The official Doctor Who website has revealed the cover illustration for the forthcoming UK DVD release of Genesis of the Daleks, due out on 10 April (with extras previously announced). Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover.

Update: We now have a much higher resolution image courtesy Tenth Planet (originally from 2Entertain).

BBC Worldwide today confirmed the DVD releases in the UK of Genesis of the Daleks starring Tom Baker and Infernostarring Jon Pertwee. "Genesis" is listed by the official Doctor Who website as being due out 10 April, though some retailers are suggesting 27 March, while "Inferno" is due out 29 May.

Genesis of the Daleks will include commentary by Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Peter Miles (Nyder) and director David Maloney; "Genesis of a Classic," a 62-minute featurette looking at the making of the story, produced by Ian Levine and edited by Adi Denney, and featuring interviews with Baker, Sladen, Miles, producer Philip Hinchcliffe, executive producer Barry Letts, script editor Terrance Dicks, actors Guy Siner, James Garbutt, Dennis Chinnery, Roy Skelton, Cy Town, John Scott Martin and Michael Wisher, BBC sound person Dick Mills, lighting director Duncan Brown, visual effects designer Peter Day and makeup artist Sylvia James; "The Dalek Tapes," a 53-minute documentary produced by John Kelly, "which looks at the history of the Daleks and covers all of their appearances in the classic series" and includes rare Dalek clips and classic interviews and is narrated by Terry Molloy; a 7-minute featurette about Doctor Who models; a 6-minute continuity compilation which includes voice-overs; production text and photo gallery. Also included are PDF versions of the 1976 Doctor Who Annual and the Radio Times billings for the original transmission.

Inferno will feature commentary by Nicholas Courtney, John Levene, script editor Terrance Dicks and producer/director Barry Letts; "Can You Hear the Earth Scream?," a 35-minute "making of" documentary which includes interviews with Dicks, Letts, Levene, Courtney, Caroline John, Ian Fairbairn and stunt arranger Derek Ware; "The UNIT Family (Part One)", a 36-minute documentary featuring a look at the first half of the "UNIT family" from the Third Doctor's era with interviews with Letts, Courtney, Levene, Dicks, John, Ware and UNIT Creator Derrick Sherwin; "Visual Effects Promo Film," an excerpt from an early sales pitch from the BBC Visual Effects department featuring rare Doctor Who footage; "The Pertwee Years Intro," a short intro by Jon Pertwee originally included on BBC Video's "The Pertwee Years"; a Jon Pertwee radio announcement; a PDF of the 1971 Doctor Who Annual; Radio Times billings; plus photo gallery and production notes.

Articles on the restoration work are now available at the Restoration Team site on both Genesis of the Daleks andInferno.

Gary Downie, former production manager on the classic Doctor Who series and the partner of late series producer John Nathan-Turner, died this morning after a long battle with cancer, according to a friend of Downie's as told to the Doctor Who Restoration Team. Downie, a popular guest at conventions for years with Nathan-Turner, also worked on several other series including "Star Cops" and "All Creatures Great and Small". (Photo courtesy Mark Withall/Cult TV)

Amazon UK is listing a May 1 release this year of Tomb of the Cybermen from BBC Audio. It is not known exactly what this release is comprised of, but it is possible that it's a re-release of the audio soundtrack of the serial that was prepared shortly before the episodes from the story were located and returned to the BBC archives over a decade ago (and subsequently released immediately thereafter). However, there might be additional material; we'll keep you posted. (Thanks to Kieran Seymour, Jason Rhoden)

Actor John Woodnutt, who appeared in four episodes of Doctor Who, recently passed away, according to a note on the Restoration Team Forum. Woodnutt, born in 1924, played Hibbert in "Spearhead from Space," the Draconian Emperor in "Frontier in Space," the Duke of Forgill and Zygon leader Broton in "Terror of the Zygons" and as Seron in "The Keeper of Traken," had an enormous career in British television and film for decades, including appearing in episodes of "Jeeves and Wooster," "The Bill," "The Tomorrow People," "Sherlock Holmes," "Adam Adamant Lives!," "The Avengers" and "Z Cars," and his last film role was in the movie "Dragonheart: A New Beginning".

Warner Home Video has released the full cover illustration for the forthcoming North American release of The Beginning, the boxed set comprising the classic Doctor Who series' first three stories, "An Unearthly Child," "The Daleks" and "The Edge of Destruction". Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover. "The Beginning" is due out in the US and Canada on March 28, 2006 (and is available for pre-order at Amazon through the Outpost's affiliation if you'd like to help the site; see banner above.)

Australia is about to lose the classic series. As Outpost Gallifrey has learned, the show will complete its run on Australia's ABC TV in a few weeks. The broadcasts on ABC started with "An Unearthly Child" (September 2003) and conclude with "Survival" (February 2006). We should have more about this story in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Canada has a second Doctor Who outlet: the first season of the new series (or at least, "Rose") has appeared on Quebec's Z-Tele network, according to their website. It's unclear if it's been dubbed or is merely subtitled.

Update: According to Ztele's website, the episodes are dubbed and they're showing at least the first three, "Rose," "The End of the World (La Fin Du Monde)" and "The Unquiet Dead (Des Morts Inassouvis)" during several airings each in January. The French language trailer is located here.

(Thanks to Craig Wellington, Sean McGuire, Benjamin Elliott, Doug A Scott)

Actor Joseph Furst passed away at the end of November, according to news from the Doctor Who Restoration Team today. Furst was born in 1910 and had a widely varied career that included both television and film, including appearances on "The Saint," "The Champions," "Doomwatch" and "The Persuaders," but is best known to Doctor Who fans as the mad Professor Zaroff, the villain of the Patrick Troughton serial "The Underwater Menace".

Update: the Sydney Morning Herald recently ran a death notice for Mr. Furst, noting that he'd recently resided in Bateau Bay, Australia, and that services were held on Friday 2 December.

(Thanks to Steve Roberts & Greg Miller)