The BBC has begun posting the daily trailers for The Parting of the Ways at the official Doctor Who website. The BBC also ran a banner ad for it on the BBC homepage, although it disappeared later (possibly due to the intense web traffic.)

Michael Grade has apparently had an about-face. According to BBC News, the BBC Chairman is now celebrating the series' success. "Sir Michael Grade came face to face with the TARDIS, currently in BBC Wales reception, as he gave a speech to the Institute of Welsh Affairs in Cardiff today. 'It has been a memorable year in terms of the BBC showcasing strong Welsh productions for the whole UK audience to enjoy,' noted Sir Michael during his speech. 'Casanova, Tribe, A Year at Kew - and, of course, my favourite, Doctor Who. We will not dwell on the fact that I - in an earlier incarnation - took Doctor Who off the air. You live. You learn... especially in Wales, you learn.'"

The Times reports on the BBC's attempt to lure fans offline in order to keep the secrets of this coming weekend's episode just that, secret. "Whoever [Bad Wolf] is ù and fastidious Doctor Who fans should already have a reasonably good idea ù the BBC would rather that no one found out for certain until the final episode of the latest series is broadcast at 7pm on Saturday. The corporation has gone to extreme lengths to protect the ending of the season finale. It commissioned fake scripts, filmed alternative endings and even produced a website full of clues and misinformation, badwolf.org.uk, to suggest various endings..." The BBC told fans on the official site, "Publicity pictures will appear tomorrow, and thereÆs a screening for the press on Wednesday, so stuff will leak out. Our best advice to you ù STAY OFF THE INTERNET THIS WEEK!" The Times namechecked Outpost Gallifrey in their report, quoting at least one poster on the Outpost's Forum about his theories on Bad Wolf's identity.

Christopher Eccleston has voiced a TV advert for a campaign to support the fight against some of the world's most deadly diseases such as AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, according to reports at BBC News, the Daily Mail,Manchester Online, The Scotsman.

Last night's Top Gear which featured a guest appearance by Eccleston as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, featured the actor doing a lap of 1 minute 52.4 seconds, beating Vinnie Jones. It was also a special lap, since Christopher is only licenced to drive automatic cars, so the Top Gear team managed to find him one of the forty Suzuki Lianas in the UK. He also made a few spin-outs during his practice runs. On the official lap, the Top Gear team had a little fun with his Doctor Who legacy by having the Liana materialise on the starting line, complete with the TARDIS sound effect!

More reviews of Bad Wolf from last weekend. Says the Guardian: "It seems that if Russell T Davies's Doctor Who vision comes true, TV won't be changing much in the next 200,000 years, except that there'll be more of it and it will be nastier. ... It's an interesting vision of TV in the future. You can see what Russell T Davies did to get there. He just observed what's been happening in the last few years - a huge increase in the number of channels, nastier programmes, more sinister powers behind the scenes - and he just took it a bit further. I'm actually surprised it's going to take so long to get to live deaths, more than 200,000 years after the first on-screen sex. Maybe we got prudish again, there was a second Victorian age somewhere in between. Or another Mary Whitehouse. And there will certainly be reality in space well before 202005." The Northern Echo says "What's been great about the new Who is the way Davies and the other writers have taken the elements fans expect to see - slimy villains, incomprehensible technological talk, dodgy special effects and a sonic screwdriver - and coupled them with a crisper, cooler, more modern approach. The results have been unmissable. Rarely has a series so successfully been brought back from the dead. ... And those who moaned that only a solitary Dalek was seen in a previous episode will rejoice that the cliffhanger revealed not one, not two, but half a million Daleks ready to exterminate everyone. It would have come as more of a surprise if last week's trailer hadn't given the game away. But the scene is set for a confrontation between the Doctor and his feared enemy that will leave him a changed man."

Russell T Davies wrote a piece for today's Guardian in which he says the only scary part of the series was meeting the monsters. "When I was asked to bring back Doctor Who, I did pause. Going back can work for maybe one night - a drink, a flirt, a snog, then vanish - but this was going to be a year of my life. Plenty of people told me that it was a mistake, that revivals never work, that science fiction was irretrievably niche, that frankly, I had better things to do. It sounded like a great mistake. And that's what made my mind up. Flying in the face of opinion, lovely. ... I never expected any of this to work. I swear, I thought the niche would win. I'd watch rushes of Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper being so very, very excellent, and feel sad that all this hard work would be relegated to a Friday at midnight by week seven. But somehow, it seems to have worked, although you will not find me celebrating until after the last episode - sorry, season finale. And even then, I am not going to think too much about what worked. Beware the analysis. I went into the first series on instinct, and that's how it should stay. But I love this show as much as ever. It has not diminished as I feared it would. I can still catch a Jon Pertwee repeat on UK Gold and be happy as a Zygon. And as a writer, I have had a ball. This programme gave me the chance to swing from New Labour to Dalek armies, taking in plastic surgery, Fox News, religious fanatics and farting obesity along the way, with a Christmas special to come (just wait till you see what we do with Santa). I should never have worried about going back. This programme's about time travel. In the act of going back, it is hurtling forward, as fast as it can go." You can read the full article at the Guardian site.

Some other press mentions: scriptwriters must have had Bath in mind writing Boom Town at This is Bath; the Guardiandoes a Diary roundup including the theft of the Dalek, as well as a comment here from an ITV boss on the Who 'revival' and another here about the slaughter of 'Celebrity Wrestling'.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Andrew Norris, Jamie Austin, Mike Mould, David Traynier)

Bad Wolf scored 6,229,490 viewers and a 35.91% audience share in overnight ratings, according to ViewingFigures. While the figures are lower than in previous weeks, all viewings for the evening were down (as it's coming up on summer), and "Doctor Who" still beat ITV to rank highest for its time slot.Doctor Who Confidential episode 12 had 621,000 viewers (5% share), the highest rating of the non-terrestrial channels last evening. The late-night repeat of "Bad Wolf" had 247,200 viewers (2.5% share) and the "Confidential" repeat scored 153,400 viewers (2.1% share).

New Zealand fans, take note: PrimeTV will start to screen the new Doctor Who series in July. This according to a report in the Sunday Star Times.

Reactions to "Bad Wolf": The Daily Star praised the "increasingly edible Chris Eccleston" and the idea of introducing death for losing reality TV contestants and felt that it could liven up current schedules. Marshall concluded with: "As I'm in mourning over the end of Doctor Who next week, I'm taking a week off to cry over my Chris Eccleston posters..."Digital Spy calls it "an ace episode, IÆm even warming to Captain Jack, though IÆm unsure quite how well his innuendo charged exchanges with the Doctor are playing with nationÆs seven year olds." The episode made the Critics' Choice in last evening's Financial Times: "When they were last seen, the Doctor, Rose and captain Jack were trapped in a monstrous TV satellite but heading off in different directions. It turns out that they are all to become the victims of sadistic future game shows that bear eerie similarities to contemporary shows, complete with replicant versions of Anne Robinson, Davina McCall, and Trinny and Susannah. Some will applaud this foursome for lending their voices to attacks on what they and their shows represent. Others will not." Charlie Brooker in the Guardian says, "The episode (which finally explains all the 'Bad Wolf' references that have cropped up throughout the series) also finds room for futuristic versions of both The Weakest Link and What Not To Wear. It's not quite clear whether the inherent nastiness of these shows is being satirised or faintly celebrated: perhaps staging crueller facsimiles which didn't use the actual voices of Davina, Anne Robinson et al (who crop up in robotised form) would've been a better way to go. Or perhaps I'm being stuffy. Perhaps it's been included to annoy a specific, rare strain of Who fan: the dusty, real-ale fanatic who thinks this entire series has been a grotesque Hollyoaks respray of the original (which it could so nearly have been), rather than a thrilling and enchanting update occasionally let down by fart jokes (which is what it actually is). Best. BBC. Family. Drama. Series. Ever."

Canada's Planet of the Doctor web documentary continues... episode 4 is now up. You can view it at the CBCwebsite.

According to today's Sunday Mail, new Doctor Who David Tennant has been given an "intergalatic seal of approval" by Tom Baker. "Paisley-born Tennant, 33, has said Baker's performance in the BBC series inspired him to become an actor. Tom, 72, said: 'It makes me feel very happy and proud. I have caught a glimpse of Tennant and he has a kind of mercurial quality. I suppose it's star quality. You can believe he has secrets. I'm looking forward to David being hugely successful.'"

Christopher Eccleston was a phone guest on BBC Radio 5 Live's Eamonn Holmes show on Saturday morning, mainly discussing Malcolm Glazer 's takeover of Manchester United football club, Eccleston having previously tried to prevent this by donating ú10,000. He also took part in a spoof 'pub quiz' where all the answers were 'glazer'. Holmes ended by asking Eccleston if he had enjoyed working on Doctor Who, to which Eccleston intriguingly responded, "Mixed, but that's a long story" and left it at that. The suggestion seemed to be that elements of the experience may have left a sour taste with him.

The Broadcast magazine in the Guardian this week says Doctor Who "has created a must-view Saturday-night slot, but Doctor Who has also stayed true to its creative roots. ... At a time when creative leadership in television is as fragile and elusive as Jonny Wilkinson's fitness, Davies and his editors at the BBC have demonstrated that a passion for the medium, intelligently and uncynically deployed, can deliver what the contrived and compromised cannot - a big Saturday early evening audience of family viewers. Until now 'appointment to view' has been an alien concept for the under-10s - the assumption being that unless a show is stripped and stranded on a daily basis no juvenile can hold in their heads a once-a-week day and time. Doctor Who has proved that the complex weaving of social commentary, acute satire and daft monsters does not have to be the exclusive preserve of The Simpsons. And it has given children a glimpse of that nostalgic concept of shared experience, the type normally enjoyed only via the proxy of a Channel 4 list show - think Stuart Maconie sitting on a Spacehopper eating Spangles in front of Magpie. ... It is a shame Christopher Eccleston signed up for only one series as it is unlikely he will encounter this quality of material to interpret many times in his career - and his audience will certainly never be more gripped and grateful, if a little scared."

Broadcast Now on Thursday carried a large article in praise of the new series, describing it as "a must-view Saturday-night slot" that's had "the momentous achievement of leading broadcast television back onto the path of righteousness [...] the remarkable resurrection of the Time Lord has given us some of the best domestic television of the past decade." The article goes on to applaud "a passion for the medium, intelligently and uncynically deployed, [that] can deliver what the contrived and compromised cannot û a big Saturday early evening audience of family viewers. Until now "appointment to view" has been an alien concept for the under-10s - the assumption being that unless a show is stripped and stranded on a daily basis no juvenile can hold in their heads a once-a-week day and time." The full article can be seen at

In today's Guardian, a positive spin on the new show: "Riding over the hill to the rescue comes Russell T Davies, who, as everyone else in the country now agrees, has delivered a series of Doctor Who better than anyone had imagined was possible. My eyes prick with tears of gratitude as I contemplate his achievement. For not only has he got the whole family round the telly together on a Saturday evening (even Unslack Mum is hooked) - but he also has revitalised the concept of fatherhood. For, by happy chance, while I may not possess the northern accent or the unsettling grin of Christopher Eccleston, I do have the short hair, big ears and nose, leather jacket, and general know-it-all demeanour, sometimes backed up by actual knowledge."

Says Garry Bushell in today's The People: "Big Brother perked up last night. They brought in a new housemate, a bolshie Northerner who didn't want to be there. He was bright, shrewd, rebellious. A proper handful. Sadly this wasn't on the C4 show, but a version set hundreds of years in the future where evicted housemates were apparently disintegrated. If only... The Northerner was Dr Who, and this was TV designed to turn human minds to mush. A nice idea, but it didn't reflect the way telly is going. It was far too tame. The real Big Brother becomes dumber, coarser and nastier by the year. In just two weeks, we've seen bullying, endless rowing and sexual shenanigans. At this rate, future housemates will be stripped naked before entering the house, smeared in chocolate and hurled into a perpetual orgy where the groping and poking would stop only for the odd spot of random bloodletting."

Clippings Update: The new TV and Satellite Week (11-17 June) featured a "Doctor Who" cover with Christopher Eccleston in front of the "Big Brother" logo. The title ran: "Doctor Who Meets Big Brother. It's The Craziest Episode Yet!". Inside was a 2-page preview ("Doctor Who's Big Bother") which included an item on the theme of Bad Wolf in the series. The episode was also Pick Of The Day. The "Next Week" promotion ran over a picture of a Dalek with the title "Time's Up For Doctor Who". The current issue of Starburst features a "Doctor Who" cover and "Massive Who Coverage". Inside are interviews with Bruno Langley, Paul Cornell, John Barrowman and an article on The Mill. The current "Cult Times Special" focusses on "Doctor Who". Inside are episode guides and an item called "Doctor Who For Beginners". There are also interviews with Rob Shearman, Gary Russell, Paul Cornell, Steven Moffatt, India Fisher and Conrad Westmaas. TheDaily Mirror TV Magazine "We Love Telly" (11th June) had "Doctor Who" on the cover. Over a picture of a Dalek and a "Silver Nemesis" Cyberman with Anne Robinson's head stuck on it a caption ran: "Double Trouble: the Doc faces Daleks and a robot Robinson!". Inside was half-page preview entitled "Reality Bites!". The episode was also Pick Of The Day. The Daily Star (11th June) included an item entitled "Billie's No Sci-flier" and stated that although Billie Piper would be in the next series she wouldn't be in every episode. In the accompanying TV magazine "Doctor Who" was TV Pick. The latest isssue of FAB, the magazine of the Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, compares the relaunch of "Doctor Who" to BBC1 with the return of "Captain Scarlet" to ITV and believes that ITV has a lot to learn from the "Doctor Who" campaign which resulted in "...a massive success, creaming the opposition and sending the ITV schedulers scurrying to Lucasfilm to find something that might do better for them than yet another bloody talent contest or interactive D-list celebrity peepshow". The Newsround website has posted the ten winners of "Doctor Who" Volume One DVDs. TheDaily Star Sunday(12th June) featured a number of "Doctor Who" references, primarily a half-page article titled "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" which included a large photograph from the final episode along with pictures of the spray-painted TARDIS and a selection of characters from previous episodes. "Sharon Marshall On TV" made repeated reference to "Doctor Who", including comments on the concluding episode: "SWITCH ON: There's not just one Dalek back - there's millions. And it's brilliant. But it's also the last of the series. Sniff". Also, a "TV TURN-OFF" was "The news that Trinny and Susannah will still be with us in 200100".

ITV Teletext (11th June) had "Doctor Who" as its TV Pick: "Penultimate episode of what has been a memorable return for the Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper find themselves trapped in a Big Brother-style reality TV nightmare. They face fearsome new foes in the shape of Anne Robinson as cruel quiz show host Anne Droid and Davina McCall, Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine pop up as their futuristic namesakes. Clever stuff...". Also, BBC Ceefax had "Bad Wolf" as its TV Choice (11th June) with a somewhat mixed preview: "No tapes were available of this one, so we're all flying blind. Yet it promises to be umissable - even as it doesn't necessarily promise to be good. It's definately bold, and you have to acknowledge that - this penultimate episode sees the Doctor trapped in the Big Brother house. Could go either way, couldn't it? The android Anne Robinson looks dodgy, yet the Bad Wolf storyline could be good. Fingers crossed. Weird to think that we'll only see Eccleston one more time".

The edition of the popular BBC Radio Panel Game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, broadcast on 6 June, featured a reference to Doctor Who, during a round in which the panellists had to act out a proverb. Given the proverb An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away, panellists Tim Brooke Taylor and Jeremy Hardy pretended that they were Daleks and planned on using Apple Computers to keep the Doctor at bay.

There was something of a Dalek presence at the G8 Finance Ministers' meeting in London on 11th June. The World Development Movement charity (website) had 3 fullsize Daleks, two of which were being operated, and 7 inflatables present at the event in central London. Media coverage included BBC 1 teatime and evening news, Sky News, BBC Radio 4, BBC News 24, and CNN!

BBC News further covered the ongoing saga of the kidnapped Dalek from Somerset, which we reported in our last news update. "'Kidnappers' who stole a Dalek from a Somerset tourist attraction have sent its owners a ransom note - and the alien's amputated plunger. The 5ft model, believed to be an original from the cult BBC Dr Who series, was taken from Wookey Hole Caves near Wells on Monday. On Thursday, staff found the plunger arm and a ransom note on a doorstep. The note read: 'We are holding the Dalek captive. We demand further instructions from the Doctor.' The group, signing themselves Guardians of the Planet Earth, added: 'For the safety of the human race we have disarmed and removed its destructive mechanism.'" Also covered at CBBC News, Western Daily Press, The Register (also here), This is Devon, Bristol Evening Press, BoingBoing, P2Pnet.

Other press notes: the Big Brother website recommends Doctor Who (no wonder why!); the Scotsman features recycled comments from Russell T Davies on series two; the Digital Spy mentions David Walliams not writing for series two (from a DWM interview last month); the Sydney Morning Herald reviewed Aliens of London, the episode showing this week, very positively; the Gloucester Citizen comments on a Dalek owner and his obsession;FilmCritic reviews the first DVD release; and the Bath Chronicle reports on women getting to drive a Dalek for charity, also reported atFalkirk Today.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Jamie Austin, Dominic May, Jon Preddle, David James, Keith Armstrong, David French, Faiz Rehman, Andrew Norris, John McVie, Paul Blewett, Adam Kirk, Iain Keller)

The official website today reports that the Doctor Who Confidential production team have created a documentary calledDoctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, which will be aired prior to the final episode of this season, "The Parting of the Ways," on Saturday June 18 at 6.15pm. Says the press release: "From a council estate to a battle in space, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, will take us behind the scenes of the new series, to talk to cast and crew and celebrate all the triumphs and tears, smiles and trials shared between the Doctor, Rose and millions of fans, who have turned on to see a new Who at his alien best. The Ultimate Guide is just what the Doctor ordered."

The final ratings are in for The Doctor Dances, broadcast 28 May: 6.86 million viewers tuned in for the episode according to BARB, including time-shifted viewers, for the series to end the week at #18 in all broadcasts (including multiple-day airings) and eighth in series. It's important to remember that it was a bank holiday weekend; even so, "Doctor Who" was the highest-rated program that Saturday. (The overnights for "Boom Town" were higher than these final totals, suggesting the drop was because of the date...)

No Daleks next year? Russell T Davies suggests so in an interview today with the UK Press Association (and reproduced in such papers as the Birmingham Post): "'Oh no, we've done them.. Because of what happens... I'm not sure we can take the Daleks anywhere else after that." The article is mostly a farewell to the series for this year (it ends a week from Saturday) and interviews Davies and the emotional dimension of the series: "Well, that's what I write. That's what you're getting when you employ me, quite frankly. Otherwise you might as well ask someone else." Davies says that the series is "everything I wanted it to be - the music is brilliant, the effects are brilliant. A lot of series don't reach a climax - I thought the last episode of Desperate Housewives was quite relaxed in the knowledge it was coming back - and I think that's a mistake. You want to leave people punching the air and I think we've pulled that off. ... We just have to get on with it. And because we've got a new Doctor coming up it makes us worried all over again. But I think it's very healthy in that we don't rest on our laurels. There hasn't actually been a moment of, 'Hooray, it's a success!' because now it has to be a success again next year. It's still as scary as it ever was." He confirms Tennant will be in the Christmas special (the Doctor is reported to regenerate at the end of "The Parting of the Ways"): "Having changes in the cast so early on is always a worry. But at the same time it's one of the things that keeps us on our toes. Just by casting David we're not becoming complacent because it's his face on screen and we've got to make it every bit as good, if not better, for his sake." And as for alien planets: "We're going to see some alien planets next time round. I've been cautious about that in the first series because we want to get it right. It's one of those science fiction things that can go horribly wrong if it doesn't actually look like an alien planet. But I'm very confident we can do that now. And the Cybermen are going to come back. Hooray! We like them. After the Daleks it was inevitable really. The old elements work very nicely. There's a bit of nostalgia and they appeal to the new viewers as well. But there will be plenty of new stuff as well.

Thursday's Guardian has its priorities in order. "Extraordinary at this stage of one's life to be rushing back from the coast on Saturday evening so as not to miss even the opening credits of Doctor Who," says an article on Saturday television. "Not only because Russell T Davies's reinvention with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper is such an exhilarating (if sometimes baffling) ride, but because, while it lasts, Doctor Who is once again one of the rituals which make Saturday."

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, James Lindsay)

Doctor Who û What's he doing with Anne Robinson and Trinny and Susannah? asks the cover of the new Radio Times, published today (Tuesday). As always, this weekend's episode features in "RT recommendsà the week's best television" (page 4): "There's plenty of fun poked at TV, including Jack getting a What Not to Wear makeover from a robotic version of Trinny and Susannah." The weekly "Doctor Who Watch" is a double-page spread entitled "Reality can be a killer" (pages 16û17), with five photos from Bad Wolf, the next new series episode, that concentrate on Captain Jack and the various TV show parodies in the episode. The article itself comprises another interview with Russell T Davies, looking at his vision of reality television in 200,000 years from now and how the show has secured the rights to use authentic sets and logos from Big Brother, The Weakest Link and other programmes, as well as the guest contributions of the likes of Anne Robinson: "The new Doctor Who series has a pretty good record in guest names [à] Not one C-lister among them." Davies comments that "There is something about Doctor Who that opens doors," referring both to guest stars and to the availability of various locations, some of which have previously refused other television programmes. He is also asked whether he has included any Simpsons-style lines about Anne Robinson: "No, there's nothing quite like that. Although the fact that she is killing off the contestants is a bit of a comment." This week's films on television are detailed from page 47, this week including Shaun of the Dead on Sky One (starring new series stars Simon Pegg and Penelope Wilton alongside the Daily Mail's Ninth Doctor, Bill Nighy) and Carry On Sergeant with William Hartnell on Channel 4. "Bad Wolf" is Pick of the Day in "Saturday's Choices" (page 64), a photograph of the Doctor with the Game Station Controller accompanying a write-up that again focuses on Anne Robinson and comments that "there's a corker of a cliffhanger as the most deadly enemy of all marshals its forces." There's another Eccleston photo at the head of Saturday night's listings (page 66), the episode listing reading, "The entire human race has been blinded to a threat on its doorstep. With Armageddon fast approaching, the Doctor must act immediately. The star-studded episode û and series û concludes next Saturday." The listing also promotes the first two DVD volumes and the three new novels, as well as an appearance by Christopher Eccleston's on BBC2's Top Gear at 8pm on Sunday evening. The listing for Doctor Who Confidential says "As the series prepares for its climax next week, has the Doctor got what it takes to prevail in his showdown with the ultimate foe? As well as Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, there are contributions from Russell T Davies and Noel Clarke, who plays Mickey." The Radio section (page 121) includes comment from David Tennant on his role in Dixon of Dock Green next Wednesday morning on Radio 4. Also of note in the television listings: BBC3's Saturday midnight repeat of "Bad Wolf" will this week be at 10.55pm, with a second showing for Confidential immediately afterwards; while the Sunday showings are as usual at 7pm and 7.45pm, there is also a third repeat for the episode on BBC3 on Friday 17 June at 9pm, with another outing for Sunday's Confidential Cut Down edition following at 9.45pm, in preparation for Episode 13 on Saturday 18 Juneà

The official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated with a theme previewing "Bad Wolf". There may be a few spoilers present, as usual. (Also, note that the 'bison' password no longer works to access the whoisdoctorwho website there.)

Heat magazine says of "Bad Wolf," "Conclusive evidence that Doctor Who fan, chief writer and exec producer Russell T Davies is quite rightly behaving like a sweet-toothed kid in the world's best candy shop, comes with this two-part story that ends the first series. ... If you have hairs on the back of your neck, prepare for them to stand erect." The article (which has spoilers, removed from this report) gives the episode 5 out of 5 stars. Also, the Daily Telegraphsays of the episode, "Bad wolf is, ultimately, proof that the writers of Dr Who have really thought about what they are doing; have worked to give a real, satisfying and complex shape to Saturday-night schlock. They're ambitious. As Clive James once remarked: good schlock is always better than bad art. The new Dr Who - ahead of any possible expectations - is a triumph. Funny, scary, moving, silly and above all really, really well crafted, it is as good a piece of popular entertainment as television has lately produced. It serves - and for this we must surely thank it - as a standing rebuke to the notion that the unplanned formats of reality TV and docudrama are the way forward." And says today's Media Guardian, "Close watchers of Doctor Who will have noticed the numerous unexplained references to "Bad Wolf" - sprayed on the side of the Tardis, that kind of thing. The web is abuzz with what it all means. One theory - spoiler alert! - is that the Doctor has been the unwitting star of a Big Brother-style reality show. Is nothing sacred? No word yet, though, on whether the climactic episode features the scariest Doctor Who monster yet - the Bazalgette." Also, about last week's episode, says the Herald, "BBC Wales is having some fun with Doctor Who. ... All of a sudden, it's alive, and telepathic to boot. Stare into its heart and you cease instantly to be a satirical symbol of New Labour. It could only happen in science-fiction."

David Tennant has picked up the Best Actor Award at the Critics Awards for Theatre in a Scotland ceremony. Tennant was honoured for his outstanding performance as Jimmy Porter in the revival by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company, Edinburgh, of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger. Accepting the honour from Vicky Featherstone, the new National Theatre of Scotland artistic director, the actor said his remarkable rise in film and television did not mean he would be abandoning the stage. He said: "I'm supremely chuffed to win this award. It's a part I've wanted to play for such a long time. Theatre work is part of what I do and I don't see it as something you leave behind." The story has been covered atTimes Online, Scotsman, Daily Record, Dundee Courier, The Herald, icNews.

Christopher Eccleston will appear on this Sunday's "Top Gear," June 12 at 8.00pm on BBC2, in their "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" feature, where celebrities do one circuit of a track in as fast a time as possible in a Suzuki Liana.

SFX Magazine has an online treat: the first visualization of the TARDIS interior (requires QuickTime to view)! "Travel with us, readers, back through the mists of time, to the Spring of 2004, long before filming started on the new series of Doctor Who. Acclaimed comics artist and chum of SFX Bryan Hitch was desperate to work on the series. When he told us as much, we put him touch with Russell T Davies - who turned out to be a huge fan of Bryan's work. A few weeks later, contracts were signed, and Bryan was the concept artist for the series. Hurray! But before Bryan even had any meetings with the BBC, he'd already started sketching out his ideas for the TARDIS interior. Bryan recalls his thinking as follows: 'The simple up front determination was that it needed to be big. Huge. From the earliest sketch I did, before I was even offered a job of the series, I was going for the big dome shape. The central section changed as we went and adapted to comments and requirements and we were constantly reworking it in the finish. My friend Niel Bushnell, who has a vibrant young graphic and CG company up North, kindly rendered an animated 3D turnaround of that initial thought, which I took along to my first meeting. It helped show the space as it could be used, and even though it underwent massive changes as we went through months of work, that basic idea remained intact.'" You can visit the website and see the visualization for yourself.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of SFX contains a ten-page feature on the new Doctor Who series, which includes an interview with Executive Producer Russell T. Davies, who is already making plans for Series 2, and is determined to hold onto the Saturday night audience that have made the series a weekend ratings hit for the BBC: "I can't yet see us doing a hard sci-fi episode. The essence of [an early Saturday slot] is to keep it simple. Which doesn't mean dumb. Look at [æDalek'] û it's completely pure and simple, and because of that, massively strong, and then underneath that simplicity is a whole storm of complex emotions and ideas. But the important thing on Saturdays is to shout the headline. Dalek! Dickens! Blitz! Big Brother! A headline shouting 'Interesting Exploration of Temporal Physics!' isn't gonna work the same way. We need to hold on to that new audience and not take them for granted. Let's face it, if [Terrestrial TV broadcaster ITV] introduce a Saturday [episode of the popular soap, Coronation Street], and that's not such a mad idea, then were in trouble. So we've got to keep it strong and clean, emphasise the drama above the sci-fi. Feel free to disagree, of course. Feel free to disagree and yet get these viewing figures, ha ha! Expect the 'same old mix' of stories for Series 2, 'some darker, some lighter. Some traditional û although if anything, the traditional stories are BBC Drama's least favourite, but I love them, so I'm gonna keep them in there. We're keeping the same mix of singles and two-parters, that seems to work.' To be blunt, this show is a success, and it's our job to maintain that success, not wander away from it. Fans might study each episode 20 times, and therefore demand something different, but ordinary viewers are still getting used to this concept û not just the show, but its slot, its feel, its place in their viewing habits û and there is a genuine strength in consolidating that...[there's one story in Series 2] that could be pure horror....and there's one episode which could be very, very funny. And a brand new Doctor will automatically make it a brand new show." Speaking of the new Doctor, "[David Tennant] can do anything! And he will! This is the wonderful legacy of Chris Ecclestion, he's made the part available for and desirable to our finest actors....the clothes [for the new Doc] will be different, because it'll be David's preferences." Thanks to The Great Link website for posting the quotes; you can pick up the issue on the stands now.

BBC1's Points of View this past weekend featured a short piece about the new series, including a couple of letters praising the show, especially Chris Eccleston's portrayal, and a couple of letters complaining about the level of scariness (in particular, "The Empty Child"), and also complaining about the imminent departure of both the leads. This was followed by a short interview with Julie Gardner, featuring clips from "Dalek," "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances". Gardner defended the show against the usual complaints of too much violence, stressing that they were always careful not to show gratuitous violence or too much blood, especially bearing in mind the 9.00pm watershed. She also said that the Moffat two-parter would be about as far as they would be prepared to go in terms of scariness. Gardner was coy on the subject of Billie Piper's departure, saying only that she was coming back for season two, and stressing that there were exciting storylines still left to tie up season one (including a few spoilers we won't reprint for the final episode.) Points of View host Terry Wogan ended the piece by mentioning the Christmas special.

The JoongAng Daily of South Korea writes "Sci-fi reigns at the Queen's birthday ball," noting that the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's birthday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul last Saturday featured a TARDIS, which served as an entrance to the ballroom, a six-foot-tall "Dalek" and black-and-white footage of the series... all to celebrate the start of the new series in that country. Sue Hollands, the president of the British Association of Seoul, said in her opening address that Doctor Who was not only "quintessentially British" but also "familiar to expatriates." Dai Billington, the first secretary and head of the commercial section of the British Embassy, the evening's master of ceremonies, appeared on stage the Doctor himself, complete with wig and costume, saying he remembered as a four-year-old child being scared by the Daleks. Read the full story for further details.

Several news sources are now (finally) reporting on the return to the series next year of another famous group of Doctor Who monsters... the Cybermen. The Sun quotes Doctor Who Magazine, which in turn quotes producer Phil Collinson: "The Cybermen exist in that category of classics, as monsters just about everyone of a certain age knows. They were a work of genius back in the 1960s. It will be a loving recreation [sic] of an old foe." Among the online locations mentioning it are Female First, Contact Music. (Note: we can't keep this a spoiler/surprise any longer, considering DWM printed it as a major news story and it's now making the rounds in all the media, as well as other websites)

In Germany, the TV and Film Festival Cologne will include screenings of two episodes of the new series, likely "Rose" and "The End of the World". The festival will be held from June 30 to July 6; more information is available at theirwebsite.

The Sun yesterday stated in the parliamentary gossip column The Whip that its Westminster mole was near Lambeth Bridge in London "and bumped into about half a dozen of those classic, evil Doctor Who villains the Daleks. The police blocked off the road so the little fellows could be filmed in peace". No word on what the filming was for.

Other items: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (Radio 4, 6th June) featured a brief "Doctor Who" sketch involving the Daleks and computers, revolving around the proverb "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away"; BBC News, CBBC,Police.uk all cover the theft of a Dalek stolen from storage near Wookey Hole, which had been stored in preparation for a forthcoming convention; and the Western Mail talks about the appearance of the newspaper in "Boom Town" last weekend.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster, Jamie Austin, Peter Weaver, John Bowman, Andrew Norris, Cameron Yarde Jnr, Andrew Frueh, Harald Gehlen, David Traynier, Paul Blewett, Kendal Mills, Stephen Dray, Steve Manfred, Matthew Kilburn, Chris Howell/The Great Link and Ian Berriman/SFX)

For the last time until Christmas, the BBC Press Office's weekly Programme Information release previews the new series, covering The Parting of the Ways in its Saturday Highlights (note: PDF file). "The Doctor's travels reach a terrifying conclusion as the Earth is plunged into all-out war, in the final episode of the popular series written by Russell T Davies. Rose Tyler has faced danger and seen wonders alongside The Doctor, but now their friendship is put to the test as Earth plunges into an epic war. With the human race being slaughtered, The Doctor is forced into terrible action. Will the time-travellers ever be reunited? Christopher Eccleston is The Doctor, Billie Piper is Rose, John Barrowman is Captain Jack Harkness, Camille Coduri is Jackie Tyler and Noel Clarke is Mickey Smith."

On Thursday, the Press Office also released official confirmation of the sale of the series to Korea television, as reported on Outpost Gallifrey and in various UK newspapers: "Pagishikinda! Pagishikinda! Now the Daleks take on Doctor Who in Korea. In the first deal of its kind, BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, has concluded a contract with Korea's biggest public television station, KBS, for the smash hit BBC One series, Doctor Who. This is the first time a UK drama series has been sold to a Korean public station, and KBS will launch Doctor Who on KBS 2 in a primetime, two-hour slot on Sunday 5 June. Viewers will be introduced to 'Dacter Who' (Doctor Who), his companion Rose, and enemy, the Daleks, who blast, 'Pagishikinda!' ('Exterminate!'). KBS will broadcast two episodes per week, and the series will be dubbed for the Korean audience. Russell T. Davies, writer and executive producer of Doctor Who said, 'The Doctor has travelled far and wide and knows no boundary and now the programme is doing much the same! We are delighted that Korea has embraced this wonderful adventure.' Jungwon Lee, Executive Director, KBS Media, said: 'We are very excited to launch Doctor Who on our network. For the first time in a primetime weekend slot, we are bringing the latest hit BBC drama to our Korean audience and anticipate a great reaction from all age groups.' Linfield Ng, Korea and Taiwan Territory Manager, BBC Worldwide (Asia) added: 'We are delighted that one of Asia's largest public broadcasters, KBS, is supporting one of the most recognised BBC brands. We thank KBS for being so ambitious in launching Doctor Who in such a great time slot.'"

The BBC has opened up their new Bad Wolf website at www.badwolf.org.uk. Beware spoilers... this website brings together all of the clues and information about the Bad Wolf in the first series of Doctor Who along with theories and even a surprise or two (look around and highlight things...) Meanwhile, the official site's "Last Dalek" game has reached half a million players; Yorkshire Today covers that story.

There are a few spoilers for the next two episodes in the spoiler tags below! Read at your own risk!

Today's Western Mail says of Boom Town: "The Western Mail is making headlines again, but of a slightly different kind. Tonight, Wales' national newspaper will feature in the latest installment of Doctor Who on BBC1. In an episode called Boom Town, the Doctor is seen reading the paper... [the] front-page coverage by the newspaper which tells the Doctor an alien is in town. Writer Russell T Davies said he wanted to include a copy of the newspaper in the show to prove the modern version of the cult classic is made in Wales. When the Swansea-born writer drew the blinds and shut himself away to write Doctor Who in his Cardiff Bay flat, he wanted to feature something that he felt summed up Wales - so he chose the Western Mail. He said, 'I read the Western Mail and I used it to make the show as Welsh as possible. We have had hundreds of people from Cardiff working on the programme, hosting venues, feeding the crew and appearing on camera and when a city works that hard, I like it to try and feature as much of it as I can.'"

Meanwhile, the episode was promoted on BBC1 with a short trailer. The trailer opens with the TARDIS in the vortex, before shots of the Doctor and Rose in the TARDIS. Finally the Slitheen is seen removing her human guise. Over these clips the Doctor is heard: "I've travelled to all sorts of places... done things you couldn't even imagine." The trailer ends with the Doctor and Rose standing in the TARDIS from the specially shot season promotion and aired on 3rd June at approximately 5.35pm, immediately prior to "Neighbours".

Yahoo News says that Brookside actress Jennifer Sprang wants to take over for Billie Piper next year. "At the start of last year, rumours were rife that ex-Brookie actress Anna Friel was about to be whisked off around the universe by an eccentric time-traveller who's over 900-years old. With news that Christopher Eccleston had been cast as the ninth Doctor Who, speculation mounted that Anna would play the character of Rose Tyler. The feisty shop assistant role was eventually taken by Billie Piper. But now Piper is said to be leaving the show half way through 2006's run, the rumour mills are working overtime with suggestions as to her possible successor - and once again a former Brookside star is in the frame. Jennifer Ellison sprang to fame as bad girl Emily Shadwick in the scouse soap, and is said to be desperate to land the job. Her spokesman told the Daily Star: 'She would love the role - she'd be ideal.' But Jennifer is not the only ex-Brookie resident to step on board the Tardis. In 2004, it was announced that Philip Olivier - better known as her onscreen husband, Tinhead - was to join Sylvester McCoy's Doctor for a series of audio-only adventures available on CD. Over the years the TARDIS has also dropped off a number of Doctor Who alumni in the now deserted Brookside Close. ... So will the Brookside connection prove strong enough to secure Jennifer her place onboard the Tardis? Appropriately enough, time will tellà"

Peter Davison wants to be in the new series. "I would love to do a cameo visit as my old self," says Davison. "I'm disappointed that Eccleston is only doing one series but Tennant is a genuine Doctor Who fan and a great actor. He'll bring a real sincerity to the role." The news story has been reported byContact Music, FemaleFirst.

John Barrowman will appear on June 25 at the London Film and Comic Con in Earl's Court. The event also has Blake's Seven alumni and Doctor Who guest stars Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Peter Tuddenham and Michael Keating. Further details are available at the Collectormania website. Barrowman will also be doing the Walk For Life, an annual 10k sponsored walk through London, on June 19 for the national UK HIV charity Crusaid; information and registration details for the day can be found at the Walk For Life website.

Writer Rob Shearman ("Dalek") has penned Afternoon Play - Teacher's Pet, a radio play set for broadcast on Tuesday, June 28 from 2.15pm to 3.00pm on BBC Radio 4. "When schoolmaster Peter bumps into his old French teacher, Mrs Townsend, it becomes clear they have a shared secret, and there may still be some surprising lessons to be learned. Twenty years ago, Peter, a teenager, develops a æcrushÆ on Stephanie Townsend, a female teacher at his school, and determines to æwinÆ her. Now a teacher himself, he is approached by Stephanie many years later. In the past, and horrified at the compromising situation in which she finds herself, she rejects him and in a fit of pique, young Peter ensures the school is informed that heÆs had an inappropriate liaison. Forced to resign quietly because of the hint of scandal, Mrs TownsendÆs marriage, already rocky, founders and peters out. In the present day, when Stephanie Townsend seeks Peter out, it is unclear what she wants û revenge or reconciliation. Carolyn Seymour stars as Stephanie with Simon Templeman as Peter and Steven Geller as both Young Peter and Philip." Martin Jarvis ("Vengeance on Varos," "Jubilee") produces along with his wife, Rosalind Ayres. BBC Radio 4 will also revive Dixon of Dock Green this summer, with David Tennant (the new Doctor) playing Andy Crawford; more details on that soon.

ITV will revive a quiz show to regain its prominence on Saturday night. "The Big Call," a studio-based general knowledge quiz presented by former Pop Idol judge Neil Fox, matches six members of the public with six celebrities competing to win either a cash prize of ú20,000 or 100,000 tickets for that evening's lottery. Interestingly, "ITV said it had yet to decide on a definitive time slot, but a 'mid-evening' target for the 60-minute show, which launches on June 18, suggests it will be avoiding a clash with the last episode in the current series of BBC1's Doctor Who," says a report. ITV was the dominant force on Saturday nights until Doctor Who came back to television.

Some press mentions: The Sun (3rd June) featured an item covering Anne Robinson's upcoming appearance in "Doctor Who". The brief article (entitled "Anne-Droid") included a large photograph from the episode showing a "Weakest Link" contestant being 'zapped' by Anne's character. ITV Teletext (4th June) had "Doctor Who" as a TV Pick, under the title "Is it time to Dai for Dr Who?". The item opened with: "Chief Doctor Who scribe Russell T Davies takes a full-blown writing credit in this episode set in his beloved Cardiff..." before moving on to plot details. The Daily Star (4th June) ran an item entitled "###' fight to finish" regarding the return to "Doctor Who" of some old nasties in the very near future (we've taken out the name of the aliens, but you probably know what's coming if you see the trailer for next week...) The item was accompanied by a large photograph of Billie Piper and a smaller picture of flying saucers in space. The Star TV Mag listed "Boom Town" as 5-Star 'HOT': "It's common for alarm bells to ring when plans are announced to build a nuclear power station. But the Doctor finds out this week that the proposal to build one in Cardiff is a little more controversial than most. Since it's hiding an alien plot to destroy Planet Earth, the local residents are going to be really cross." And Have I Got News For You...? (BBC1, 3rd June) closed its final episode of this series with a culmination of the running gag of Ian Hislop being the new Doctor Who as his face was morphed over a picture of Chris and Billie, accompanied by the TARDIS sound effect.

More references: Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive (Radio 4, 1st June) discussed the influence of television on teenage behaviour and featured a curious reference to "Doctor Who", with one participant noting:"There's no doubting that teenagers do copy what they see on TV, though. There's a kid on my street...all last week he was time-travelling and gurning!". The Sun (2nd June) featured numerous "Doctor Who" references. The story told by Russell T Davies in the "Radio Times" about the man involved in the car accident was covered under the title "I need a Doctor...". A centre-page feature on scientists opinions of what aliens would look like featured a Dalek. David Tennant's new role in ITV1's "Secret Smile" was covered in "Who's A Psycho" while one of the "Random TV Irritations was "Dr Who's fixation with London" (although the same person does describe "Doctor Who" as "TV Gold"). ITV Telextext (2nd June) ran an item on ITV1's new show "The Big Call" which will spearhead their Saturday night schedules from 18 June. The item noted: "ITV has lost viewers this spring since the arrival of Doctor Who on BBC1. Celebrity Wrestling and Hit Me Baby One More Time failed to take off." While it featured no actual "Doctor Who" content Dead Ringers (BBC2, 2nd June) was trailed with a 'Christopher Eccleston' complaining "Doctor this, Doctor that...".

Empire Magazine briefly, but rather positively, reviews the DVD release of Russell T Davies' Casanova this week, devoting approximately half its wordcount to telling readers that "the series is most notable for the first team-up of TV's hottest celebrity scribe - Dr Who's Russell T. Davies - and the man set to take over the Tardis in the next series.... Judging by this, Who 2005 v.2 is going to fly."

Other news items: The Mirror, the Daily Record and Hello Magazine talk about Anne Robinson's appearance in next weekend's "Bad Wolf"; theSydney Morning Herald discusses "The Unquiet Dead," soon to be broadcast on ABC in Australia; "Unquiet Dead" writer Mark Gatiss and his fellow "League of Gentlemen" folk are interviewed byicHuddersfield; "I really need a Doctor..." says a man to The Sun, when a driver trapped in his car after a crash asked a paramedic for a mobile to phone his wife and get her to video Dr Who; TV Quick has a poll for top TV in the UK, with Eccleston in the Best Actor section, Piper in Best Actress and the series in Best New Drama.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Mark Stammers, Jamie Austin, Matt Kimpton, Stuart from Showmasters, Elizabeth Hyder, Dan McGrath)

This week's Radio Times is now out, with the customary plug for the next episode, Boom Town on Saturday in "RT recommends... the week's best television" (page 4), describing the episode as "Frenetic fun". This week's letter writers are missing the point about programmes other than Doctor Who, but "Doctor Who Watch" continues (page 18), with photographs of Annette Badland as Margaret Blaine and a Slitheen accompanying an interview with Russell T Davies about the show's success ("we seem to have got it right. That's no reason to sit on your laurels, but it's quite weird"), his expectations for David Tennant ("He'll be different. He'll have his own traits. I'm writing that now.") and what he'd like to achieve with Series 2 ("we've set ourselves a challenge right from the start by having a new Doctor"). He also notes that "The fact that [the Slitheen] are back is dealt with in the first ten minutes, then the episode becomes a character-led piece about the Doctor's lifestyle [...] leaving the consequences of his actions behind him." On the same page, there's a short quote from Christopher Eccleston on Annette Badland: "the performance of the series [...] she just pinions the poor Doctor, in the same way as the Daleks do. It's spellbinding to watch." Once again, this weekend's episode is Saturday's pick of the day (page 64), with a colour photo of Margaret, Mickey and the TARDIS crew and the comment that "the smile count is high and there's plenty of dramatic meat on the bones. But there's no time to develop it [...] That said, it's slick, busy and, above all, great fun." A small photo of the Doctor and Jack heads Saturday evening's BBC1 listing (page 66): "The Doctor encounters an enemy he thought long since dead as a plan to build a nuclear power station conceals an alien plot to destroy the world." In Doctor Who Confidential, Jabe and Gwyneth "are honoured as unsung heroes from the current series who've laid down their lives to aid the Doctor." Lastly, RT Direct, the magazine's home shopping service, is this week promoting a range of digital television and DVD items, on the screens of which are Eccleston and Piper... well, it's what everyone's watching, isn't it?

Panini Books has released the cover illustration for the forthcoming Doctor Who Annual 2006, due out later this year. At right is a thumbnail of the cover illustration (sent to us by Tenth Planet; click on the thumbnail for a larger version.)

The official site has been updated with a "Boom Town" feel. The front page features what appears to be a post-nuclear Cardiff wasteland, in the midst of which is the TARDIS, with some mouse-revealed graffiti... So far, only the photo gallery has been updated for the next episode, although, as ever, video diaries and photo stories are promised for the weekend. Also, icWales previews "Boom Town" today, while Heat magazine previews "Boom Town" and the following episode, "Bad Wolf". Because both are full of spoilers, we've put them in the spoiler tag at the end of today's article.

BBC Worldwide has today issued a press release concerning the properties it is promoting at Licensing International in New York in June, led by Doctor Who. As well as confirming that filming begins for Series Two and the Christmas special this summer, the press release confirms the existing licensing partners as Italy, Holland, Finland, Denmark, Hungary, Korea, Thomsonfly (formerly Britannia Airways), Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The relevant sections of the press release note that "BBC Worldwide is a global leader in the business of entertainment rights management and these new properties, Doctor Who and Charlie and Lola, sit happily within its portfolio of high quality brands."

This week's showing of "The End of the World" in Australia made it into the Australian Top 50, showing at #48... better, in fact, than the debut episode, "Rose". The story rated 1,051,000 in the 5 main capitals (a slight drop in raw numbers from "Rose" but posting higher on the charts.) It was ABC Television's fourth highest rated programme after two editions of ABC News and "Australian Story".

Monday's Guardian has another in a string of highly positive reviews for the series, describing Doctor Who as one of the two best series of 2005 (the other being a documentary history of Soul music). Reviewer Rupert Smith thinks that The Doctor Dances "elevated an already great series into the realms of art." Likening the episode to the series 1960s/1970s "heyday" and citing various moments, he says that "you just don't get this sort of thing in British TV any more [...] The Tardis really is the fun place to be these days." The full review can be read at the website.

Today's Sun and Star both report on robot versions of Trinny and Susannah from "What Not to Wear," as being seen in the episode "Bad Wolf" in two weeks, along with photos of John Barrowman from the episode.

Issue 132 of SFX Magazine goes on sale on June 8. The issue has "an army of Daleks on the cover, and inside there's a nine page Doctor Who feature, which is a look forward at season two. The spine of the piece is an extensive Q&A with Russell T Davies, but it also includes an exclusive interview with concept designer Bryan Hitch, which includes his very first concept sketch of the TARDIS interior - drawn before he was even hired by the Beeb!; Steven Moffat giving a few hints about his season two episode, which he says will be "sexier" than The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances; an interview with Jack Barrowman (aka Captain Jack Harkness); an interview with Julie Gardner; a great opening spread image of Eccleston morphing into David Tennant (lovely!)" SFX has also posted the extended portion of the Barrowman interview on their website here, and the SFX site will soon be posting a special exclusive clip: an animated 3D visualisation of Bryan's initial concept for the TARDIS interior. The cover illustration is at right.

Australian newspaper The Age discusses the forthcoming Australia/New Zealand touring stage presentation Inside the TARDIS, featuring Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Katy Manning in select cities to promote the new series (see our May 19 story on the general Doctor Who news page here). "Don't expect Shakespeare, but for both hardcore fans and those new to the adventures of the Time Lord, the show will be a celebration of all things Who, with classic BBC clips and insiders' stories from a select group of former cast members."

According to a release from the BBC Press Office, new series writer and prominent fan Mark Gatiss has begun filming a role in BBC Three's new "comic thriller" Funland, which is co-written by his fellow League of Gentlemen member Jeremy Dyson. Set in the northern seaside town of Blackpool, the series is due to show on BBC Three in the autumn, consisting of one 60-minute and eleven 30-minute episodes. "Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen) plays the bizarre and haughty repressed taxidermist Ambrose Chapfel," the press release says.

The Stage today noted that drama commissioning at the BBC is to undergo a "significant overhaul, with executives able to commission two or three series of popular shows at a time, in a bid to retain talent for future productions. In an unprecedented move for the Corporation, multiple runs of programmes such as Spooks, Hustle and Waking the Dead could be commissioned in one block rather than consecutively." Said Jane Tranter of BBC Drama, "Double commissioning is designed to allow independent production companies the creative freedom to think further forward with their development of long-running drama for the BBC. This is a clear commitment from us to secure the very best drama for our audience and another way of making commissioning more nimble." Noted in the article is that the BBC recently came under fire for failing to ensure that Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were contracted for more than one series of Doctor Who. However the new process only applies to returning dramas that have proved their popularity and would not have kept the pair in their roles for a second run of the show.

Last week's Surrey Comet (a local newspaper) detailed a "win your own Dalek" competition and showed Christopher Eccleston's visit to a local school. "A timelord can turn up wherever he wants, whenever he wants- so school leavers at Great Court School felt honored to meet the latest incarnation of Dr Who. Actor Christopher Eccleston dropped in at the school in Ham Street, Ham to attend their leaving certificate ceremony. The year 11 students whose last day of school before taking GCSEs was on Friday-were also presented with record of achievement folders to mark their progress to date."

Yesterday's Huddersfield Examiner asks, "The wonderful new series of Doctor Who continues to go from strength to strength. So why did they get such basic details of the Blitz wrong? ... The writing, direction, acting and verve of the production was great - so how did they get the blackout so badly wrong? During the war, no light could be shown in case it acted as a guide to attacking bombers. Every window was covered with a blackout curtain and front doors were not opened until interior lights had been turned off. But not in Doctor Who. At the height of a bombing raid, RAF pilots stand on a balcony in the heart of London enjoying a drink with the curtains wide open and the lights blazing out behind them."

Other news: The People, Digital Spy and CBBCNews all report on the Billie Piper/how many episodes in season two? story; there are reviews of recent episodes at The Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Adam Kirk, Stuart Ian Burns, Ian Berriman, Robert Simpson, Chuck Foster, Peter Weaver, Ian O'Brien)

The overnight ratings for The Doctor Dances are in. The episode was watched by an average of 6.17 million viewers with a 35.9% viewing audience share, peaking in the second quarter-hour of the episode with 6.30 million. "Doctor Who" was the most watched programme of Saturday, day or night (versus 3.2 million for the ITV showing of "X-Men" at the same time) and while the overall viewer ratings are the lowest so far, this was during a major bank holiday weekend in Britain.

Meanwhile, a report on this week's airing of Father's Day on CBC in Canada: the episode was viewed by 809,000 viewers, down due to its main competition, the season finale of "American Idol". However, "Doctor Who" continues to hold on to 8pm's number two spot on Canadian networks, while rounding out the top four for all primetime (8pm to 11pm).

An update on the Billie Piper situation. Today's "News of the World," a tabloid, reports that Piper is not leaving the series at all, and will appear in all episodes of the next series despite reports to the contrary. "The People" also reports today that Piper "is to earn ú120,000 after agreeing to star in four extra episodes of Doctor Who. The actress announced that she was quitting the show last week, and originally planned to star in just three episodes of the show's second series. However, Billie, who plays Rose Tyler, will now appear in seven episodes of the next series. 'It's great news she's on board for more,' an insider told The People." The reports on her possible departure vary widely, obviously; time will tell as to whether she stays for the entire season or leaves at some point therein.

Today's Telegraph covers the sale of the series to South Korea. "Pagishikinda! Pagishikinda! This is the blood-curdling cry of the world's first Korean-speaking Dalek. Doctor Who, the popular science fiction drama, has made history by becoming the first BBC drama series to be sold to South Korea." The series will be known in the country as "Dacter Who" and the Korean broadcaster KBS 2 will show two different episodes each week, starting with its debut next weekend, to make it easier for viewers to get to know the character. Says Russell T Davies, "The Doctor has travelled far and wide and knows no boundary and now the programme is doing much the same." Jungwon Lee, executive director of KBS Media, said: "We are very excited to launch Dr Who on the network. We anticipate a great reaction from all age groups."

Also notable about the Telegraph article is that it mentions expanded airings of the show on various airlines. Previously the series had been announced as airing on Thomsonfly Airlines, a local carrier (and only the first episode) but the Telegraph article says that the series "has also been sold to some of the world's biggest airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand who will begin broadcasting it from next month."

Last week's Dead Ringers didn't have a Doctor Who sketch proper, but did have a spoof news item on the DVD getting a PG rating for scenes of cruelty to a Dalek. They claimed the BBC had pointed out that there was a helpline number at the end of the show for Daleks who had been affected by any of the issues in the programme. The show also featured a piece on the resignation of former BBC political editor Andrew Marr (seen as himself in "Aliens of London" and "World War Three"). Marr explained that it was because he had evolved into an uber-correspondent, and would from now on exist as a being of pure energy, reporting news from throughout the universe.

BBC News illustrated a story on the revelation that space-time wormholes can't function as a stable means of achieving time-travel (apparently) with a screengrab from the new series titles, mentioning in the text that the tunnel seen in the credits of Doctor Who looks suspiciously like a wormhole, "although the Doctor's preferred method of travel is not explained in detail".

(Thanks to Steve Berry, Rod Mammitzsch, Paul Hayes, Peter Weaver, Matt Kimpton)

Editor's Note: As reported on Outpost Gallifrey's front page, I've been out of commission for a week due to illness. The following news article wraps up the series related highlights from the press on May 21-28:

The Billie Piper Story

The Dreamwatch exclusive that Billie Piper may not be appearing in all 13 episodes of Series Two -- reported on Outpost Gallifrey prior to the break -- was picked up in a large number of international news reports on Monday 23 May and throughout the following week. First off was the Daily Star, which gave the story front page status, and also set the tone of a show in crisis, its stars abandoning shipà With Rose's second-series episode count reportedly as low as three,The Sun soon joined the fray, along with the Daily Mirror, theDaily Mail, De Havilland, Brand Republic's Media Bulletin, The Scotsman, the Daily Record, Ireland Online, U.TV, Hello!, the Irish Examiner, theicNetwork, RTE Interactive, CBBC Newsround,Manchester Online, Contact Music, Female First, the Daily Express, World Entertainment News Network, the Herald-Sun (Aus), Newsquest, theEvening Standard, Digital Spy,SyFyPortal, The Guardian, theMelbourne Herald Sun, the Sydney Morning Herald, News.com (Aus),The Mercury (Aus), Dark Horizons, Mega Star, the Press Association, Northern Territory News (Aus), the Newcastle Herald, the Courier Mail (Queensland), The Age (Aus), Sky Showbiz, Ananova, ITV.com, the Western Mail, and the Doctor Who Appreciation Society rounded up much of the coverage on its own site.

BBC News and BBC Cult also reported on the reports, which prompted the press release that emerged on Monday afternoon from the BBC Press Office: "The BBC today confirmed that Billie Piper - who plays Doctor Who's companion Rose - will return for the second series on BBC ONE. A spokeswoman said: 'Billie Piper will return for the second series of Doctor Who. It has not been confirmed how many episodes she will be in. We are awaiting storylines and scripts.'" However, this is a not a denial that the actress is leaving, merely the official statement made by the production at this time.

The Daily Mirror was the first of many of the above papers to speculate on likely replacements for Rose, although its definition of 'likely' probably differs from the BBC's, including various singers and ex-singers, along with some familiar names from the acting and entertainment worlds. Among the names most often mentioned this past week were Michelle Ryan (Zoe Slater in EastEnders) and Jennifer Ellison (formerly in Channel 4's Brookside, now a regular in various 'celebrity' reality TV shows). The latter, at least, seems to have cropped up so often thanks to assiduous efforts by her agent: she's blond (like Billie); she can sing (like Billie); she's a celebrity (like Billie); and she's also been firmly reported in recent weeks as the next Bond girl amongst several other projects. The Mirror notes that "auditions began last week and TV bosses are keen to sign a dark-haired girl with a posh accent."

Episodes 10-12

The official site was as usual updated earlier this week to preview the new episode, #10, The Doctor Dances. This week's Fear Factor preview gives the episode a score of 4: Chilling. The episode has also been previewed in the Sunday Times ("ingenious"), the Taunton Times, and The Stage, which concentrates on John Barrowman's role as Captain Jack.

As usual, this week's Radio Times continues to give plenty of coverage, once again selecting Doctor Who as its top pick for Saturday ("RT recommendsà", page 4): "an enjoyable, even uplifting adventure set during the Second World War." There's another letter on the new series, although this one has its writer taken aback by sight of "that little patterned dress I'd noticed in Top Shop!" ("Letters", page 10). After a two-page feature on Peter Davison's return in The Last Detective, this week's full-page "Doctor Who Watch" (page 16) is headed "To be continuedà" and concentrates on the importance of cliffhangers in Doctor Who, via an interview with Steven Moffat ("it is wonderful to build it up to that screaming pitch, and the series does -- and this is a matter of absolute fact -- have the best cliffhanger music ever in the world") and a couple of colour shots from The Doctor Dances. There's also an opportunity for RT readers to get a free copy of Pyramids of Marson DVD, as part of a DVD rentals promotion (page 17). Episode 10 recaptures the Pick of the Day slot ("Saturday's Choices", page 64, with a large photo of Captain Jack): "the Doctor's way of dealing with the advancing hordes [of zombies] is as sweet as it is unexpected. It's the first of many pleasing surprises in tonight's episode [à] if any watching grown-ups still can't remember why they fell in love with the show originally, this story ought to do the trick. Full of wonder and wit, it's also Christopher Eccleston's finest hour." The Doctor Dances also regains the photo (Richard Wilson and Eccleston) slot at the head of the evening's BBC1 listings (page 66), with the episode details including promotion for the Volume 1 DVD release, and Doctor Who Confidential's listing says that "this programme looks at some of the gizmos and gadgets at the good Doctor's disposal." The BBC3 repeats are confirmed for the 12.15am on Saturday night and 7pm on Sunday evening (with another Confidential Cut Down at 7.45pm).

The BBC Press Office has released its weekly programme information documents (note: all documents are PDFs) for the week beginning Saturday 4 June. The Saturday highlights document previews Bad Wolf episode 12 as follows: "The Tardis crew fight for their lives on the Game Station in Russell T DaviesÆs penultimate adventure through time and space. The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack have to fight for their lives on board the Game Station, but a far more dangerous threat is lurking, just out of sight. The Doctor realises that the entire human race has been blinded to the threat on its doorstep, and Armageddon is fast approaching. Christopher Eccleston plays The Doctor, Billie Piper plays Rose, John Barrowman plays Captain Jack Harkness, Camille Coduri plays Jackie Tyler, Noel Clarke plays Mickey Smith and special guest star Anne Robinson plays Anne Droid."

Ratings and Broadcasting

Episode 9, The Empty Child was well received by the UK press, with the Daily Express calling it "a brilliantly crafted episode". However, the overnight ratings for the episode were noticeably lower than for any other episode in the series, following the shift to an earlier timeslot to accommodate the Eurovision Song Contest, football-inspired last-minute changes to BBC1's Saturday evening schedule, and competition from a Star Wars film on ITV1. The episode scored a 6.6 million viewer average in its initial Saturday 21 May airing, but still placed a 34.9% share; the ratings peaked late in the episode 6.7m, and a 35% audience share, against 19% with 3.5m for The Phantom Menace. Once again, Doctor Who was top in its timeslot, although the FA Cup Final, Eurovision and Casualty all attracted higher ratings across the day. It also rated 181,390 viewers (4.2% share) in its 12.20am repeat late that night, and 669,400 viewers (4.2% share) in its Sunday night BBC3 repeat. It is interesting to note that the Sunday repeat is the highest-rated repeat of this season, meaning that it's possible that large numbers of people that intended to watch it Saturday missed out. Doctor Who Confidentialepisode nine had 405,130 viewers (3.2% share) in its initial airing at 7.10pm on Saturday 21 May, with 101,510 viewers (3.5% share) in the 1.05am repeat late that night.

The final UK ratings are in from BARB for episode 8, Father's Day: 8.06m, first in its timeslot, first for BBC1 on Saturday, fifth (behind four episodes of EastEnders) on BBC1 through the week, and 17^th in the week's top terrestrial programming, behind the usual round of soaps, Heartbeat and the British Soap Awards. More detailed ratings information for the whole series so far is also available in the Outpost Gallifrey Forum.

"Rose" made its ABC Australia debut on Saturday 21 May and was among the weekend's top-rating shows, with 1,109,686 reported viewers. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) noted that the series "was first in its 7.30pm timeslot for the ABC. It won in four of the five major capital cities, only just edged out by Channel 7's Inspector Lynley in Brisbane."

In addition to our announcement last week about South Korea getting the series, Benjamin Elliott of "This Week in Doctor Who" reports that TV2 inFinland is the latest acquirer of the new series. TV2 airs English language programming in English with subtitles - no dubbing. The station's statement (in Finnish, translated), says that it "has purchased the rights to Doctor Who, the cult youth sci-fi series, from the BBC. The BBC has produced an impressive new version which will be shown on TV2." This means that Finland is added to the list that includes the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Italy and South Korea.

Canada's CBC has scheduled repeats of Doctor Who Sundays at 7PM (7:30PM Newfoundland) starting June 19. This will make the CBC the first network around the world to give the Doctor Who episodes a second airing (not counting same week encores). It also means that the repeats will begin before the first run of the series on Tuesday nights ends on June 28.

20th Century Roadshow will be transmitted on Sunday, June 5 at 6.45pm on BBC1. The special features Doctor Who merchandise and memorabilia. The Doctor Who Appreciation Society has a review/preview available at their website.

Merchandise

Volume 1 of the Doctor Who new series DVDs, comprising "Rose", "The End of the World" and "The Unquiet Dead" was officially released on Monday 16 May, to great reviews and sales success. It made a Top 10 debut in several charts of DVD sales, including at Number 9 in the Official Chart listed on the BBCs' Radio 1 site. Several high street stores have also featured the DVD in their top tens (although these tend to be for promotional purposes rather than sales based), and the release was the bestseller at the BBC Shop as of 27 May, ahead of all other DVDs, CDs and books. Reviews have appeared in various Newsquest Media titles. (If you'd like to order it from Amazon.co.uk and support the Outpost,click here.)

The first three BBC Books novels featuring the Ninth Doctor and Rose were officially published on Thursday 19 May and, according to Friday 27 May'sPublishing News, are already into a second printing after extremely strong sales. Publishing News reports that the three books "were reprinted before they even officially hit the shops on Thursday of last week. The original print run was 100,000 for all four, and the reprint was 75,000." "They're very, very successful, which isn't surprising considering the publicity and reviews that Doctor Who has had," Jon Howells, Press and Communications Manager for Ottakar's, told Publishing News. "They've had great sales, and I think that will continue." The novels have received strong promotion from UK booksellers, with Ottakar's and Tesco amongst those offering all three for the price of two. Friday 27 May's edition of The Bookseller also reports that the three novels are at five, six and seven in the "Top 20 Fiction Heatseekers" chart. Meanwhile, The Independent had Justin Richards' "Monsters and Villains" paperback at Number 3 in the Cinema and Television chart.

Looking ahead to September, the latest issue of DWM confirms the three Ninth Doctor novels previously reported on Outpost Gallifrey as "The Deviant Strain" by Justin Richards, "Only Human" by Gareth Roberts and "The Stealers of Dreams" by Steve Lyons. The same issue carries an interview with the authors of the current range, Richards, Stephen Cole and Jacqueline Rayner, and previews the provisional cover for "Only Human".Amazon.co.uk has released the cover for Only Human which can be seen at right; click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

Amazon now has a brief synopsis for Doctor Who: The Shooting Scriptscoming later this year. "This book collects together the entire shooting scripts for the first series. Seven of the scripts are by Russell T Davies, with the remainder by Stephen Moffat, Robert Shearman, Paul Cornell and The League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss. Each of the scripts will be illustrated with screen grabs, ensuring the book appeals to broad audience. Introductions by the writers will explain the inspirations for the new series and the fascinating process of creating a Doctor Who script."

Series Two News

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine began to reach subscribers on Monday 23 May (its official publication date being Thursday, 26 May) and has one big -- if probably unavoidable -- spoiler for Series 2 which we have placed in theSPOILER TAG at the bottom of this news update. The magazine alsodenies rumours that David Walliams of BBC3's Little Britain comedy series will be writing an episode of the next series. Producer Phil Collinson states that there is "no truth in the tabloid rumours". Meanwhile, Russell T Davies is working on the as yet untitled Christmas special, which is confirmed as having a duration of 60 minutes. In his "Production Notes" column, Davies also reveals that Tom MacRae has delivered his first episode ("brilliant"), which contains the words "sickness", "mole" and "meat", and that episode numbers have yet to be allocated to the stories for Series 2.

Several news reports this week have suggested that Christopher Eccleston will be in the Christmas special; however, we do not believe he will be, instead appearing for the final time in episode 13 of this series.

Press Coverage

An article entitled "The return of Doctor Who" has been circulated widely by the Associated Press over the past week, appearing in a variety of mainstream press in North America, including at CNN.com and in a variety of local papers.

Press response to the series in Australia has been as generally positive as elsewhere with lots of reviews, previews and other articles, including several pieces in the Sydney Morning Herald ("Thank goodness for Who weekly -- there's no knocking the return of the wild-eyed chap in the big blue Tardis"), Northern Territory News, the Sunday Mail, the West Australian (Perth), The Australian, The Advertiser, the Courier Mail (Queensland), the Melbourne Herald Sun, The Age, Townsville Bulletin (Aus), the Newcastle Herald

It appears that certain press reports of Christopher Eccleston's post-Who intentions were, once again, inaccurate. He has not, according to bothEmpire and Moviehole, been cast as Silas in the forthcoming adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code", the role having gone to Paul Bettany. Eccleston was, however, seen by various newspapers taking part in the Great Manchester Run, which raised ú1 million for charity.

John Barrowman is interviewed by the Rainbow Network in which he says that "It's been great, but it's about to get much better! The thing is, is that I know what's going to happen, so I'm not watching it with the same baited breath that everybody else is. I know all the little secrets and storylines, but I am enjoying it; I think it's one of the better things on Saturday evening television." He notes that he is "in it until the end of this series, which is a cliff-hanger, and then we'll to wait and see what happens in the second and third series." On working with Eccleston and Piper: "It was just fantastic. When I initially started, which was just before Christmas 2004, I went into a series that had been filming since July. Everyone knew I was joining the team because I was hired at the same time as they were, but it was weird to walk into a situation where they'd been working together for a while. However, after we shot the first couple of scenes things just clicked and we had a great time together." He also discusses his next role, in the film version of Mel Brooks' "The Producers".

In an interview with The Stage, Peter Davison has said that his young children find the new series of Doctor Who "too scary", and ask to see old videos of "Daddy" playing the character instead. "They reckon the new Doctor Who is too scary and asked if they could watch Daddy playing him instead," Davison tells the Stage. "Although in fact, I'd say that was a compliment to the new series, as it implies that my episodes weren't scary at all and they merely wanted to be comforted by them." He also notes his feelings about Eccleston's departure: "I feel sorry for the fans, as I feel they've been rather let down. What it really needed, after all the effort and dedication of the fans over the years to get the show back on air, would be to have someone committed enough to stay with the role for two or three years. As it is, the fans must be disappointed and left feeling up in the air a bit."

Also in this week's The Stage, a note that "Jane Tranter, BBC head of drama commissioning, has pledged to open up early evening schedules on weekends and bank holidays to family-oriented drama, following the widespread success of Doctor Who. The show consistently attracts ratings of more than 7 million viewers and has already been credited with reviving BBC1's Saturday night fortunes. Now executives are hopeful it could mark a renaissance of family drama, a genre that has fallen out of favour in recent years with broadcasters and demographics experts blaming a lack of demand for it." Tranter tells the Stage that she thinks Doctor Who "has shown there is a real appetite for part of the week being set aside for family drama. ... It is clear that certain genres, such as fantasy or some real life situations, have the potential to get lots of people interested but if you are going to appeal to an 11-year-old and a 41-year-old there has to be something in its presentation that is universal."

Brand Republic's Digital Bulletin has reported on the huge online success of the Dalek game. The story says that "The Last Dalek" has "amassed 500,000 separate plays in just three weeks [à] More than 275 websites now list the game and its popularity is said to be spreading around the world from players in countries including Australia, Switzerland and Japan. The game was also a top-three entry into the Lycos Viral Game Chart".

In the Guardian over a week ago, there was a note in the Smallweed column with an ultimatum, which we reported on these pages: "Don't do away with our Daleks, Davies." May 28's Guardian featured a reply from Russell T Davies: "Dear Mr Smallweed, I surrender. You win. My neighbours have stuck your campaign message in their car windows and keep driving past me, shaking an angry fist in my direction. All right, all right, all right, the Daleks will be back. Hundreds of 'em. No more girly consciences either, they're back to being mean metal bastards. What d'you fancy next year? Cybermen?"

Some TV mentions: During discussion on the London Eye controversy on "Richard And Judy" on Tuesday 24 May, Richard suddenly introduced a clip from Rose featuring the London icon. Friday's "Lenny Henry Show" had a brief bit on the news about Billie's departure (and Daleks serving in the Queen Vic (Eastenders)!). The Beeb showed the wrong trailer after "Neighbours" Friday evening, put on the Father's Day one instead! The correct one was shown after the news and Eastenders. And another comment about Doctor Who budgets on "Have I Got News For You!"

Some other brief press mentions: the Times mentions Billie Piper in a list of suggested replacements for Kylie Minogue at Glastonbury; the Scottish Daily Record features an article on John Barrowman (and his Scottish connection); and theBristol Evening Post notes that a "junkie burglar who worked on Doctor Who set" has been jailed.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Peter Anghelides, Andy Parish, Chuck Foster, Paul Greaves, Robert Booth, Ryan Piekenbrock, Duncan Rose, Paul Hayes, Scott Matthewman, Peter Weaver, Adam Kirk, James Sellwood, Widya Santoso, Jim Trenowden, Doug Vermes and Rich Finn)

Later Episode Previews

The Sun has printed some spoilers for the next standalone episode after the forthcoming two parter. That would be episode 11, "Boom Town!" and notes that the Doctor is accosted by someone he thought was dead. Meanwhile, theDaily Star has spoilers for the episode after that, "Bad Wolf" (episode 12). We've put the text of the reports in ourspoilers tag below, so click on it to find out the gory details!

Press Items

BBC Board Chairman and noted Doctor Who critic Michael Grade took part in a listener phone in on BBC Radio Leeds on Tuesday. Presenter Liz Green asked how he felt walking past a Dalek in reception - (the programme was broadcast from the BBC Radio Leeds studio at the National Museum of Photography, Film and TV in Bradford). Grade said he cringed but that "Doctor Who was now a production for the 21st Century". He also revealed his 6 year old son is a fan of the new show - "maybe I should ask for a blood test!" he joked. Later he said he was actually "enjoying the new series of Doctor Who".

The Associated Press has run a syndicated story that's appeared in a tonof newspapers internationally, all noting the success of the new series. (You can read the full article at MSNBC for example.) The article notes that the series "has become one of the biggest hits of Britain's television present" and that it is "packed with oddball aliens and frequent opportunities for the two heroes to save humankind. ... It's a welcome return for fans who'd been waiting more than 15 years for the comeback of the Doctor ù an alien 'Time Lord' who's taken the form of nine different human actors in the course of the show ù and his assistant, this time a working-class London girl named Rose Tyler." Says a DWAS spokesperson, "All the 'Doctor Who' furniture is there. That is the formula. And it still survives." Fan Fiona Moore notes that the series is "something that you grow up with, that's always there. [Now] you see children in the playground standing like Daleks or unzipping their heads like the bad guys." Read the full article at MSNBC or in a variety of international publications (they are pretty much all the very same article!)

AfterElton features a story about John Barrowman on Doctor Who, and specifically about the rumors that his character is bisexual. "The new imaginative BBC remake of the sci-fi series Dr. Who, created by producer/writer Russell T. Davis (the creator of the original UK-version of Queer as Folk), offers a reprieve. Beginning on May 21st, openly-gay actor and singer John Barrowman will join the cast of the brand-new British hit for the last five episodes of the first season as bisexual, inner-galactic time-traveler Captain Jack Harkness. Chances seem good that BarrowmanÆs character, who joins The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and his sidekick companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) on their time and space adventures, will also reappear in Season Two." The story notes that "with Dr. Who, Barrowman has a good chance to broaden his fame internationally, while also representing a bisexual man on TV. Filmed on widescreen DV [digital video] in Cardiff, Wales, the new Dr.Who has gotten rave reviews on its first handful of episodes for its slick special effects, witty writing, and contemporary take on the original 1960s series. Many comparisons have been drawn between it and the fantasy/horror genre shows created by Joss Whedon for the WB in the nineties. ... Creator Russell gladly acknowledges that WhedonÆs sharp, playful, but also dramatically-deep writing style had great influence on him with regards to Dr. Who: '[Buffy the Vampire Slayer] showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world isnÆt hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writerùnot just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us.'"

Australian Debut Update

The Australian Associated Press says that "The ABC is so confident about new episodes of Doctor Who they have scheduled them for prime time Saturday night. The national broadcaster has bumped off the quirky machinations and breathtaking scenery of Monarch of the Glen and replaced it with a show best remembered for decidedly dodgy special effects. But it was a calculated decision." Says ABC TV deputy programmer Ian Taylor, "I don't like to make predictions but I'd be disappointed if there was anything less than one million viewers. Whereas this is good science fiction, it's also good fiction and I think that's the case with the best of science fiction. It can raise issues that have relevance that remind you or take you on to other areas. I think it's the human element actually that has been given to the doctor and his sidekick, because you actually care about these characters. There's more to it than just science fiction, there's good fiction as well. ... Now, admittedly we're certainly a different territory with different tastes and opinions but I do think that enough people who are familiar with the original series and remember it fondly to at least take a peak at this. And I think too that younger viewers, be they anything from sort of 15 up, will be intrigued enough by what they read about this to have a look at one episode. Once you see one ep you'll be hooked and you'll be back for the rest of them."

ABC Regional Online has a collection of Doctor Who related stories, including a local astronomer hosting a preview screening of the new series in Brisbane in conjunction with 612 ABC Brisbane, and how listeners go to share in it. "The Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, at Mt Coot-tha, was the venue for the screening. Around eighty listeners watched the first episode with Christopher Eccleston as 'The Doctor' and Billie Piper as his new companion Rose Tyler. Planetarium curator Mark Rigby then screened 'The Search for Life', narrated by Harrison Ford. Finally, 612 ABC Brisbane's 4-6pm presenter Spencer Howson chaired a discussion about the new "Dr Who". Prizes, including a limited edition scale model of the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space), were awarded for the best contributions to the discussion. Highlights from the forum were broadcast on 612 ABC Brisbane." The site has audio excerpts.

The June edition of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation magazineLimelight has a 15 page special on the new Doctor Who series, including a front cover of Chris and Billie. Most of the articles are previously published having been taken from the BBC and possibly Radio Times with some photos although there is also a new article on Aussie fandom. There is also a competition to win 7 Doctor Who DVD packs (three classic DVDs plus the whole new season) which requires fans to say in 25 words or less who is their favourite Doctor and why. (However, they claim there have only been 7 previous Doctors, asPaul McGann is not mentioned!)

In today's Sydney Morning Herald: "For The Weekend: Doctor who. 7.30pm Sat, ABC: This New-Age series involving the venerable time lord is briskly paced and very watchable, with Christopher Eccleston bringing an agreeable eccentricity to the role. It seems probable that Earth's destiny will be defended successfully from a bunch of articulated window dummies - the Autons - and a sinister force known as the Nestene Consciousness. Definitely an improvement on the old cardboard episodes of yore."

Today's Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia) says the new series is Doctor Who, "but not as we've known it. The new series screening from this Saturday is as far removed from the halcyon days of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker as the latter-day Star Trek spin-offs are from the creaky originals of the '60s. The glacial pace which stretched story arcs over several episodes has been turbo-charged so each 45-minute instalment is self-contained. Amateurish efforts at special effects have given way to state-of-the-art magic. And the Tardis has been transformed from a whitegoods showroom to a surreal blend of gothic mechanics and whizz-bangery that appears to owe much to Terry Gilliam's 1985 Brazil." They note that the stories retain their inventiveness and touches of whimsical English humour save the show from the earnestness which weighs down the better American sci-fis. Newcomers and Dr Who nerds alike should be well pleased."

The Sydney Daily Telegraph says that "hiding behind the couch won't work any more. This is a darker, scarier Who that knows our old safety drills. One suspects it is only a matter of time before it reveals that couches are actually alien life-forms that feed on children cowering from TV monsters. For now, however, we only have to worry about wheelie bins and shop dummies ... and the London Eye ferris wheel. ... Christopher Eccleston... is downright chirpy, which takes some getting used to for those who associate the actor with dark, gritty roles such as Cracker and the recent The Second Coming. But the series is dark enough without Eccleston adding to it and his sense of humour is for us, like new human sidekick Rose... This is a real adventure in time, not just a mosey down memory lane. Great to have it back."

The Critic's View in today's The Age notes that "Yes, the Time Lord is back, in a knockabout new incarnation (Chris Eccleston) with a willing new assistant (pop singer Billie Piper), a brilliantly updated signature tune, '60s styling, CGI effects, some wonderfully retro props, a tardis that sounds more knackered than ever, and lots of red double-decker buses. Doctor Who has returned with a new series that's light years ahead of its predecessors. It looks and feels great, like an intergalactic Cool Britannia cross-pollination between the cult classic of old, Bridget Jones and the Goodies. Eccleston and Piper are fantastic, it's genuinely funny and it's just scary enough to send a new generation of kids scurrying behind the couch. ... Carry on, Doctor." Also, this morning's Green Guide, the television guide The Age, had a cover story on Doctor Who.

Miscellaneous Press Items

Christopher Eccleston apparently was thanked tonight in person at a meeting of Manchester United fans to protest against the attempted take-over of the club by Malcolm Glazer for his ú10,000 donation to the cause, and the chair of Shareholders United said that they were "delighted to have Doctor Who on board".

Channel 4's FAQ U (18 May) covered the BBFC's views regarding "Dalek", implying that the decision was ludicrous and that rather than torturing the Dalek the Doctor should have given it a big hug...

BBC Ceefax (18 May) addressed the cuts to "The Empty Child" with the title "Horrible Doctor Who Toned Down": "The next episode of Doctor Who has been toned down after producers decided one scene was 'a bit too horrible'. The episode, to be shown on BBC One on Saturday, sees the Doctor travel back to tackle a strange virus in the Blitz. It turns former One Foot In The Grave actor Richard Wilson's face into a gas mask - but producers have cut out the sound of his skull cracking. But producer Phil Collinson said it was still the scariest episode so far. 'It was about time we did a scary one'." The story was also covered on the Newsround site under the headline "Doctor Who Makers Edit Out A Scary Sound Effect". The details of the story also provided a link to pictures of the Brighton "Doctor Who" exhibition.

Update on the Fear Forecast column on bbc.co.uk: interestingly, in addition to noting that it's scary enough to need a recommendation to video it and watch it in the daylight, it seems to lack a 'next week' preview (identified in the text, somewhat mysteriously, as a 'recap').

Other items today: Empire Online discusses the Joe Ahearne-Eccleston project "Double Life"; the Times has letters on the BBFC issue with Daleks; and the cuts to "The Empty Child" are still being discussed at Northern Territory News, the Daily Mail, the Evening Times (Scotland), theSouth Wales Echo and The Londonist.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Chuck Foster, Jamie Austin, Adam Kirk, Mike Noon, Matt Kimpton, Andrew Harvey, John Ryan and Paul Greaves)

The Empty Child

Press Pack Seven is now available on the BBC website. The press pack discusses the two-part story starting with this weekend's The Empty Child. "Discovering he had been chosen as one of the writers on the new series of Doctor Who helped to seal a perfect day for Steven Moffat, writer of Coupling. 'I heard I'd got the job on the way to the Comedy Awards, where we won for my BBC TWO series Coupling, and I got to meet (former Doctor Who) Peter Davison,' he recalls. Like the other writers working on the Doctor's return, Steven is a big Doctor Who fan. 'I remember me and (fellow Doctor Who writer) Mark Gatiss drunkenly pitching the return of the show to the BBC's Head of Comedy at a party once and him saying 'It sounds very interesting, but I'm comedy'. Getting involved in the new series was absolutely thrilling, but I guess I took a deep breath before I started writing my episodes.'" The press pack notes that Moffat scripted one of three two-parters in the new run, a sinister tale set in London during the Blitz, where a mysterious presence is mutating humans into something not of this world. Best known for his comedy work, he says: "Comedy is just another sort of drama really, and there's always been comedy in Doctor Who to offset its scariness. To my mind, Doctor Who should be predominantly scary, but you can't make it too terrifying if you're aiming it at a family audience. I've always seen it as a kind of badly-behaved children's show. It scared and thrilled me as a kid and will hopefully do the same to a new generation of viewers this time round." Also interviewed are Richard Wilson and John Barrowman, who star as Dr. Constantine and Captain Jack Harkness. "He can't quite believe it. But Richard Wilson was happy to take on the role of a second doctor in the continuing adventures of a certain Time Lord. The 'One Foot In The Grave' star plays Dr Constantine, a bemused hospital medic in a new two-part story..." says the article. "I thought the writing was of a very high standard and very interesting," explains Wilson. "I think that is one of the strengths of the new series of Doctor Who." Barrowman notes that his character is "actually a Time Agent - part of a kind of space CIA - and he's trying to find two years of his memory that have disappeared. He's a rogue Time Agent and he knows he's done something in the past and he's not sure what it is or whether it is good or bad, because his memory has been erased. But he's also an intergalactic conman and he starts off by trying to con the Doctor and Rose." Read the whole interview at the website. (Manchester Online has reprinted some of this.)

The weekly revision to the official site is now in place for The Empty Child, this week with sound: "Please let me in, Mummy. I'm scared of the bombs." As usual, the first part of the photo gallery for the episode has been added, concentrating on the regulars and guest star Richard Wilson, with more photo stories and video diaries promised for Saturday evening. There are also a couple of news items, covering Russell T Davies' appearance on Radio 4's Front Row last night (with a link to the listen again service) and a review of The Clockwise Man, the first of the Ninth Doctor novels published this week. The Fear Forecast childrens' column is also posted.

The week's best television in the new edition of the Radio Times has the FA Cup Final as its top pick for Saturday, ending Doctor Who's previously unbroken run, but The Empty Child is still included (page 4). With an illustration of guest star Richard Wilson, the RT says "I don't believe it! Richard Wilson crops up as a doctor - but not the Doctor - while Rose hangs around London in a giddy Second World War mystery." The full-page behind-the-scenes feature (page 15) concentrates on the introduction of John Barrowman ("When I was told I'd got the job... I literally screamed and jumped around") as Captain Jack, who is pictured with Christopher Eccleston, alongside a main picture of a number of gas-masked figures and a repeat of the Richard Wilson shot from earlier in the magazine. A half-page advertisement for the Volume 1 DVD appears, rather cunningly, on the same page as the cast lists for this week's soaps (page 47), and includes a quote from The Guardian: "TV really doesn't get better than this, ever." In the listings section (page 64), Saturday's episode is again in second place (this time behind the Eurovision Song Contest): "... the show has had to adapt and become slicker... it's best for the old guard to sit back and enjoy the ride. ... an enticing mystery set in a Blitz-ravaged London ... There's persuasive period detail and a crazy barrage-balloon flight, but the episode also contains nightmarish imagery (including a grotesque morphing sequence) that's probably too much for little ones." Also recommended is the ninth edition of Doctor Who Confidential: "This zesty little series is a goldmine for those who like their special effects with a little bit of elucidation ... Tonight we learn how Billie Piper 'flew' across London, while a brilliant montage of classic (ie rubbish) Who effects reminds us how far the series has come." he programme listing for the epsidoe (page 66) reads, "At the height of the Blitz, Rose meets the dashing Captain Jack Harkness", while on the next page that for Confidential offers, "Gone are the days of wobbly sets - for this 21st-century transformation of the perennial sci-fi classic, CGI effects have given the Doctor some state-of-the-art aliens to battle." As previously reported on Outpost Gallifrey, Saturday's episode is listed as running from 6.30pm for forty minutes (with Confidential following 7.10pm) while both repeats (Saturday 12.20am, Sunday 7.15pm) apparently run for forty-five minutes; no repeat of Confidential is listed for Sunday evening.

The next episode of the series has apparently been cut because of tone issues and also some ruminations of bisexuality.BBC News reports that "The next episode of Doctor Who has been toned down after producers decided one scene was 'a bit too horrible'. The episode, to be shown on BBC One on Saturday, sees the Doctor travel back to tackle a strange virus in the Blitz. It turns former 'One Foot in the Grave' actor Richard Wilson's face into a gas mask - but producers have cut out the sound of his skull cracking. But producer Phil Collinson said it was still the scariest episode so far. 'It was about time we did a scary one.' 'It's a little thing involving the scene with Richard Wilson's character and the gas mask,' said producer Phil Collinson." Several press reports also focus on the fact that the episode "reveals that the Time Lord attracts the attentions of a bisexual character in a later storyline. Producers have axed a scene in which skulls could be heard cracking in what has been billed as the scariest episode of the new Doctor Who series yet. And at a media screening of the show yesterday, it emerged that 'time agent' Captain Jack Harkness flirts with the Doctor in a future episode." It is too early to tell what, exactly, has been cut, or if the story is simply more hype. Also reported at the Mirror, Media Guardian, Manchester Online,Breaking News, Irish Examiner, CBBC News, Waveguide,the Scotsman, Press Association, Yahoo News.

Pre-airing reviews of The Empty Child are being posted. Heat magazine's Boyd Hilton gives it 5 stars: "The esteemed brains of the BBC Press Office are dubbing this 2-part story 'the scariest Doctor Who yet'. And they have a point. There's something about the sight of a bunch of zombie-like mutants with gas masks for faces that really gives us the willies. Add to the mix a hunky new love interest for Billie Piper's Rose and a wonderful cameo from Richard Wilson, and you have yet another triumphant episode." Closer magazine comments on the episode: "This series just gets better and better. Tonight, we're in London in 1941, at the height of the Blitz. The army is guarding a mysterious cylinder, while homeless children living on bomb sites are being terrorised bya scary kid infected with a strange virus. In the midst of the mayhem, love hearts are flashing in Rose's eyes when she meets a hunky captain. And look out for One Foot In The Grave's Richard Wilson as Dr Constantine, a GP in charge of a busy wartime hospital ward."

Doctor Who on the Web

The website of The Stage is carrying a feature by Paul Hayes on theinternet streaming of BBC One that allowed many overseas fans to watch 'Dalek' on April 30. "When plans of a secret BBC test to stream its UK channels over the internet leaked out, overseas users logged on. Many said they would be prepared to pay to do so again." The article notes that "The BBC's research and development arm, based at Kingswood Warren, was conducting a test for the streaming of the BBC's television channels to UK-based broadband internet customers, in a move to provide a service similar to that already offered free for all by BBC Radio, whereby all stations are available to listen to live over the internet, with selected programmes stored in a æListen Again' archive for at least a week following transmission. Offered free of charge, the radio services are available to any internet user in the world and are extremely popular with expatriates and overeseas fans of the BBC. The television equivalent would most likely not be available internationally, as quite apart from complicated rights issues, there would be a storm of complaints were television services paid for by the licence fee to be freely available to a potential audience of millions outside of Britain. But the tests being conducted of the broadband streaming service were just that - tests." Liz Mitchell of the BBC press office explained that it was "an internal demonstration stream which was intended for an internal audience." However, "the website addresses for the channels being tested for internet broadcast - BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC News 24 - were either deliberately leaked by somebody or accidentally stumbled across by some lucky user. The links first appeared on a message board on a fan website of comedian Chris Morris and the internet being what it is the news quickly spread, finding its way to the message boards of Outpost Gallifrey, an American Doctor Who fan website hugely popular in the science-fiction community, with over 10,000 registered members. It so happens that Saturday, April 30 was the transmission date for Dalek, the sixth and perhaps most highly-anticipated episode of the new series of Doctor Who, which saw the return of the eponymous pepperpot. The sudden revelation that if they had a broadband internet connection they could watch the episode completely free of charge at exactly the same time as their fellow fans in the UK was greeted with considerable surprise and delight by those posting on the message board." The article quotes several fans on their reactions to the live feed and discusses the obvious market for streaming BBC television over the internet. "The idea is fraught with problems. These are not simply technical - how do you make a service free for users in the UK but ensure overseas users can only access it by subscription? - but there are rights issues too. Films and sports events held by other broadcasters in other countries could not be streamed and there may also be difficulties with showing BBC programmes that have been purchased by foreign networks. Doctor Who, for example, is already showing in Canada on CBC, is due to start in Australia on ABC in late May and has also been sold to New Zealand, Italy and the Netherlands. It is unlikely that any of these countries' broadcasters who have paid a great deal of money for the screening rights to the programme - entering into a co-production deal in the case of CBC - would be particularly thrilled to know that a substantial chunk of the fan audience in their countries has had the opportunity to see such an eagerly-awaited episode already, for no charge and no profit to them." It notes that the this was a one-off and the feeds were cut. "While this was not an ideal situation as the URL was not intended for a public audience, it was a simple technical error made while investigating technologies for encoding and transmission protocols, which was fixed as soon as possible," said Mitchell.

People

James Hawes, director of "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances," will direct this year's Christmas Special that introduces David Tennant as the tenth Doctor, says TV Zone Magazine's next issue due out on May 26, which includes an interview with Hawes.

Confirming the reports that Christopher Eccleston will soon be filming "Double Life" with writer/director Joe Ahearne, SFX reports that Ahearne will also not be returning to the series for its second year. "I won't be working on the second series," Ahearne tells SFX, "but not because of this. I don't know exactly when the film is going to go. It's slated for this year but you never know with movies, dates change all the time. I'm not involved with the second series because I've just done five episodes of the current series and spent seven months living in Cardiff since September last year, and as wonderful and fantastic and amazing as it is it does take you over. I just want to get back to London really..."

Eccleston's interview with SFX magazine has been reprinted by several newspapers. Today's Daily Star says that Eccleston told them (when in actuality, he told SFX) that the series took its toll on him. "You can't have a life. You can't socialise. It's like having a Tardis in your skull and every time you open your mouth you see a Tardis. There were days when I got psoriasis, I got eczema. My face blew up in the Dalek episode. I looked literally disfigured with tiredness and poor skin." Eccleston admitted that playing the Doctor was still a lot easier than the labouring jobs he took while he was a struggling actor in his twenties, but he pointed out that the hours were a grind. "It is actually hard graft. With TV, you do a 14-hour day and then you're doing your line-learning. I think that's what would p*ss off most labourers and people who work in factories - get up at 6.30am, leave 7.30 at night, then starting learning lines, six days a week. I ain't moaning about it, but if you play the Doctor the hardest thing is you can't have a life." Despite his decision to leave the series, Eccleston said he loved playing the character alongside co-star Billie Piper: "I loved being part of that amazing team. By and large, it was a joy." Other places picking up the story include Female First, Digital Spy,Contact Music.

This morning's edition of Metro, a free newspaper distributed in London, has a short item attributing a quote to Christopher Eccleston: "Christopher Eccleston would like to return as Dr Who - but not on TV. 'If there was a radio version I would definitely look at that as it won't take up so much time,' he said." Metro might be picking this up from the SFX interview. There has been no official word from either BBC Radio or bbc.co.uk concerning any plans for further audio/online adventures, and Big Finish's licence from the BBC covers only the "classic series" up to and including Paul McGann's Doctor, so BF would need a new licence to produce audio adventures for the Ninth Doctor. But there's always hope!

More Australia Coverage

The new series has been getting a lot of promotion in Australia both on radio and TV before the first episode airs on Saturday. Besides the obligatory TV and radio promos, the Eoin Cameron breakfast show has been running a competition asking simple Doctor Who questions over the air with the prize being an advanced screening of "Rose" at the ABC studios. Additionally, Wednesday's program was devoted to the series with interviews from Katy Manning and Phil Collinson as well as local identities. Listeners were also asked to phone in and impersonate a Dalek voice. Additionally the ABC have filmed an item for the show "How the Quest Was Won" which is fun newsy lifestyle type show where one of their reporters Jane Cunningham visits the "West Lodge" (The Perth DR WHO Fan Club) and meets Beta the Dalek. They also travel to Pingelly a small town 150km from the city. The air date is not yet known but should be shown nationwide in the next few weeks.

The Herald Sun reviews this weekend's episode, "Rose": "New series. We've seen many actors play the famed doctor since the sci-fi series started in 1963. This new 13-part series stars Christopher Eccleston (left) as a smarter, more contemporary Doc, but after the 13th episode, Eccleston, fearing he'd be typecast, said no more and quit. The opener is all about department-store employee Rose, who's sent to take a package to an electrician working in the basement. However, the sparky isn't there and Rose becomes locked in with several store-window dummies who come to life and threaten her, which is about when you-know-Who comes to the rescue. Fear not, the good doctor is at hand."

News.com Australia notes that "THE Time Lord is back and better than ever. The scarf has been replaced with a leather jacket and best of all, there's a whole new breed of daleks to contend with." There are interviews with production designer Edward Thomas.

Other news notes: The Advertiser Age article posted the other day now has a web edition posted. ABC News Australia discusses making Daleks locally as a tie-in to the debut.

Other Stories

More on the DVD rating issue: The Irish Independent says that "The whole fun of Doctor Who is hiding behind the sofa at the scary bits. Granted, it looks a bit tragic when you're 33 and your arse is too big to fit behind any normal sofa, but it's our Saturday night and we'll do what we want. But that delicious sense of terror is being withheld from kids by those idiots in the British Board of Film Classification, who have refused to give the new Doctor Who DVD a PG Cert, because of scenes of cruelty to . . . wait for it - a Dalek. 'However cross one might be with a Dalek, being cruel is not the way to deal with the issue. Some children might take it into the playground.' Of course, maybe the Doctor should have talked to the Dalek. Perhaps he should have opened a dialogue with him. Maybe they should have made daisy chains together? Where do these idiots come from? Gallifrey? We particularly liked their fear that kids might take it into the playground. Yeah, because kids really need inspiration to be beastly to each other during recess." Also, In the Newsalso has an article on it.

Part two of Planet of the Doctor, the CBC.ca Canadian network website's six-part documentary about Doctor Who, is now available on the site.

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster, Paul Greaves, Peter Weaver, Ian Berriman, Alan Creaser, and Paul Hayes)