The BBC's Doctor Who website released a new official promotional picture today, shown right and captioned "Back with a bang!", as Series Three's start in the UK approaches.

The image - plus other desktop wallpaper - is available via this link.

As reported earlier on Outpost Gallifrey, the new series is set to begin on Saturday, March 31.

Dreamwatch Sci Fi said the BBC confirmed the date to it after Doctor Who Magazine was told the start date would be March 24.

The schedule was apparently changed after Doctor Who Magazine went to print and it was decided BBC One would be screening the England v Israel European Championship football qualifier that Saturday.

The TARDIS has been voted the all-time best gadget by UK schoolchildren, ahead of the laptop, iPod and 007's jet pack. The nationwide survey was made by a supermarket chain to promote their computers for schools scheme.
(source: Bournemouth Echo and icWales. More results will be revealed on 13 March according to this )

The Doctor Who outfits previously worn by Tom Baker and several other TV Time Lords were auctioned off byBonhams to save space and insurance premiums.

The burgundy coat, brown tweed trousers and striped scarf worn by Baker sold for 24,600 pounds (about 46,000 US dollars). This was 12 times the amount that was expected. His double-breasted frock coat went for a further 7,000 pounds.

Other Doctor Who costumes included:

Patrick Troughton's Doctor's outfit, which went for 8,000 pounds.
Jon Pertwee's Doctor's complete outfit and sonic screwdriver went for 8,000 pounds also.
Peter Davison's Doctor's outfit went for 4,200 pounds.
Sylvester McCoy's Doctor's outfit for 1,000 pounds.

Also reported at metro.co.uk, BBC News and The Sun.

According to a report on DigitalSpy, in a recent interview David Tennant revealed that an "inappropriate" underwater scene was cut from the script of an episode of Series 3. Freema Agyeman, aka Martha Jones, was required to strip down to her underwear for the scene, which was later cut by the producers.

"There was an underwater scene in a draft of the new series but we nixed it out," explained Tennant. "It was bordering on inappropriate. You can't have s****ing in the Tardis."

BBC Four has scheduled a repeat of episode 1 of The Web of Fear on Sunday, 18th March.

It will be shown from 8.35pm, as part of an evening of programmes themed around the London Underground. Episode 1 is the only surviving episode in the BBC archives from the six-part Patrick Troughton story, that was originally broadcast in 1968.

David Tennant is reuniting with The Runaway Bride co-star Catherine Tate for Comic Relief but probably not as the Doctor.

The BBC press office says Tate has teamed up with Tennant and Lenny Henry plus other surprise guests for some new sketches.

Red Nose Day 2007 - on Friday, March 16 - will also see Simon Pegg (The Long Game),Davina McCall (Bad Wolf), Trinny Woodall (Bad Wolf), Maureen Lipman (The Idiot's Lantern) and Peter Kay (Love and Monsters) involved in the fund-raising drive to help vulnerable people in the UK and Africa.

It is being screened on BBC1 from 7pm to approximately 3.05am on Saturday, with a 35-minute break for the news at 10pm.

March 6, 2007 • Posted By Brigadier Bill
The US Sci-Fi Channel website has a brief interview with David Tennant where he talks about the pressure he felt taking over the role and changing companions and actresses.

There is a reference to the Doctor's upcoming encounter with Shakespeare but there are no spoilers.

The Restoration Team has released details on the upcoming DVD releases Robot and Timelash.

The team's website describes the technical hurdles that had to be cleared in each story (such as the CSO effects in the final episode of Robot) as well as a list of special features for each DVD (listed below).

As reported earlier, Robot is due out in the UK on 28th May, Timelash on 25th June.

Visit the Restoration Team website for full details.

The Doctor Who Information Network has been notified by Canadian broadcasterCBC that the 3rd Series of Doctor Who will air beginning in June 2007 and the 1st Series of Torchwood will air in Fall 2007. This will be a shorter wait for Series 3 than Canadians had for Series 2, where it aired from August to November (in French) and October to February (in English).