoria herself, played by actress Pauline Collins who first starred alongside the second Dr Who, Patrick Troughton, in the 1960s. The werewolf, which was created with special effects, has been criticised in some circles as being too scary and over-produced, with director Russell T Davies taking the show away from its low-budget cult roots."

Manchester Online quotes Pauline Collins during coverage of the episode this week. "Bleak House star Pauline Collins teams up with the Time Lord this weekend to take on a werewolf. ... The Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) travel back to 1879 where they have a royal appointment with the Queen on her way to Balmoral. 'The episode is very scary - particularly the werewolf,' says Pauline, who originally played Samantha Briggs, alongside the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton. She found the 21st century version of the show completely different. 'Obviously, it's much more hi-tech now. Having seen David Tennant in action, I believe he is going to be the best Doctor ever. 'He seems to combine authority and humour and quirkiness, which, in a way, is an amalgam of all the very best Doctors. He's terrific in it and I think he'll be great.' ... 'One of the great things that Russell has really taken up in this reincarnation of Doctor Who is once you unleash the imagination of writers, it can go anywhere. He's kind of set us off on a rocket into the universe in a way. That's the appeal and that's why it's timeless. It can catch up with whatever is available to us scientifically, or in our imaginations, whatever the era is.' Older viewers will remember Pauline's role as young Sarah in Upstairs Downstairs. She says Queen Victoria's outfit was the heaviest costume she has ever worn. 'It was like carrying several small children around with me all the time.' What does she think Her Maj made of the Doctor and Rose? 'In the first encounter, she's immediately drawn to Rose. She likes Rose very much - although in the Queen's view, Rose looked rather inappropriately dressed in her modern clothes. She's a bit wary of the Doctor. I think that manifests itself all along. For some obscure reason, she challenges him constantly - she's not sure about him.'"

Miscellaneous Press Coverage

As widely reported in press, during an interview screened today on Sky News, the Duke of York also reflects upon growing up in the royal household and describes the informal side of life with the Queen, including settling down to watch television programmes such as Grandstand and Doctor Who with her. "The Queen has been praised on the eve of her 80th birthday as a 'consummate parent, outstanding monarch who has no equal', by her son the Duke of York. In a television interview screened on Friday Andrew described life growing up with a woman who is both his mother and the Monarch. The Duke revealed details of family life during his childhood when he would rollerblade in state apartments, race in miniature cars with his brother Prince Edward and watch the BBC show Doctor Who with the Queen." During the interview he said that he was 'a child of the original Doctor Who'. He pointed (off camera) and stated that down there there was a settee behind which he was able to hide from the Daleks. Reported in such places as the Daily Mail, theGuardian, the Express, the Scotsman, theMirror, ic Network, In The News.

The official Doctor Who website reports that "Doctor Who has been a hit TV show for more than 40 years. Unfortunately more than 100 of the early black and white episodes no longer exist in the BBC's film and videotape library. However, episodes that the BBC thought had been lost forever have turned up in car boot sales, in peoples' attics and in other weird locations. So the wonderful people at Blue Peter have launched a campaign to try and track down these lost episodes. The prize for anybody who finds a missing episode is a full-size replica Dalek... so it's definitely worth asking your family to check their lofts, garages, and spare bedrooms for any old film cannisters that might have the magic words 'Doctor Who' on the label." There are details of "how you can get in touch with the BBC if you do find one of these lost reels of film" on the website.

Sci Fi Wire, the news service of the US-based Sci Fi Channel, interviewsDave Houghton, visual effects supervisor, who says that "technicians broke ground to create a computer-generated werewolf for the upcoming second-season episode 'Tooth and Claw,' airing this week in the United Kingdom. 'Our modelers and animators have worked on films like Harry Potter,' Houghton said in an interview. 'So they were very well aware of what they could achieve in the time allowed, and we planned the episode accordingly. We were in talks with [executive producer] Russell T. Davies quite early on, even before the script was written, to determine how much could be done, and what we've done is very good in terms of TV or even for film. I think our werewolf is the best creature we've done for the show so far. It's fantastic. ... The great thing about doing a CG creature is you're obviously not mucking around with somebody on set in a costume, which takes ages, and time is something you just don't have on Doctor Who,' Houghton said. 'So there had to be a few ground rules. Once we got the script, our team basically animated to the script and what we thought would look good, and that really couldn't be changed. In film, a lot of noodling goes on after the fact. It gets animated, and then the producer or director comes in and changes it, so you have a lot of people giving their input, which we didn't have time to do. We had to take our cues as to what we thought was good and basically stuck to that, because we didn't have time to re-animate anything. ... Our werewolf was created with a new Maya [software] plug-in called Shave and a Haircut, which we used for the first time on this job, and it's worked very nicely. It all comes down to the guy who textures it, but our werewolf is very realistic. We've blown wind through it; we've thrown water on it, and it all looks rather splendid.'"

The Daily Record "pays tribute to an outstanding group of people, the finalists in the search for Our Heroes 2006. Once again we were inundated with thousands of nominations from readers. They ranged from brave members of the forces and emergency services to volunteers who give their time to help others. There were tales of youngsters brave beyond their years and pensioners who defied the age barrier to make a real difference. At the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow tonight, the winners of this year's awards will be announced during a star-studded event hosted by BBC newsreader Jackie Bird and comedian and Record columnist Tam Cowan. ... OUR ENTERTAINMENT HERO: David Tennant. The new Doctor Who has had an amazing rise to fame since his days at the RSAMD in Glasgow. The actor, from Bathgate, West Lothian, said at the age of 13 that his ideal role was the Time Lord. His determination, talent and hard work have achieved it. With no airs and graces and an understated charm, he is a true gentleman."

The Daily Express says that "Actress Sophia Myles looks as though she is auditioning for her own role as a Timelord by sporting a long brown trenchcoat. The blonde girlfriend of Dr Who star David Tennant, is currently filming feature film Hallam Foe in Edinburgh. The Scots actor is rumoured to have been having intimate dinner dates in the capital with Sophia who is said to keep an action figure of him in her bag. But yesterday the 26-year-old only had a giant blue parka style jacket to keep her warm between takes and there was no sign of a Dr Who doll in the black handbag she was carrying."

The Sun wonders if the premiere of "New Earth" really was the TV event of the year. "You don't think BBC1 over-sold it just the teeniest little bit, do you? A series of BBC3 repeats. Front cover of the Radio Times. Trailers every 30 minutes. Two spin-off shows. With another couple on the way. Then finally, FINALLY, it's the real thing. Yes, in case you missed the Beeb's low-key publicity campaign, Dr Hype is back, accompanied by the sort of fan-fare that would have made Rocky blush. A right royal pain in the jacksie it's been too, what with all the plugs it's been getting on other BBC shows. So, at the very least, you'd expect series two to open with a dynamite episode and maybe some Daleks or Cybermen, wouldn't you? But oh no. Instead? We have a huge letdown, from the moment David Tennant's pop-eyed, Mockney Doc took aim at the entire universe...and ended up back in a field full of cowpats in south Wales. ... o what we ended up with on Saturday was Carry On Doctor, rather than 'the TV event of the sodding year.' ... Because what's happened here is that, at best, someone (probably Russell T Davies) has chosen the wrong opening episode. Or, at worst, we're in for a lousy series. Hopefully it's the former. As we need something half decent to watch on Saturdays. And I'd like to stay tuned, if only to discover that David Tennant's four-word secret to the universe is -LOSE. THE. ENGLISH. ACCENT. "

The Daily Record yesterday said "All this Beeb-generated 'will they, won't they' hype about Jarvis Cocker being winched by an Ewok - er, sorry, I mean Billie Piper snogging David Tennant - was in danger of turning Doctor Who into Doctor When? And, I wondered, Doctor Why? Meeting the series' remastermaster Russell T. Davies in Glasgow recently, I agreed whole-heartedly (do I get a gold badge from the Doctor Who geek-club if I say two-heartedly?) with his suggestion that the fizz goes flat when chemistryblessed couples lock lips. Lois and Clark in the appalling New Adventures Of Superman, said R.T.D. by way of illustration. Cue over-enthusiastic nodding on my part - memories of Ross and Rachel (Friends), David and Maddy (Moonlighting), heck, even Miss Piggy and Kermit (The Great Muppet Caper) bringing me out all clammy. Then, barely five minutes into Saturday night's show, and the biggest threat to humanity appeared to be the inter-galactic cheeseballs being cooed between our happy couple. 'So, where are we going?' asked Rose, having ditched her boyfriend (again) for a man whose only possessions are a multi-purpose screwdriver, a moth-eaten wardrobe and a mobile home. 'Further than we've ever gone before,' purred the Doc. Jings. Cold shower for you-Who."

Other items: Both the Independent and Belfast Telegraph feature a story about Peter Kay (starring in the forthcoming "Love & Monsters");Manchester Online profiles Bruno Langley (Adam in last year's "Dalek" and "The Long Game"); the Welwyn and Hatfield Times profiles "a brave man who would steal a Dalek"; DVD Verdict reviews the "Doctor Who: The Beginning" DVD boxed set; Now Playing Mag reviews "New Earth".

Finally... We received a correction to the Derby Evening Telegraph story (see last TARDIS report), about the Doctor Who Make and Play Day at Pickford's House Museum last weekend, from the museum's assistant gallery supervisor: "For some reason known only to themselves, the Derby Evening Telegraph stated that 80 youngsters attended the event. The actual final visitor figure for the day was a staggering 805. Staff had expected around 400 max. The whole day was an overwhelming success and was one of the museum's biggest special events ever. There will be an extensive selection of pictures from the event published this Saturday in the Derby Evening Telegaph's Picture Edition."

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Graham Lowe, Luke McCullough, Ian Kildin, Andy Thompson)

A sampling of the reviews of "New Earth" from the British press:

The Daily Telegraph: "Back like lightning in a bottle, Doctor Who (BBC1) returned last night with David Tennant taking over from Christopher Eccleston as the quixotic spaceman in the plywood phone booth. It's often forgotten that, when it started in the Sixties, Doctor Who was an earnest, philosophical piece of sci-fi, before it slowly degenerated into an unwatchable pantomime featuring Bonnie Langford; and when jump leads were attached to the old warhorse last year, one worried that the burlesque might be too big a facet of the revival. In the event, the head writer, Russell T. Davies, embraced both sides of the tradition, cranked up the electrodes to 11, and somehow kept everything in balance with fearless, Frankensteinian brio. Davies's stories are equal parts waggish, decadent and penetrating, full of Broadway-style wordplay and moral outrage against the modern world, the whole mad carnival serenaded by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The first of the new episodes targeted biotechnology, as a sisterhood of sinister cat-people (hospital nuns, actually) were caught running Porton Down-style experiments on hordes of pustular human lab-rats. As usual, the script stayed just this side of Douglas Adams and proceeded at warp speed, with explanations and plot fixes chucked in on the run. The Doctor managed to save the pustular human lab-rats by drenching them with disinfectant in a lift. OK, it wasn't a classic, but the main point of interest was Tennant, who has returned the Doctor more to the commedia dell'arte figure of his earlier lives. Where Eccleston was a northern mentalist in a leather jacket who menaced you with his teeth, the froggy-faced Tennant offers breezier possibilities. He wears a thrift-store pinstripe and is somewhere between a rumpled commodities trader, a Renaissance swain and Jarvis Cocker. Flirtation with his sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) is already higher up the agenda for the galaxy's most celebrated celibate, and the two even had a snog in last night's episode (though Rose was under alien control at the time). Less promising are Tennant's efforts to keep pace with Piper's street-girl backchat: his estuary English sounds decidedly off, halfway to slummed-down Ben Elton."

The Herald: "Bend space and time all you like, but Doctor Who is, and has always been, intended for children. Adults are allowed a small slice of nostalgia if they sit up straight and behave. They can have fun spotting the jokes put there - and how clever is this? - for them to find. But if you have a companion who is entitled to vote yet still regards the show as the week's high spot, find a real doctor. Tennant's qualifications were obvious, in any case, after his performance in the marvellous Casanova, though you probably shouldn't ask the kids to corroborate that claim. A talent for cheek is undervalued in acting, as is a sense of the absurd: Tennant has both. Equally, as in Casanova, he can do man-running-for-dear-life better than most. ... Nippy fiends remain a problem, nevertheless. During Saturday's contagious zombie jail-break five billion years 'and 23 days' in the future, I could have sworn the afflicted ones were slow on their feet, but not a bit of it. Down corridors, up ladders: wherever the Doctor and the Cassandra-possessed Rose scurried, zombies awaited. It was like being trapped in Ikea. ... Still, say this for the show: in the time-warp known as Easter weekend TV, it more than held its own. Russell T Davies knows his way around a script and the production values are, by the old standards, out of this world. Obsessives can, meanwhile, ponder another profound question. Forget Tennant: is Billie Piper the best assistant a doctor ever had?"

The Guardian: "It's scary sci-fi, camp humour and warm family viewing all in one - Star Trek, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead and Carry On. And it's wonderful. Tennant turns out to be a splendid Doctor - likable, funny and sexy. Piper continues to be brilliant and gorgeous. And Russell T Davies' script has given Doctor Who a whole new injection of life. At last there's something to watch on a Saturday evening - apart from CSI and Match of the Day, obviously."

Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "I'm not sure you will agree, but I think the Doctor is in need of a bit of a tonic. Clearly all that rejuvenating has left the Time Lord feeling a little lacklustre or at least that was the indication after the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who. After all the hype, where was the substance? Sure we had some typically hiding-behind-the-sofa moments when some plague ridden, zombie-like humans wandered around looking to be loved, but this wasn't a classic by any manner of means. David Tennant was all wild-eyed stares and ill-fitting suit. Given time one thing which Doctor Who always has the lad shows promise, to slip into footballing parlance but he's not totally convincing. For the writers, they are under the same pressure as a band trying to follow up a hugely successful debut album. A few cats dressed as nurses and Billie Piper getting raunchy won't be sufficient although dads across the nation are no doubt hoping that she does indeed stay raunchy for the next few weeks. Don't get me wrong, Doctor Who is still several galaxies ahead of the majority of fare being served up and the effects are getting better and better. But without a decent plot it will all be in vain. So come on Doc, pull yourself together and get to work saving the planet."

The Independent: "Shock, horror, then that there was a full-blown snog between the Doctor and his young sidekick in Saturday's episode, albeit that Rose's body was being inhabited at the time by an old foe of the duo's, the vampish Lady Cassandra. David Tennant's Doctor looked surprised but not entirely displeased, although the fact that Rose is supposed to be 19, while the Doctor is about 900, is enough to make Peter Stringfellow seem like love's young dream. For someone with Russell T Davies's bold imagination, the possibilities of a man with two hearts is surely too tempting not to explore. Imagine the tragic potential if it were revealed that, as an amorous youth of, say, 240, the Doctor had lost one of his hearts to one of the Cybermen. I use the gender advisedly, and actually there is something very disco-era Castro Street about the Cybermen's dress sense. Tennant, by the way, is inspired casting for the Doctor - mildly dotty but with a hint of danger. Hopefully, he will take a leaf out the Queen's book and feel duty bound to stay in the role."

The Daily Express: "At the risk of receiving death-threats from Doctor Who extremists, I'd like to say that David Tennant is the best Tardis captain in the history of the universe. Or at least the last few decades. He's funny, quirky and mischievous -- and the atmosphere between him and sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) just fizzes with the clever chemistry of a 1930s screwball comedy. ... To be honest, I don't remember the Doctor Who of the Seventies having such a well-developed moral conscience. But ever since the 2005 re-launch, it seems like every episode comes complete with a gentle sermon about global pollution or the evils of capitalism. But maybe there was just as much preaching going on 30 years ago -- we were just too busy hiding behind the sofa to notice."

The Northern Echo: "Doctor Who would just have jumped in the Tardis and travelled back to watch the original game. Instead he - now looking like David Tennant rather than Christopher Ecclestone - and Rose (Billie Piper) journeyed five billion years into the future, only to encounter old adversary Cassandra, who consists of a face in a piece of stretched skin. Tennant has swiftly settled into the doctor's skin and will, I reckon, make as good a Who as his predecessor."

Times Online: "The traditional checklist of the journalist is the mantra 'What? Why? When? Where? Who?' On Saturday, pleasingly, the answer became 'Who Who Who Who and Who!' -- for Doctor Who (BBC One) returned for its second series under the fabulous Russell T. Davies, and the entire medium of television immediately looked 50 per cent brighter and more fun. The key question of every episode of Doctor Who is -- what is the scary bit? In this case, the scary bit was a disease made of Rice Krispies, in which the secondary symptoms appeared to be 'mass hammery in serried ranks of extras'. God bless drama, but it's never yet cracked a convincing zombie. The great actors will tackle the most challenging of roles but none, as yet, has had a pop at the automaton corpse. Pacino's zombie, Hoffman's zombie, the zombie of Dench -- you've got to figure, if these titans of thespiana blench from rocking from foot to foot, arms outstretched, drooling 'Ooone of uuus', what hope has some kid fresh out of stage school got? Poor zombies aside, however, this was a great bit of cheap, imaginative television with perfect casting. Billie Piper became possessed with the spirit of Cassandra, the atomically coquettish Last Human Being, and showed a real skill for comedy -- like Lucille Ball, but with the teeth of a wolf. David Tennant, meanwhile, wore an extremely fetching pair of spectacles, and continued to project the aura of a phenomenally great lay with access to a Tardis -- in other words, the first Timephwoard."

The Mirror: "The TV event of the week by a million miles - by a billion light years - was, of course, Dr Who. Rarely has a British programme had so much expectation, or even excitement, riding on it. Two big questions dominated. Could it be as good as the last series? And could David Tennant cut the mustard replacing Christopher Eccleston, who - along with writer Russell T Davies - was the show's saviour last year? The answers: a resounding Yes to the first, and a surprising Mostly to the second. Yet Tennant's first five minutes were thoroughly irritating. ... With his long brown mac, jutting chin and cloying Mockney accent, Tennant came over as a cross between David Bowie circa Dancing In The Streets and Bruce Forsyth. Daft bordering on (don't say it) zany. Mostly, Tennant just ran around and grinned a lot. Luckily, when it came to the futuristic story that followed, Davies's imagination was on fine form. ... Davies's other speciality is humour. Rose was set upon by a stingray-faced wall-hanging called Lady Cassandra. ... As he showed with the last series, writer Russell T Davies is also a master of the modern-day political parable. Here he turned in a story that had parallels with vivisection, battery farming, even Aids. ... It was imaginative, energetic, highimpact, completely bonkers good fun - amusing, original entertainment that, uniquely for television these days, could appeal equally to viewers from eight to 88, although the chase scenes drag a bit. Compared with Eccleston, Tennant is pretty but vacant - too vapid to affect it much. The real star, happily, is the character himself, and then the writer."

Sunday Mirror: "Yup, Doctor Who is back. And, after the tricky manoeuvre of turning Christopher Ecclestone into David Tennant, normal service has been resumed. Silly schoolboy sci-fi plots, unconvincing special effects and badly conceived space monsters that look as though they've just shuffled out of the BBC's make-up department. Which they have. But Who cares! Everyone loves the Doctor and they always will. .. The Beeb's computer graphic boys must have been working under-time when they created that rubbish fake silver hospital by the sea. A kid with a laptop could have done better! But that's the charm of Doctor Who. This venerable national TV institution has always been endearingly amateurish. And long may it continue to be so! ... The stupid story may have been characteristically crap, but that classic Doctor Who feelgood factor was bang on target. The latest - err - tenant of the Tardis acquitted himself well. Tall, skinny and angular, Dr Dave has wild lunatic eyes and looks just a little bit creepy. But he's clearly revelling in landing one of TV's most iconic roles. And for the sheer exuberance it was hard to fault his first full episode as the man in the long brown coat. You get the feeling that - unlike his predecessor Ecclestone - Tennant will not cut and run after just one series. It remains unclear why the Scottish star chose a Mockney accent that too often sounds like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. But after the Doc's unexpected passionate kiss with ravishing Rose there should be no problems with on-screen chemistry. Fasten your seatbelts. We're in for one hell of a ride!"

Daily Star: "The mutual lust between these two is hotting up with every episode. But the snag is, it can never be allowed to reach boiling point. The Doc blatantly fancies the kecks off his sidekick (and no doubt loves her with both his hearts) but he knows it would wreck things between them if he made a move on her. Besides which, he's probably also got two willies which, surprisingly, girls can find a bit off-putting. Rose did, of course, plant a huge, plungerlike snog on the Doc in Saturday's episode, but she'd temporarily had her body hijacked by Cassandra, that old trampoline-face we met in the last series, so this didn't really count. Even so, this has become a strangely sexy series for a Saturday teatime, hasn't it? Probably for that very reason you know the pair can only go so far."

SyFy Portal: "As I sat on my couch clutching my Sonic Screwdriver (Yes, I proudly own a Sonic Screwdriver!), I was unexpectedly overcome with excitement as David Tennant made his 'proper' debut as the centuries old Time Lord. ... The episode is literally filled with the same slapstick comedy element of the first season, poking fun at Tennant for becoming the New-New Doctor and also Billie Piper for her chavtastic Rose Tyler. ... I haven't seen much of David Tennant (although he was astounding in 'Secret Smile'), but if 'New Earth' is any indication, then he might actually be the best Doctor yet. What I love about this New-New Doctor is the way in which he instantly takes moral-high ground. Eccleson had the same energy about him, but the difference is that his views tended to come off as slightly sarcastic and on occasion arrogant, not unexpected for someone who knows everything. Tennant however sends the Doctor off on a different direction, bringing a fresh voice to a classic character. The sheer level of emotion in his acting sends ripples throughout the episode.In particular, his scenes with The Face of Bo carried a heartbreaking overtone. It was quite a surprise to be honest, considering Bo is just a big rubber head in a jar. But nonetheless, it had a significant impact. It was actually something we never got to see on the same level with any of the previous Doctors so I have to say Tennant is the perfect man for the job."

Leicester Mercury: "Forgive me, dear reader, if today's review has the feel of a first draft. It's sunny outside, and I quite fancy nipping off to the pub, but the weather's not actually to blame. The real reason this column has the air of a work in progress is Doctor Who. More pointedly, it's down to Russell T Davies. After all, if submitting a script that seemed half-done is good enough for him and the BBC, well, then it's good enough for me. Like my kids, I was looking forward to this first episode of this new series. Like my kids, I was a bit underwhelmed."

TV Squad: "... At this point in the show, my four-year-old son decided he didn't like watching disease-infected zombies stalking the living, and the pause button on my Sky Plus box was promptly called into action while he was safely tucked into his bed. Executive Producer Russell T. Davies promised us an upping of the scare factor in this series, and judging by the opening episode, he's started with a horrifying bang -- although I've always felt that the episodes of Doctor Who that set themselves in an unimaginable (not to mention unbelievable) future, tend to be weaker than the others, often calling on overacting from the principles in order to carry off a typical run-and-scream plot. This one was no exception, and didn't quite manage to beat The Christmas Invasion on the enjoyment factor, but still succeeded in giving me the heebie-jeebies for 60 minutes."