November 20's Liverpool Echo ran a story about how timeless Doctor Who really is... and how it's proof that television isn't as good as it used to be - just in time for the anniversary. "Most people will have vivid memories of the Doctor," it says, noting that "its reputation for being so scary that kids hid behind the sofa to watch it seems slightly absurd in this day and age of horror flicks and video games, but at the time, it was terrifying. Despite its shaky sets, dodgy costumes and on occasion frankly laughable scripts, it blazed a trail -- and took whole generations of TV viewers with it on its adventures." It also notes many of the assistants including Frazer Hines, Elisabeth Sladen, Bonnie Langford, Louise Jameson and Janet Fielding... and of course, "The baddies were just as important. The ultimate, of course, were The Daleks. Viewed with an adult, post-Star Wars eye, the Daleks look about as threatening as a can of tuna fish. But at the time, their monotone cyber-voices, their relentless pursuit of their enemies, and their motto: "Exterminate!", were extremely frightening." The article concludes with a very positive note: "It is easy to mock Doctor Who. It wasn't exactly big budget, and yet it is one of the most affectionately remembered shows in British TV history. It has spawned a legion of fans who still hold conventions. Its theme music is still recognised. There have been Doctor Who exhibitions and a variety of spin-off merchandise. The Doctor might have been gone for a while, but he has never been forgotten."

Today's Western Mail (repeated on icWales) features a news story about the filming of the sixth episode of the new series... and involvement of local police. "Police were alerted yesterday after Daleks were involved in a shoot-out with armed guards," according to the report. "Gunfire and explosions could be heard for miles around as the filming for the new TV series of Dr Who went off with a bang. Police had a series of calls from passers-by who thought an armed robbery was going on in Cardiff city centre. But the noise was from the special effects on the set of the cult time-travelling show." A BBC spokesman told the Mail that police were aware that the filming was happening at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, but that locals had not been informed. "The battle scenes are very realistic and that means the use of hazardous explosives," said a BBC representative. Meanwhile, news reports continue about the photos of the Daleks leaked first by the Sun and then across the Internet (as we reported yesterday, with photo display.) The Registerdiscussed the leak of the photos (including mentioning this website in its report.) (Thanks to Chuck Foster, Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe, Paul Hayes)

A story in October 29's Mid Sussex Times (and also picked up in The Sun discusses a recent funeral for fan Tim Haws in which he was buried in a TARDIS-shaped coffin. "Tim Haws, renowned for his love of the old BBC television series, made his last journey in a "time machine" as mourners looked upon the unusual coffin at his funeral service at St George's Church in Hurstpierpoint on Tuesday. Tim died at only 43 from lymphatic cancer and brother-in-law Peter, from College Lane, Hurstpierpoint, had been building him a long-cherished Dr Who wardrobe, which he had been unable to complete before Tim lost his battle for life. Instead Peter, who has made theatre sets, turned to making Tim the coffin, which also bore a special flower arrangement when it was carried into the church." (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Ian Wheeler)

The October 29 edition of Broadcast Magazine discusses the Doctor Who title sequence as being the single best title sequence of all time. "A good titles sequence draws the audience in and prepares them for the show. A great title sequence will build a level of anticipation that will enhance the experience, make comedy more amusing, drama more gripping and documentaries more profound. But how do you build that anticipation?" Broadcast picked titles that have "done the most to influence the sequences of today's television" and lists Doctor Who in first place: "Dr Who first aired in 1963 with a title sequence that has developed through the years and will no doubt be adapted for the most recent incarnation. Much of the praise for that longevity must go to designer Bernard Lodge, technical manager Ben Palmer and Ron Grainer of the Radiophonic Workshop. The original sequence was created by Palmer pointing the camera at a monitor to which its signal was going to, thus creating a "howlround". Lodge then introduced graphics to interact with the pictures. Lodge says: "It was a simple image that reflected the nature of the programme."

During a spot on this past weekend's edition of the popular US variety series Saturday Night Live (guest hosted by Kate Winslet), Doctor Who was mentioned on the series. The sketch was about a Halloween-costume store, owned by Glenda Goodwin (played by series regular Maya Rudolph) who has a selection of tame costumes available because "Halloween costumes scare the crap" out of her. Showing a selection of costumes not at her store, there was a stillshot of the Cybermen (with her voiceover identifying them as "freakazoids"). Two images are below, of Rudolph and the Cyberman still. (Thanks to Michael S. Lucart for the images, Peter Miller)

The new issue of Dreamwatch's UK edition (#123) features an interview with Russell T. Davies, in which he reveals his reaction to the first cut of the first episode and discusses various new developments. He also responds to suggestions that he is turning the series into a soap with the introduction of recurring characters like Rose's Mum and boyfriend and so forth.

Exec producer Russell T Davies spoke to icWales about his newest drama series, Mine All Mine, a six-part serial that debuts on ITV1 in November. "Mine All Mine", which features an all-star cast including Griff Rhys Jones, Ruth Madoc, Jason Hughes and Joanna Page, follows the fanciful story of eccentric cab driver Max Vivaldi who believes that, according to a faded legal document written in 1710, his family owns the whole of Swansea. His neighbours and even his wife and three children laugh at Max whenever he brings up the subject of his inheritance until one day his incredible claim is proved to be true.

A recent edition of BellaOnline discusses a female perspective on the return of the new series, including biographical info and series details -- none of which is new to any of us, but is indicative of the wide net of press coverage now being seen.

Newsquest ran a story on October 21 about the series filming on Penarth Pier. "Various media groups have used Penarth as a location for filming and advertisements in recent months," says the article. "A BBC crew visited the town last month to film part of the new series of Doctor Who in and around Headlands School on Paget Place." Penarth Pier has also featured in a number of dramas and films over the years.

The Independent ran a story on October 27 called "The World According to Mark Gatiss," an interview with the creator of "The League of Gentlemen" and one of the writers for the new series. Only once was the new show mentioned. "Who would win in a celebrity death match: Daleks or Cybermen? For sheer mobility, you would have to say the Cybermen, but of course the Daleks can now go upstairs. And they have firepower on their side. My sister used to tease me when I was little because she had seen Dr Who from the beginning and used to say that her favourite story was when the Cybermen and the Daleks got together. But I knew they never had."

The Daily Record interviewed Jimmy Vee on October 26, who stars as an alien in the new series -- in fact, one of the midget aliens Outpost Gallifrey displayed exclusive photos of several weeks ago. "Standing at just three foot eight inches, Jimmy Vee may be small, but he packs a punch as an alien in the latest series... By night, Jimmy, from Harthill, is one of the attractions at raunchy burlesque nightclub Club Noir. But by day, the Razz can reveal that he is the secret star of many a Hollywood blockbuster - from Willow to Harry Potter - where he has played an assortment of roles designed for a small man." In the new series, he says he plays various extraterrestrials. "I play different aliens in it. It's my biggest part yet and although I'm not yet raking it in, I hope it will lead to bigger things. There are lots of different episodes and everything is top secret."

The Express' "Show Bitz" column on October 22 noted that "Producers of the BBC's new Dr Who series ... have become so paranoid about leaks that they have now resorted to MI5-style measures to ensure secrecy. My sources tell me that each script has been watermarked, individually printed, signed out with a confidentially agreement and tracked to ensure no details filter through. When a member of the production team had his laptop stolen from his car, BBC security went into overdrive to track it down in an all-out bid to protect the storyline information contained in the computer's files. Sadly it seems that even with such measures the leaks just keep on coming..."

The icHuddersfield website reports on a company called Vehicles in Vision that supplies vehicles for, among other films and programmes, the new Doctor Who series.

Last week's Media Guardian reported in a column called "Dramatic Moves": "Bananas to the BBC's drama department, which is working overtime to bring the more far-flung bits of the British Isles to the screen. The Welsh town of Usk is being used to send Dr Who back to Victorian Britain..."

Finally, the latest issue of SFX Magazine features a rundown of some of the rumors recently reported on the new series, including some spoilers as noted below.

The TARDIS was featured on the October 15 edition of the BBC1 series Top of the Pops, right in front of BBC Television Centre! For no reason, but it's still quite cool...

Doctor Who Nancy Cox and Matthew Saunders celebrated an out-of-this-world wedding dressing as characters from Doctor Who, according to this article in the Bucks Free Press. (Thanks to Mark Healey)

An October 7 news item from Newsquest noted that a security company at the Penarth Leisure Centre guarding props and high-tech equipment being used to film the new Doctor Who series was almost broken into by a crowd of thugs. "Officers were called in to deal with an incident at the Leisure Centre last Friday night," Huw Smart, inspector at Penarth police station, said. "There is an ongoing problem of youth annoyance at the Leisure Centre in Cogan. We have arranged for regular patrols of the area."

The Western Mail and icWales ran an article about Cardiff hoping to become a tourist attraction now that Doctor Who is filming there. "DOCTOR WHO could help Cardiff become the centre of the universe for science fiction buffs around the world, following the sale of international TV rights. Shooting for the eagerly-anticipated new series continued in the capital this week, with dedicated websites excitedly trailing pictures of new aliens and blue-painted dwarves milling around the city centre's Cathays Park. And, according to experts, the city providing the backdrop to Christopher Eccleston's Doctor could soon benefit from a tourist boost. Cardiff is fast becoming a magnet for British fans of the show, drawn by the prospect of a rare glimpse of Doctor Who's space-and-time-travelling craft the Tardis, as well as his young assistant Rose, played by Billie Piper. And following the sale of the new series's rights to Canada, and with a deal in the US reportedly close to being finalised, that appeal could go global." Matt Hills, an expert in Doctor Who and fan behaviour at Cardiff University, told the Western Mail, "A similar thing happened with Vancouver when they were filming the X Files there, with tourists who would be science fiction fans going around locations where it was filmed." Read the full article at the website. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe)

An article in today's Manchester Evening News called "Meet the partners in time!" notes that, unlike in previous years, "the masterful, male Time Lord and his submissive, female assistant will be history-surfing companions boasting identical billing." "They really are written as a team. They have level pegging," producer Russell T Davies tells the News about the Doctor and Rose. "You couldn't have him as the dominant man and her as the humble assistant in this day and age." Davies notes that this Doctor has a sense of humour: "I think it's magnificent and it's very funny. It's not a knock-about farce, but it's laugh-out-loud funny. That's partly because Christopher Eccleston knew he had a reputation as a very serious actor and wanted to do it because he wished to reinvent himself and show how funny he could be. At the same time as being funny, he brings a tremendous weight. There's a good example in a scene where he is arguing with an alien. It's not tongue in cheek or ironic. He brings a real seriousness. And then, in the more everyday dialogue, he can have laugh." The article also discusses Rose's first entry into the TARDIS -- Davies' "absolute favourite" scene, which he calls "magnetic" -- and actress Billie Piper in general. "She's the hardest-working woman I have ever dealt with. People have this preconception about her being a former pop star, but she has an absolutely brilliant future as an actress. The scene where she walks into the Tardis is beautifully shot and beautifully acted. It's stunning." The article also mentions that the recent reports about the Daleks not saying "Exterminate!" is nonsense (also noted in the Sci-Fi Online article) and that viewers shouldn't expect heavy-handed morality tales: "It's fun, it's lively, it's for Saturday night. We don't want to bring in drama like global warming because no-one is going to watch. It's not about that at all - it's about fighting monsters but having a good drama along the way." You can read the full article by clicking on the link. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Tim Brook, Steve Tribe)