Big Finish Productions has announced the launch of a new download service launching on February 1st. With this service, listeners will be able to purchase and instantly download the audio of their choice as an mp3 file to their computer.
This includes the Doctor Who, Bernice Summerfield, Sapphire and Steel, and the forthcomingStargate series.

"Listening habits have changed dramatically over the last ten years," says Company Director, Jason Haigh-Ellery. "More and more people are choosing to buy their music and audio online and listen to it either on their computer or on mp3 players like the iPod. We are delighted to be able to make Big Finish's productions available in this new way."

Jason also addressed the impact that this change will have on foreign fans. "We have always done our best to keep the prices as low as possible for foreign customers," continues Haigh-Ellery. "Unfortunately though, the poor exchange rate with America, Australia and other countries has made this difficult. Now though, by offering downloadable versions of our plays, we can dramatically reduce the price as there is no extra expenditure on postage, packing and materials. We're sure that this will be good news for our foreign customers."

With the launch of the new website at BigFinish.com on February 1st, fans will be able to sample individual episodes for a small cost. The remainder of the play will be available for simply paying the remainder of the balance. Although not available at launch, a subscription service will be introduced where customers can purchase several plays in advance of their release at a discounted rate. In addition to the plays themselves, music suites, behind-the-scenes features and copies of the scripts will also be made available for download.

Fans who prefer to continue buying their Big Finish plays on CD need not worry that online downloads will herald the end of the CD versions. All new Big Finish plays will continue to be released on CD simultaneously with the download version. The download versions will be cheaper than the CDs in all territories but CD purchasers will also be entitled to acquire the download version at no extra charge.

"The new download service is a major step forward for Big Finish," says Jason Haigh-Ellery.

Unofficial overnight figures gave Episode One of Torchwood, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, an audience of 3.7 million viewers, a 14.8% share of the total audience.

The programme was the highest rated on BBC2 for the day and the 18th most watched on all television.

These are the highest ratings that Torchwood has achieved on BBC2, although the previous series was shown on BBC3 first.

The programme was repeated on BBC3 at 2330 where it got 247,000viewers.

Chris Ryall, publisher with the comics company IDW (the company behind the new original and reprint Doctor Whotitles), is featured in an in-depth interview on the Comic Book Resources website.

While the Doctor Who titles are not the focus of the interview, Ryall does mention them along with all the other titles the company is publishing. Its a great way to get to know the home of Doctor Who in American comics.

Big Finish Productions has released information on their upcoming Short Trips Anthology, The Qualities of Leadership, which is due out in May.Keith R.A. DeCandido, editor of the volume, made the choice to have each of the stories be a little longer than past stories.

The Stories will include:

Introduction by Keith R.A. DeCandido
"From Little Acorns..." by John S. Drew
"One Fateful Knight" by Peter David
"The Slave War" by Una McCormack
"Goths and Robbers" by Diane Duane
"Good Queen, Bad Queen, I Queen, You Queen" by Terri Osborne
"The Price of Conviction" by Richard C. White
"God Send Me Well to Keep" by Linnea Dodson
"Peaceable Kingdom" by Steve Savile
"Rock Star" by Robert T. Jeschonek
"On a Pedestal" by Kathleen O. David
"Cleanup on Aisle Two" by James Swallow
"The Spindle of Necessity" by Allyn Gibson
"Epilogue" by John S. Drew

As previously reported, Titan Magazines has launched the official Torchwood Magazine, the first issue of which is due out on January 24. Below is the official press release; the final cover is also available (click on the thumbnail for a larger version.)

The Doctor Who Up-Close display at Earls Court will open on March 20, according to the revamped Doctor Who Exhibitions and Museumwebsite.

As reported last month by Outpost Gallifrey, the display will be in the Museum Hall, beneath Earls Court Exhibition Centre. It will include items fromVoyage of the Damned as well as from Series Four after their appearance on the show, says the exhibitions site.

Tickets for the Earls Court exhibition - billed as being the largest Doctor Who display in the UK - go on sale fromFebruary 18.

Meanwhile, the Land's End exhibition will be closed from January 22 to 25 inclusive for essential maintenance. TheBlackpool Doctor Who Museumis shut for the winter and will reopen on February 16.

The Up-Close exhibition in Cardiff remains open seven days a week.

Two interviews with Russell T. Davies will air this week on BBC radio and television. First, on Tuesday January 15, Davies will speak to Nemone on the digital radio station BBC 6 Music. This interview can be heard from 1:00 p.m. GMT via the internet and the BBC's iPlayer Radio service (formerly Listen Again).

Then, on Wednesday January 16th, BBC Four will broadcast Mark Lawson Talks to Russell T. Davies. The Radio Times describes this interview as follows:

Series Two of Torchwood is poised to start showing on the United States' high-definition cable channel HDNet fromMonday, February 11.

According to the channel's website, it will air at 7pm Eastern Time, although the site also carries the disclaimer that schedules are subject to change.

HDNet is available on several cable systems as well as satellite and began showing the first series last September.

(Thanks to Tony Mason and Nick Fitzpatrick.)

Starships and Spacestations will be the next Doctor Who guide in the BBC Books series.

Written by Justin Richards, it is due to be published on May 1.

A press statement said: "The Doctor has his TARDIS to get him from place to place and time to time but the rest of the universe relies on more conventional transport.

"From the British Space Programme of the late 20th century to Earth's empire in the far future, from the terrifying Dalek fleet to deadly Cyber ships, this latest Doctor Who guide documents the many starships and spacestations that the Doctor and his companions have encountered on their travels.

"He has solved mysteries on spacestations and stopped invasions spearheaded by starships. He has been held prisoner in space, escaped from the moon, witnessed the arrival of the Sycorax and the crash-landing of a space pig.

"More than anyone else, the Doctor has seen the development of space travel between countless worlds.

"In this stunningly illustrated book, Doctor Who historian Justin Richards documents the amazing story of Earth's ventures into space, examines the many alien fleets who have paid Earth a visit, and explores the other starships and spacestations that the Doctor has encountered on his many travels."

There is no cover image as yet.