The official Doctor Who website confirmed the story today, which we reported yesterday from the pages of the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, that Janet Fielding would at last reprise the role of Tegan Jovanka for an audio story to be released next year by Big Finish. "In fact, I'd all but given up asking," Big Finish producer Gary Russell is quoted as saying, with regard to his recent attempts to convince the actress to return to the role. "Then over a lovely dinner a few weeks back she volunteered. 'One,' she said. 'Just the one,' with a steely gaze that told me that it will, indeed, be just the one." Says producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, "I know Peter [Davison] is going to enjoy renewing their sparring partnership, and I hope the fans will get a kick out of hearing this older Tegan getting to say one or two things she probably wanted to get out of her system at the end of Resurrection of the Daleks," indicating that Peter Davison would join her for this audio and that it will take place after the character left the series' continuity. Not noted on the official website was the news that the Tegan story will have character/story links to "Dead Men Walking," an audio starring Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and Peri, written by Joseph Lidster (who has also written the Tegan serial, "Summer in the City"); the story features the Cybermen and is due next year. The connection, along with "one or two characters", is Cybertechnology, with the Cybermen returning in Lidster's story, set in Baltimore in 1986, at the home of Peri's parents, "where the Doctor uncovers a sinister plot to reanimate cadavers at a funeral home". The report also notes that Mark Strickson returns for the November audio "Singularity" by James Swallow -- Strickson has not been in an audio for some time -- and that subscribers will receive an additional Sixth Doctor and Peri special CD called "Cryptobiosis" by year's end; the new single-disc story "came from the open-submissions pile" [in 2003], and is written by Elliot Thorpe.

We've received several reports about additional extras for the Series One Boxed Set, due out this November containing all 13 episodes from series one of the new TV series starring Christopher Eccleston. According to the British Board of Film Classification, the "Doctor Who Confidential Cut Down" specials -- the BBC3 documentaries shortened by removing all references to the original series and focusing solely on the new -- will be included, though the BBFC only reports the first seven have been cleared; however, it was reported earlier that all thirteen plus one additional special, that of the "extra" Confidnetial episode being specially produced for the DVD, would be on the discs. Amazon.co.uk, meanwhile, is reporting additional extras including commentaries, "Billie PiperÆs Video Diary," "Making Doctor Who with Russell T Davies," "Waking The Dead (Mark Gatiss' video diary)," "Exclusive featurettes: Destroying the Lair; Mike TuckerÆs Mocks of Balloons; Designing Doctor Who,; Laying Ghosts û The Origins of The Unquiet Dead; Deconstructing Big Ben, The Adventures of Captain Jack"; "BBC Breakfast Interview with Christopher Eccleston" plus the Confidential specials, 5.1 surround sound, a collectors' booklet and subtitles. Additionally, the boxed set will feature a variety of pre- and post-broadcast trailers including the "Time Is Up" teasers, the "Saturdays at 7pm" series of trailers, the trailers aired in conjunction with "Strictly Come Dancing" and the "Countdown" trailer. Outpost Gallifrey has been told that there will be an official press release on the set's final contents later this month. (Thanks to Scott Handcock, Daniel Hirsch, Steve Tribe, Martin Hoscik, "TimNNell")

In a stunning reversal from earlier news from the actress herself, the newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that Big Finish has signed Janet Fielding to reprise her role of air stewardess Tegan Jovanka for an audio play to be released in the summer of 2006. Entitled "Summer in the City" and set in her home town of Brisbane, the story will feature the former companion (who joined "Doctor Who" in Tom Baker's final story "Logopolis" and lasted throughout much of Peter Davison's tenure) but it's unclear as to whether she'll be joined by any of her Doctor Who castmates such as Davison. More details soon.

Eagle Flies Again, a fanzine dedicated to British comic books, has just published a Science-Fiction special. The publication is edited by DWAS Coordinator Ian Wheeler and designed by former Doctor Who Magazine editor John Freeman. The special issue includes unpublished art by John Ridgway and Brian Williamson featuring the Ninth Doctor and Rose, a history of science-fiction comic strips, an article on Captain Scarlet in comics and views on science-fiction comics from Doctor Who related names such as Bryan Hitch, Pat Mills and Dez Skinn. The magazine can be ordered at the website. (Thanks to Ian Wheeler)

Actor Doug Bradley, best known to horror fans as Pinhead in the "Hellraiser" horror films, has confirmed that he will be guest starring in next year's Big Finish audio Pier Pressure by Robert Ross, due out in February 2006. "I'm going to be in Doctor Who," Bradley told fans. "Whoa... back. Not the TV. I've been sent a script by a small audio production company called Big Finish. They make sci-fi dramas including 'feature-length' Doctor Whos - fully licensed by BBC Worldwide. I heard one a while ago with Peter Davison and was very, very impressed by it. The piece is called Pier Pressure, written by Robert Ross (No relation to Oscar's friend as far as I'm aware), and I will be playing the villain opposite Colin Baker's Doctor. My character is Talbot, a clapped-out end-of-pier fortune teller who has become a conduit for an invading alien evil.........The action takes place in Brighton, England in the 1930s and also features Max Miller." (Thanks to Marcel Hellemons at Bradley's official website and Mark Adams at The Hellbound Web)

Yesterday, England could beat Australia in a series for the first time in 18 years. BBC Radio 5 Live's coverage presenter Simon Mayo announced that "The entire crew of Doctor Who, including the director and the Scottish Doctor, are refusing to come to the set while they watch the cricket," followed by some gags from former England cricketer Mike "Thirty Years in the TARDIS" Gatting about wishing they could nip forward a few hours and come back and tell them the score. Meanwhile, as one of our correspondents notes, "I have just returned from watching the victorious Ashes cricket teams on their parade through London to Trafalgar Square. The ... team in the second open top bus was holding aloft a Dalek with the words 'Aussies exterminated' pasted across it." Wicket-keeper Geraint Jones held up the giant inflatable Dalek. Stephen Fry was also one of the commentators on the event. There are also stories at the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun (not yet available online) and a photo (#17) at CricInfo. (Thanks to Andrew Farmer, Paul Hayes, Ian Golden, Nick Kirby, Kelvin Green, Ben Rawson-Jones, Adam Kirk, Gareth Kingston; photo by Tina Engstrom)

Issue 361 of Doctor Who Magazine is due out this week; the following is the press blurb for the issue. Also, several people have let us know that Panini now allows overseas subscriptions through their website. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the cover. (Thanks to Tom Spilsbury/DWM)