The Weeping Angels have been voted the fans’ favourite ever monsters in a poll of over 10,000 Doctor Who fans.

The Radio Times survey saw the scary statues gain nearly 50 per cent of the vote, making them the best loved (or feared) monsters in the Doctor Who universe.

The Angels were created by current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, and first appeared in 2007 episode Blink, first broadcast five years ago today. The Angels are living statues, unable to move as long as they are being watched. But close your eyes or look away and they’re instantly on the move, stone fangs and claws bared.

The Angels pushed the Doctor's most iconic enemy, the Daleks, into second place with 17 per cent of the vote. The Doctor first encountered the Daleks in the second ever Doctor Who story, screened in 1963.

Another Moffat creation, The Silence, crept into third place with almost 12 per cent, while the Doctor's fellow Time Lord, The Master, and Moffat's microscopic swarm The Vashta Nerada, were in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

The Cybermen, Davros, the Zygons, the Ice Warriors and the Sontarans completed the top ten.

RadioTimes.com editor Tim Glanfield commented on the results: "The Daleks had generations of children cowering behind the sofa in the past, but our poll shows Steven Moffat’s terrifying Weeping Angels are the stuff of modern nightmares – remember, don’t blink!."

Matt Smith has talked about his approach to choosing roles. "Well, I guess I choose whatever the best role is but it's very hard to find a part like the Doctor. But I suppose I wouldn't go and play a really clever scientist who's mad next - unless it was a really dark one. I think acting's about variety, so you're constantly trying to find a variety of identities to explore because that's what makes it interesting." [Independent, 5 Apr 2012]

While we await his reappearance on TV as the Doctor, Smith can be seen in his first major film, Clone, when it gets its UK release on 4th May. In it, he plays a man who dies in a car accident but whose girlfriend gives birth to a genetic copy of him. Production on the film, which originally had the title Womb, started in March 2009. A special preview will take place on 1st May at the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival. [Digital Spy, 11 Apr 2012]

David Tennant has also spoken about taking on roles, this time for children and with regard to his voiceover for the CBeebies animated series Tree Fu Tom: "I haven't done anything for this age of children before, but they are formative years and it's really important we create television of a high quality for that audience. Generally speaking we don't have vivid memories from when we were pre-school age but the programmes you watch when you are that young, when you’re still learning about how the world works, are very important. Television, more than any other medium, is what influenced me as a child and formed my response to literature, storytelling and, therefore, the world around me." [Daily Mail, 6 Apr 2012]

Tennant's image is to turn up in a new comic, America's Got Powers, written by Jonathan Ross. The chat show host said: "He agreed to let us use his likeness in one of the characters and it looks great. His character is kind of the mastermind behind a brutal reality show where kids with super powers slug it out to join the only Government-sanctioned super team." [The Sun, 10 Apr 2012]

A tweet by Laurence Fox on 5th April announced to the world that wife Billie Piper had given birth to their second child that day. He wrote: "One born every minute. We had our minute today. Couldn't be happier. Beautiful boy. Everything fine." Yesterday, Fox tweeted that the baby, who is a brother to three-year-old Winston, had been named Eugene Pip.

Derek Jacobi is to have a long-held wish come true when he appears in Coronation Street - but viewers may not recognise him. The renowned actor will only be seen at the back of a Rovers Return shot, which was filmed during a private visit last week to the set of the Phil Collinson-produced soap. In an interview five years ago, Jacobi told how he had always wanted to be in the ITV programme. It is not known when the episode will air. [BBC News, 11 Apr 2012]

Robert Glenister has less-than-fond memories of his time on Doctor Who. The actor, who played Salateen in Peter Davison's swansong The Caves of Androzani, tells Radio Times: "I still get people outside the stage door with that picture of me looking about 12 and I am appalled at myself every time I see it. I looked like a complete berk and wish I never had to see it again." Ironically, Glenister says that his favourite television role was in the Davison-starring BBC1 comedy series Sink or Swim, which ran from 1980 to 1982 and gave him his TV break playing the younger brother of Davison's character. [Radio Times, 12 Apr 2012]

John de Lancie provides the voice of Professor Fitz Quadwrangle in a new video puzzle game, Quantum Conundrum, to be released for PSN, XBLA and Windows platforms. [The Sixth Axis, 4 Apr 2012]

Murray Gold will be one of the speakers at a series of events being organised by BAFTA and the Royal Albert Hall, entitled Conversations with Screen Composers. The Doctor Who composer will be appearing at the Hall's Elgar Room on Wednesday 11th July to discuss the development of creative ideas for his music. Other speakers in the series are Rachel Portman and James Hannigan. [Royal Albert Hall, 21 Mar 2012]

John Barrowman will be appearing as a Spotlight Guest at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which takes place at McCormick Place, Chicago, from 13th-15th April. Organiser Lance Fensterman said: "We're very excited to welcome John Barrowman this year to C2E2. Doctor Who has grown into a global phenomenon, and John Barrowman is an actor with a following on both sides of the Atlantic. There's tremendous excitement from the fanboys and fangirls within C2E2's own office, and we know our audience in Chicago will be overjoyed to meet him." [Comic Book Resources, 21 Mar 2012]

Barrowman has also donated some of his clothes to the Dogs Trust: "It's no secret to anyone who knows me that two of my favourite things are shopping and supporting Dogs Trust. After a recent spring-cleaning, I donated lots of stuff to the new Cowbridge shop, including posters, watches and boxes of clothing. I hope you'll pay a visit and share in my favourite things." [Ecorazzi, 26 Mar 2012]

Billie Piper visited a family in Norfolk as part of the BBC's Sport Relief in order to speak to a mother and three daughters who had just lost their father. Her Doctor Who co-star David Tennant also contributed to the cause, being one of the celebrity faces to run the Sport Relief Mile on Sunday. You can still donate to the causes through the Sport Relief website.

Tennant has also revealed that he has adopted wife Georgia Moffett's first child, Tyler: "My baby is almost a year old now and I adopted my wife's boy last year as well so I became a father twice within six months - that's got to be something of a record hasn't it?" [Absolute Radio, 21 Mar 2012]

Tennant and John Simm are among the famous names and faces contributing to the Sky Arts 2 documentary Discovering Hamlet, which is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday 15th April at 9.40pm. Tennant will also be seen on Sky Arts 1 three days earlier - Thursday 12th April - playing an artist called Will in the drama The Minor Character, which airs at 9pm. Meanwhile, Tennant is back doing the voiceover for the spoof documentary Twenty Twelve, the second series of which starts on BBC Two tomorrow at 10pm and co-stars Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes, and Olivia Colman.

Mark Gatiss can be seen in conversation with Mark Lawson on BBC Four on Tuesday 3rd April at 10.50pm. The hour-long interview will be available via the BBC iPlayer for seven days afterwards.

Louise Jameson appears in an episode of daytime drama Doctors on BBC One on Wednesday 4th April at 1.45pm. She plays "other woman" Shirley Carter who schemes with her lover's wife to take revenge on the man in their lives when they discover that he has been cheating on both of them. It will be available via the BBC iPlayer for seven days afterwards.

Richard Curtis is returning to the theme of time travel for one of his latest film scripts, which he will also direct. About Time is billed as a low-budget dramedy. Zooey Deschanel, who played Trillian in the 2005 film version of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, is reportedly in talks to star in the Working Title production. [Variety, 27 Mar 2012]

Radio Times has published an online interview with Anneke Wills in which the actress who played companion Polly tells of a spooky coincidence involving companion actress-in-waiting Jenna-Louise Coleman. As well as reminiscing about life aboard the TARDIS and meeting Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy and David Tennant, Wills also talks candidly about her marriage to Michael Gough. [Radio Times, 22 Mar 2012]

Back in November we reported on the advertisement for a new BBC Worldwide Marketing Director for Consumer Products; the person hired for the position has now been revealed to be Rob Lowe, currently marketer for games company Nintendo. His responsibilities will include developing the commercial potential of Doctor Who among other series. [Marketing Week, 26 Mar 2012]

For some, Christmas time starts with the appearance of the Coca-Cola "Holidays Are Coming" advert on television, for others it's the first time Slade or Wizzard are heard blaring across the supermarket, but for many it's also the publication of the 'legendary' Christmas double issue of the Radio Times!

This year's issue covers 17th-30th December, with some 294 pages dedicated to Christmas television. The highlight for us, of course, is at 7:00pm on Christmas Day when the Doctor once again provides us with our traditional festive treat in The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe!


The episode is repeated on BBC1/BBC1HD on Tuesday 27th December at 2:50pm, and on BBC3 on Wednesday 28th December at 7:00pm.

Matt Smith will also feature as a guest on The Graham Norton Show, to be broadcast on BBC1 from 10:35pm on Friday 23rd December (repeated late night on Christmas Day).

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The issue also contains a three page article, with interviews with Steven Moffat, Matt Smith and Maurice Cole (Cyril). Steven considers the traditions of Christmas:
Meanwhile, Matt reflects on his own Christmas as a boy:
And Maurice says what he likes best about Christmas:
You can read the full interviews - including how the Doctor was saved by Sherlock Holmes, and what Matt considers as his favourite comedy series - in the double-issue, out nationwide from today.

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The Radio Times website has published a preview for The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, in which Patrick Mulkern calls the episode "one of the most satisfying specials yet"; in the article he also reflects upon Doctor Who Christmas Treats of the past (though perhaps not K9 and Company!).

The BBC's official Doctor Who feed on Twitter has announced the broadcast of Doctor Who's festive adventure, The Doctor, The Widow And the Wardrobe, will be at 7:00pm on Christmas Day on BBC1/BBC1HD.

The hour-long special stars Matt Smith as the Doctor alongside Claire Skinner, Holly Earl, and Maurice Cole, with Alexander Armstrong, Bill Bailey and Arabella Weir.


The Radio Times has confirmed the episode's broadcast details, which will see it scheduled against All Star Family Fortunes on ITV1. The lead-up to Doctor Who will be The Gruffalo's Child, something its predecessor The Gruffalo successfully provided for The End of Time (pt1) back in 2009.

The full Christmas schedule will be in the festive double issue of the Radio Times, published this coming Saturday.

As predicted on Tuesday, the new Radio Times for 3rd-9th December 2011 published today features the latest in the now traditional covers for our festive adventure with the Doctor! Here we present the cover in both publication and clean versions, courtesy of the Radio Times:


This issue features an article on specials we can look forward to over Christmas told by the stars themselves; two pages are devoted to Doctor Who, with Matt Smith saying:
Guest star and long-term fan Bill Bailey said of appearing in Doctor Who:
You can read the full interviews with Matt Smith, Bill Bailey, and also with co-stars Alexander Armstrong and Arabella Weir in the issue, available in shops from 26th November. The next issue is published on 1st December, with the 'legendary double issue' of the Radio Times for the Christmas period following on 3rd December.

Doctor Who at Christmas

You can find all covers featuring Doctor Who in the Radio Times Gallery, and latest information in their Doctor Who section.

The new edition of the Radio Times (26 Nov - 2 Dec) features former editor Alison Graham's Festive Treats, a sneak peek of twelve programmes we can look forward to on television at Christmas; unsurprisingly Doctor Who is one of her shows to watch over the festive period!

Meanwhile, the next edition (3-10 Dec) promises to 'cover' what's in store for the Doctor in The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe - full details will be revealed on Saturday when the issue is published!

The new edition of the Radio Times (1st-7th October) is out today, and bids farewell to the current series of Doctor Who; it features interviews with series showrunner Steven Moffat, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, and also includes who their hidden Who heroes might be - plus a look back at what it considers to be the Doctor's five greatest escapes ...

You can also read a preview for the episode on the Radio Times website.


Next week also sees the return of The Sarah Jane Adventures, and in the magazine Elisabeth Sladen’s daughter Sadie talks movingly of her mother’s legacy.

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Meanwhile, the BBC have now released a host of photos featuring a number of new and familiar faces that will appear in the 45 minute finale this coming Saturday:

The new edition of the Radio Times (27th August - 2nd September) celebrates the return of Doctor Who to our screens this coming Saturday, with the Doctor once again gracing the front cover for the season opener, Let's Kill Hitler.


The magazine features an exclusive episode guide by head writer Steven Moffat, which finally reveals the titles for the concluding two episodes of the series, Closing Time and The Wedding of River Song.

There are also interviews with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Alex Kingston. Here, Matt and Karen talk about the downside of fame:

You can read a sample from the episode guide on the Radio Times website.


The website also offers a review of last week's preview for Let's Kill Hitler, and an interview with Mark Gatiss on the following week's episode, Night Terrors.

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The Radio Times have also made a spoof video tie-in for Let's Kill Hitler, based upon the popular Downfall meme :

The latest edition of the Radio Times (9th-15th July 2011) features a front cover dedicated to Torchwood: Miracle Day, which premieres on BBC1(HD) on 14th July 2011.

The issue features a three page article on the show, which features comments from executive producers Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter on Torchwood's arrival in Hollywood, plus writer Jane Espenson, Captain Jack himself John Barrowman and Eve Myles aka Gwen Cooper.


The premiere also features prominently as one of Thursday's choices, as well as the usual synopsis and cast details on the channel listing for BBC1 at 9:00pm.


There is also a behind-the-scenes video on the Radio Times website featuring John Barrowman and Eve Myles as they step back into costume for the Radio Times cover shoot and talk about the new series.