Various news sources online and in print - including science-fiction website io9 and British tabloid newspaper the Sun - have in recent days been running a picture from behind-the-scenes of David Tennant's forthcoming two-part finale in Doctor Who. The image, apparently a screen grab from a video, shows Tennant along with guest star Timothy Dalton and another actor, whose presence in the story may be considered a spoiler, so his name is given in the spoiler box below.

Dalton's role in the forthcoming specials is not currently known.

Just announced: Special guests at this year's San Diego Comic-Con include new series creator Russell T. Davies and the show's lead actor, David Tennant. They will join former executive producer Julie Gardner and director Euros Lyn on a special panel on Sunday, 26 July, 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood is also returning to Comic-Con, with star John Barrowman appearing on a panel also featuring Davies, Gardner and Lyn. Sharing space at that panel will be the new BBC America series, Being Human. Creator and writer Toby Whithouse plus lead actors Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Aidan Turner, talk about the inspiration for the show and what it's like to play three twenty-somethings with secret double-lives – as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost.

Fans can visit the BBC America booth (#3629) to capture their own photograph alongside part of the Doctor Who set as well as purchase exclusive merchandise including David Tennant figures.

Also featured will be exclusive previews of the upcoming Doctor Who specials and the final episode of Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Read more at the IGN website and the Action Figure Insider website.

The BBC Press Office has released the official press pack for the forthcoming five-part serial Children of Earth, which forms the third series of the popular Doctor Who spin-off. The release includes information on cast and crew, as well as interviews with chief writer and executive producer Russell T Davies and cast members John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd and Kai Owen.

Experience Design, the team behind the Doctor Who Up Close exhibition in Cardiff Bay, have announced plans to open a Torchwood-themed exhibition in the Bay area.

The ambitious plan aims to reconstruct sets from the Torchwood Hub seen in the series, based across two levels, including an upstairs recreation of the Cardiff Bay watertower with lift to the "hub" below! It is also hoped that costumes from the series will also be on show.

Head designer of Experience Design, Martin Wilkie, said: "A Torchwood Exhibition would be a great addition to the Bay area. We have looked at several sites for a Torchwood Exhibition but we are hoping that this one might be available soon. The appeal of Torchwood brings many visitors to Cardiff Bay, especially to see the Torchwood Water Tower. The building we are hoping to use for the Torchwood Exhibition is near this famous TV landmark."

A Georgian building in Bute Crescent has been identified as a possible location for the exhibition, and Cardiff council are currently reviewing the application, which is hoped to open in July.

In the news: BBC South Wales, South Wales Echo.

The British Fantasy Society, which has presented the British Fantasy Awards since 1971, is this year adding a category for Best Television, and Doctor Who has been nominated for the new category, which does not appear to be strictly limited to the fantasy genre. Also nominated are "Battlestar Galactica", "Dead Set", "Supernatural" and "Dexter".

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook has also been nominated for an award in the Best Non-Fiction category.

A full list of the award nominees is linked from the BFA's website. The winners will be announced in September at the BFA's convention, FantasyCon.

Thanks to "Rolnikov" of the Doctor Who Forum.

After a period on hiatus, Who Party, Canada's Doctor Who convention is returning on Saturday June 13th, 2009 in Toronto. A semi-annual event first started in 1978, Who Party is one of the longest-running Doctor Who events in the world. Who Party is taking place at the Best Western Primrose hotel at 111 Carlton Street and runs between the hours of 10am and 8pm.

Guests for Who Party include:

* Director James Strong (Doctor Who: "The Impossible Planet", "The Satan Pit", "Daleks in Manhattan", "Evolution of the Daleks", "Voyage of the Damned", "Partners in Crime" and "Planet of the Dead"; Torchwood: "Cyberwoman", "They Keep Killing Suzie")

* Director Colin Teague (Doctor Who: "The Sound of Drums", "Last of the Time Lords" and "The Fires of Pompeii"; Torchwood: "Ghost Machine", "Greeks Bearing Gifts", "Sleeper" and "Meat"; Sarah Jane Adventures: "Invasion of the Bane")

* Rob Shearman: (Writer of "Dalek" and Doctor Who audios for Big Finish.)

* Lance Parkin: (Writer of Doctor Who novels for both Virgin and BBC Books.)

* Toby Hadoke: Performing his hit Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf show in Canada for the first time.)

Who Party is a fan run, not-for-profit event. For more information on Who Party Toronto visit their website.

The Doctor Who Blog is reporting that Canada's Space channel is now the home of Doctor Who in Canada, officially ending the series' time with former co-production partner the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Space will air Planet of the Dead on Saturday July 25th. Waters of Mars and the two other specials to follow will air on Space in late 2009 and early 2010.

Beginning in March 2010 Space will have the rights to show Series One to Four of the show as well as The Christmas Invasion and The Runaway Bride. Voyage of the Damned, which was never aired by the CBC, will be available to Space as of April 2010. The Next Doctor was already aired by Space in March 2009.

Finally, Space will be airing Series Five in 2010.

Launched in April 2005 with a great deal of publicity by the CBC just 10 days after the premiere on the BBC Doctor Who eventually found itself out of favour with changing CBC management despite continued strong ratings through all four series.

The 'fast-tracked' Planet of the Dead has debuted in Australia to excellent ratings. The Easter special averaged 1,051,000 in the five major capital cities, compared to the 738,000 viewers who watched 'The Next Doctor' in January or the 869,000 who watched the Michael Palin special 'Around the World in 20 Years' the week before at 7.30pm. 'Planet' was the ABC's top rating drama of the day and its second highest rating show after the 7pm news. Meanwhile the ABC has also started promoting Torchwood which will commence on ABC2 with 'Everything Changes' on Friday 19 June 2009 at 8.30pm. The national broadcaster has the rights to the first two series of 'Torchwood' and has also indicated it will screen Children of Earth at some later stage.

Meanwhile, 'Planet' and the impending departure of David Tennant has attracted some local media attention. Michael Idato of The Sydney Morning Herald has spoken to David Tennant about his thoughts upon leaving the show. The Canberra Times and TV Week also feature interviews with Tennant, the latter with a poll saying that 68% of readers will miss his incarnation of the Doctor. Ruth Ritchie describes 'Planet of the Dead' a 'must see' and Kerrie Murphy of The Weekend Australia writes that while 'the plot...isn't the greatest...it's still a terrific jaunt.' Melinda Houston of The Age comments that 'a dimension-jumping London bus, evil steel stingrays, friendly giant flies and a very dashing new companion - and the kind of witty, warm-hearted writing we've come to expect - make this one-off a real treat.' Troy Lennon of The Daily Telegraph also writes of 'Planet' that it 'is fast-paced, has great effects, the right amount of science to make it almost sound plausible and enough fantasy to excite the imagination.'

Thanks to the contributors to the Australian forums.

BBC America has announced that their new BBC America HD channel will launch in July with the HD broadcast of Torchwood: Children of Earth and the latest Doctor Who special, Planet of the Dead. Torchwood: Children of Earth will air on BBC America HD and BBC America on five consecutive nights, beginning on Monday, July 20. Planet of the Dead will follow on Sunday, July 26. (As previously announced, the 2008 Christmas special, The Next Doctor, will air on BBC America on Saturday, June 27.)

It is not known whether earlier plans for "Children of Earth" to be aired on the same day on BBC America and BBC One are still on track. British television channels traditionally announce their schedules closer to broadcast date than American channels do, so the UK broadcast date for "Children of Earth" will probably not be confirmed for several weeks.

Full details for the launch of BBC America HD, including broadcast times and information about "Being Human" and "Primeval", are available here and here.

The BBC has announced that Scottish actress Karen Gillan is to play the new companion, alongside Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith, in the next series of Doctor Who, due to be broadcast in the spring of next year.

Twenty-one year-old Gillan previously appeared in last year's episode "The Fires of Pompeii", as the Soothsayer. BBC News reports that she studied acting at Telford College in Edinburgh, and has also appeared in The Kevin Bishop Show and the forthcoming film Outcast, starring James Nesbitt.

In the press release, executive producer and chief writer Steven Moffat is quoted as saying: "We saw some amazing actresses for this part, but when Karen came through the door the game was up. Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too."

Gillan herself says: "I am absolutely over the moon at being chosen to play the Doctor's new companion. The show is such a massive phenomenon that I can't quite believe I am going to be a part of it. Matt Smith is an incredible actor and it is going to be so much fun to act alongside him – I just can't wait to get started!"

The news is also being reported by, among many others: Children's BBC, InTheNews.co.uk, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, Broadcast Now, The Stage, The Sun and The Guardian.