John Barrowman, featured in the forthcoming first season of the new Doctor Who series, will be hosting an exclusive film screening in honor of World AIDS Day on December 1. "Star of stage and screen John Barrowman hosts an exclusive screening of his favourite film for Crusaid. Join us for a fabulous one-off night on World AIDS Day itself, where Crusaid supporter John will introduce his chosen film, followed by drinks and canap?s." To reserve a space at the screening, the venue for which is to be announced, "call the events team on 020 7539 3894 or email events@crusaid.org.uk". (Thanks to Matt Evenden)

The audio adaptation of the third series of Douglas Adams' classic satire The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is out on October 25, having been broadcast over the past several weeks on BBC Radio 4. Based loosely on his aborted screenplay "Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen," the story for the third series (which reunited the original cast) eventually wound up as the third book in the series, "Life, The Universe and Everything" and has been adapted for radio and, now, audio. The CD and cassette release includes 25 minutes of exclusive & previously unheard footage. The cover illustration is at right. Meanwhile, series stars Geoffrey McGivern (Ford), Stephen Moore (Marvin), Susan Sheridan (Trillian), William Franklyn (the Book, and recently featured in the Doctor Who audio "The Roof of the World" from Big Finish) and series director Dirk Maggs will be signing the CD's at Forbidden Planet in London on October 30 from 12-1pm. (Thanks to Laura Burch/BBC Audiobooks)

The official site has some further details on the forthcoming documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, which we first discussed in a news report in early October. The details come in the form of an interview with executive producer Mark Cossey. "Confidential is its own beast," Cossey told the official site. "[I]t will be more observational than the others, more of a documentary but with an entertainment edge. Like Doctor Who, we just want to tell a good story and give the audience an insight into the legend that is Doctor Who." It mentions that the access of the documentary team to the production is rather extensive, and will focus almost exclusively on the new show. There is no word as to whether it will be released on DVD or not with the first season of the new series.

BBC7 is currently broadcasting Martin Chuzzlewit featuring Pat Troughton as Old Martin, weekdays (from Monday 18th October) at 10am (repeated at 1am the next day), in ten parts. As ever, the Listen Again service allows you to listen for the following six days after broadcast, via the BBCi website. Also Monday's Million Pound Radio show featured a Doctor Who spoof. Broadcast at 0830, 2200 and 0330 the following day, this will also be avaiable for the following six days (not members of the Who cast involved). Plus each Tuesday, at 2300 and 0430 the following day, the vocal talents of Tom Baker can be doing a similar job to his Little Britain role, but many years before. Check out the BBC7 website for further info. (Thanks to Bob Berrow)

Doctor Who Nancy Cox and Matthew Saunders celebrated an out-of-this-world wedding dressing as characters from Doctor Who, according to this article in the Bucks Free Press. (Thanks to Mark Healey)

The final BBC Books novel of 2004, The Indestructible Man by Simon Messingham, featuring the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe, will be out in November. Below is the cover illustration and back cover blurb for the book; click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

The official Doctor Who site today debuted the new Doctor Who series logo, "created by Louise Hillam, Alison Jenkins and Hywel Roberts at the Graphic Design team at BBC Wales, with Luke Davies and Paul Humphrey at Insect Design working on the background." It's displayed below.

According to co-writer Eddie Robson, Virgin's upcoming book Who's Next is now scheduled for publication on February 10, 2005.

While Dragon's Claw, the release of Doctor Who Magazine comics in trade paperback form, has been released, inside is an advertisement for the next graphic novel, due in early 2005. The Tides of Time will include all six of the Fifth Doctor comic strips from Doctor Who Monthly issues 61 to 87. No word as yet on an exact release date.

An October 7 news item from Newsquest noted that a security company at the Penarth Leisure Centre guarding props and high-tech equipment being used to film the new Doctor Who series was almost broken into by a crowd of thugs. "Officers were called in to deal with an incident at the Leisure Centre last Friday night," Huw Smart, inspector at Penarth police station, said. "There is an ongoing problem of youth annoyance at the Leisure Centre in Cogan. We have arranged for regular patrols of the area."

The Western Mail and icWales ran an article about Cardiff hoping to become a tourist attraction now that Doctor Who is filming there. "DOCTOR WHO could help Cardiff become the centre of the universe for science fiction buffs around the world, following the sale of international TV rights. Shooting for the eagerly-anticipated new series continued in the capital this week, with dedicated websites excitedly trailing pictures of new aliens and blue-painted dwarves milling around the city centre's Cathays Park. And, according to experts, the city providing the backdrop to Christopher Eccleston's Doctor could soon benefit from a tourist boost. Cardiff is fast becoming a magnet for British fans of the show, drawn by the prospect of a rare glimpse of Doctor Who's space-and-time-travelling craft the Tardis, as well as his young assistant Rose, played by Billie Piper. And following the sale of the new series's rights to Canada, and with a deal in the US reportedly close to being finalised, that appeal could go global." Matt Hills, an expert in Doctor Who and fan behaviour at Cardiff University, told the Western Mail, "A similar thing happened with Vancouver when they were filming the X Files there, with tourists who would be science fiction fans going around locations where it was filmed." Read the full article at the website. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Steve Tribe)