The Daily Telegraph printed an editorial by Jim White on May 3 entitled "There's no time like the present, Michael Grade," which lampoons the long-time caustic relationship between Doctor Who fans and the new chairman of the BBC, the man who put Doctor Who on hiatus in 1985. "That grin Michael Grade has been wearing since it was announced he was to return to the BBC as chairman of the governors: now we know the explanation. He's looking forward to jousting with an old foe. Not the Downing Street press office. Not even the Daily Mail." Yes, you guessed it... Doctor Who fans. The article calls into question the "militant" forces of Doctor Who fandom, showcases the author's journey to online websites including Outpost Gallifrey (mentioning our convention and the next meeting of our local fan club) and Nitro Nine ("serving the Dr. Who community since 1994"), and yet fails to accurate portray many facts, including misrepresenting the name the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, noting how Russell T. Davies was merely "commissioned to write episodes" and mocking the 40,000 fans attending the next Gallifrey convention. The article concludes by wondering if Christopher Eccleston would be best suited in another role altogether. You can read the entire article by clicking the link above.

Wednesday morning's GMTV, the UK breakfast-time show, will feature two spots about the return of Doctor Who and at least one Dalek. A representative from the DWAS will be joining the show's presenter. (Thanks to Ian Wheeler, Paul Hayes)

The Welsh newspaper Wales on Sunday is revelling in the fact that the news series of Doctor Who is being produced in the Principality, and appears to have started a weekly "Doctor Who" column. This week, with an article entitled "Exterminated?" it is reporting on-going legal tussles between the BBC and the estate of Terry Nation over the use of the Daleks in the new series. (The Wales on Sunday journalist Jon Harry claims this as an exclusive for the paper, but the report was actually rehasing what's been reported elsewhere). There is also a sub-article, which in 200 odd words sums up the career of Terry Nation, emphasizing the fact that he was born in the Welsh cathedral city of Llandaf. (Thanks to John Campbell Rees)

The new Radio Times, out today, also features an item about Piper, but this one has a direct quote from Piper's agent: "It may be that the idea has been mooted, but it's not a conversation I have had." They go on to quote a "BBC spokeswoman" who said "an announcement wasn't expected for another two months". The rest of the article catches up on the Eccleston casting, with Eccleston saying he's "delighted" and Tranter's quote about being a modern hero taken from the press release. Another report at the "This is Somerset" site of the Western Daily Press rehashes the same rumors that Billie Piper may play the role of Rose Tyler. "Billie, married to DJ and TV producer Chris Evans has told friends she would dearly love to work on the new series of the cult show watched by audiences across the globe," it says. "The BBC remained tight-lipped yesterday but told the Western Daily Press it is not ruling Billie out for the part of the Doctor's glamorous sidekick Rose Tyler despite her limited acting experience." (Thanks to Chuck Foster, Paul Hayes, Steve Tribe)

Today's Daily Star newspaper features an article, on page 3, entitled "Return of the Daleks." The paper says that the rights issues have been resolved and that they've been completely redesigned (the paper says "they'll look more like something out of the Terminator movies"). Quotes the Star from a BBC source: "We spared no expense to get the Daleks and we're going to drag them into the 21st Century". The Daily Mail on Monday also included a piece on this, entitled "Exterminate exterminate!", and suggested that the BBC came to an agreement last Friday in a deal that they paid "well over the odds" for, for a "ratings guarantee" that the Daleks will bring; it also suggests that the budget for the series is a million pounds per episode, apparently "the costliest drama" the BBC have ever done. Of course, at this point we've heard that the negotiations over the Daleks, and other rights issues with the Terry Nation estate, have not yet been resolved. A website called DeHavilland repeats the Dalek reports and the Billie Piper rumor. (Thanks to Phillip Madeley, Paul Mount, Mark Smith)

Other coverage of the series this week have been in TV Times and TV Quick; in the latter there is news about Tom Baker joining the cast of "Monarch of the Glen". In Canada a short article appeared in the newspaper the Globe and Mail on Monday. Titled "But will this doctor have a long scarf?" Meanwhile, a piece from the Australian newspaper The Advertiser on Billie Piper and some other reports on Christopher Eccleston and the new series; all of these will be up at the Cuttings Archive in the next day or two. (Thanks to Roger Anderson)

Although the papers have quieted down, there have been a few reports over the past couple of days:

In the Australian press, the Adelaide Sunday Mail has issued an apology, and something of an explanation for last week's erroneous story stating that Bill Nighy had been chosen to play the new Doctor. To paraphrase they 'blame' the UK's Daily Mail for originating the report which subsequently went into syndication and was then published in the Sunday Mail and "in other Australian Sunday newspapers"!

The UK's The Sun newspaper included an interview with Christopher Eccleston in it's Saturday edition, titled "I look like a gargoyle ... enough to scare any dalek." "My bony face is like a car crash," Eccleston told the Sun. "I haven't got good looks, just weird looks, enough to frighten the fiercest monster." While he is famous for serious, gritty roles, he says he doesn't have a snobbish attitude toward anything; he just wants a decent script. "I've played a lot of characters who are very troubled and dark but I can't wait to get into the Tardis - it's going to be brilliant." Eccleston goes into his personal life and history and his attitudes toward many things. You can read the interview on the Sun's website now.

The Manchester Online website says that the Doctor may never meet the Daleks in an article about the new series. "Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston could be denied a showdown with the dreaded Daleks in his latest role - because of a legal row," says the article. "The corporation does not own the copyright to the metallic-voiced alien robots and producers have been forced to negotiate with representatives for the late sci-fi writer Terry Nation, who created the Daleks in the 1960s. So far, no agreement has been reached and Dr Who's Manchester-based writer, Russell T Davies, is battling against his script deadlines as negotiations continue. Mr Davies said: 'The estate is protecting an important property, after all, and I can appreciate why they are being so careful.'" The Nation estate is currently in negotiations, as has been previously reported, and at this point nothing has changed; this article likely is commenting on that but has no new information. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster)

An article in the Scotsman about this weekend's time change in the UK also mentions Doctor Who, albeit briefly: "but this weekend itÆs not only him who will be experiencing a little time travel."

The Cuttings Archive now has some articles from the past several weeks that haven't previously been seen including articles from Broadcast magazine, the Western Mail, BBC Ceefax Entertainment, TV Times UK (which discusses who might take the role of Rose, including mentioning Billie Piper, Helena Bonham Carter and Anna Friel). (Thanks to Roger Anderson)

Bill Nighy, once considered the frontrunner to play the Doctor in the new series due to press comments from Russell Davies about him being his first choice, spoke to today's Daily Mail about the casting of Christopher Eccleston. "These things happen and sometimes the best man wins," Nighy told the Mail reporter. "He's taller, stronger and better looking - just. I think a great tradition is in great hands."

Michael Grade, the one-time controller of BBC1 and the man who put Doctor Who on hiatus for eighteen months in the mid 1980's, has been touted as one of the likely candidates to step into the role of BBC Chairman... and a cross-party group of MPs in Parliament have written him a letter to say "hands off!" Tim Collins, Shadow Education Secretary and a Conservative MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale -- and an ardent supporter of Doctor Who who was interviewed on the "Earthshock" DVD release -- is a signatory on the letter to Grade, which includes representatives from all three major UK political parties, the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties. "The multi-million pound new series of 'Doctor Who' is weeks away from the start of filming," says the press release issued today. "The MPs, from each of the three main parties, are concerned that significant resources for licence payers could be wasted if Mr Grade seeks to derail the project. The signatories include the Culture spokespeople from both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties." The text of the letter is reproduced below. Thanks to the Honourable Tim Collins, MP, for contacting Outpost Gallifrey directly to share this with us. Update 26 March: the UK paper The Guardian is now carrying the story; and theWestmorland Gazette, the newspaper of the district that MP Tim Collins represents, today features an article about the letter to Grade. (Thanks to Chuck Foster)