This weekend sees the premiere of The God Complex, the latest episode in the current series of Doctor Who, broadcast on BBC1/BBC1HD at 7:10pm, 17th September in the United Kingdom; it then follows on SPACE in Canada at 8:00pm ET, on BBC America in the United States at 9:00pm ET, and on ABC1 in Australia at 7:30pm on the 24th September.


There are also three preview clips available from the episode:


The BBC published an interview with writer Toby Whithouse; plus, Arthur Darvill provides an introduction to the episode and on working with guest star David Walliams:


A number of publicity photographs for the episode have now been released:

Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures Brand Manager Edward Russell has been walking this week from the BBC's Upper Boat Studios in Wales to Television Centre in London, raising money for the Meadow House Hospice who looked after the actress Elisabeth Sladen.

Having battled the inclement weather over the last few days, he has now reached his last resting place before the final push to London tomorrow. You can follow his adventure along the way via the official Facebook group for the walk.


So far Ed has raised just under £14,000 for the Hospice, but hopes to achieve £15,000 upon his arrival. To donate, simply click on the link below.

The BBC are offering readers the chance answer questions alongside Matt Smith via their official Facebook page.

The new application in partnership with VYou will see the actor answer five questions over the next ten weeks, and is designed to enable fans to interact directly with the page in three different ways.

The principal function is the ability to record a personal video response to the question, which can then be shared with other fans who watch the video stream, appearing after Matt's original answer.

The initial question on the site is:

In future, fans themselves will be able to submit questions, and further interaction is providing in the form of a voting system in order to determine the favourite question - the ones with the most votes will then be answered by Matt himself.

Matt Smith has won the Most Stylish Man award at the 2011 GQ Men of the Year awards.

The citation reads
The annual GQ Men of the Year awards gives GQ magazine readers the chance to vote for the most influential figures in a variety of fields over the past year. Winners are chosen from nominees in the fields of film, television, sports, music, fashion, theatre, literature and food through online voting by GQ readers. Winners are typically featured in an issue of GQ, as well as being honored at the annual Men of the Year awards show.

Smith won the 2010 award for Best Actor which this year went to Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock fame.

Bill Nighy, who appeared in Vincent and the Doctor, who won the 2011 Editor's Special award.

David Tennant has beaten Matt Smith in a recent poll by the SyFy Channel to find the sexiest sci-fi hunk. The tenth Doctor came in at second place (16.9%), beating spin-off show Torchwood lead John Barrowman who came in third (14.2%), with Smith in tenth place (8.7%). X-Men star Hugh Jackman topped the poll (20.3%). In the sci-fi babes poll Karen Gillan beat predecessor Billie Piper, taking fourth (10.6%) and fifth (7.7%) places respectively; the top spot was taken by Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (12.7%).

Matt Smith talks about playing the role of the Doctor: "I can never relax because I'm always pushing myself to the highest level but it's nice to enjoy the fact people have accepted me as the Doctor and enjoy the things I do. I think he's grown. I hope people see growth.
I think he should always be evolving. I don't think good actors get typecast. In 10 years' time I'll be playing very different parts than I am playing now. So there is plenty of time for me to evolve as an actor." Also: "It's so funny, I read other scripts and I just go, 'Not as good as Doctor Who!' For me, it's a privilege to play this man. These parts don't come along that often. There was never any hesitation on my part to stay for another year. Why would I quit? I've got Steven Moffat writing scripts, but not only that - Toby Whithouse, Richard Curtis... all these great writers. And then of course, the part. I just love playing the Doctor. I've grown terribly fond of him. It's something I really enjoy." [Daily Record, 27 Aug 2011; Press Association, 28 Aug 2011]

David Tennant talks about the various roles he's taken recently in film, television and theatre: "I'm quite greedy for the variety, I think. I love the fact that I'm doing Shakespeare in the West End at the moment and then talking about vampires at the day. That's sort of what I'd always hoped I'd manage to do, to mix things up like that, to have a wide variety of work. I think it just helps you to keep being hopefully creative and it keeps challenging you. It's ideal really, if I can do a film and then a play and then a bit of telly and then a radio play and then an audio book, I love the fact that I'm in a job where I get to do all those different types of things." [Huffington Post, 18 Aug 2011]

Both David Tennant and Billie Piper are to appear in a new BBC1 drama, Love Life, a series of plays that will be based on improvisation by writer/director Dominic Savage. BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, Ben Stephenson said: "This is a complete first in TV drama on BBC One: a serial made through improvisation. It features some of our very best acting talent working in a way we've never seen on screen from them before, using improvisation to push the boundaries of each story, to get right to the heart of the truth." The two actors will feature in different episodes of the drama. [BBC Press, 26 Aug 2011]

Billie Piper is also to play the lead in a new BBC3 show written be Lee Hupfield, Tom and Jenny, described as "a high-octane comedy pilot about a feuding couple who, despite splitting up, refuse to leave the house they've bought together". [BBC Press, 26 Aug 2011]

Karen Gillan is supporting her hometown radio station, Monster FM, which will be returning to the Inverness airwaves for a limited period during September. Gillan and Inverness Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher will be presenting special programmes of their own favourite music on the station, which will be operated by trainee DJs from the European Social Fund-backed Radioskills project at The Moray Firth Media Trust. [Highland News, 30 Aug 2011]

John Barrowman commented on how his life style has changed over the years: "I can’t handle clubs and wild nights out like I did in my 20s. I’m lively when I perform and I always put everything into a show but when I get home I love lying down in front of the TV and relaxing. I’m not quite the party animal people imagine. I’m certainly not a big fan of nightclubs. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a vodka and tonic after a tough day." [Wales on Sunday, 21 Aug 2011]

Sophie Aldred appears in the new comedy-drama film Thriller Theater! from the independent Untitled Creative Group based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The film is directed by Michael S. Olson, who for the past 11 years has been the technical director for the annual Chicago TARDIS convention. Aldred portrays television station manager Lynn Whitlam, who's not easily convinced to give up two hours of late night infomercial programming to take a chance on a new horror host show called 'Thriller Theater'. "The script was written with the Lynn Whitlam character never being seen - we only ever see the back of her head, or her hands; we only hear her voice. But when the opportunity arose to involve Sophie in the project, we jumped at it - who wouldn't - and we had the perfect role for her, all ready to go," says Olson. "We filmed her scenes in Madison, Wisconsin, during her appearance at the MadCon convention in September 2010. And of course, she was superb." Thriller Theater! (the movie) receives its premiere screening on 8 September 2011 at the Portage Theater in Chicago (funds for the screening are being raised via public contributions to Kickstarter.com). The movie is also being submitted to various film festivals throughout the country. For more information on the film, visit http://thriller-theater.com. [with thanks to Steven W. Hill]

Bernard Cribbins helped launch a new Wheelyboat that enables disabled visitors to access the waters of Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire for fishing. A patron of the Wheelyboat Trust, he said: "It is of huge importance to give disabled anglers the same opportunities as able-bodied anglers." [BBC News, 19 Aug 2011]

Matt Smith was nearly cast in series The Inbetweeners, according to its creators Iain Morris and Damon Beasley: Matt Smith, the best Doctor Who of all time, was up for the role of Will. He was really, really brilliant and so funny, just a brilliant actor. And clever. He had all the comic timing you wanted, all the dramatic sense you might need. We spent a long time in development; I think if we had to make a decision very quickly and we were going off to shoot, we would definitely have gone with Matt at that point. But it just became a very long, drawn-out thing, and he had other projects on the go. Quite big projects, as it turned out, but we loved him." [Heatworld, 24 Aug 2011]

David Tennant has been talking to The Guardian Weekend as his run in the West End playing Benedick to Catherine Tate's Beatrice draws to a close.

Tennant talks about his career so far, his life growing up in Scotland and his tabloid reputation as a seducer on the Doctor Who set. "I refute that heartily." he says. "Well, I mean I have had some girlfriends, and I did meet some of them at work you know, my bedpost really has very few notches compared with other actors of my erm, erm, pedigree.

He talks about his future plans following the release of Fright Night next month. "I just like to join the jobs up and hope they will be as varied and interesting as possible. So if I can do a film with DreamWorks, then come back and do a little British film, then do something in the West End, then do something for the BBC, that's great. You learn from experience that the things you think are going to change your life probably won't. Not that I'm looking for it to be changed. I'm very happy with what I've got."

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Colin Baker joined experts from East Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Job Centre Plus in the cathedral city of Ely on Friday in a day aimed at helping residents tackle any life challenges that they may face.

The Sixth Doctor was joined by experts in housing, policing, benefits and drug awareness as well as a Dalek, a Cyberman and an Ood. Baker, who is currently touring in Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White, gave his time free for the event.

"I think everyone knows that it has been a difficult time for many people over the last few years and I know a lot of people who have or are struggling to keep their heads above water," he said. "I hope that in a small way I can attract people along who might not necessarily seek help who can then talk to the experts who will be on hand."

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Christopher Eccleston is currently filming in the North East of England in a comedy drama about a grumpy pensioner who joins a local choir.

Also staring Gemma Arterton, Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp, Song For Marion by Paul Andrew Williams is a comedy drama about a grumpy pensioner Arthur (Terence Stamp) who is reluctantly inspired by his beloved wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) to join a highly unconventional local choir.

Eccleston plays their son James in the Steel Mill Pictures production.

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Matt Smith has been snapped in a fetching white sailor's hat with wide-rimmed glasses as he rowed on the Thames while filming for the new BBC Drama Bert and Dickie. Smith is playing Bert Bushnell, one half of the rowing team that won the gold medal in the 1948 Olympics in London for the double scull.

Aurum Press have announced that the autobiography of Elisabeth Sladen will be published on 7th November 2011, following her life from her humble Liverpool beginnings through to a celebrated return as the popular sidekick to the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, in her own series for CBBC.


Originally slated for April, completion of the book was delayed through Sladen's illness and her untimely death earlier this year; it has now been completed with the support of her family. Her editor, Sam Harrison, reflected:

The final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is expected to be broadcast in the Autumn.

We have recently heard from Doctor Who's Brand Manager Edward Russell, who will be undertaking a walk to raise money on behalf of the hospice that looked after Elisabeth Sladen; he wishes to thank everybody who has donated so far, and has a message from the Meadow House Hospice itself to share:


As previously reported, the walk is scheduled to start at the BBC's Upper Boat Studios in Wales (where The Sarah Jane Adventures were produced) on the 3rd September; once under way, Edward aims to utilise the dedicated Facebook group for the walk to chart his progress.

A new set of 4 wallpaper murals based on Doctor Who have just been released by Black Dog Murals.

Each mural is scaled to fit the wall it is intended for and printed on standard wallpaper with environmentally friendly inks. It goes up like any other form of wallpaper.

Two of the four designs, officially licensed by BBC Worldwide, feature Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan as Amy. Another includes images of the Doctor's legendary enemy the Daleks, surrounding the Tardis, while the fourth shows the dimensionally transcendental inside of the Tardis.

Price is £25 per square meter.

Edward Russell, the Brand Manager for Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, is to undertake a 160 mile walk from the BBC's Upper Boat Studios in Wales to BBC Television Centre in London:


You can follow his preparations and progress for the walk via the WalkForLis blog, and there is also a Facebook group that you can join.