Noise Monster Productions is a new audio production team created by Big Finish producers John Ainsworth and Nicholas Briggs, branching out to create independent audio dramas; among the people also involved are such Doctor Who notables as Marc Platt ("Spare Parts"), Jonathan Clements ("Sympathy for the Devil") and Steve Foxon (sound designer). The production company's first audio series is based on Space: 1889, the science fiction role playing game and early computer game; among the cast members are Simon Williams (Group Captain Gilmore from "Remembrance of the Daleks"), Ivor Danvers ("Nekromanteia") and "Star Wars" legend Anthony Daniels (See-Threepio), as well as several actors from the casts of Doctor Who and spinoff audios from Big Finish and BBV including Ian Brooker, Katarina Olsson, Toby Longworth and Jo Castleton. More details are available at their website at http://www.noisemonster.com

Outpost Gallifrey has several pieces of news for upcoming Big Finish projects from this past weekend's ChicagoTARDIS convention. Two forthcoming Big Finish audios now have known writers attached to them: next June's Seventh Doctor audio Unregenerate! is by David A. McIntee ("Excelis Rising"), while July 2005's Eighth Doctor audio Terror Firma is by Joseph Lidster ("Master"). The previously announced Dead Man's Hand by John Ostrander has been delayed due to the author's current work schedule but will hopefully be added on at a later date; meanwhile, Big Finish did confirm that there will still be two audios featuring the new companion Hex (Philip Olivier) in 2005. Additionally, Big Finish will be releasing their series side by side throughout 2005: the UNIT miniseries runs this December through March; the secondGallifrey audio series runs April through August; and the previously rumored Cybermen four-part miniseries will start in August 2005 and run through November. Finally, when asked if there would be any possible return of the characters and situations from the Dalek Empire series, possibly even in their regular Doctor Who series, there were indications that the ideas had been discussed but no announcement was made as of yet. More details soon.

Musician Murray Gold will be composing the incidental music for the new series, according to sources. Gold is also currently working on the score for new series producer Russell T Davies' other current project, "Casanova," and is responsible for such television scores as "The Canterbury Tales" (which starred Billie Piper), "Shameless" and "Servants," and Davies' other television projects, "The Second Coming" and both series of "Queer as Folk". (Thanks to Stephen Sherry)

Reports in today's Mirror that Zoe Wanamaker -- the esteemed character actress best known for her roles in the sitcom "My Family," as broom instructor Madame Hooch in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and as Clarice Groan in the BBC adaptation of "Gormenghast" -- has been cast in the new Doctor Who series. Read the spoiler-tagged section as the report in the Mirror also includes spoilers about the episode she's in...

The BBC Shop website has released details of the extras in the forthcoming UK DVD release of The Mind Robber. Included is a commentary (as we previously reported) with actors Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines and Hamish Wilson (the "alternate" Jamie) as well as director David Maloney; "The Fact of Fiction," a 34-minute featurette featuring the actors and production team recalling working on the story; "Highlander," a 22 minute interview with Frazer Hines looking back on his career in Doctor Who and beyond; plus production notes, photo gallery and an easter egg. "The Mind Robber" is due out in the UK in March from BBC Video.

Outpost Gallifrey has received the cover illustration for Horror of Fang Rock, the January 2005 UK DVD release starring Tom Baker. Click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version. (Thanks to Tenth Planet.)

Those readers who were hoping that there'd be a preview showing of the new Doctor Who series at Christmas time (as had been rumored in online circles, though not here at OG) take note: the BBC's holiday season television schedules are now out and there's no mention of the show at all. This lends further credence to the spring airing, which we will believe is a mid-March debut. (Thanks to "Distant Dave")

The SFX site, the website of the science fiction magazine from Future Publishing, has a small handful of new photos from some recent filming done in Cardiff. "The Doctor Who production team are out and about filming on the streets of Cardiff again," says the report. "Our spies contacted us today to tell us that they had blocked off a street in Bute, near Cardiff Bay train station. We don't know which episode they're shooting, but because of the presence of soldiers in red caps, our guess is that they're filming pick-up shots for the two-parter 'Aliens Of London.'" You can see the photos on their site.

The latest issue of Dreamwatch magazine, #124, contains a couple of spoilers including two possible episode names; click on the spoiler tag below for more details. Dreamwatch 124 also features an interview with Insect Design about the development of the new Doctor Who logo... and, revealingly, how it reflects the interior design of the new TARDIS. Insect Design also confirms that the logo will be animated for the opening sequence. The issue is on the newsstands on November 25.