The new Dreamwatch features an interview with Sylvester McCoy conducted by Sophie Aldred! Also, Russell Davies shares his thoughts on the new series; pick up a copy today at your local newsstand.

The new issue of DWM features an interview with new series production designer Edward Thomas. "As Production Designer," Thomas tells DWM, "I will be responsible for the overall look and feel of all 13 episodes... I will have lots of help in the form of art directors, illustrators, set designers, CGI and a whole host of other creative people who will assist me in introducing a brand new look, whilst retainging a few of the most unforgettable features." He also talks about what the TARDIS will be like ("Big ... On the inside that is!") and about the interior of the time ship.

Also in the issue, Russell T. Davies gets to the bottom of whether or not the Eccleston Doctor is the ninth incarnation. "Of course he bloody is!" writes Eccleston. "There is no official, co-ordinated BBC policy on this, and never will be; but ... Chris is number nine." He also discusses the number of the episode (it will start with #1) and season ("it's Series One"), and says that he's just finished writing the fourth episode. On the subject of production codes, Davies says, "Because the forthcoming series has shifted base to BBC Wales - and on a simpler level, because no one involved in the production would even stop to worry about this - then the Production Codes are brand new. They don't continue from the 1996 movie, or the 1989 series. The new series is not called Season Twenty-Seven on any documents, it's Series One. And the first episode is officially episode one, not episode 697." However, he goes on to suggest that time, reference books, fans, etc "will take care of this and simplify... see you here in 20 years." For more details and to read the full interviews with Davies and Thomas, check out DWM #345 which hits newsstands tomorrow.

This week's (May 30) edition of TV Guide Magazine in the US features their "Top 25 Cult Shows" list. A big surprise at #18... Doctor Who! Usually our show doesn't get a mention in the US magazines, especially non-genre ones. There are few surprises on the list, which includes "Twin Peaks" (20), "Dark Shadows" (19), "The Avengers" (17), "Quantum Leap" (15), "Babylon 5" (13), "The Twilight Zone" (8), "The Prisoner" (7), "The Simpsons" (6), "Monty Python" (5), "Buffy" (3), "The X-Files" (2) and "Star Trek" (1). Still, definitely nice for the show to be mentioned... and in such good company!

The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #344 is due out May 27 in the UK. In the issue is more news about the forthcoming show including Russell T. Davies production notes and an interview with the new show's production designer. Meanwhile, "DWM celebrates its 25th anniversary with a trawl through the back issues in the first part of Happy Times and Places! Comic strip adventure in Sins of the Fathers as Space Monkeys attack! Andrew Pixley examines the Doctor's natural home of Saturday evenings on BBC1 in Part 4 of Scheduled for Success! The Telesnap Archive continues with Part Three of Marco Polo! The Time Team meet the boggle-eyed Fourth Doctor as their quest to watch every single Doctor Who episode continues! Plus all the Reviews, News and Previews to keep you sated for another four weeks!" The cover is at right. (Thanks to Tom Spilsbury/DWM)

The Canadian fiction fanzine Trenchcoat will be reprinted later this month. "Begun in 1991 by James Bow, each issue of Trenchcoat (five in all) represents a pretend season of Doctor Who. Adding to the illusion of authenticity are production notes, plentiful illustrations and listings from Radio Thymes." For further details and ordering information, visit theTrenchcoat site. (Thanks to Matt Grady)

Telos Publishing will launch two of their new titles at British Fantasy Society Open Night on June 4, including the third Time Hunter novella The Clockwork Woman, a Doctor Who spinoff series launched in the novella "The Cabinet of Light".

The latest issue of Enlightenment, the fanzine of the Doctor Who Information Network -- North America's largest Doctor Who fan club -- looks at the casting of Christopher Eccleston, with analysis by Lance Parkin; also in the issue: Janet Fielding is interviewed, a retrospective on the Telos Novellas, season nine is put under the microscope, how to grieve and let go of Richard E. Grant's ninth Doctor and more. To order visit the website at www.dwin.org. (Thanks to Graeme Burk)

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, on sale tomorrow, features several pieces of information about the forthcoming first season of the new series, including the working titles of the first two stories and a breakdown of the writing assignments on the show. Since this is a spoiler subject, click on the spoiler button below to bring up the information (a brand new feature on our News pages!) (Thanks to DWM)