The next issue of SFX Magazine features an interview with Russell T Davies as part of a six-page preview of the new series.

The interview covers why the series doesn't visit many alien planets, why they're doing a "Haunted House" episode, and why he decided not to "darken" the Doctor. He also provides a guide to what he considers the scariest episode, the funniest, the sexiest, the saddest, and how Martha differs from Rose.

There's also an update on The Sarah Jane Adventures in the news section.

The issue is on sale from Wednesday 14th March, features a sheet of free Doctor Who fridge magnets, and there's a Doctor Who special coming from SFX at the end of the month. Click on the thumbnails below to see the cover and magnets.

(Thanks to Ian Berriman of SFX)

BBC Books has released the cover image for the forthcoming publication Doctor Who: Creatures and Demons, written by Justin Richards.

Further details about the book are given below. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover.

(Thanks to Caroline Newbury/Random House)

BBC News reports that Billie Piper is back on stage after illness forced her to miss two performances of her West End stage show Treats.

Signing autographs after the show, Piper reported she had been quite ill with gastric flu but was well and ready to work.

The BBC's Doctor Who website released a new official promotional picture today, shown right and captioned "Back with a bang!", as Series Three's start in the UK approaches.

The image - plus other desktop wallpaper - is available via this link.

As reported earlier on Outpost Gallifrey, the new series is set to begin on Saturday, March 31.

Dreamwatch Sci Fi said the BBC confirmed the date to it after Doctor Who Magazine was told the start date would be March 24.

The schedule was apparently changed after Doctor Who Magazine went to print and it was decided BBC One would be screening the England v Israel European Championship football qualifier that Saturday.

The TARDIS has been voted the all-time best gadget by UK schoolchildren, ahead of the laptop, iPod and 007's jet pack. The nationwide survey was made by a supermarket chain to promote their computers for schools scheme.
(source: Bournemouth Echo and icWales. More results will be revealed on 13 March according to this )

The Doctor Who outfits previously worn by Tom Baker and several other TV Time Lords were auctioned off byBonhams to save space and insurance premiums.

The burgundy coat, brown tweed trousers and striped scarf worn by Baker sold for 24,600 pounds (about 46,000 US dollars). This was 12 times the amount that was expected. His double-breasted frock coat went for a further 7,000 pounds.

Other Doctor Who costumes included:

Patrick Troughton's Doctor's outfit, which went for 8,000 pounds.
Jon Pertwee's Doctor's complete outfit and sonic screwdriver went for 8,000 pounds also.
Peter Davison's Doctor's outfit went for 4,200 pounds.
Sylvester McCoy's Doctor's outfit for 1,000 pounds.

Also reported at metro.co.uk, BBC News and The Sun.

According to a report on DigitalSpy, in a recent interview David Tennant revealed that an "inappropriate" underwater scene was cut from the script of an episode of Series 3. Freema Agyeman, aka Martha Jones, was required to strip down to her underwear for the scene, which was later cut by the producers.

"There was an underwater scene in a draft of the new series but we nixed it out," explained Tennant. "It was bordering on inappropriate. You can't have s****ing in the Tardis."

BBC Four has scheduled a repeat of episode 1 of The Web of Fear on Sunday, 18th March.

It will be shown from 8.35pm, as part of an evening of programmes themed around the London Underground. Episode 1 is the only surviving episode in the BBC archives from the six-part Patrick Troughton story, that was originally broadcast in 1968.

David Tennant is reuniting with The Runaway Bride co-star Catherine Tate for Comic Relief but probably not as the Doctor.

The BBC press office says Tate has teamed up with Tennant and Lenny Henry plus other surprise guests for some new sketches.

Red Nose Day 2007 - on Friday, March 16 - will also see Simon Pegg (The Long Game),Davina McCall (Bad Wolf), Trinny Woodall (Bad Wolf), Maureen Lipman (The Idiot's Lantern) and Peter Kay (Love and Monsters) involved in the fund-raising drive to help vulnerable people in the UK and Africa.

It is being screened on BBC1 from 7pm to approximately 3.05am on Saturday, with a 35-minute break for the news at 10pm.