According to the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, recording of the four Gallifrey audios from Big Finish have now been completed. In addition to the previously confirmed Lalla Ward (Romana) and Louise Jameson (Leela), the issue confirms that John Leeson will be reprising the role of K-9, as well as two special guest appearances: Lynda Bellingham reprises her role of the Inquisitor (here known as Inquisitor Darkel) from "The Trial of a Time Lord," while Miles Richardson bridges the gap from the Bernice Summerfield audios to play the role of Cardinal Braxiatel. The series also stars Sean Calsen (Coordinator Navin), Andy Coleman (Commander Torvald), Hugo Myatt (Arkadian), and India Fisher (Sissy Pollard). The first story, "Weapon of Choice" by Alan Barnes, will be available at the end of March. The issue also confirms the titles of the two additional audio stories Outpost Gallifrey previously announced, but adds their writers:Medicinal Purposes is written by Robert Ross ("it's set in Edinburgh during the nineteenth century, and deals with the famous case of Burke and Hare") and Dead Man's Hand is written by comics writer John Ostrander ("it's set in the gambling, gun-totin' world of the American Wild West"). Finally, the writer's list for the forthcoming Short Trips: Repercussions edited" by Gary Russell has been announced; the stories include "Bobby Zierath's Story" by Trey Korte, "The Rag and Bone Man's Story" by Colin Brake, "The Farmer's Story" by Todd Green, "The Steward's Story" by Mark Michalowski, "Jake Morgan's Story" by Andie Frankham, "Professor Bulworth's Story" by Peter Anghelides, "The Bushranger's Story" by Sarah Groenewegen, "The Republican's Story" by Andy Russell, "The Assassin's Story" by Andrew Collins, "The Gangster's Story" by Jon de Burgh Miller, "The Inquisitor's Story" by Shaun Lyon, "The Diplomat's Story" by Kathryn Sullivan, "The Tramp's Story" by Joe Lidster, "The Ghost's Story" by Trevor Baxendale, "The Time Lord's Story" by Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett, and "The Juror's Story" by Eddie Robson. (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Iain McLaughlin and DWM)

Outpost Gallifrey now has the cover blurb for the forthcoming BBC Books novel Halflife by Mark Michalowski, which is as follows. We're also reposting the graphic of the book cover so you can see it all together. (Thanks to Mark Michalowski)

BBCi has begun serializing Gary Russell's The Scales of Injustice, the latest Virgin Publishing novel to be adapted to e-book form. The book, which pits the Third Doctor against classic monsters the Silurians and Sea Devils, also features a 'proper' goodbye to Liz Shaw (set between "Inferno" and "Terror of the Autons"). Russell contributed extensive notes, and artist Daryl Joyce illustrates. "Daryl has really gone to town with The Scales of Injustice," BBCi's news clip says, "creating fake R

Further to our news story yesterday about the new writers, we've confirmed that Steven Moffat will be penning two episodes for the forthcoming season, a fact apparently mentioned in the latest DWM. Additionally, the BBC press office has put out a press release confirming the details; there's no real new information in it, though it mentions Rob Shearman's Big Finish credentials but nothing else about him, and strangely states that Paul Cornell has written 'two Doctor Who series'. BBC News has also gotten into things with an article here. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

Mark Gatiss, the writer recently announced to be part of the first season's new writing team, appeared on this evening's edition of BBC Radio 4's daily arts programme "Front Row". Among the items Gatiss mentioned: Although perceived as an SF series, the strength of Doctor Who was always horror, and the team would "love to get back to 'proper scares'" as well as appeal to a mainstream audience. Gatiss feels that the best moemnts of Doctor Who involve wanting to travel with the characters of the Doctor and his companion, and he cited the Tom Baker / Elisabeth Sladen relationship versus the bickering of later TARDIS crews. When Gatiss was pressured on who he visualized when writing his script, he jokingly replied "Me, only me!" (Gatiss is an actor as well as writer), but mentioned he didn't know who would play the role of the Doctor (but we may know soon). His choice for the role? David Warner, who he has mentioned in the past. Gatiss is currently working on the first draft of his script. Update March 6: The radio program is archived online; you can listen to it by clicking here; there is also a transcript in our Forum (you must be a member to view).(Thanks to Vin Marsden Hendrick, Christian Coulter, PaulParanoid)

Stephen Cole will be returning to the novel fold next January, penning To the Slaughter, an Eighth Doctor novel from BBC Books. Says the new issue (#341) of Doctor Who Magazine, which announced it, "the Doctor and friends find themselves in Changing Rooms ... but on a planetary scale!" The issue promises news from editor Justin Richards about the future of the novel line, in light of the new series, in issue 342. (Thanks to DWM)

Colin Baker appeared in a sketch based on the movie Master and Commander in Jon Culshaw's comedy show "The Impressionable Jon Culshaw" on ITV, March 3.

According to the Green Guide TV Guide in Melbourne, Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation will not be screening The War Games, the final Patrick Troughton story, due to the BBC being "unable to resolve the TV rights of the Daleks with Terry Nation's agents," despite the fact that a Dalek appears only in a glimpse in part ten. Notably, the ongoing rights issues (which are more for Nation's entire estate, versus simply the Daleks themselves) has not stopped the ABC screening William Hartnell's three Dalek stories in the recent past. (Thanks to Glenn Robinson)

Issue #341 of Doctor Who Magazine is out and features news on an important discovery (one we've been waiting for the issue's release to report on): a full set of telesnaps from six of seven episodes of the lost Doctor Who serialMarco Polo have been recovered. "Marco Polo" is the only story from the show's first season that is missing completely from the archives, other than extensive behind-the-scenes photographic evidence... but not visuals from the actual broadcast itself. Fan Derek Handley was instrumental in the recovery, having contacted serial director Waris Hussein recently and discovered that Hussein did indeed have telesnaps from the six episodes he was responsible for directing in his possession (Hussein did not direct episode 4, "The Wall of Lies," and therefore does not possess telesnaps from the story.) The prints themselves are beautiful, and include such lost treasures as the legendary moving map that Mark Eden (as Marco Polo) narrated over during the story. The telesnaps - originally shot by John Cura as photographic evidence for the story's director, in the days far before VCRs - were arranged to be returned to the BBC and Hussein negotiated directly with Doctor Who Magazine to be able to run them; DWM will run all six episodes' telesnaps in sequence, one per issue, starting with #342. Hussein also possessed old videotapes of other items he directed for the BBC (but none of them are Doctor Who.) Further details on the recovery of the Marco Polo telesnaps can be found in this month's issue of DWM.

Both Doctor Who Magazine #341 and an internal BBC magazine, Ariel, have announced the writers signed for the first season of the new Doctor Who series. Joining producer Russell T. Davies, who will pen 8 episodes himself, are:

• Mark Gatiss, best known as the writer and co-creator of "The League of Gentlemen" and the author of several Doctor Who stories including the novels "Last of the Gaderene," "St. Anthony's Fire," "The Roundheads" and "Nightshade" and the Big Finish audios "Phantasmagoria" and "Invaders from Mars," and who penned several of the P.R.o.B.e. videos for BBV
• Steven Moffat, the creator of BBC2's popular comedy series "Coupling" which won "Sitcom of the Year" at the British Comedy Awards, and whose previous Doctor Who credit was the teleplay for the Comic Relief special "The Curse of Fatal Death" with Rowan Atkinson, Julia Sawalha and Jonathan Pryce
• Paul Cornell, the popular writer whose work includes episodes of "Casualty," "Wavelength," "Doctors," "Children's Ward" and "Springhill," and whose Doctor Who works include such novels as "Happy Endings," "Love and War," "The Shadows of Avalon" and both the screenplay for and novelisation of BBCi's "The Scream of the Shalka"
• Rob Shearman, an acclaimed playwright and stage writer who has written Big Finish's most popular Doctor Who audio teleplays including "The Holy Terror," "The Chimes of Midnight," "Jubilee," "Scherzo" and "Deadline," and who was awarded Writer of the Year at 2003's Doctor Who Magazine awards in London in November

Producer Mal Young told Ariel, "I've never received so many requests from writers and actors to be involved in a drama series, as I have had for Doctor Who." Added producer Julie Gardner, "Finding writers for the new series of Doctor Who has been one of the best jobs I've ever had. The talent available was exceptional." Davies himself noted that he believes that he has "the best people in the business now working on the best show. They'll be writing stories ranging across the whole of time and space. The Doctor and Rose already have the best allies on their journey - brilliant writers with brilliant scripts. It's an honour to work with these people who are so talented; they shouldn't be allowed to travel together!" Outpost Gallifrey has learned that one of these newly confirmed writers will pen two scripts for Davies; another unnamed participant decided to withdraw at an earlier time (solely due to schedule complications). All are said to be working off of "very basic" ideas - rather than full outlines, as has been reported elsewhere - from Davies, who will generate the major framework of the first series and is leaving the actual details to these experienced TV writers. Filming on the new series begins "in the spring." More details as we get them. (Thanks to BBCi and DWM)