A bit of detail on Sophie Okonedo, one of the stars of the BBCi Doctor Who animated series coming soon with Richard E. Grant (she plays "companion" Alison Cheney -- not Cheneym as has been reported): Sophie most recently appeared on British screens in episode four of the current series of "Spooks" as Amanda Roke from the Chancellor of the Exchequor's office, "a real bitch of a character." "Spooks" is due to air in the USA at the end of the summer, retitled 'MI5' and combining both series to form one 16-part series; the episode featuring Sophie will be episode 10. (Thanks to Jim Sangster)

Reeltime Pictures have announced to Outpost Gallifrey their first Doctor Who spinoff drama in four years, Daemos Rising. Says Reeltime's Keith Barnfather, "With this year being the 40th anniversary of DOCTOR WHO, we really wanted to mark it with something special, and what better way to bring back one of DOCTOR WHO's greatest alien races." "Daemos Rising" is a sequel to both the Third Doctor story "The Daemons" as well as Reeltime's earlier video spinoff sequel "Downtime" featuring the Yeti (later adapted as part of Virgin Books' Doctor Who: The Missing Adventures novel series), and stars Miles Richardson (Irving Braxiatel in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield audio series) as ex-UNIT operative Douglas Cavendish, and Beverley Cressman ("Downtime") reprising her role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's daughter Kate. Writer David J. Howe (Telos Publishing) says, "I wanted to play with the characters a little, and to see what made them tick. I always loved 'The Daemons' - it's simply so full of great themes and potential that just one television outing never seemed enough. When I first started discussing the ideas with Keith for this drama, we both wanted to see how far we could go in both entertaining and unnerving the viewer ... and I hope we succeed on both counts. There's a far broader background to this tale, and readers of Telos' new Time Hunter range of Novellas will immediately make some connections as 'Daemos Rising' is very much set in the same universe. It's been tremendously challenging and great fun to do."

Says the press release: "A chilling new DOCTOR WHO spin-off drama featuring elements from the classic third Doctor adventure THE DAEMONS and the independent Yeti drama, DOWNTIME. Written by David J Howe. Directed by Keith Barnfather. Trapped in an isolated cottage, ex-UNIT operative Douglas Cavendish (Miles Richardson) thinks he is seeing ghosts. The only person who might understand and help is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Beverley Cressman) ... but when she arrives, she realises that Cavendish is key in a plot to summon the ancient Daemons back to the Earth. With time running out, Kate discovers that sometimes even the familiar can turn out to be your worst nightmare." "Daemos Rising" is out in October in the UK. (Thanks to David Howe)

A new play about the life and career of Delia Derbyshire is being developed. Derbyshire, who produced the original recording of the Doctor Who theme as well as countless scores for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, passed away last year and the co-production between The Tron venue, Glasgow and the Reeling and Writhing theatre company, "will use Derbyshire's creative career as a way of portraying the space age era of the early 60s." Says BBCi: "Every care has been made to make the production as historically accurate as possible, with Delia Derbyshire's life being directly researched through interviews with her friends and colleagues. The Doctor Who theme will feature heavily, as will Delia's other work. It's also hoped that new music, inspired by the music, and using the technology of the time, will be performed live. The design of the show will draw on the futurism of the 60s as well as 'swinging' London. The production will also be supported by a website, which will feature free music downloads. 'Delia Derbyshire' (working title) is planned to premiere in September 2004." More details when they become available. (Thanks to BBCi)

Besides their forthcoming "Daemos Rising" series, Reeltime Pictures has shared with Outpost Gallifrey their schedule of forthcoming releases for the second half of 2003. Late July sees the debut of the "Myth Makers" interview series edition with Gareth Thomas ("Blake's 7") on VHS and DVD as well as the re-release of the "Myth Makers: Sophie Aldred & Andrew Cartmel" interviews on DVD. In August, "Blake's 7" stars and DW guests Peter Tuddenham (various voices), Jacqueline Pearce ("Timelash" and Big Finish's "Fearmonger) and Stephen Greif (BF's "Primeval") are featured; Tuddenham's is new, Pearce and Greif are featured together on DVD. September will see the VHS debut for Blake's 7's Jan Chappell as well as the re-release on DVD of Deborah Watling & Victor Pemberton's "Myth Makers" releases, while October sees not only the debut of "Daemos Rising" but the DVD release of David Howe's "Mindgame" starring Sophie Aldred. For the anniversary of Doctor Who, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks are featured in November in a "Myth Makers" release on VHS and DVD, while the month also sees the re-release on DVD of interviews with Ian Marter and Michael Wisher. Finally, December sees the re-release of interviews with Patrick Troughton and BBC Head of Drama Shaun Sutton, as well as a new VHS/DVD release "The Doctor Down Under: History of Aussie Fandom". More details as we get them. (Thanks to Keith Barnfather)

The newest issue of SFX Magazine has more details about the forthcoming animated adventure "The Scream of the Shalka" starring Richard E. Grant as the new Ninth Doctor. The story of "Shalka" concerns about a town in Lancashire under siege by mysterious forces. As noted prior, there are no continuity references, except for the Doctor and his TARDIS, though it's been quite a while since the last time we saw the Eighth Doctor... some big things have happened in the meanwhile, which we'll find out about as we travel with this incarnation. The ninth Doctor is said to be impatient, a bit angry with humans, but caring and passionate, bitingly witty, vulnerable, brittle and a bit of a snob. While SFX mentions the new companion Alison Cheneym (Sophie Okonedo), Outpost Gallifrey has been told she's the the Doctor's companion in much the same way that Grace was around for the TV movie (or Spandrell was the companion for "The Deadly Assassin"... only "she's prettier than Spandrell, and less keen on the kissing than Grace.") The Doctor's new military liaison Thomas Kennett is played by Irish actor Jim Norton, among whose many roles are appearances in "Father Ted," "Red Dwarf," "Babylon 5" and as Albert Einstein in "Star Trek: The Next Generation". As noted prior, Derek Jacobi is in it, in the following role (protected by spoilers; use your mouse cursor to highlight the following text): Jacobi plays the Master, though OG has been led to believe that it's only a cameo appearance and not a Doctor v. Master face-off like in the TV movie. The animated serial was recorded in mid-June at the BBC facilities at Shepherd's Bush and is directed by stage director Wilson Milam. The Cosgrove Hall company -- responsible for animating "Dangermouse" and "Count Duckula" -- are the animators, and are said to be using the actors' likenesses in a "rich, gothic style". (Thanks to Neil Billinness, Mark Donovan, John Meier)

Actor James Saxon, who played played Oscar Botcherby in the forthcoming DVD release The Two Doctors, died last week of a heart attack while spending the day with his family in Somerset. He has been appearing at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer in the production of "The Gondoliers" as grand inquisitor Don Alhambra del Bolero and was due to appear in other productions in the main house and studio theatre during the season. The performance of "The Gondoliers" on Friday July 4th was dedicated to James as a celebration of his life. James recently appeared on stage alongside Brenda Blethyn in Mrs Warren's Profession in the West End. he worked extensively in TV with credits including Jonathan Creek, Poldark, Murder Most Horrid, Sharpe, Lovejoy, and Soldier Soldier. He also provided the voice of Captain Pugwash in the most recent ITV incarnation. He was 48. (Thanks to David Guest)

The official website of Richard E. Grant, the actor confirmed yesterday as playing the Ninth Doctor, actually noted several weeks ago on its pages that Grant was playing the Doctor, and apparently news didn't reach us! The official site informs us that the title of the forthcoming animated webcast is The Scream of the Shalka by Paul Cornell, and states that the story is five episodes (other sources say six). The article also mentions, curiously, that Derek Jacobi is in it (in addition to his appearance in Big Finish's Unbound series, previously reported) as well as actress Sophie Okonedo (whose repetoire includes various film roles -- the Grant site mistakenly identifies her as Sophie Okinodod),Craig Kelly (Vince in the UK version of "Queer as Folk") and Diana Quick ("Brideshead Revisited"). The website also states that this animated project will eventually be released on DVD. None of this information has been confirmed yet by BBCi but has seen pretty wide discussion elsewhere. Meanwhile, Cornell has made further comments on Outpost Gallifrey's forum with some additional information on the webcast. "I'm going to hang onto doing Ninth Doctor stuff as long as they'll let me, and as long as there's stuff to be done," he says. "There's no regeneration sequence. We start a long time after that. Yes, there's a new companion. People have somehow seen this as doing down McGann, but I don't feel that it is at all. I love the Eighth Doctor. This is just a new start. This will be accessible to new viewers, but will hopefully please the old ones at the same time. There's nothing to get in the way for new viewers." He adds that the animation "is more like [BBCi's] Ghosts of Albion" and the script "is written to be watched rather than heard. One of the joys of this is being able to write lines like: 'hundreds of monsters surround the Tardis'. It also makes storytelling faster. ... And yes, it was written especially for Richard." (Thanks to the official Richard E. Grant website and Paul Cornell)

Big Finish has issued details on two of its forthcoming Bernice Summerfield audios, both due in August, featuring the further exploits of the former Doctor Who novel companion: The Draconian Rage by Trevor Baxendale, featuring the return of the Draconians (the Third Doctor story "Frontier in Space") and The Poison Seas by David Bailey featuring the Sea Devils (from "The Sea Devils"). Details are as follows (with thanks to Big Finish):

The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine, issue 333 features the first of a three-part feature by Daniel O'Mahony, "The Accidental Tourist," looking at the genesis of Doctor Who, and finds that it would have been a very different show were it not for a series of happy accidents; an interview with author Mark Gatiss; the Archive extra "Thirty Years in the TARDIS" by Andrew Pixley; the first of a new comic strip "The Curious Tale of Spring-Heeled Jack" by Scott Gray and Anthony Williams; and the usual news, reviews and previews. (Thanks to BBCi)

Doctor Who is indeed returning for the show's 40th anniversary, in a special new six-part audio webcast on BBCi. Following in the footsteps of the earlier animated webcasts "Death Comes to Time," "Real Time" and "Shada," the fourth webcast (still untitled) is written by Paul Cornell ("The Shadows of Avalon") and will star none other than popular British actor Richard E. Grant(who also played one of the future Doctors in the charity special "The Curse of Fatal Death"). Grant describes his interpretation as "something of a 'Sherlock Holmes in Space.'"

Cornell, posting on the Outpost Gallifrey forum, had this to say about the project: "This is the start of everything again, not the end. Don't be scared. The Ninth Doctor is Richard E. Grant, fully animated... fully animated, not Shada animated... Batmanlike rather than Shadalike. With a new companion, a new military liaison, new monsters, and a vastly starry cast!" Cornell says that "if the response is good enough, then there'll be more. (And listen: you *never know* where this could end up.)" Cornell goes on to confirm that this is indeed the official, BBC made and sanctioned Ninth Doctor, approved by all the requisite parts of the BBC that needed input on this. "Traditional but original is what we're going for," says Cornell. "Very Hinchcliffe/Dicks, but with no previously used elements and only a tiny smidge of continuity. This story starts after the Ninth Doctor's been in the job for several years. And quite a lot has happened to him. So there's room for all continuities to resolve themselves. And BBC Books has made a positive response, and are talking about stuff."

Apparently the story will completely disregard "Curse of Fatal Death" (this Ninth Doctor isn't Grant's Doctor in that charity satire.) Cornell says he is "honoured to have the chance to set the Doctor off on another forty years of adventures," said Paul. "Just wait until you hear Richard! He is the Doctor!" The story is set to debut in mid-November, in time to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. (Thanks to BBCi and Paul Cornell)