An interview posted on the TwitchFilm website with writer Mark Gatiss discusses many topics including the new series. In the interview, conducted very recently, Gatiss notes that he was "in Cardiff yesterday, at the press junket, and it was - I can say without affectation - one of the most exciting days of my entire life." On the subject of Christopher Eccleston: "He's brilliant. He's brilliant. I think the show will surprise a lot of people and that, particularly, Chris will. He's known for his intensity, his rather scary intensity, which he DOES have as the Doctor. And equally, if you know him in real life, he's a really good laugh and a lovely man and it' s that sort of duality that he brings to it. He's like a kind of crazy child, but then when he tells you off you quake in your shoes. It's actually kind of a Tom Baker-ish quality, but in a completely different way." On the Daleks: "They're back. They are. That's true. I saw one yesterday and cried real tears. It's a marvelous story by Rob Shearman and I can't think of a better way of bringing them back. It makes your hair stand on end, it's so spooky. Intense. Dynamite, really." On whether it will continue after this series: "Oh, well, everyone wants it to continue, obviously, but it's a real killer. I mean thirteen forty five minute episodes may not sound like a lot but the thing is that apart from a few two-parters they're all one offs, so you need new sets, new situations, and new casts. It's really exhausting. When my episode was finished recording I shot the League film and did several other things and by the time I cam to see my episode they still had five more to shoot. It feels like so long ago! Russell [Davies, another Who writer] said to me "We've discovered the show that will kill us all." But, god yes. We'd love to continue." And on whether he'd want to write for subsequent seasons: "Oh, god yes. I don't want to just do one. I feel like having been privileged to be part of the team that brought it back in what I feel is such a marvelous way I'd like to leave a legacy of stories. Of course mostly I'd like to be Dr. Who!" For more on his thoguhts and to read the full article, visit theTwitchFilm site. (Thanks to Peter Weaver, Paul Hayes)

A few spoilers from the new series that we believe to be very accurate are circulating on several Doctor Who mailing lists and in magazines now. Click on the spoiler tag to read the information... but don't do it if you want to be surprised!

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine features some updates on casting for the new series. Besides confirming actors Zoe Wanamaker ('a part shrouded in secrecy... tabloid rumours [about the nature of the part] are completely untrue!'), Simon Pegg (in "The Long Game") and Tamsin Greig (also in "The Long Game"; says producer Phil Collinson, "the part she's playing will change the life of one of the TARDIS travellers... but I'm not saying how") which have been reported here previously, the magazine also confirms actor Richard Wilson, famed for his "I Don't Believe It" role of Victor Meldrew, will play the role of "the mysterious Doctor Constantine." Episode 6 by Rob Shearman also features Steven Beckingham as Polkowski, John Schwab ("The Order") as Bywater, Jana Carpenter ("Silent Witness") as Di Maggio, Nigel Whitmey ("Helen of Troy") as Simmons, Joe Montana ("The Bourne Identity") as the Commander andBarnaby Edwards from Big Finish's audio range as a Dalek. Episode 7, "The Long Game," features Christine Adams("NY-LON") and Anna Maxwell Martin ("Enduring Love") in unknown roles. And episode 8 by Paul Cornell featuresFrank Rozelaar-Green ("Micawber") as Sonny, Rhian James as Suzie, Eirlys Bellin ("The Magic Paintbrush: A Story From China") as Bev, Christopher Llewellyn ("The Black Dog") as Stuart, Natalie Jones ("Cadfael") as Sarah, andCasey Dyer as the boy. The issue also confirms musician Murray Gold as doing the incidental music and that the title for Mark Gatiss' episode is "The Unquiet Dead," both reported here previously. There's also a comment from exec producer Russell T Davies about the start date: "If you hear anyone, anywhere, quoting sources giving an authoritative date, they are merely guessing and trying to sound important" (which, by the way, we believe he was referring to print magazines and online speculation, not our reporting... we stand by the late March date simply because of the information we've gotten from people who are in the position to know.) (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

A few updates we can pass along: in the third episode (still tentatively called "The Unquiet Dead"), we can attach two confirmed actors with their roles -- Eve Miles plays Gwyneth and Alan David plays Gabriel Sneed -- while a new name,Meic Povey, plays The Driver. Also, Paul McFadden is the sound editor for the new series; his credits include "Agent Cody Banks 2," "Waking the Dead" and "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," and he was nominated for an MPSE Golden Reel award and won a BAFTA Wales award for his work on the film "Veronica Guerin" with Cate Blanchett. Also, the latest issue of Dreamwatch magazine mentions the name of an alien race apparently appearing in Paul Cornell's episode (the one they note as "Death Day" although this is not the title): the race is called the Vanishers. December 15 update: I'm told this is also not correct, there is no race called the Vanishers in this story.

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine reveals two directors instead of one for the next production block for the new series. Brian Grant, whose directoral credits include "Clocking Off," "Bugs," "Hex," "As If," "Love Bytes," "Highlander: The Raven" and "She-Wolf of London," will be directing episode 7, currently entitled "The Long Game" and written by Russell T Davies, which itself is noted as "block 4A". James Hawes, whose directing work includes "Sea of Souls," "Holby City," "The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries," "The Bill" and "Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World," is the director of "block 4B," which consists of Steven Moffat's two-part story "The Empty Child" set in the 1940's. We believe that this block of filming has already commenced. The reason for two separate directors for this block of filming has been reportedly due to an unusual length of special effects and production needed for episode 7.

Also in the new DWM, some brief updates on casting. American-born actor Corey Johnson (Agent Clay in "Hellboy" and part of the cast of the upcoming film adaptation of "A Sound of Thunder) plays the role of Henry in episode 6, which also stars Anna-Louise Plowman (best known to SF fans as Osiris, formerly Sarah Gardner, Daniel Jackson's ex-girlfriend on "Stargate SG-1") as Diana, while Shaun Dingwall ("Touching Evil," "Villa des roses," "Soldier, Soldier") is in episode 8 playing the role of Pete. More details as they're available.

December 1's icWales published an interview with Noel Clarke (Mickey), called "This time it is Auf Wiedersehen" discussing the end of that series (which Clarke stars in as Wyman) and his next job, the new Doctor Who series. "It seems to be that whenever they're rehashing a show from 20 years ago, I get a call!" he tells icWales. "Actually, I wish it was like that because I'm sure there'll be more old stuff coming up. ... I watched both of the series when I was young and to grow up and then be in them is really rare. It's fun and just what you imagine it would be like, especially with Dr Who. When I was little I dreamed about running from monsters and Daleks and 20 years later here I am doing just that. I got really excited when I went inside the Tardis for the first time." He notes that his relationship with Rose (Billie Piper) will be "a Ross and Rachel thing. You want them to get together but you're not sure if they're going to." (Thanks to Paul Engelberg)

Billie Piper (Rose) was interviewed for the January issue of the "Marie Claire" women's fashion magazine. "My Life After Chris - Her first Interview since the split" is the title of the article, in which she talks about her life and relationship, auditioning for parts, why she wanted to begin acting... and then the interview turns to Doctor Who. When asked what it's like working with Eccleston: "He's so brilliant. What a top bloke." Piper is told that lot of actresses must have wanted the job of Doctor Who's assistant: "Yeah, apparently they saw a sh*tload of people and then, I don't know, it just worked straight away, it really did." About the unspoken sexual frisson between the characters of Doctor Who and his assistant: "Yeah ... absolutely. I think in the past, though, it's been played differently to how it's being played now. The great thing about this Doctor Who is that as much as it's sci-fi, it's so much about the Doctor's and Rose's dynamic and their journey and about educating each other. About him expanding and challenging her ideas and, you know, just showing her stuff that she would have never seen. And it's her teaching him to be more human and be sympathetic towards things. So they're kind of like a good friendship or a good marriage or whatever. Of course, you desperately want them to get together." The interview then continues on about her time with Chris Evans and her new found singleness, along with photos. (Thanks to Danny Lamb)

New series guest star Simon Callow was on The Frank Skinner Show on ITV1 on December 2 talking about Phantom of the Opera and the new series of Doctor Who. He said that Doctor Who fans were "weird" and that he was aware that "once you're in the series you're part of Doctor Who forever." He claimed that fans would turn up during the filming in Cardiff at 3am dressed in Doctor Who costumes amid the paparazzi who were climbing on things to take pictures (though we know that the only people in costume were actually working on the series!) Callow noted that his character Charles Dickens "teams up with the Doctor to save the Earth from alien infestation." (Thanks to Gavin Rymill)

Outpost Gallifrey has seen several articles noting that BBC employees have been "inundated" with death threats from crazed Doctor Who fans who are making changes to their beloved series. Fear not - these are actually massively overhyped tabloid articles based on rumors and hyperbole (including comments picked up right on our very own forums!) These same papers are reporting that Billie Piper has a new "boyfriend". The lack of journalistic credibility and integrity on the part of these reporters stuns us. (That's sarcasm! - Ed.)

The SFX site, the website of the science fiction magazine from Future Publishing, has a small handful of new photos from some recent filming done in Cardiff. "The Doctor Who production team are out and about filming on the streets of Cardiff again," says the report. "Our spies contacted us today to tell us that they had blocked off a street in Bute, near Cardiff Bay train station. We don't know which episode they're shooting, but because of the presence of soldiers in red caps, our guess is that they're filming pick-up shots for the two-parter 'Aliens Of London.'" You can see the photos on their site.

The latest issue of Dreamwatch magazine, #124, contains a couple of spoilers including two possible episode names; click on the spoiler tag below for more details. Dreamwatch 124 also features an interview with Insect Design about the development of the new Doctor Who logo... and, revealingly, how it reflects the interior design of the new TARDIS. Insect Design also confirms that the logo will be animated for the opening sequence. The issue is on the newsstands on November 25.

New series producer Russell T Davies appeared today on BBC Radio Five Live (which you can listen to by clicking here). As well as all the usual 'exciting' comments, Davies says 'New year, probably March and it's going marvellously' for the launch date, which is likely the most 'official' confirmation we've had (or sort of!) 'Good for them' is his comment on the Nation Estate and the 'small print' of the Dalek negotiations ('I hope my agent will be representing my rights when I'm gone'). Definitely no K9 in the new series. He hasn't finished writing - 'I'm still hurtling towards the first episode... about to catch up with the filming so we might have to do the last episode live!' (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

SFX's Christmas issue is out this week, and producer Phil Collinson is interviewed. "I can confirm that the Daleks WILL say exterminate - it would be madness to stop that happening," he tells SFX, confirming what was reported in the press some time ago. "But other than that, we do see this episode as very, very important, for both old and new viewers... It would be a shame to give away too much. But I can tell you that the Daleks will be doing things they've never done on screen before... If ever you've laughed at them, prepare to have the smile frozen on your face..." Collinson also talks about the possibility of the new series having pre-title "teaser" sequences. "All the early episodes have got the potential to do this, in the edit, and we're starting to like it so much that we're actually writing them in to later episodes." But, he adds, "If we sit in the edit and don't like them, we can change our minds at the last minute." (Thanks to SFX Magazine and BBCi)