A lot of developments today on both the broadcasting and press coverage fronts, so I've combined everything into one column:

The BBC's Radio Times listings magazine website has been updated with details for Saturday 26th. It's now got some Doctor Who details up, but also details of another programme that may pull viewers over to BBC1. Doctor Who is to follow the new series 'Strictly Dance Fever'; it's the first major BBC vehicle for popular entertainer (and expensive BBC signing) Graham Norton, and the context is that last year's new big BBC hit was 'Strictly Come Dancing', to which this is the follow-up. Like Doctor Who, it's being very heavily trailed, i.e. is designed to be a big ratings-puller too; in its tone, it's a similar sort of programme to 'The Generation Game', which used to follow Doctor Who as part of the BBC's 1970s 'unbeatable' Saturday line-up.

Also, according to Radio Times, the new Doctor Who series will be repeated every Sunday (the day after the Saturday broadcast) on BBC3 at 7.00pm.

GMTV will be carrying a report from the recent Cardiff launch, featuring interviews with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, on their Entertainment Today strand on Friday 18th March 2005 at 8.35-9.30am. This was mentioned by GMTV last week after a similar feature.

Today's issue of The Stage features an interview with actress Penelope Wilton (who will be in the two-part "Aliens of London" story.) "In the revival she plays an MP called Harriet Jones," the article says, "but won't be drawn into giving too much else away. 'I really have been sworn to secrecy on that project,' she says, 'and the director would kill me if I gave away any of the plotlines. But let's just say that I will be using that famous black door at No 10 Downing Street. I've just finished some post-production work and I can tell you that the special effects are just brilliant.' It also says that she has a 'reoccuring role'."

Design Week, a UK design industry magazine covering all forms of 2D and 3D work, has a feature on the new series on the back page under their 'The Week Ahead' strand. Titled 'The Doctor goes space age', reporter Yolanda Zappaterra focuses on the 'look' of the series and features production designer Edward Thomas talking about the various design challenges on the new series, including the use of colour and shape. He also comments on the redesign of the TARDIS interior and the Daleks and also highlights his keeness to use digital effects to bolster, rather than dominate, the overall look of the series. Finally, The Mill effects house is also mentioned at the end of the article where Thomas comments: 'From an art and design point of view, I think we achieved a huge amount...and lots of scary animatronic monsters too!' The article is illustrated with the new logo, a still of the Moxx of Balhoon, a BBC publicity shot of Billie and Chris used on the billboards and a shot of the exterior of the TARDIS. However, only subscribers can access the website.

Today's The Journal calls Doctor Who its "Programme of the Week". "We need to cover this one because very shortly it will no longer be TV nostalgia but TV current affairs," it says. "It's no wonder the show was so popular. It was the science fiction equivalent of a soap opera, airing every week for 42 weeks in its first season and hovering around that number until season seven in 1970 when it dropped to 25 or more usually 26. ... The BBC, in a moment of madness, gave the show up for dead in 1989. After 16 years of hard campaigning from true fans, it"s about to get a new lease of life. Things may have moved on, but you can bet the Daleks will be there. But will they be able to go upstairs?"

The BBC Bradford and West Yorkshire site has posted a nice Doctor Who mini-site in celebration of the launch of the new series by returning to its past; check it out!

In Today's Metro, in "The Green Room" section: "Graham Norton hankered after a role in the new Doctor Who series. 'I did train as an actor so why don't you want me?' he flounced."

An article at Scarborough Today notes that a Sixth Form College student "will be comparing Dalek notes when the old TV favourite Dr Who returns to our screens next weekend." The Dalek she built was on show at the recent Doctor Who Experience at The Green Man Hotel in Malton.

The April 2005 edition of Starburst, on sale now, includes a five-page interview with Mark Cossey, the executive producer of Doctor Who Confidential. There's also a feature on the new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie, a review of the DVD of The Mind Robber and the announcement of an imminent Starburst "Time Travel Special", with Hartnell and Eccleston on the cover.

The Daily Telegraph today features an interview with Mark Gatiss on his contribution to the new series, his views on Gothic Who and his forthcoming role in BBC3's Quatermass on Saturday 19th March (in the Art and Books supplement). There's also an A-Z of Doctor Who and feature on the links between Quatermass and Doctor Who.

"Doctor Who - In; American Sci-Fi - Out" will be the subject of a report on the Tommy Boyd show on BBC Southern Counties Radio on Saturday, March 26 from 10pm GMT. "In the wake of the predictable death of Star Trek, and the decline of original and compelling American science fiction, Mr Boyd will be celebrating the resurrection of mainstream British sci-fi series Doctor Who," says the report. "Mr. Boyd will argue that now American science fiction is as good as buried, the British have perfected the formula, and will definitely take over the mantel with the new Doctor Who show." You can listen live on the internet via BBC website here.

Today's Newsquest Digital Media feed says that "Little Hulton born actor Christopher Eccleston was always going to be a good Dr Who. The Time Lord's latest reincarnation has former pop songstress Billie Piper as his pretty companion, Rose. And, as a preview of the first episode apparently reveals, has managed to maintain that fun blend of imagination-stretching science fiction perfectly. There are even some genuinely scary villainous types - no mean feat in today's climate of computer-generated horror. Eccleston's acting consistently impresses, but he has one other vital attribute to play the good Doctor: wild eyes and a slightly dangerous air."

Today's Carmarthen Journal discusses a local TARDIS prop in Wales. "Fans of Dr Who are flocking to Carmarthen to have their picture taken with the time lord's Tardis. The world-famous time machine has found its way into the garden of a home in Idole. Some motorists driving through Upland Arms have been so struck by the site of the Tardis they have stopped by Stephen Edwards' home to have their picture taken with it. Mr Edwards, aged 47, has already had more than a dozen visitors, from as far afield as America. ... It is one of only two time machines in Wales; the other is believed to be based in Welshpool. He said: 'I found the Tardis on the internet. There is a site that can make them for you. ... There is a big fan base in America. It takes their breath away. Quite a few people have asked to take photos of it.' The security guard said he decided to buy the Tardis because of his interest in street furniture. 'Our neighbour down the road at the petrol station could not believe his eyes. He thought Dr Who had landed here.'"

The new series is featured on the 'welcome' page of AOL (in the UK), which features the billboard shot of the Doctor and Rose, and the caption "Doctor Who. Time Lord Returns: Meet the baddies!". Clicking on the link takes you to a short photo gallery - the 'blue' publicity photo of the Doctor and Rose released some time ago, the second is a great close-up shot of enemies in action during 'Rose', and the other four are the familiar publicity photos of creatures from the second episode, 'The End of The World'. The article seems to be aimed very much at the young audience.

The Express today notes that several MP's have already had a sneak preview of the new series. "Some were granted a private screening of the new show, starring Christopher Eccleston, in Westminster this week. 'It's another good example of the perks on offer,' says one parliamentary colleague. 'The Doctor has quite a few fans here.' Well, at least he knows he'll get a warm welcome if he ever chooses to park his Tardis on the House of Commons terrace."

(Thanks to John Ryan, Mark Campbell, Stuart Flanagan, Frank Collins, Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Alex Wilcock, Chuck Foster, Matthew Carr, and Roger and Jason at the Tommy Boyd Shrine site)

Russell T Davies and Mark Gatiss were interviewed on this evening's The Culture Show on BBC2 by fan/commentator Matthew Sweet, who attended the Cardiff premiere of the new series, and was even pursued by a makeshift Auton. Check out the thumbnails of the clip below.

UPDATED 18 Mar 1920 GMT: Now available as well is a summary of the broadcast, courtesy John Bowman; click on the spoiler tag below for details (there aren't spoilers per se but just to be on the safe side...)

Wired Magazine wonders if the first episode of the new series was leaked intentionally. (It wasn't, but that sort of ruins the point of Wired's article, doesn't it?) "The pilot episode of the BBC's highly anticipated new Doctor Who series may have been intentionally leaked onto file-sharing networks to generate buzz, a source who instructed the network on viral advertising told Wired News. ... In any case, buzz about the Doctor Who episode has certainly paid off, whether the BBC takes credit for it or not. Word about it has reached countless sites, and, more importantly, the episode seems largely well-received." Of course, Wired has its, er, wires crossed. (It was not leaked intentionally, and we know that from the production office.)

While it's not new series specific, there's a BBC interview with Terry Molloy up on the BBC website in which he is very complimentary about the new series, and features a small gallery of images of him as Davros. He also explodes the myth surrounding that famous photo of him with a cup in his hand!

Nicholas Pegg, whose previous works includes writing "The Spectre of Lanyon Moor" and directing that, "Storm Warning," "The Holy Terror," "Bang Bang a Boom" and the webcast version of "Shada" for Big Finish (in addition to several audio roles with the company), was interviewed yesterday in the Nottingham Evening Post, as he "has been picked to play a Dalek in the remake of TV classic Doctor Who." Pegg notes that "It can get hot in the studio but the staff are great and help take your top off so you can have a drink of water," and that moving the Dalek is like "pushing a very heavy shopping trolly." "I've been working with Christopher Eccleston and Billie quite closely for the last month," he says. "They are both very nice people. Chris is very unpretentious and friendly. We share a lot of similar tastes in pop music - at one stage we were discussing the Boomtown Rats. Billie is a very, very nice person and a smashing actress and I think she's going to make a huge impression as the Doctor's assistant." It notes that he will be in episodes 12 and 13.

Yesterday's South Wales Echo discusses "special effects shock in store for fans," as "Scary new monsters and Cardiff's Howells department store exploding [are] just some of the treats due for fans of Dr Who in the much-anticipated new series." The article then discusses the "Doctor Who Confidential" series narrated by Simon Pegg and their special, "A New Dimension" airing on March 26.

The Bath Chronicle on March 15 says that "Dr who's return could be big business for firm" as it discusses BBC Audiobooks, including noting the William Russell reading of the novelisation of "The Daleks" and how it could lead to new successes in Doctor Who audio for the group. "We have got a number of soundtrack Dr Who releases, but this is the first time we have released a complete and unabridged reading of one of the novels," says Michael Stevens of BBC Audiobooks. "This is the first and most-loved book and its causing some excitement. Fans are getting really excited about the fact we have got William Russell, who played one of the original characters, reading it. He has done some work for us before and was happy to come in." Stevens said the company intended to release a further two readings of classic Dr Who stories in time for Christmas (as we reported on the main news page, with the tin of the three coming out in November.)

The BBC series 20th Century Roadshow did a Doctor Who special on March 15 down at Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station in Cornwall; photos covering the day's recording are now on the Doctor Who Appreciation Society's website

The latest issue of 'The List' (a Scottish culture magazine) has a three page feature on the new series. The reporter was at the Cardiff launch and interviewed Russell T Davies, Chris and Lorraine Heggessey and got quotes from members of the Edinburgh DW group.

Yesterday's The Sun featured an article about "Why Wales is so hip it hurts," which mentions one of the major reasons why: "The most anticipated TV series this year will be the new Dr Who - filmed entirely in Wales."

This is Gloucester discusses the return of the new series, including this gem of wisdom: "Doctor Who had humour, imagination, flair and even a certain style, despite the wobbly sets and tinfoil monsters. What it did not have was graphic sex or bad language. Even the violence was fairly innocuous. I hope the Doctor's latest incarnation adheres to those principles. I know children are more worldly-wise these days, but there are certain standards which must be observed. I would also beware of political correctness. Kids hate being preached at, and will switch off if they think that's happening. 'Diddly-bom BOM' will then go the way of the dodo."

(Thanks to Chuck Foster, Ben Morris, Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Wil Cantrell, Graham Kibble-White, Will Hadcroft, Assad Khaishgi, Martin Barber, Daniel Hughes, Stuart Ian Burns, John Bowman, Rod Mammitzch, Andrew Harvey, Anthony Pratt)

SFX has a collection of five high-quality photos from the second episode, "The End of the World" including one that features the Doctor and Rose overlooking the Earth, a photo that hasn't been circulated widely. Note that there are SPOILERS in these photos so read at your own risk!

An article in today's Daily Telegraph says that "Dr Who is homeless in Australia" referring to the lack of a disclosed buyer for the series in that country. "The BBC hasn't as yet sold the new series of the oldtime cult favourite here yet. ... It has already been sold to Prime in New Zealand as well as to Canada. There has been a rumour that the Nine Network is interested in the series although in the past it has been shown on the ABC. So poor old Who can travel back to any time he wants, but travelling to
a timeslot on an Australian network seems to be a much trickier feat."

A discussion of politicians and Doctor Who in the Newcastle Chronicle and Journal today by Karen Bartlett discusses the series and its impact. "In fact, the new series of Doctor Who, due on our screens later this month, includes a sinister episode where all members of the cabinet are taken over by aliens. Does the Doctor triumph, or is it possible that the aliens leave of their own accord after encountering John Prescott and deciding to look for a more intelligent life form? Whatever the conclusion, it isn"t the first time that science fiction has affected our political consciousness." It also mentions "The Sun Makers" ("Too many economists in the government," the Doctor says) and the history of the show.

TV Quick's listings reports that BBC2's Doctor Who night is this saturday 19th March commencing with the Peter Cushing movie Doctor Who and the Daleks at 3.50pm. The magazine also carries a picture, on page 5, of Little Britian star, Matt Lucas exiting, or entering, the TARDIS.

The TV listings site mydigiguide.com has details of a day of Who repeats by UK digital and satellite channel UKTV Gold on the day of the new series launch. "Doctor Who Day - UKTV Gold, Saturday 26th March 2005, 08:00 - 19:00. A special day to celebrate the cult sci-fi time traveller in his various different guises beginning with the very first Doctor of all - William Hartnell. The day will include more episodes featuring some of the other actors that have portrayed the Doctor over the years. Interspersed between the stories will be some short pieces on various aspects of this hugely popular series." The listings are as follows: 8:00am, The Doctor Who Story; 8:10am, The Time Meddler; 10:20am, The Daemons; 1:05pm, Pyramids of Mars; 3:10pm, Attack of the Cybermen; 5:25pm, Dragonfire.

The 60-second News on BBC Three at 10pm on Sunday (just before Casanova) included a mention of Tom Baker's win in the SFX poll, complete with the clips sequence used in the various new series news reports last week. A good example of the 'any excuse to mention it' at the moment in press and broadcast media.

The latest issue of 'New' magazine (a tabloid celeb led mag) has a four page Doctor Who special covering (quite a lot really) an interview with Billie Piper and why she would never say that Doctor Who caused her divorce. An interview with Chris and an interview with Bruno Langley on his two part adventure and his possible return in series two (the first confirmation in the press of something Outpost Gallifrey has been reporting all along, that Langley is in two episodes, not just one!) There are some shots of the launch and a list of four of the Doctor's 'latest terrifying monsters'.

Billie Piper is currently on the cover of the UK 'lads magazine' ARENA. Meanwhile, according to a BBC report, Piper is also in talks to star in a new BBC adaptation of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. "It's part of a new season of updated Shakespeare plays, which include 'Macbeth' set in a restaurant," says the report.

Today's Guardian discusses the new series and how it will impact Britain. "Your reason for hiding behind the sofa is clear," says the article, which goes into a review of comments made in various papers such as the Telegarph, the Sun, the Daily Express, the Western Mail, and so forth. (Hmm... wonder who else might be doing that these days...)

To tie in with the presence of the Daleks in the new series, This is Bath makes note of the impending release of William Russell's reading of "Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure With the Daleks."

And finally... Doctor Who has, at last, made the front page of the BBC website! bbc.co.uk features a simple banner with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper saying "Who's Back: 26 March 7pm, BBC One." Very cool.

(Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Paul Hayes, Terry Doyle, Dan O'Malley, Graham Kibble-White, Mark Irwin, Paul Wright, Chuck Foster)

Televisual magazine this week has a feature on the new series along with photographs. In the article, writer Steven Moffat says, "I don't think the fact that we're in a post Star Wars era is an issue, but matching Buffy is. Doctor Who was never a space drama anyway, it was about horror: dark shadows and creepy monsters lurking just around the corner." Russell T Davies says his blueprint is Buffy and today's audience needs emotional content. He also mentions the planet Zog example as seen elsewhere. The article suggests the budget per episode is ú600K (UK Pounds) "He (Ecclestone) is not like Tom Baker, but what the have in common is that they can go around being as funny and daft and gormless as they like, but you still take them seriously because they're fundamentally both scary, impressive men," says Davies. Edward Thomas, designer of the new TARDIS interior says that he and Russell thought the original console room from 63 was the most impressive so kept it in mind but "went back to nature" with the design. Will Cohen of The Mill claims this is the largest number of effects shots ever for a UK TV drama. The Geith ("The Unquiet Dead") is described as a trail of ectoplasm while Cassandra ("The End of the World") is "a piece of stretched skin supported by two poles that needs constant moisturising in order to survive" and is translucent. In fact, the End Of The World has one fifth of all the fx shots in the series! Also noted, the Slitheen ("Aliens of London") are prosthetics for close ups, and computer generated images for wide shots. Finally, it notes that sales to the US may have been hampered by the decision not to shoot in high definition, though the special effects burden has been considerably reduced as a result.

Ever noticed how the new series logo looks rather like a taxicab sign? The Guardian on March 16 thinks so. "Far be it from us to cast aspersions on the hype-tastic new Doctor Who, powered by a thousand tabloid Billie Piper stories and the slavering of sci-fi fans everywhere, but isn't there something a little familiar - a little earthbound - about its logo?" the Guardian asks. Are they "the only one to notice the uncanny similarity between the new Who signage and the little orange lights that twinkle on taxis? What can it mean? That taxi drivers are like Time Lords in that they both take ages to get anywhere? That their average age is 900 years old? That they won't go south of the river? Or has the new logo been inspired by some BBC execs' favourite mode of transport? There are, as the good Doctor might say himself, no such things as coincidences."

The Guardian also confirms Billie Piper will be taking to Shakespeare, as we previously reported. "Billie Piper, who also appeared in one of the Canterbury Tales adaptations and later this month will star as Doctor Who's sidekick, Rose, said last week that she had landed the role of Hero in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play, adapted by the screenwriter Peter Bowker, will be set in a holiday park," says media correspondent Owen Gibson.

According to a Northern Ireland TV website, "a day-long event celebrating the classic science fiction series, Doctor Who, which is returning to British TV screens over the Easter period, will be held at Queen's University this weekend. Organised by the University's Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, the event comes just one week before the meddlesome Time Lord makes a come back, this time in the guise of Christopher Eccleston." The event, in aid of the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association, will begin at 11am in room G06, Peter Froggatt Centre and admission is free.

We've gotten word of a new 20 second teaser, in addition to the major trailers shown today; the teaser aired this afternoon at approximately 5.25pm immediately preceeding children's show "Newsround" as part of the "Children's BBC" strand of programming. The trailer is set in the TARDIS (which is in flight) with a silent Doctor standing next to Rose throughout. Rose addresses the viewer direct: "I've got a choice: Stay at home with my Mum...my boyfriend...my job... Or chuck it all in for danger...and monsters...and life or death. What do you think?"

Lorraine Heggessey, BBC1 controller, "signed off her valedictory season launch today - defiantly summing up her reign by saying, 'I did it my way,'" says the Guardian's Tara Conlan. "Revealing she will leave the channel by the first week in May, Ms Heggessey said she will take a few weeks' holiday to 'have a rest, read books and go to the gym' before joining Talkback Thames as its chief executive." The article doesn't mention Doctor Who, but it does bode well for the woman who announced a new Doctor Who series to the world.

(Thanks to Stuart Ian Burns, Jamie Austin, Paul Shields, Faiz Rehman, Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Michael Blumenthal)

Over the past few days, billboards for the new series have begun showing up all over Britain. Below are the two best images we have of both the standard-sized billboard as well as the extended "wide" billboard, both featuring the same illustration.

At the end of Friday night's "Newsnight Review" show on BBC Two, presenter Kirsty Wark said that on next week's show they'd be looking at "the new Doctor Who." "Newsnight Review" is the arts review show that occupies the second half of the "Newsnight" broadcast each Friday.

Various articles this week have been reviewing Russell T Davies' latest television odyssey, "Casanova," the production he filmed concurrent to "Doctor Who."

According to this weekend's Media Guardian, Jane Tranter, the BBC's Head of Drama and one of the major driving forces behind the return of the show, has decided not to apply for the job of Controller of BBC One, which she had been widely fancied for. In one way this is disappointing news as having her take the job might have reassured a lot of Who fans about the show's future longevity, but on the other hand it means we keep a supporter of the show as Head of Drama, which has to be a good thing.

Russell T Davies was in exuberant form on BBC1's Breakfast today (Fri 11 March), talking about his new production of Casanova as well as Doctor Who. During his eight-minute slot, which started at 9.11am (GMT), he said that when the chance to do Doctor Who came up "I had no choice but to work on it because I love it." And now that it was finished, he said: "I love it. I'm so proud of it." A slip of the tongue earlier in the show saw co-presenter Bill Turnbull refer to him as "Russell TV Davies" and much fun was made of that when Davies appeared. Quizzed by Turnbull as to what the "T" stood for, Davies joked "Tardis" but then said it didnÆt stand for anything, it was to distinguish him from another Russell Davies in the industry. Davies then said it could stand for "Tustle", while co-presenter Sian Williams cheekily suggested "Tawdry". Davies also talked briefly about how much he had learned while working as a storyliner on top ITV soap Coronation Street. He then told of his hope that there would be a second series of Doctor Who, and the interview finished with Turnbull saying he expected to see Davies at next year's BAFTA awards, to which Davies, joking as ever, self-deprecatingly replied: "Serving, probably!" An extended clip from episode one of the new series of Doctor Who was shown during the interview.

Monday morning's Independent features an article with comments from production designer Edward Thomas, writer Mark Gatiss and Christopher Eccleston. "Towards the end of the last series, I don't know if he was faring well. He had become something of a cartoon character," Thomas said about the original series. "No doubt that article about why we shouldn't bother to bring him back will be written, but great stories never have a set time. Like Tarzan or Sherlock Holmes, they can stand constant reinterpretation. It pisses me off when purists say: 'Why have Disney done The Little Mermaid and changed the ending?' Well, they've reinvented it so that many more millions of children than have ever read the original Oscar Wilde story can come to know and love The Little Mermaid. A good story is a good story. The very worst thing you can do is let it gather dust on the shelf." Says Gatiss, "Chris endows the role with this extraordinary energy. He plays the Doctor with this full-tilt brio that actually frightens me. He also possesses this great credibility. When Christopher Eccleston tells you a Dalek is lethal, you instantly believe it." Says Eccleston about the best parts of the role: "The Doctor is... completely non-judgemental. He accepts everything and everyone, whether they're black or blue, gay or straight. If he meets an alien, his first reaction is not revulsion, but joy. He celebrates life in all its forms, shades, colours and creeds. Without being didactic, that's a very strong message."

In addition to a, fairly anodyne, regular review, in it's weekly "Wednesday Whinge" spot, the Manchester Evening News made the following comment: "It's a shame that an episode of the new Dr Who series - the first since 1989 - has been leaked onto the internet in advance of its Easter screening, but surely there is some poetic justice in the sci-fi hero who travels through time and space arriving three weeks ahead of himself."

Today's icWales has an article called "Chris is just what the Doctor ordered" in which Russell T Davies "has hit back at critics who slammed new Time Lord Christopher Eccleston as Doctor Who." Davies notes that the Doctor "has [his] own identity. After all he has two hearts and is 900 years old. He does not need to wear a silly coat!"
With many scenes filmed in Cardiff, he defends his decision to pass the city off as London in various scenes. "We had to base it around London as we are selling the series to America and Australia," referring to current goals to sell to the two countries that have not been announced yet for any broadcast of the new series. "We had to set it somewhere which will be recognised by a global audience. However, Cardiff does feature as itself in two episodes and we filmed an earthquake in Cardiff Bay." He also notes that he hopes the BBC commissions a second series, and in the meanwhile he says of his popular drama "Queer as Folk": "There won't be another Channel 4 series although I would like to do another one in time to tell how the characters have moved on. However, we are looking at a musical."

An article in today's Sunday Mirror says that Christopher Eccleston has been linked to actress Siwan Morris. Eccleston "swept beautiful Siwan Morris off her feet at a party in Cardiff last year and they have enjoyed a string of romantic dates in the Welsh capital while he's been filming the new series of the cult TV show," says the article. "Siwan ... is an award-winning actress who is tipped to be a big star of the future. A pal said: 'She's the prettiest thing on Welsh television and an extremely talented actress - Chris is smitten.'" Morris played Griff Rhys Jones's daughter in the ITV1 comedy-drama "Mine All Mine" produced by Russell T Davies, and Liv Jones in the Welsh soap "Bryncoe."

A lengthy new series clip appeared on "Test the Nation," an entertainment quiz series on BBC1. The clip was from the first episode, the scene where the Doctor told Rose to "run for her life" after helping her escape. The clip was shown in response to the question "In which show connects these 3 characters..." with pictures of Billie Piper, Bonnie Langford, Peter Purves. A clip from a Hartnell story and "Trial of a Time Lord" were also shown.

Previews are airing for the new series in Canada -- on the big screen! A trailer produced by CBC has been shown in movie theatres during the forthcoming film previews, including the new Bruce Willis movie "Hostage" and other films.

The Independent talks about the new series' challenge sending kids behind the sofas. The article examines the series' history, some of its challenges, and also its potential future.

March 12's The Independent featured a brief question/answer with Russell T Davies in which he gave some off-the-cuff answers. "You wouldn't know it but I'm very good at ... Drawing. One of my very first jobs was as a cartoonist for BBC Wales." "When I was a child I wanted to be ... A teacher, because my mother and father, and then both my sisters, were teachers." "My favourite building ... Granada Television in Manchester. So solid and Sixties with a neon Granada sign beaming out over the city. Just what a TV station should be like." "All my money goes on ... My bank account. I'm a good saver. It's a funny old job, writing; you're only as good as your next idea." "My favourite work of art ... I've got an autographed print of Charlie Brown and the Kite-Eating Tree, signed by Charles M Schulz. One of the greatest artists ever." "The best invention ever is ... The word processor and all its descendants. Allows infinite rewriting, 'cos that's where the real work is done."

The Sunday Herald also discusses Doctor Who. "Having dropped hints with the BBC throughout his career, as his knack for writing superior popular television became ever more reliable û Queer As Folk, Bob And Rose, Mine All Mine û Davies has finally been given the keys to Doctor WhoÆs Tardis, the iconic inter-dimensional phone box that has gone unused for far too long," says the article. The lengthy piece features comments from Davies as well as DWM deputy editor Tom Spilsbury, and even quotes author Lawrence Miles and Nicholas Courtney (although for the latter, it appears that quotes he's made in the past have been used.)

Sunday's Observer ran an article called "Why aliens still beguile us" that notes that "Doctor Who is carrying a lot of hopes. The BBC is banking on the rejuvenated time lord's ability to vanquish all opponents (not least Ant and Dec on ITV) and revive family viewing. It seems unlikely that a post-Dalek generation would get excited by an army of croaking jelly moulds, but the doctor will, no doubt, be tackling more blood-curdling foes this time round. .. Of the three-quarters of Scots who told lottery researchers that they are believers, half say extraterrestrials will soon be in touch with us." The article then goes into a discussion of extra terrestrial intelligence.

Finally, according to an Outpost Gallifrey source, the new series DVD boxed set released in either October or November will be a boxed set in "TARDIS packaging."

(Thanks to the following for updates today: Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Paul Hayes, Derek Hall, Kenyon Wallace, Craig Hinton, Andrew Eaton, Darrell Paterson, John Walker, Nick Smale, Anthony Forth, David Rafer, John Bowman)

Tom Baker has been named BritainÆs favorite Doctor, in a poll honoring the new series sponsored by SFX. The poll put Peter Davison in second place, followed by Jon Pertwee, Sylvester McCoy, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell, Colin Baker and, in last place, Paul McGann. SFX editor Dave Golder said Christopher Eccleston, the time traveller in the new BBC1 series, would have a hard act to follow. "The ninth doctor will have to be pretty amazing to topple Tom Baker from his perch as the quintessential Dr Who. There arenÆt many children from the Seventies who canÆt clearly remember peering out from behind the sofa to see Dr Who with his hat, scarf, jelly babies and that wild curly hair." The story has been picked up in such periodicals as the Sun and the Guardian as of March 14.

As expected, a news organization has disproven the Sun's claims that Billie Piper was about to resurrect her singing career. According to the Mirror, Piper "laughed at the suggestion that she'll be releasing any more music. She told 3am this week: 'I don't want to sing again. I'm happy acting - it's something I have always wanted to do. I didn't want to do both, I felt that one would suffer as a result, I'd be trying to do too much.'" The comments were also picked up in the Western Daily Press and other periodicals.

BBC Wales South East has posted photos from both Tuesday's press launch and from yesterday's "Have your photo taken with the TARDIS" event, including shots of producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner and members of the audience. Check it out!

The BBC Cult website for BBC Four's eagerly-awaited forthcoming live re-make of "The Quatermass Experiment" says that "Doctor Who" writer (and "League of Gentlemen" writer/star) Mark Gatiss is playing one of the Professor's associates, Paterson.

The just-published March edition of Televisual, 'The business magazine for the broadcast and production industry', has an extensive report on the new series, speaking to several people working on the show. On creating a show for the 21st Century, Steve Moffat says: "I don't think the fact that we're in the post-Star Wars era is an issue, but matching Buffy is. Doctor Who was never a space drama anyway, it was about horror: dark shadows and creepy monsters lurking just around the corner." Admitting his blueprint for the series was Buffy, RTD says: "In the 60s we could watch programmes like Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) because we were happy with the spectacle, but now we're more adult and we expect that emotional content." Davies and Julie Gardner has a 'tone meeting' out of which came the rule that in every episode the Tardis must come back to Earth. Says Davies: "We need to return to Earth to get an emotional focus on what's going on. If we're on Planet Zog and Zog people are being affected by a monster, we couldn't really give a toss. But if there's a human colony on Planet Zog, then that's more interesting." On Christopher Eccleston, Davies says: "He's not like Tom Baker, but what they have in common is that they can go around being as funny and daft and as gormless as they like, but you still take them seriously because they're fundamentally both scary, impressive men." The new Tardis interior (6.5m tall and 20m wide), it says, is raised off the ground to get away from the studio floor feel that's plagued past outings. Designer Edward Thomas: "Russell and I thought the most powerful Tardis was the first one, so we kept this in mind but then went back to nature, basing designs on organic materials, the main structure being coral, with glass walls and lots of wood." Will Cohen of The Mill is quoted saying it's the largest number of effects shots ever for a UK TV drama, and talks briefly about animating the character of Cassandra. On episode two, Cohen says: "We refer to it as the 'space opera' episode because there are two exterior space-station shots, views from outer space, a lot of green-screen set replacements, animated spiders and loads of particle work with suns expanding." For the Slitheen (creatures reported to be in "Aliens of London," Cohen says it's still difficult and time-consuming to create moving characters in human form so, for the close-up shots they used prosthetics specialist Neill Gorton's prosthetics while for the wider shots they used CG. Miniature effects superviser Mike Tucker says The Mill animated a retro-looking UFO smashing into Big Ben based on designs by conept artist Bryan Hitch, but the moment of impact was best achieved using a miniature. "You could sit there and hand-animate every single particle of dust, but sometimes it's easier to create miniatures and then just smash them up," says Tucker. Brand manager Ian Grutchfield on reaching a new generation of children: "The challenge is to get younger children to watch the show. Adults know Doctor Who exists but kids won't have heard of it and they're not traditionally the most prolific consumers of drama."

In a separate news story, the Televisual magazine reports: 'BBC canned HD deal for Doctor Who'. According to the report, the BBC turned down a Sony sponsorship deal to use HDCam kit for its high-profile return of Doctor Who, it has emerged. Instead, the decision was made to shoot the series on DigiBeta. A BBC spokeswoman explains that negotiations had started "too late in the day. We'd gone a long way down the DigiBeta path, although we had talked about HD." It said that "HD advocates fear the decision could hinder long-term international sales. 'It makes sense for such a big-budget production to future-proof the product,' says VMI managing director Barry Bassett."

The Scottish Daily Record has a humorous article about the new Doctor Who aliens today: "If the sneak preview we had yesterday of the Blue Moxx is anything to go by, the villains in the new version of Dr Who look like they're going to be a bit more menacing than the overgrown pepperpots and extras wearing upturned buckets wrapped in tinfoil that the Time Lord used to battle in the Sixties and Seventies. ... Let's just say the following list of forthcoming evil baddies is just informed speculation." It includes such items as the "Teekay Moxx," like the Moxx of Balhoon, only wearing last year's fashions; "The Dohleks," similar to the Daleks, but not as intelligent... they have a fatal weakness for doughnuts and duff beer; the "Cydermen," crazed monsters from the English West Country; and the "Eltonjonians," manic, vertically-challenge beings that regard all authority figures as vile pigs and go around chanting "Exfoliate, exfoliate"!

(Thanks to Joe Cannon, Paul Hayes, David Brunt, Russ Meresman, and as always, Paul Engelberg and Steve Tribe for today's listings)

The Times ran a front page story on Thursday morning on Doctor Who, mostly the same information as in our previous report quoting Christopher Eccleston about his Doctor's accent. Eccleston said of the original series that he "found the character of the Doctor 'too authoritarian' and tried to avoid watching it." On the cover of the Times is an image marked in our spoilers tag below.

BBC Breakfast featured a very lengthy series of installments on the show, including some footage from the press launch (in which DWM editor Clayton Hickman was quoted as saying, "If the kids don't like that, then the kids don't deserve to have any television ever shown to them again!") and extended interviews with Eccleston and Billie Piper. BBC News' Newsnight program this evening (Wednesday 9 March) featured a report on the return of the series. Host Stephen Smith arrived in a TARDIS, sat behind the sofa and introduced a montage of clips, including scenes from the show, interview clips with news media people and children who haven't a clue what "Doctor Who" actually is. The new series also appeared on an edition of Newsround with several clips from the first episode of the new series and brief interview clips with Eccleston and Piper.

SFX Magazine now has a review of the first episode to go along with the spoilers we mentioned to you that were on their site in the last press clips report. Check out the review, and read that article about their coverage of the press launch. Meanwhile, you can find those spoilers under our spoilers tag below.

Today's The Sun has an article with huge SPOILERS from what we believe is the second episode (called "The End of the World") about several new aliens. We've listed them in the spoilers tag below; note that this is pretty extensive and the article features photos (which we haven't reproduced but you can see them on the Sun site.)

BellaOnline today ran an article "Doctor Who 101ùA Newbie Viewing Guide to the Classic Series" which takes a lighthearted look at the original series in preparation for the new. A very amusing line in its Trivia section: "The special effects were bad even in their own day, thanks to a virtually non-existent budget. Imagine, if you will, creating a green lumpy monster by wrapping someone with green-painted bubble wrap. They did that. Yes, this show was famous for its cheesy effects."

The Guardian features a story, "Why can't Daleks go up stairs?" which discusses the peril of the classic monsters and how they've been updated for the new series. "As terrifying as Dr Who's arch enemies might have seemed, the fact that they could be outwitted by a simple staircase made them a shade less menacing. It's a design fault that has been rectified in the new BBC television series, due to begin at Easter."

The leak of the first episode was mentioned on American public radio network NPR's show Talk of the Nation hosted by Neal Conan, during a story called "Movies, Technology and the Future of Viewing". Conan mentioned the first episode and that downloaders "must feel that it's pretty cool to see the new Doctor Who three weeks before the BBC airs it," although the story itself was about the transformation of media and the new digital age. Also, a Reuters story on the Rose leak was on the front page of Yahoo (USA Yahoo, not UK Yahoo) for a while today... obviously, though America doesn't yet have a broadcast deal, it's still in the American consciousness.

The CBC Television network in Canada now has its own website for its broadcast of the new series. Meanwhile, on Thursday March 10th at 9:15am (EST) CBC Newsworld will be airing a feature on the leaking of the first episode of the new Doctor Who series. CBC's Allison Smith will be interviewing Canadian fan and DWIN member Rod Mammitzsch about the new series of Doctor Who, and the recent leak of the first episode onto the internet.

Today's Daily Record features an interview with Jimmy Vee, the 3'8" actor who plays a role in the new series. We've fully protected this information with our spoilers tag; read it below.

AND FINALLY... Over the past several days it's been a whirlwind keeping up with all the press clips, so I'd like to thank and credit the following people who have been providing updates, news and information: the incomparable Paul Engelberg and Steve Tribe, without whom this couldn't possibly happen; plus Paul Hayes, Malcolm Prince, John Ryan, John Molyneux, Steve Roberts, Paul Vanezis, Chuck Foster, Graeme Burk, Mike Doran, Rowan Bridge, Matt Chayt, David Baker, Darin Patea, Andrew Harvey, Richard Dinnick, Matthew Godley, Nick Johnson, Shannon Patrick Sullivan, Assad Khaishgi, Ian Beard, Richard Carletta, Michael S. Lucart, Kevin Elhart, James Crout, Simon Howe, Kenny Davidson, Ryan Piekenbrock, and Benjamin Elliott.

Interestingly, the Guardian has posted a second and far more upbeat review of the new series, perhaps suddenly realizing theirs was the only negative review... and including quotes from some of the people who attended the press launch. "They've kept the feeling of the show. It's still Doctor Who and I think Christopher Eccleston is very good," former script editor Terrance Dicks is quoted as saying. "I'm so pleased. The last Who, I hated it. It was aimed at the mid-Atlantic; I've always said it should be made in England. They've kept the feeling of the show. I think Christopher Eccleston is very good. There's a gap in the market for something both good and popular. There's stuff that's critically acclaimed and stuff that's popular, like reality TV. But this does both." Says Barry Letts, the producer of the series during the Jon Pertwee era, "I was desperate for it to work and it has. Russell T Davies said what he was doing was carrying on the torch from our time. He's a big fan. It's a relay race, you stagger on for so many years, then pass the baton on when you're exhausted. They've managed to give a few nods to the past, which the old Doctor Who fans will appreciate, without making it confusing for anybody coming to it fresh. They've done a brilliant job of updating it." And Tom Spilsbury, deputy editor of DWM, notes that he "really enjoyed it. Chris and Billie were great. It was great to see everyone else enjoying it. They laughed at the funny bits and were scared by the scary bits. It bodes very well for the series. I think kids will love it. It's exactly the sort of thing I fell in love with as a child. Christopher Eccleston still feels like a Doctor Who. He'll be looked back on by kids in 20 years' time as their doctor."

The Guardian's Media Monkey column posted some quips regarding the press launch, including the following. "BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey was very much the regal Time Lady at the launch of Doctor Who - and deservedly so. Monkey is sure the series will be a huge smash for a Saturday teatime audience, and probably be the crowning glory of Heggessey's reign at BBC1 - she certainly had to battle for years to get it on air. Heggessey showed she could mix it with rabid Whovians in an impeccably pitched speech to the audience gathered in a Cardiff hotel last night. After a little bit of Welsh, she won over fans by quoting from no less than the good Doctor in an episode from way back in 1964 after he had defeated the dalek invasion of London. ... As many know, Lorraine Heggessey is shortly to give up her BBC1 post and regenerate into the chief executive of Talkback Thames. But will one of her last BBC1 acts be to recommission Doctor Who for a second series? Many in the commercial arm of the BBC certainly hope so and executive producer Russell T Davies attested last night that he had already worked out the storylines. When Monkey put the question, all the great lady could offer was a enigmatic, Gallifreyan-style smile." Regarding any possible unflattering articles or reviews: "it may well be due to the fact that many hacks were exhausted after returning to London via an uncomfortable coach that took three hours to reach London from Cardiff. One reporter was overheard asking if it had really been worth it as he hunted for a cab in the vicinity of Baker Street station at 2am." Also noted were some of the guests that turned up: "Matt Lucas, from Little Britain, Charlotte Church and Robson Green. But one unexpected attendee was Beryl Vertue, the stately executive producer of the sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Vertue told Monkey that her son in law, Steven Moffat, had written two episodes of the new Doctor Who series and was currently in Australia and desperate for a report about the launch and first episode. Vertue then revealed that in the 1960s she has been the agent of Who legend and daleks' creator Terry Nation when he had negotiated his copyright agreement with the BBC, the one that caused the BBC all that trouble last year when Nation's estate refused to allow the metallic monsters into the new series. Everyone was all smiles last night, but there must have been times over the last year when the BBC wished it had driven a harder bargain back in 1963."

BBC News today collected several of the various news stories seen in today's papers in an article entitled "Papers feature Dr Who's monsters". (We spend all this time collecting and collating a couple of hundred stories in a couple of days, and then BBC News goes and does the job for us!)

Richard Wilson, who plays the role of Dr. Constantine in the two-parter written by Steven Moffat, was interviewed byManchester Online regarding the upcoming Red Nose Day charity event. Says the article: "During the launch, he spent a morning chatting with a group of teenagers there who suffer from a variety of stress and anxiety disorders, and gave them an insight into his imminent appearance on our screens again - this time in Dr Who. 'I play a doctor in an episode set in the Second World War and am in two episodes. I was excited when I was approached to play a part and as soon as I read the script for the episodes they wanted me to feature in I made my mind up that I wanted the role. As well as the kudos of starring in Dr Who, it was also good to play alongside Christopher Eccleston, because although I know him socially I'd never had the opportunity to work with him until now. He's made a very good Dr Who and has brought a fresh touch to the role.'"

Also in today's Manchester Online: a feature with several new comments. "I'd like to see an episode set in Salford in the sixties," Christopher Eccleston says, referring to his home town, and noting his northern accent. "It's good that we say to kids: `Actually people who sound like this can also be heroic and very intelligent.' It's a good message to send." On whether he's prepared for the role and to be identified with it: "The death scene in Cracker has been that for me. But I intend to keep busy and keep doing very different things. If people remember me just for this - I'd be happy to be remembered." Bruno Langley, who plays Adam in at least one episode (the reprot notes he's in two, as Outpost Gallifrey has always maintained), notes that he had nightmares about being chased by Daleks. But he says it was a price worth paying: "It's probably one of the biggest gags in the series. I was very privileged to be given that line," referring to the term "Elevate!" when the Daleks fly. The report also suggests that "a second series is already in development, although Eccleston is undecided about whether he'll return to the role."

Sky Showbiz today quotes Billie Piper, in terms of how co-star Christopher Eccleston helped her "get over her broken marriage." "Christopher and I have shared a lot during the past eight months. We had heavy schedules and personal lives and we're joined at the hip. ... We get on famously. It was instant - it just worked straight away. ... Me and Chris had a great time while we were together and that's all that concerns me. We're best buddies and always will be." The story was also picked up on Ananova

Today's Steve Wright show on Radio 2 at 3:25pm featured a radio trailer for the series, which starts "Coming soon..." and uses the "I'm the Doctor, by the way" exchange; Wright reckons Eccleston looks like a really cool Doctor - "he might go to gigs"; and a Dalek voice (Nicholas Briggs, perhaps?) proclaiming "Doc-tor Who-oo on BBC Radio 2!"

The Independent noted that the BBC invited several MPs to the press launch, and it was a "hot ticket - until, that is, the Government decided to hold yet another debate on its draconian anti-terror Bill." "Several guests are reported to be gutted, not least the Tory education spokesman, Tim Collins, a lifelong fan who has appeared on TV documentaries about the Time Lord. 'Terror debate or not, I'll be very surprised if Tim misses the screening,' reckons a colleague. 'As for the rest of us, we'll have to decide which is more important: the invasion of the Daleks, or the invasion of al-Qa'ida.' Best leave it to your consciences, chaps."

The latest edition of the BBC's in-house magazine / paper Ariel ( Week 9, dated 8.3.05 ) has a two page feature spread on the return of Doctor Who by Clare Bolt. There's precious little material that's new, although there's a little bit about the filming of "The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances," as well as mentions of 'a sub-aquatic monster' and 'a multi-tentacled Victorian submarine'. There are also a handful of behind-the-scenes photos, including the TARDIS prop being erected at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and a rooftop being blasted with fake snow.

There were various inconsequential reports (but still fascinating due to the number) popping up all over the internet about the impending return of Doctor Who, including the New York Times, Waveguide and a variety of papers such as the Aberdeen Press and Journal, Fort McMurray Today (Alberta) and the Liverpool Daily Echo. There's also a two page interview with Billie Piper in "Now magazine", the March 16 issue. Lots of press coverage today!

Finally, the photos below are all press release photos, some from the second episode, including a larger version of one of the Tree People (Yasmin Bannerman), a group of alien monks, the Moxx of Balhoon (Jimmy Vee), the Face of Poe, an attack by Autons, and Eccleston's card trick.

(Thanks for submissions today to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Andrew Harvey, Chuck Foster, Paul Hayes, Daniel Northover, Andrew Farmer, Lorna Mitchell, Tom Beck, Andrew Foxley, John Bowman)