The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that Steve Pemberton, star of "The League of Gentlemen," will make an appearance in the forthcoming fourth series of Doctor Who. The Sun takes it further, reporting that "insiders said Steve will play a mysterious character called Lux who meets the Doctor during an expedition to uncover the secrets of an abandoned library." The Sun notes that the episode "also stars ER actress Alex Kingston and James Bond star Colin Salmon," confirming Pemberton will be in the same story. The new season of Doctor Who premieres this April.

The BBC Press Office has announced that Alex Kingston and Colin Salmon will appear as guest stars in writerSteven Moffat's two-part story for the fourth series of Doctor Who, which is currently filming.

Kingston, who will play a character named in the press release as River Song, is best known for her regular role in the American television drama series ER. In the UK, she starred in the one-off dramas Moll Flanders and Boudecia for the ITV network. Salmon has been seen in a variety of roles in British film and television, including as the supporting character Charles Robinson in the James Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. His character in Doctor Who has not yet been named.

BBC News and The Sun have stories about the casting announcement.

Two interviews with Russell T. Davies will air this week on BBC radio and television. First, on Tuesday January 15, Davies will speak to Nemone on the digital radio station BBC 6 Music. This interview can be heard from 1:00 p.m. GMT via the internet and the BBC's iPlayer Radio service (formerly Listen Again).

Then, on Wednesday January 16th, BBC Four will broadcast Mark Lawson Talks to Russell T. Davies. The Radio Times describes this interview as follows:

Davison's daughter for companion role?
As previously reported on this page, Georgia Moffett, daughter of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, will be appearing in an episode of Doctor Who this year. However, several media sources (including Digital Spy and the NottinghamEvening Post) are reporting that Moffett is being considered for a regular role as the Doctor's companion in the 2010 series. The same reports say that Felicity Jones, who will appear in the forthcoming Agatha Christie episode, is also in the running for the role of the next companion. The story appears to derive from a comment by Phil Collinson in the most recent issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

Tennant promotes cancer research
David Tennant has become a patron of the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), and will film a video for the Scotland-based charity. Fife Today, Digital Spy and the AICR website have more information.

John Barrowman talks to everyone

Torchwood star John Barrowman's autobiography, Anything Goes, ghostwritten by his sister Carole, will be published on January 24. The Times has a joint interview with the siblings. The Stage also interviews Barrowman, who makes a passing comment about gay actors who remain in the closet; this comment is picked up by other sources, including The Guardian, Digital Spy and Pink News. Some of these sources slightly misrepresented Barrowman's comment, and The Stage has posted a clarification. Scotland on Sunday has an extensive talk with Barrowman, which includes comments about how the actor would like to have children with his partner Scott Gill. These remarks have been picked up by Digital Spy, Actress Archives, Now Magazine andShowbiz Spy. Some of these sources also note Barrowman's on-screen kiss with James Marsters in the first episode of Torchwood's second series; The Sun has pictures of the kiss. And Off the Telly has yet another Barrowman interview.

Other Torchwood news
Digital Spy interviews Eve Myles, who says that in the upcoming series her character Gwen Cooper will be monogamous with her boyfriend Rhys. The Sun and Digital Spy pick up comments from Rhys actor Kai Owen, originally reported in the South Wales Echo.

SFX has Q&As with the Torchwood cast and crew on their website all this week; interviews with Kai Owen and Gareth David-Lloyd are already up, and talks with writer Chris Chibnall, producer Richard Stokes and Eve Myles will follow later in the week.

Tate complaints continue
The BBC has defended Catherine Tate's Christmas special against complaints about its content, reports theGuardian. The Daily Star, The Press Association, The Sun, the Bedford Times & Citizen, Nottingham'sEvening Post and the Biggleswade Chronicle note that a Conservative Member of Parliament has added her voice to the complaints about the special. Some viewers objected to foul language used by Tate's character Nan in the special; others complained about the portrayal of a Northern Irish family in one sketch. (The latter charge is refuted by a columnist for the Belfast Telegraph.) Tate will return to Doctor Who as Donna Noble in the 2008 series.

Miscellany
The Evening Standard has a story about David Tennant's upcoming role as Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Guardian profiles Billie Piper, and Wales on Sunday and The Press and Journal (Aberdeen) pick up a months-old quotation in which the actress said she had forgotten how to play Rose Tyler. Meanwhile, the coverage of her wedding to Laurence Fox has reached China Daily, and the Daily Mailand Evening Standard say that Fox's uncle Lawrence Fox chose not to attend the ceremony, because his young children were not invited.

Montreal-based filmmaker Kara Blake has made a documentary on Delia Derbyshire, who realized the original version of the Doctor Who theme music and other avant-garde sound as part of the BBC Radiophonic Workship; the Montreal Mirror discusses Blake's Derbyshire project, titled "The Delian Mode".

Mark Johnson, creative director of digital agency Sequence, will speak at a digital media forum in Swansea about the games and other web content Sequence has created for the BBC's Doctor Who website. The Western Mail and Swansea's Evening Post write that Johnson will speak at amperSANDat the National Waterfront Museum on Wednesday, January 16.

The Manchester Evening News notes the closing of the "Doctor Who Up-Close" exhibit, which brought over 225,000 visitors to Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry.

A replica Dalek has been donated to the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, reports BBC News.

Political commentator Andrew Sullivan is one among many bloggers who are linking to a page which asks whether the Doctor is a revolutionary or a "tool of The Man", and when in the series' long history each descriptor might fit him.

And finally, a columnist for Singapore-based Asia-Pacific Broadcasting discusses watching William Hartnellepisodes on a friend's mobile phone in Kuala Lumpur.

Thanks to Ian Berriman and Sean Palmerston, and "PolyG" and "aaaa" of the Doctor Who Forum.

Doctor Who has been nominated for three Visual Effects Society (VES) awards. "Voyage of the Damned" was nominated for Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special and "Last of the Time Lords" for Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series and Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial. Variety has the full list of nominees.

In other awards news, Doctor Who lost the People's Choice Award for Favorite Sci-Fi Show to Stargate Atlantis.

The audio commentary for Voyage of the Damned, available to stream from the official BBC Doctor Who website, has revealed some items of news relating to the future production of the series and media related to it. The commentary features executive producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner and producer Phil Collinson.

During the course of the discussion, Collinson reveals that he will not be producing the special episodes of Doctor Who that will be made for transmission in 2009. Whether he is leaving the series entirely or not is unclear, but this is the implication given.

In addition, Russell T Davies reveals that he is writing a book detailing his work on the series, to be published in time for next Christmas. The as-yet-untitled volume is a collaboration with Doctor Who Magazine reporter Benjamin Cook. No other details are currently known.

The Daily Post is reporting that comments made by Executive Producer Russell T. Davies at the preview screening ofVoyage of the Damned have caused quite a stir.

When asked who from history he would like to see play the Doctor, Davies reportedly jokingly answered "Hitler. He was stern and strong. He would be great."

According to the story, some guests laughed, but others were shocked by the remark.

One fan later remarked: "Hitler carried out some of the world’s worst atrocities. He ordered the killing of millions of innocent people. I don’t want my kids thinking Hitler and Doctor Who are in any way the same."

When David Tennant was then asked the same question, he reportedly declined to answer.

The official Doctor Who website has posted an interview with the series' producers: Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson. The Three Who Rule discuss "Voyage of the Damned", the return of Donna, filming in Rome, autographing babies and Steven Moffat's brain.

SFX also has the second half of their interview with Phil Collinson, in which he talks about bringing back the Sontarans and Catherine Tate.

Thanks to Ian Berriman of SFX.

Georgia Moffett, daughter of Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, will be appearing in Series Four, according to Executive Producer Phil Collinson.

"Fans might recognise that name...but that's not why we cast her. She's a very fine actor."

Georgia originally auditioned for a role in the Agatha Christie episode. "But as soon as we saw her," Collinson told Doctor Who Magazine, "we realised there was a much bigger and better part later on in the series...so Georgia kindly waited until the time was right. It's a role no one will ever forget!"

In an article on BBC News published this morning, Catherine Tate says that the upcoming fourth Doctor Who series will be her last, and that it "could be the last for actor David Tennant" according to comments she made this morning on the Radio 2 Jonathan Ross programme. "I think it's maybe David's last series." The article notes that the BBC refuses to comment on Mr Tennant's future as the show's star. When pressed on whether Tennant would return to play the timelord in special Dr Who shows in future, Tate replied: "Possibly."

To listen to Tate's interview on the Jonathan Ross show, follow this link and click on "Listen again". The Catherine Tate segment begins approximately 2 hours 37 minutes into the program.

The BBC News article also quotes Kylie Minogue in Doctor Who Magazine as saying her appearance in the forthcoming Christmas special is "like stepping back in time. I really felt at home being back in the world of TV. I've definitely got the acting bug again!"