The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) today released the final ratings numbers for New Earth: 8.62 million viewers watched the episode in the UK, an increase of 0.63m on the initial overnight figures. BARB figures traditionally are slightly different than overnights, as they take into account research into timeshifted viewing (watching the episode later after recording it). With this, Doctor Who is third place for the week in all UK programs behind ITV1's "Coronation Street" and BBC1's "EastEnders", and places ninth for the week in the top ten airings (as 'Coronation Street' and 'EastEnders' are both shown multiple times, five and three respectively). These figures also leave 'New Earth', a million viewers up on 'Aliens of London' on the same Saturday in 2005, and 0.62m ahead of the series average for last year, making it the fifth most successful episode since Doctor Who's return, only slightly behind the 8.63m achieved by 'Dalek'.

Also, on the non-terrestrial (multi-channel) charts -- digital and satellite broadcasts -- Doctor Who Confidentialepisode one was seen by 761,000 viewers to place seventh overall for the week. The documentary was up by over 30,000 on the overnights and almost a quarter of a million more than was achieved by Confidential on the same Saturday in 2005. (Thanks to 'Shaun Lyon', Steve Tribe)

Ratings for the seventh episode of the first season of the new series, The Long Game, on US television on the Sci Fi Channel, are in. The numbers were slightly up from the previous week, averaging a 1.20 household rating with an average viewing audience of 1.4 million viewers, up one-tenth of a million from the previous week's low for "Dalek". Season-to-date, Sci Fi reports that Doctor Who is currently averaging a 1.35 household rating and an average audience of 1.6 million viewers for the season (noting also that the audience, according to their current mid-season demographics, is 64% male/36% female, with a median age of 47 years.)

A press release from the BBC Press Office announces that actorsBurn Gormanand Naoko Mori -- the latter of whom appeared in a role in last year's "Aliens of London" and here reprises the same role -- have been cast alongside John Barrowman and Eve Myles in the brand new BBC Three spinoff series Torchwood. "Burn Gorman has been cast to play Owen Harper, the raw but charming medic of the group. Burn's most recent acting credits include the hugely popular role of Guppy in the BBC ONE award-winning adaptation of Dickens' Bleak House, written by Andrew Davies. Lead writer and Executive producer, Russell T Davies says: 'Burn was just dazzling in last year's Bleak House, and attracted our attention immediately. We beat a path to his door. He's one of the UK's brightest new talents, and I can't believe how lucky we are to get him for Torchwood.' Naoko Mori will play Toshiko Sato – the member of the team who specialises in all things computer, surveillance and technical. She is best known for her role as Saffy's best friend Sarah (aka Titicaca), in the comedy series Absolutely Fabulous. Of Naoko, Russell T Davies says: 'We were lucky enough to work with Naoko in 2004, on the very first day's filming of the new Doctor Who, which introduced the character of Toshiko Sato in the episode Aliens of London. She was absolutely brilliant, and I knew then that I wanted to bring her back.' The British sci-fi crime thriller for adult audiences will follow the adventures of a team of renegade investigators, led by the enigmatic Captain Jack, played by John Barrowman. It will see the investigators use alien technology in a real world to solve crime; both alien and human. The 13-part drama series begins filming in Wales next month and will transmit on BBC THREE and BBC ONE." Also reported at the official Doctor Whowebsite.

Higher viewing figures frequently mean lower Audience Appreciation figures, and so it proves for Tooth and Claw. Saturday's episode has an AI of 83, a couple of points down on 'New Earth' and tied with last year's 'Father's Day' as the eighth-highest AI for the new series. It remains, of course, an excellent figure, since the overwhelming majority of television programmes score in the 60s or 70s.

Predictably, Sunday night's Coronation Street was watched by enough viewers (9.31m) to push 'Tooth and Claw' into ninth place in the week's top ten, making Doctor Who the week's third most watched television show, behind Coronation Street and EastEnders. Whether timeshift figures will be enough to push the episode any further up the chart remains to be seen...

Figures are also now available for BBC Three's Sunday repeat of the second episode, which was watched by an average of 542,200 viewers, a 3.3% audience share. The episode began with 191,000 viewers, doubled to 383,000 within ten minutes, and peaked at 781,000 at 7.55pm. This is an increase of 158,200 on the previous Sunday's repeat of 'New Earth', and is almost exactly the same as the figure for 'World War Three' (555,000) on the same Sunday last year. (Thanks to Steve Tribe and 'Shaun Lyon')

"He has been rusting in his kennel for too long," says today's Times. "Now K9 is taking centre-stage with his own £3 million animated series and a range of high-tech toys." In a rather unsurprising development to anyone who has followed the trail of rumors - first reported on Outpost Gallifrey, in fact, nearly two years ago - K9 will feature in a new animated spinoff series worked on by one of his creators, Bob Baker, and made by Jetix Europe. "Doctor Who's faithful robotic assistant, who will be reunited with his master on Saturday in a special guest appearance on the revived BBC show, will become a star in his own right -- equipped with a lethal blaster -- in a computergenerated series made in partnership with the Walt Disney Corporation. K9 Adventures will be a 26-episode comedy-fantasy series set in outer space. The new-look K9 is a galactic crime-fighter -- far removed from the underpowered pup given to Tom Baker in 1977. Bob Baker, co-creator of the robot dog, promises to give his pet 'a sleek new look using state of the art CGI animation mixed with live action'. The new series is being made by Jetix Europe, owner of 14 children's television channels, which are screened to 43 million households across Europe and the Middle East. Disney is the majority shareholder in Jetix, which hopes to distribute K9 Adventures through mobile phones as well as its UK television channel. The series may also be sold to terrestrial commercial broadcasters. Contractual obligations mean that the Doctor is unable to join K9 on his space mission -- Doctor Who is owned by BBC Worldwide -- but K9 Adventures is the property of Bob Baker, whose writing credits include the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Paul Tams, a veteran Doctor Who designer. Baker said: 'It's thrilling to be able to offer younger Doctor Who fans the chance to get to know K9. I believe they will love the 21st century K9 as much as past generations did when he appeared in Doctor Who.' K9 partnered the Doctor from 1977 until 1981, and Saturday's special episode features a reunion between dog, master and Sarah Jane Smith, Tom Baker's assistant, again played by Elisabeth Sladen. They investigate sinister events at a modern day school run by Anthony Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. An animated K9 allows his creators to rectify some original design flaws. When the metal mutt was first presented to Tom Baker's Doctor his motorised noise drowned out the actors. His painfully slow movement meant that the dog, with his catchphrase 'insufficient data', was often more hindrance than help."

Broadcast Online reports additional information not covered elsewhere, that Jetix Europe is developing the 30-minute comedy-fantasy series alongside London-based distribution outfit Park Entertainment, and their report also features the first indication of an official reaction by the BBC. "'We've completely revamped K-9,' said Simon Barnes, head of films sales at Park. 'Instead of being a clunky old model, he's now going to be CGI.' According to Barnes, Baker brought the project to Park Entertainment long before the latest series of Dr Who returned to the BBC. 'We saw it had merit and wanted to invest in it,' he said. 'We never knew quite how well the new Dr Who would do.' ... The original K-9 is set to appear in the BBC's new series of Dr Who later this month. However, the BBC can't launch its own spin-off series based on the character without Baker's permission. 'Dr Who is very important to us and we feel we have to manage the brand very carefully on behalf of our audiences,' said Michael Carrington, head of animation and programme acquisitions at BBC Children's. 'As the BBC is already committed to a number of spin-off projects, we concluded that a K9 series may simply be an extension too far.' Park has high hopes for the series, though, and Barnes has already begun discussions with other international broadcasters. 'Anybody who is interested in Dr Who at the moment is probably going to be beating a path to our door," he said. "Canada is a natural home and the same with Australia. You go anywhere English speaking, apart from the US, and they all know who Dr Who is and who K9 is.' The company is also looking at developing electronic toys, games and comic strips based on the character."

Park Entertainment's involvement hearkens back to an October 2004 news report on the Outpost Gallifrey news page, which notes that, at the time, Park had teamed with Baker and issued a press release at the MIPCOM sales event in France that year. "Baker, who also wrote Aardman's Wallace & Gromit toon," said the news story at that time, "is working with Park's CEO Jim Howell to pitch the show to UK and international networks. The story follows 'a junk space ship led by a cynical old captain and a virtual reality female computer... After finding K9 in an abandoned spacecraft, and picking up an orphaned boy from a passing planet, they become a dysfunctional space-age family.' The proposed series would mix live-action and CGI, with K9 - who is 'cuddly in a robotic kind of way' - now able to morph into new shapes via a special dog collar. Howell and Baker, now in his late-60s, have attracted interest from networks in Canada and Australia. For the UK, Howell said that 'the BBC has some kind of first-refusal' on the spin-off show. 'We're aiming at the Dr Who market,' said Howell, regarding the show's target demo. 'Kids and adults love K9... If you can win both demographics with one show, you're really on to a winner.'"

Of course, there is no word as to whether or not how much of the original proposal noted here will be part of the final product. However, today, Jetix Europe also issued a press release that mentions Park's involvement, quoting Baker as saying, "I am absolutely delighted to be giving K9 a new lease of life and a new look for his own series," noting that kids today would love him as much as past generations. Howell is also still involved according to the Jetix press release, stating that "we feel that K-9 holds a very special place in the hearts of all Doctor Who fans and we are thrilled to be working with Bob, Paul and everyone at Jetix on the development and production of the series," giving the impression that the October 2004 story notes are likely the direction the series will take.

The image was featured in the Times, and according to Jetix is the final version used in the show. Also reported at BBC News and CBBC News and in the Belfast Telegraph, C21 Media, Euronext, the Daily Record, the The Independent. (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Kenny McGuinness, Paul Engelberg, Andrew Norris)

Tom Baker will no longer be the voice of BT's talking message service at the end of April, according to news reports. "The BT service which allows mobile phone users to have messages sent to landline telephones read out in the classic TV icon's voice will switch to two new voices," says the UK Press Association news feed. "The feature was introduced at the end of January allowing people to send their friends and family messages in the instantly recognisable actor's dulcet tones. But his voice is to be axed to allow the introduction of both male and female voices. The new voices will start being used from April 28 and will be rolled out nationally from May 1. Wendy McMillan, BT general manager, Consumer, said: 'Tom Baker has been a huge success and a great way to introduce a new audience to BT Text. 'As the technology develops we want to give people the option to have their texts delivered to landlines in a gender that is the same as their own or one they think will be more effective depending on the message they're sending. But if people haven't yet had their fill of Tom Baker they've still got more than a week to enjoy pretending to be The Doctor.' Research carried out by BT suggests male voices are appropriate for sending different messages to female voices. Seven out of ten people think male voices are better for telling jokes and were considered more powerful and better for disciplining children. Female voices were described as more comforting, truthful and persuasive than male voices." The story has also been reported today atYahoo News, The Guardian, The Sun, The Mirror, Manchester Evening News, The Scotsman.

Elisabeth Sladen appeared as the last feature of today's 'Blue Peter', joined by K9 and emerging from the TARDIS - which of course materialised in studio - carrying Socks the 'Blue Peter' cat! After the clips of 'School Reunion' from the 3-minute BBCi trailer were shown, Sladen talked to presenter Gethin - who apparently appears in the series himself as a Cyberman - about how she'd been reassured about re-appearing in the series after meeting with the people behind the new version and realising that they were on the same wavelength as her about where Sarah would be now. Sladen also talked about Sarah's past exploits with the Third and Fourth Doctors, and how she was left behind by the Fourth and perhaps always hoped he'd come back for her, but never did. As Sladen talked, clips were shown from 'The Time Warrior', 'Genesis of the Daleks' and 'The Hand of Fear'. Various clips of K9 in action were also shown when he was introduced, and the clip of K9 saying he was a present from the Doctor from 'K9 and Company' was used as Gethin explained how the Doctor had given the dog to Sarah as a present.

Sladen discussed how she thinks David Tennant has the qualities that make a good Doctor 'in spades' - the 'Girl in the Fireplace' clips from the BBCi trailer were shown as she talked about him. She alao said that Rose and Sarah do not initially get on as they are very proprietorial about the Doctor, both thinking he belongs to them, although Sladen noted that he doesn't really belong to either of them because he is an alien. Throughout, K9 chipped in with various comments, voiced as always by John Leeson. Towards the end of the feature he met the two 'Blue Peter' dogs - not getting attacked by either of them as he was by the incumbent dog on the show many years ago! - and when questioned by Gethin about his defensive capabilities, responded that he could not reveal them all and viewers would have to see for themselves on Saturday.

Gethin then introduced a competition for viewers to win one of fifty copies of the 'Genesis of the Daleks' DVD, signed by Sladen, before K9 reminded viewers to watch 'at 7.15' on Saturday (an error, as the show will be on at 7.20 this Saturday), and also to watch Tuesday's 'Blue Peter', a trailer for which was then shown. (Thanks to Paul Hayes)

Tenth Planet have provided us with the full-color high-resolution cover image for the forthcoming UK DVD release of Inferno starring Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

The DVD release is out 29 May in the UK. As we noted when the story was originally announced, the release will feature commentary by Courtney, John Levene, script editor Terrance Dicks and producer/director Barry Letts; "Can You Hear the Earth Scream?," a 35-minute "making of" documentary which includes interviews with Dicks, Letts, Levene, Courtney, Caroline John, Ian Fairbairn and stunt arranger Derek Ware; "The UNIT Family (Part One)", a 36-minute documentary featuring a look at the first half of the "UNIT family" from the Third Doctor's era with interviews with Letts, Courtney, Levene, Dicks, John, Ware and UNIT Creator Derrick Sherwin; "Visual Effects Promo Film," an excerpt from an early sales pitch from the BBC Visual Effects department featuring rare Doctor Who footage; "The Pertwee Years Intro," a short intro by Jon Pertwee originally included on BBC Video's "The Pertwee Years"; a Jon Pertwee radio announcement; a PDF of the 1971 Doctor Who Annual; Radio Times billings; plus photo gallery and production notes.

Initial overnight viewing figures for Saturday night's new Doctor Who episode Tooth and Claw on BBC1 have come in, and it's good news: an average of 8.9 million viewers watched the episode, with an average 42.3% audience share... a gain of nearly a million viewers over last weekend's "New Earth" which had an average of 8.0 million. According to the individual breakdown of 15-minute intervals, Doctor Who was reported peaking in its last quarter hour at 9.3 million viewers (43.1% share during that fifteen-minute period) and dropped off 4.75m viewers after the episode was over, but even more interestingly, in the ViewingFigures 5-minute interval breakdown, it actually peaked at 10.03 million (44.3%). This is higher even than the peak figure for the preceding FA Cup semi-final (9.91m, of which 1.4m switched off or over as Doctor Who began); this high-profile match was Saturday's second most-watched programme with an average figure of 6.6m (42.6%). ITV, meanwhile, proved no match for "Doctor Who" this week, sustaining just shy of four million viewers at the same time as the episode broadcast. "Doctor Who" is currently in the top-ten for the week's overnight ratings on British television in equal eighth place with Thursday's episode of EastEnders and outrating all five of Emmerdale's episodes. It's likely that 'Tooth and Claw' will end the week in ninth place, as another episode of Coronation Street screens on ITV1 on Sunday evenings, although other Sunday night programmes could yet push Doctor Who out of the top ten in the week's overnights. In comparison with the same weekend last year, 'Tooth and Claw' is well up on the performance of 'World War Three', which had overnights of 7.26m (38%).

Meanwhile, the BBC Three installment of Doctor Who Confidential at 8.00pm scored 616,100 viewers (with a 3.8% audience share), peaking at just after the start at 676,000. It was fourth for the evening on the list of non-terrestrial broadcast channels. And the second edition of Totally Doctor Who last Thursday pulled in 900,000 viewers (8.2%) in its 5pm slot, about the same as Blue Peter's audience size in the same timeslot. (Thanks to 'Shaun Lyon', Andy Parish)