As announced in today's The Stage, the ITV network has developed a £6 million science fiction series to rival Doctor Who. "The six-part series, with a working title of Primaeval, will follow a team of scientists who travel into prehistoric times and other worlds through black holes." Says a source for The Stage, "The team of five is lead by Professor Cutter. You learn through flashbacks that his wife disappeared when she was investigating these black holes and he is determined to find her. The black holes can open up anywhere. In the first episode the team find their way through to a world at the time of the dinosaurs. In another they discover a hole in the flooded bathroom of a domestic house, which leads them to an underwater world full of prehistoric sea monsters. There is even an episode set in the depths of the tube, where the group face giant arachnids. There is a race against time to find out what they need to before the black hole closes and they are trapped." The series is written by Adrian Hodges and is said to feature the latest CGI graphics; it's being made by Impossible Pictures (the company that made BBC1 history hits "Walking With Dinosaurs" and "Walking With Beasts"). There is currently no word on airdates for the six-episode serial, as the network is apparently still undecided whether it would be broadcast on a Saturday or a Sunday.

Amazon.co.uk has details of three new Doctor Who tie-in books due out in 2006. 4 May sees the release of the Doctor Who Party Planner, a 16 page paperback book, and the Doctor Who Sticker Activity Book, also 16 pages. 18 May is the release date for More Monsters and Villains, a follow-up to Justin Richards' 2005 "Monsters and Villains" book (and presumably by the same author).

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine has further details of January'sThe Beginning UK DVD boxed set, in addition to the information already reported on Outpost Gallifrey. The pilot episode will appear in 25-minute form, as well as the complete and unedited 36 minutes of footage, retakes and all. There will be a feature ('The Theme Music Video') allowing viewers to experience the original theme arrangement in mono, stereo and 5.1 surround sound. There are commentaries by Verity Lambert, Carole Ann Ford and William Russell on 'An Unearthly Child' (episode 1) and by Waris Hussein, Carole Ann Ford and William Russell on 'The Firemaker' (An Unearthly Child episode 4). Christopher Barry and Verity Lambert do the commentary on 'The Survivors' (The Daleks 2), Barry, Russell and Ford on 'The Ambush' (The Daleks 4), and Russell, Ford and Richard Martin on 'The Rescue' (The Daleks 7). All five commentaries are moderated by Gary Russell. The 'Marco Polo' feature listed at the BBFC is a 30-minute reconstruction using soundtrack and telesnaps. There will also be PDFs of Radio Times listings and an Arabic soundtrack option for 'The Brink of Disaster' (The Edge of Destruction 2).

Issue 363 of Doctor Who Magazine is now available, and we have a large-size version of the cover illustration (click on the thumbnail for a larger version) and the press release, below (with thanks to Tom Spilsbury):

Outpost Gallifrey has learned the specifics of the Children in Need Doctor Who special airing next week. The special mini-episode is actually 3 and 1/2 minutes long, and will begin at exactly 9:06pm during the telethon (though of course there is always room for slight variation in the timing). Additionally, we've learned that K9 will be in the studio joining the presenters for the evening. As always, this information is subject to change up to air time!

BBC Radio Jersey recently interviewed the director of the special, who said it's set immediately after the end of The Parting of the Ways, is set in the TARDIS, and is "a real episode that links the last series to the new one and is part of Series Two." The interviewer on Radio Jersey said they filmed it only in the last two weeks in Cardiff: "So I don't know what’s in it, I don't know how long it is but I do know it's a scene between Billie Piper in the TARDIS and it's the moment David Tennant materialised at the end of the last series."

At right is a thumbnail image of the box art for The Beginning, due out in January, as posted on the ChoicesDirect DVD retailer website. While this might not be a final version, it is indicative of the way the box will contain individual packages for each of the first three Doctor Who stories being released in this set, "An Unearthly Child," "The Daleks" and "The Edge of Destruction".