Issue 5 of Whotopia, the Canadian Doctor Who fanzine, is now out. It includes "From Rutans To Sontarans: Season 15 Overview," an examination Into the search for lost Doctor Who, reviews and other columns, including fiction and a continuing comic series. For more details visit the website.

Today's Liverpool Echo ran a story about Tom Baker, who is said to be facing a challenge in the film version of The Magic Roundabout. Tom was given a part in the movie, due at the end of the week, thanks to his disctinctive voice. "Tom has such a huge, mellifluous fun voice. He can play the camp villain absolutely magnificently, and that's what he"s done," says director Cameron McCracken. Baker waxes on the role: "I mostly earn my living on my voice now, because I haven't got the force in my legs to run anymore, even when I'm being pursued in Waitrose where I am a sex symbol for lecherous old upper class ladies of about 85." (Thanks to Paul Engelberg)

Today's icWales asks "WHO could that be rushing around Cardiff Bay? Surely not a Time Lord with the ability to turn back the clock?" There are two photos there featuring Eccleston and Piper standing around the TARDIS with miscellaneous crew and Eccleston running quite urgently.

New Welsh culture magazine Siarc Marw currently features an article about the new series of Doctor Who, including an interview with director Euros Lyn (who's a Welsh speaker). "I was surfing the web in a cafe in Siberia when I read that Doctor Who would be returning to our screens; from that second, I desperately wanted to work on a series which is such an unusual combination of humour, adventure and nonsense," Lyn told the magazine (translated from Welsh.) "I e-mailed the producers straight away, pleading with them to meet with me for a chat. Nine months later after five meetings with the show's execs, I was offered the chance to direct the second and third episodes. I was over the moon!" He says that the scripts for the new show "are successful because they work on many levels - they're exciting adventures and epic moral allegories, but also, there's a psychological depth to the characters of the Doctor and Rose... The aim was to juggle those virtues to create three quarters of an hour of exciting entertainment that would also demand a little thought." He was delighted that Doctor Who was filming in his hometown; "this was my childhood fantasy come true! Of course, as soon as the cameras started turning, there was no time to think of anything but my work (the same as my experience on all shows!) There were a lot of technical challenges - like trying to direct actors in rubber monster suits, or sets that were green screens to be added later by computers. It was an experience to direct actors as talented as Christopher Ecclestone, Simon Callow, Billie Piper and Eve Myles - and being able to stand in the Tardis doorway between takes was exciting too!" And he says he hopes people enjoy the spirit of the original which is alive and well in the new series. "It's a very British sci-fi series; full of irony, wit, and avoiding the sentimentality that's in a lot of the American shows. I hope people will also enjoy the better production values too - the modern shooting style, sophisticated computer effects and the naturalistic acting style." (Thanks to "selbog" for the translation)

Issue #128 of SFX Magazine is due out soon, with a new Doctor Who series cover. Says the blurb, "Who producer Russell T Davies is a fan of SFX, and a chum of the mag. So, naturally, with the series due to air in March, we went for a nice long chat. Find out what Russell means when he say he "doesn't care about the planet Zog" in the first part of our exclusive interview! Fanboys, prepare to self-combust: we've got Chris Achilleos (artist responsible for countless classic novelisation covers) to draw the new Doctor! Plus, we reveal the comeback starring Tom Baker that never came to fruition..." The issue is due out mid-month; cover illustration at right. Meanwhile, the SFX website currently features a brief report from a day's production including a selection of photos.

Tonight on Radio 2, the first of two one-hour episodes of this documentary airs, looking at the British TV viewing public's obsession with soap operas. Verity Lambert is one of those mentioned in the Radio Times listing as being interviewed, presumably concerning her work on The Newcomers and later Eldorado. It airs tonight at 8:30pm; you can listen online here. (Thanks to Paul Hayes)

Yesterday's Media section of The Guardian noted that BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey -- who was instrumental in bringing "Doctor Who" back to British television, and who stunned us all with the unexpected announcement in September 2003 -- may be leaving the job. The report notes that Heggessey is being tipped to replace Peter Fincham as chief executive of Talkback Thames, the independent production company responsible for some of the UK's biggest shows including "The Bill." The BBC controller neither confirmed nor denied she had been approached about the Talkback job when contacted by MediaGuardian: "I'm committed to BBC1. That's my focus," she told them. The article(registration required) also metnions other possible candidates, suggesting this may be conjecture; however, it has been reported elsewhere in the press. Co-executive producer Mal Young also left the BBC at the end of 2004, though his departure did not affect the production of the new series.

Big Finish has announced three standalone hardback books and two new audios for 2005, all Doctor Who spinoffs, as part of their "New Worlds" range. Iris Wildthyme, the character originally created for the BBC Books collection and who has been played by Katy Manning on several Big Finish audios, is featured in the short story anthology Wildthyme on Top, edited by Paul Magrs (who created the character), with stories by Jonathan Blum, Stephen Cole, Jake Elliot, Craig Hinton, Kate Orman, Lance Parkin, Philip Purser-Hallard, Jacqueline Rayner, Justin Richards and Stewart Sheargold. Manning will return to the role later in 2005 in two single-CD audios, the details of which have yet to be announced. Project: Valhalla by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright is a novel about the Forge, the clandestine organisation created for their audios "Project: Twilight" and "Project: Lazarus". And The Coming of the Queen by Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett is a novel about the life of Erimem, the Fifth Doctor companion from Big Finish's audio range played by Caroline Morris, taking place immediately before her debut story, "The Eye of the Scorpion."

Many articles have run over the past several days regarding the new merchandise licence; among them, on theicWales network (with additional article here), Wales Evening Post, WaveGuide, in the Western Mail, Newsquest Media Group and other places. (Thanks to Chuck Foster, Paul Engelberg)

The new DWM notes that The Complete Seventh Doctor, the final edition of their "Complete... Doctor" specials, will be released by Panini on February 17. It includes interviews with Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and script editor Andrew Cartmel, plus (as in previous installments) a complete guide to each episode of the Seventh Doctor's era. Also noted in the liner notes from the recent issue of DWM, that issue 354 (on sale March 3) will include an interview with co-Executive Producer Julie Gardner, a preview of the first episode of the new series, "Rose"; Gareth Roberts on post-1989 Doctor Who; The Fact of Fiction examines "Spearhead from Space"; an Archive Extra on "Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150AD"; and an article on the era of the Eighth Doctor.