According to BBC News, the recent Doctor Who charity dinner featuring David Tennant and Billie Piper raised over £20,000 for the BBC Children in Need appeal. "The actors took a break from filming the new BBC Wales series to join diners at a fundraising event in Cardiff. Money raised through the 'Doctor Who Galactic Dinner' will help improve the lives of children and young people. Writer and executive producer Russell T Davies presided over a special auction of coveted Doctor Who memorabilia. Guests bid up to £4,000 for some of the items, which are destined to become valuable collectors' items. More than 250 guests attended the event at the city's Macdonald Holland House Hotel. The dinner was one of a number of events being held across the UK to raise money for the annual charity event. This year, appeal organisers will distribute more than £2.6m to support vulnerable children and young people throughout Wales - with a total of £35m being given across the UK as a whole. 'We always knew it was going to be a fantastic event, but it exceeded all our expectations,' said David Tennant, who has taken over the role from Christopher Eccleston. Billie Piper, who plays the Doctor's assistant, Rose, said: 'Everyone had an amazing night. Thank you so much to all the generous people who were there raising so much money.' Menna Richards, controller of BBC Wales, said: 'The Doctor Who team made a fantastic contribution towards raising a huge sum of money for Children in Need. But they couldn't have done it without the amazing support of all those Doctor Who fans who bid for prizes and gave so much money to the event.'" Also covered at CBBC News.

In a stunning reversal from earlier news from the actress herself, the newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that Big Finish has signed Janet Fielding to reprise her role of air stewardess Tegan Jovanka for an audio play to be released in the summer of 2006. Entitled "Summer in the City" and set in her home town of Brisbane, the story will feature the former companion (who joined "Doctor Who" in Tom Baker's final story "Logopolis" and lasted throughout much of Peter Davison's tenure) but it's unclear as to whether she'll be joined by any of her Doctor Who castmates such as Davison. More details soon.

The UK television website Off The Telly has published two new Doctor Who-themed interviews. Writer and broadcasterAndrew Collins, who was featured as a commentator on the "Doctor Who Confidential" documentary series, haswritten about his experience of working in a Big Finish play: "It was calming for my non-actorly nerves to get to Stockwell first, follow those instructions through the blue gate, get my bearings and chat to Toby (BBC experience has taught me always to make friends with studio engineers!) You are greeted with tea, coffee, water, wooden fruit bowls piled high with miniature chocolate bars and Wotsits, and a Travel Connect Four for longueurs. Although the green room itself - positioned in the bowels of the modest studio complex - has more air conditioning ducts than actual room, the oppressive piping gives it a Doctor Who space-station feel." Also,Gary Russell of Big Finish enjoys a very revealinginterview with Graham Kibble-White in which he discusses Big Finish's current state of affairs, the effect of the new series and fandom as a whole: "It's good for them to have [Big Finish] on their merchandise list, every month there's a brand new Doctor Who CD audio drama with original cast. Every month there's a Doctor Who book. Every month there's something new from whoever the new toy licensees are. It shows their bosses upstairs that Doctor Who is a viable license." Read each interview at the website. (Thanks to Stuart Ian Burns, Graham Kibble-White)

Meanwhile, Tom Baker has been announced as making a rare UK signing appearance on October 20 to co-launch the regular edition of the biography. Baker will be joined by Courtney and actorFrazer Hines (Jamie) and other guests. Further details will be announced soon at the Scificollector website. (Thanks to Steven Scott)

The 'considerable archive' of items belonging to John Nathan-Turner, the final producer of the 'classic' Doctor Who series who oversaw seasons 18 through 26, and who passed away in 2002, has been acquired by the British Film Institute's National Library, who has named him a "Donor in Focus". The archive is part of the BFI National Library's special collections; access is restricted to those who already have BFI Library annual library membership, for which there is a fee, and have to be consulted in the BFI study room. We're not sure exactly what this archive entails, but we imagine Doctor Who scholars are currently looking into it. (Thanks to Neil Marsh, Matthew Kilburn)

Still Getting Away With It, the official autobiography of Nicholas Courtney, is due out on 20 October. Co-written with Michael McManus ("Towards the Sound of Gunfire"), the book is published under the new Greyhound Leader imprint, in conjunction with Steven Scott (SciFiCollector). "I think the time has now come for me to write a full and frank account of my life, not least with regard to my unbroken, forty-year association with Doctor Who," says Courtney, beloved by fans worldwide for his longtime portrayal of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. "Some people may be surprised by how candid and forthright I am going to be about certain people and events, but I think I owe it to myself and also to others to be reasonably bold as well as old! This will be very much a new book. The more familiar stories have been completely re-edited or rewritten and there is a mass of entirely new material. I am delighted Michael is co-writing this new book with me. He is both a good friend and a very experienced and talented writer." Says McManus, "As NickÆs friend and as someone who has always enjoyed Doctor Who, I regard the opportunity to participate in this project as a huge privilege. I can only hope we manage to do justice to the depths of the man - as actor on stage and screen, long-time Equity activist and all-round good guy. My ambition is simple. Anyone reading this book must feel they have really got to know Nick intimately." The book's introduction was written by Tom Baker. More details available soon at the Greyhound Leader website. Click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version of the working cover (final cover to be determined). (Thanks to Michael McManus)

Doctor Who again featured heavily on CBBC's "Blue Peter" (22nd July) as further promotion for the 'Design A Monster' competition. Along with an array of clips a Slitheen, Auton Bride and "Genesis" Dalek prop were in the studio. The team were also joined by series monster designer Neil Gorton who gave some tips to those entering the competition, with attention focussing on the Slitheen. In addition, as the show progressed, he gave presenter Liz Barker a 'monster makeover'. Promotion was also given to the Brighton "Doctor Who" exhibition which apparently runs to October and where "Blue Peter" badge winners can get in free!

Last weekend saw the "Blue Peter Prom" (subtitled "Out Of This World") at the Royal Albert Hall, London and this includes "plenty more Doctor Who...". The Prom included an arrangement of the "Doctor Who" theme by Christopher Austin and was also broadcast on Radio 3 last Monday afternoon.

The Very Best of Billie Piper is a new 15-track album coming out on 8 August from EMI Gold, featuring 15 of her songs including "Because We Want To".

The new Disney film "Sky High" features a scene where Kevin McDonald's super-brain character "Mr. Medulla" is seen reading a Doctor Who paperback novel.

(Thanks to Mike Humphreys, Cody Schell, Jamie Austin)

Christopher Eccleston narrates the two-part documentary "House of Obsessive Compulsives" following three sufferers of obsessive compulsive disorder who undergo a radical new treatment programme to try and regain control of their lives; it begins on Monday 1 August on UK Channel 4. (Thanks to Matt Nida)