Updated 9 March, 0635 GMT

Tonight's press call has already made headlines on BBC television, including behind-the-scenes moments and clips from the trailer. The official site now has several of today's new trailers online; check them out! (You need RealPlayer installed on your machine.)

BBC News features an article today about the press launch. They quote Christopher Eccleston as saying it was an "easy" decision to become the ninth Doctor Who. "I just wanted to work with Russell T Davies. It's a fantastic series and I am proud to be a part of it." Also covered in the press this evening: articles in The Sun and the Telegraph (which calls its article "Ailing BBC pins revival on Doctor Who").

The date for Christopher Eccleston's interview with Steve Wright was announced today on the Radio 2 website - it takes place on Monday, 21 March. The show runs from 2:00pm GMT and you can catch it at the Radio 2 website.

According to today's The Sun, the newspaper sent a Dalek along with singer Charlotte Church to the press launch this evening. "Our baddie ù who led a successful campaign to reinstate the Daleks after problems with their contracts ù rolled up to the bash in Cardiff. But security guards refused to let him in to the screening with stars Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper and Charlotte, 19. A BBC spokesman said: 'I'm sorry, but there is no room for your Dalek.'" It also notes that Eccleston has warned fans against watching the downloaded episode: "It's a rough cut without special effects. Wait to see it in all its glory." The article was accompanied by a photo of Church with the Sun's Dalek, as the newspaper once again boasts that it somehow affected the Daleks' return to the program.

Christopher Eccleston is not very pleased with the early online reactions to the leaked episode, likely brought on by the largely negative reviews posted on AICN which have been widely publicized in news reports covering the leak of the episode. (Outpost Gallifrey invites members of the production team reading to go into our Forum, where the reviews in the "Rose" spoiler section have been overwhelmingly positive!)

More coverage today in UK and international press of the leak of the first episode, "Rose," onto the Internet, including articles in the Herald Sun (Australia), New Kerala (India), Sydney Morning Herald, The Mercury (Australia),BigNewsNetwork, ContactMusic, CNet News, Washington Times, CBBC Newsround, Morons.org,Silicon.com, AfterDawn, TV NZ, Daily Record, RTE, Australian IT, Media Life Magazine, Stuff.co.nz, CJAD(Canada) and Canoe (Canada), as well as an article in the Times Online today which mentions a couple of very minor spoilers, as noted in the spoilers tag at the bottom of this news report. Meanwhile, today's Daily Record had this subtle quip: "THE BBC are rightly furious that their new episode of Dr Who was prematurely leaked on the internet. Especially since it featured a new monster, the Not-Yeti."

Finally, a screen image news coverage tonight (thanks to "Bazzerbill"):

Here's a recap of some of the reviews in the newspapers of the first episode (with no spoilers):

The Times: "It's a funny feeling. When the dum-de-dum, dum-de-dum starts, and the new-look title sequence begins, the hairs on your arms stand up, and a smile fixes itself, rictus-like, to your face. This warm feeling alone is enough to transport you blithely through the first five minutes of the new Doctor Who before any critical faculties kick in. And when they do, you realise that you're enjoying yourself."

Manchester Online: "This is a bold restating of what Doctor Who was always about - scaring the kids and entertaining families on a Saturday night. Old series monsters the Autons - recreating the famous shop window breakout of their 1970 debut - keep the show in touch with its past, while the energentic direction and decent special effects show off its new coat of paint cheerfully. To coin a phrase - he's back, and it's about time."

The Daily Express: "So much of the BBC's shiny new Doctor Who has been lovingly assembled according to a clear philosophy of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. ... But it comes at a souped-up pace and delights in showing off the results of the huge resources of budget and talent that have been thrown at a programme whose sets were once only out-wobbled by those of Crossroads. Between [Eccleston and Piper] they are a revelation. ... To be successful Doctor Who needs to look brilliant, crack along with never a dull moment, and excite and amuse in equal measure. By the look of the first episode it will do that in spades."

The Sun: "The new Who doesn't wear a scarf or fancy coat - but from the start Eccleston is outstanding. And the script from Queer as Folk writer Russell T Davies is sparky, witty and will please even the most ardent fans."

This Is London: "As a fan I really hope this new series succeeds. It's lively, wellfilmed and the special effects are up to scratch. There is humour, a vital ingredient if the new series is to be a success. ... We can only hope that Christopher Eccleston really does represent a return to form as the best Doctor since the golden days of Pertwee and Tom Baker. A children's programme it might be, but played for laughs, never."

Daily Telegraph: "The first Doctor Who series for 16 years could give the BBC a much-needed hit for its ailing Saturday night schedules if the verdict of critics, fans and children is correct."

The Guardian: "It is unfair to review a restaurant on opening night, but an event as important as the return of Doctor Who after a hiatus of 15 years (not counting the ill-fated 1996 US TV movie co-production, to which BBC executives have the same regard Stalin had for Trotsky) is of such importance to millions of fans around the world that instant judgments are required. The good Doctor is most definitely back... and many traditionalists are going to greet this radical new version with utter dismay. ... As a diehard Who fan, I will watch all the remaining episodes wishing, hopefully not totally in vain, that they had laid off the Ritalin."

SFX Magazine today posted a report on the press launch of the new series, including spoilers about the clips that were shown from upcoming episodes. You can read about it at their website.

There are many newspaper stories out there regarding the press launch and screening of the first episode last night at the St David's Hotel and Spa in Cardiff Bay, with selections from interviews with Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper, Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and others. Here's a recap:

Eccleston admitted he was not a fan of the "old" series but it may have been the previous Time Lords' posh accents that put him off. "I'm different from the other Doctors," he said. "All the others spoke with this RP accent - maybe it was that that put me off. I think that it's good that we teach kids that people who speak like that can be heroic too." About Davies, he said, "I am a huge fan of his. IÆve tried to capture his speed of thought and the pace of his words, and of course they are his words."

Eccleston "revealed" that he and assistant Rose will "fall in love" but not the way you think. "It will be the first time the doctor has had a romance in the show's 40-year history," says one clip. However, Eccleston himself says, "They love each other. It's very much love at first sight. It's not a conventional love affair. It's far more mysterious than that." Billie Piper noted, "At the end of the first show when the doctor invites Rose to come with him in the Tardis I suppose it's very much like asking her out on a date. They have a very interesting dynamic and there are times when you can't put your finger on their relationship. But there's lots of holding hands throughout the series." Viewers will apparently see them saying things like: "I could save the world, but I'd lose you" and "I'm so glad I met you". About his companion, Eccleston says "There has been no heroine for 12-year-old girls before and Billie pulled that off just like that. She saves the Doctor in the first episode, she is a heroine."

Piper likes being a new role model. "When I was singing I was a role model then and when you are in that position you can do some good." Billie says she doesn't want to go back to her singing career and described herself as being "in a great place right now" with new acting projects on the horizon. She admitted that she didn`t watch the series as a child. "It was in our house and I remember freaky music and a man running around in a long scarf, but I could never make head nor tail of it." When she took the role she said she made the decision not to watch previous series for fear of confusing her own performance, but she said Mr Eccleston took on a far more difficult role than she had. "I don`t know how Chris does it but he did it. It`s like playing James Bond the Doctor he`s established there`s nothing he doesn`t know and there`s nothing he can`t do, as an actor that must be most frustrating."

However, an article in today's The Sun swears that Billie Piper is planning to relaunch her pop career after the airing of the new Doctor Who series, but she will only agree to a deal if she is happy with the style of music. A Sun "insider" is quoted as saying, "Billie would love to make a return to the music scene but she has to be happy with whatÆs being offered. She has been having talks with a number of labels, including Sony BMG, but hasnÆt put pen to paper yet. She wants a lot of input in and outside of the studio." All of which Billie Piper has flatly denied.

One or two articles mention "fifteen episodes" being broadcast (instead of the actual 13) and that each episode is a self-contained story (some of them are actually two parters.)

Davies said he wrote it with a family audience in mind: "If you chase a cult you just become a smaller cult. If a cult fan hates this series it means they will only watch it 20 times instead of 30 times. When they brought Crossroads back and made it a bit camp it was a turkey of disasterous proportions."

Gardner said about the show's future, "We just donÆt know what to expect, there is no real yardstick. Of course IÆm nervous." She also denied that the leak of the first episode had anything to do with the BBC. "We were devastated."

Musician Charlotte Church, who we reported yesterday showed up with a Dalek from The Sun, said "It was brilliant. I have never seen Doctor Who before. I would have been two when it was last on but this was like a mini-movie."

BBC Radio 4 has a link to an interview conducted this morning with Davies and DWM editor Clayton Hickman; you can listen to it for the next day or so by clicking here.

GMTV had a feature on its programme this morning before 8:30 with Ben Sheppard who attended the press launch yesterday; the clips shown were longer than those on BBC news.

Some links to various reports: BBC Radio 1, Times Online, Scotsman, Channel 4, Megastar, ITV, icNews,Edinburgh News

The official Doctor Who website now confirms that the first episode of the new Doctor Who series will air Saturday, March 26 at 7:00pm; they've got a countdown clock on the front page counting down until the time it's on.

The BBC will be sponsoring a press launch for the new series today, March 8, which will likely include morning, afternoon and evening (UK time) news coverage. Outpost Gallifrey will keep you posted on any breaking developments as we get them throughout the day.

The Doctor Who website at BBC Online has officially changed format today, with a splash page about the new series from which information on trailers and photos is linked, along with a link to the "classic series" pages which retain previous information. One of the new photos features a white background with the TARDIS in the foreground and Christopher Eccleston holding his sonic screwdriver. Check it out!

So far, today's (March 8) press clips, with more to be added as the day progresses:

This morning's (March 8) Radio Times features a one-page colour feature called "Doctor Who watch" with brief comments from RTD and Julie Gardner and small summaries of the Doctor, Rose, the TARDIS and 'the monsters'. As well as one of the standard publicity shots of Eccleston and Piper, there is a large photo of the 'blue meanie' from the cover of the latest DWM, which is caption and therefore confirmed as "the Moxx of Balhoon". The article also trails: "Next week: Doctor Who, the first words..." Also in the Radio Times, the listing for Thursday 17 March confirms that The Culture Show (BBC Two, 7pm and 11.25pm) will preview "the imminent return of Doctor Who". "Will it stay true to the spirit of the past series?" This is illustrated with one of the shots of Eccleston standing outside the TARDIS.

An article in the Belfast Telegraph "looks back at some memorable moments and opponents from the past 40 years" of Doctor Who, including the Daleks (featuring an interview with Cy Town), the Zygons, the Cybermen, the Yeti, the Daemons, the Zarbi, the Kandyman, and even the giant maggots of "The Green Death".

The Dark Horizons website, another movie industry gossip site, also features a brief review of "Rose," largely positive.

icWales has a mention of the leak, and also features quotes with Russell T Davies (lifted from elsewhere).

The Mirror features an article today called "EXTER BINATE," asking "The first episode of new Dr Who ..and can Billie save the world from Wheelie Bin aliens?" referring to a very minor plot point about the first episode, mentioning the episode leak and also a few plot points. (Don't read the article if you don't want to see a few spoilers for the first story.)

The downloading of Doctor Who made the front page of today's Guardian newspaper (link is to the story itself). The story mentions the "Ain't It Cool" online website which posted some scathing reviews of the episode (to which there are complaints that positive reviews were ignored; however, one eventual positive review by Warren Ellis was eventually posted in their "Coaxial" section). Ironically, the Guardian site focuses on the negative reviews, while reactions to the leaked episode have been overwhelmingly positive elsewhere.

A ton of reports on the leak of "Rose" to the Internet, so here's a quick guide to all of the links so far we've been able to compile (with thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Paul Hayes): Evening Times, Digital Lifestyles, BBC News Technology, Disinfo.com, CBBC Newsround, Brisbane Courier Mail, The Australian, Melbourne Herald Sun, News.com.au, Advertiser Adelaide, Daily Telegraph, Manchester Evening News, This Is London,Financial Express India, Channel 4, U TV, Reuters, Times of Oman, ZDNet, Scotsman, Manchester Online, Times Online, ITV, The Register, Ananova

Big Finish announced today that Nicola Bryant, best known to fans as Peri Brown, companion to the sixth Doctor, is stepping into the recording box to direct the fourth and final UNIT series audio, "The Wasting". The episode concludes the four-part series which sees the return of Nicholas Courtney (who reprised his role of the Brigadier in the first episode, "Time Heals").

Big Finish has announced the continued exploits of Bernice Summerfield, the character originally created by Paul Cornell for Virgin Publishing's "Doctor Who: The New Adventures" series, spun off into its own line of audios and publications by Big Finish. Among the new items for 2005 are five new audio CD's following the delayed Masquerade of Death this spring; they include The Heart's Desire by David Bailey and Neil Corry, The Kingdom of the Blind by Jacqueline Rayner, The Lost Museum by Simon Guerrier, The Crystal of Cantus by Joseph Lidster and The Goddess Quandary by Andy Russell... which finds Benny Summerfield "confronting some familiar foes from the Doctor Who universe. This time it's... errr... the Monoids in 'The Kingdom of the Blind' and the Cybermen in 'The Crystal of Cantus.'" Monoids! Also, the Benny audio range will be supplemented by three hardcover books, following the same pattern of releases as 2004. The first will be The Tree of Life, a full-length novel by Mark Michalowski. That will be followed by an as yet untitled trilogy of novellas, written by Rebecca Levene, Paul Sutton and Dave Stone with linking material by Gary Russell. Then the last book of 2005 will be a short-story collection entitled Something Changed, edited by Simon Guerrier. Amongst the contributors to this will be Benny's creator Paul Cornell, alongside Joseph Lidster, Dave Stone, Jonathan Clements and making his Big Finish debut, Ben Aaronovitch. Additional authors will be announced later. Looking ahead to 2006, two of the five audios have been confirmed: The Tartarus Gate by Stewart Sheargold and The Dyson Ring by Jim Mortimore. Big Finish has also confirmed that artist Adrian Salmon will continue to provide the cover illustrations for both the books and the audio dramas.