Doctor Who Adventures issue 83, is out now across the United Kingdom

Russell T Davies's comments from his new book, excerpted in today's issue of The Times and reported yesterday on the Doctor Who News Page (see below) have been widely reproduced across the British media today. The two main angles being focused on are Davies's suggestion of actor Russell Tovey (Midshipman Frame in "Voyage of the Damned") as a possible Eleventh Doctor, and his idea of basing the 2008 Christmas special around an appearance by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

BBC News, CBBC Newsround, Digital Spy, The Mirror and The Guardian, amongst many others, all make the Tovey casting suggestion the focus of their story, with Guardian columnist Daniel Martin suggesting that the next Doctor "...has to be someone with a massive future who's never had their one defining part."

Under the headline "Dr exterminates role for Rowling", The Sun make JK Rowling's non-appearance in the programme their focus of the story, as does another piece in The Guardian. Here Lindesay Irvine points out that: "it's not entirely certain that Rowling was tapdancing at the idea herself."

Meanwhile, The Times themselves have published the second part of their preview of "The Writer's Tale".

The Times newspaper in the UK has today published on its website a series of extracts from "The Writer's Tale", the forthcoming book by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook about the making of the new series of Doctor Who. The book is due to be released in the UK on September 25th.

The same newspaper has also made a news story out of the extracts, focusing on Davies's suggestion of Russell Tovey as a candidate for the Eleventh Doctor, and the fact that he considered attempting to get Harry Potter author JK Rowling to appear in the 2008 Christmas special.

Further extracts will be published in Wednesday's paper.

Thanks to PolyG on the Doctor Who Forum

The Sun is reporting inside information on some major cast news for the 2009 specials starring David Tennant. Details are found in the Spoiler box below.

Remember, consider all such information as strictly rumour until confirmed publicly by the BBC.

UPDATE - SEP 12: The BBC today rejected one of the claims. The details are in the Spoiler box.

Various sources in the British media are today reporting fresh speculation about a potential Doctor Who feature film. A report in The Sun newspaper has suggested that series star David Tennant is negotiating with the BBC about starring in series five of Doctor Who in 2010, with the proviso that a feature film version of the series comes as part of the deal.

The Sun's report quotes a "show source" as saying: "For ages, BBC Worldwide held the rights and were planning to make a movie, but it got held up and former BBC1 boss Lorraine Heggessey decided to bring back the TV series in 2005. But everyone is keen now and the fans are clamouring. Part of David’s conundrum is that he wants to do films, so this looks like it would solve both issues."

The story has also been picked up by The Daily Telegraph, Metro, What's On TV and TeleText, amongst many others.

Doctor Who Adventures issue 80, is now out across the UK.

Doctor Who has been named best programme of 2008 at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, a significant annual gathering of members of the British television industry.

According to the report on the BBC News website, the show's parent channel, BBC One, was named terrestrial channel of the year. Doctor Who Confidential broadcaster BBC Three took the prize for best digital channel.

The winners of these awards are selected by a panel made up of journalists and television executives. This is the second year in a row that Doctor Who has won the award for best programme.

Doctor Who Magazine 399

There is an exclusive interview with the unforgettable Donna Noble, when Catherine Tate talks exclusively to this months Doctor Who Magazine, released this week in the United Kingdom.

"What's weird is, I was going into an established, loved, successful show, so part of me was thinking, oh God, there's a responsibility there to that," Catherine tells the magazine. "But you can't go on set every day and think, I really hope I don't ruin this for everyone else involved! You just have to realise, yeah, I've taken this job, and the people around me wanted me to do it. Once you get down to the nuts and bolts of making the show, it was absolutely, and I can say this for certain, one of the best experiences of my professional life. Absolutely brilliant. There was just no down point."

Also in the Magazine.

• She was the the original feisty redhead! Bonnie Langford, aka companion Melainie Bush, talks candidly about her turbulant time on Doctor Who in the 1980's


• Manga Doctor Who? Miss Saigon? And the Doctor and Donna at extra-fast speed? Find out what it all means as Executive Producer Julie Gardner tells us what happened when she went to the USA with new showrunner Steven Moffat, in Production Notes.


• There's a multitude of adventures for the Doctor and Donna in a very special 10-page comic strip, The Time of My Life, written by Jonathan Morris with art by Rob Davis.


• It's a close shave for Peri, as The Time Team get their minds warped by The Trial of a Time Lord!


• Pomp and circumstance, and Cybermen! DWM takes an exclusive look at August's Doctor Who Prom and talks to composer Murray Gold and the people who made it happen.


• Some of the Doctor's most fondly remembered companions are back in an all-new series of audio adventures! DWM investigates the range and chats to the Doctor’s very first companion Susan, Carole Ann Ford.


• An alien killer on a space bus? The Doctor on a less-than-relaxing holiday? And bees that are far more intelligent than they appear? It can only be Delta and the Bannermen! Fact of Fiction examines one of the Seventh Docto'’s most extraordinary adventures.


• Neil Harris discovers the possible future of Doctor Who in You Are Not Alone


• Plus all the very latest news, reviews, previews and competitions!

Doctor Who Adventures 78

This week’s Doctor Who Adventures comes complete with an inflatable Sontaran. Guarding the Sontaran on the cover is an angry Judoon. Inside you can find out more about them and the outer-space police, the Shadow Proclamation.

Also in the issue

• Monster music! Read about the team’s trip to the recent Doctor Who prom.


• Posters of the Doctor, The Sarah Jane Adventures gang, Judoon, and a Sontaran.


• Ultimate Ood: Part two of the guide to the Ood!


• Adventure Guide: Trouble for Sarah Jane in Eye of the Gorgon.


• Tales from the TARDIS: The Doctor and Donna are captured in Planet of the Ood.


• Secrets: How the face of Davros was created!


• Who’s where? Take a trip to Camp Caan and find the Time Beetles.<\li>
  
• Comic strip: Part one of a new adventure for the Doctor and Donna – Attack of the Mange Mites.


• Doctor’s Data: Facts about the Seventh Doctor.


• Time Teasers: Puzzles to strain your brain.


• Woven wordsearch: Win some books!


• Win: DVDs and a radio-controlled car up for grabs.

Doctor Who Adventures issue 77 is out today across the United Kingdom.

Steven Moffat has won his third Hugo Award in a row for an episode of Doctor Who, after his 2007 episode "Blink" won the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category in the 2008 awards, given at the WorldCon event in Denver last night. This is according to a run-down of winners on the HugoAwards.org website.

The Hugo Awards celebrate the best of science-fiction across various media. "Blink", which was directed by Hettie Macdonald, was nominated alongside Paul Cornell's two-parter "Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood" and Catherine Treganna's Torchwood episode "Captain Jack Harkness".

Moffat is pictured right at last year's ceremony, with the Hugo Award he won for "The Girl in the Fireplace".

A Doctor Who themed cover for Radio Times has been nominated as one of the best magazine covers of all time.

The poll, conducted by industry publication Magazine Week 2008, consists of a series of covers nominated by UK magazine editors. The general public is invited to vote for their favourite.

The Radio Times nominated cover is the Vote Dalek edition from May 2005. The edition was published in the week the first series episode Dalek was shown and the UK's last general election was held. The cover was nominated by the editor of Gardeners' World, who described the cover as capturing the essence of the mood of the nation in a brilliant and original way.

Other covers nominated include "Posh and Becks'" wedding on the cover of OK, Diana, Princess of Wales on Vogue and a two-fingered salute on the front of Time Out.

The winner will be announced during the week beginning 29 September.

The Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of Hamlet starring David Tennant in the title role has officially opened with positive reviews from many British newspapers.

Benedict Nightingale, critic for The Times, says the production "gives Tennant the chance to show the world that he has the range to tackle the most demanding classical role of all - and, praise be, he seizes it. I've seen bolder Hamlets and more moving Hamlets, but few who kept me so riveted throughout." He also has high praise for Patrick Stewart in the dual role of Claudius and the ghost of Hamlet's father. Also in The Times, director Gregory Doran discusses the cuts he made to the play's text.

In The Daily Telegraph, Charles Spencer says that Tennant "isn't in the pantheon of the great Hamlets yet" but adds that he "discovers almost every ounce of sarky humour" and "is at his best though when he dares with his emotions and lets rip." The Telegraph has a photo gallery with images from the production. Also in the Telegraph, former National Theatre director Richard Eyre discusses the challenges of the play and the title role.

Paul Taylor, reviewer for The Independent, notes that "it's pure snobbery to suppose that Doctor Who fans and people who can appreciate Hamlet are mutually exclusive groups." He writes, "Tennant is adept at most aspects of the role but he excels when the prince becomes a prankish provocateur."

Writing for The Guardian, Michael Billington calls the RSC's production "one of the most richly textured, best-acted versions of the play we have seen in years" and says that Tennant "has no difficulty in making the transition from the BBC's Time Lord to a man who could be bounded in a nutshell and count himself a king of infinite space." The Guardian also has an interview with Doran and a gallery of photographs from the production.

BBC News calls Tennant's performance "undoubtedly mesmerising. What he lacks in emotional intensity, he makes up for with wit, humour and stirring energy." It also has a video interview with Doran, who discusses casting Tennant and how the company handles the unusual attention this production has drawn.

The prominent coverage of this production has included leading articles (editorials) in The Times and The Daily Telegraph (scroll past the bit about French holidays).

The international press has also noticed the Hamlet madness: the Associated Press discusses the two science fiction stars leading the RSC's production.

Thanks to the members of the Doctor Who Forum's "Media Watch" thread.

The TV Guide listings magazine in the United States has published a list of "hottest Sci-Fi stars".

John Barrowman was number 9 on the list with the judges saying "This man does not get enough attention in the States. He's gorgeous and possibly one of the funniest actors I've ever seen. He's so charismatic, not to mention he can kiss anyone and make it hot!"

David Tennant came in at number 7 because "It's the mussy hair, the expressive eyes, the adorable dimples when he smiles and the accent. Or maybe it's the talent. Whatever it is, he's got it."

The Doctor Who concert at the BBC Proms has received substantial coverage in the British press. BBC News has a story which includes a brief video interview with Russell T Davies about the concert. In The Times, Caitlin Moran writes about "the hottest ticket in town this week". The concert is also covered by The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard and The Sun.

The Doctor Who Prom is available on the BBC iPlayer for the next 6 days. Link to Part One and Part Two.

Thanks to "PolyG" of the Doctor Who Forum.

Issue 398 of Panini's Doctor Who Magazine was published in the United Kingdom yesterday, and contains several pieces of information of interest concerning the forthcoming special episodes of Doctor Who.

It is confirmed that the title of this year's Christmas episode - which will be 60 minutes long - is not "The Return of the Cybermen", as some have surmised from the teaser trailer at the conclusion of "Journey's End". This was merely a teaser description of the episode. It is also confirmed that actors David Morrissey, Dervla Kirwan and Velile Tshabalala will be guest- starring in the episode, with Kirwan playing a character named Miss Hartigan. Andy Goddard directs, with Susie Liggat producing.

Of the four further specials which will follow in 2009, it is announced that Russell T Davies will write two of them solo, with the other two to be co-written with Gareth Roberts and Phil Ford respectively. Roberts penned "The Shakespeare Code" and "The Unicorn and the Wasp" for Doctor Who, while Ford wrote "Eye of the Gorgon" and "The Lost Boy" for The Sarah Jane Adventures - the series for which he is now chief writer - and "Something Borrowed" for Torchwood. His work on the special will make him the only writer after Davies to have written for all three shows.

Elsewhere in the magazine, information is given on release dates for the remaining classic series DVD releases of 2008. "The Trial of a Time Lord" comes out on August 18, "Four To Doomsday" on September 15, "The War Machines" on September 29 and finally "Battlefield" on December 29.

Steven Moffat found time in his very busy schedule at the San Diego Comics Convention to give interviews with ComingSoon.net, SciFi.com and io9.

In the ComingSoon.net interview, Moffat talks about growing up as a fan of the show, dipping into the Classic Series for ideas, tackling the enormous tasks of merchandising and continuity, and spin-offs. He also confirms that there will be five special episodes before the beginning of Series Five: one at Christmas of this year, and four more after that.

He talked to SciFi.com about the difference between his experience as a writer for the show and the responsibilities he's taking on as executive producer.

And in the io9 interview, Moffat explains why Doctor Who is a children's show and why that's not something adults should be ashamed of:

This month's Doctor Who Magazine features Davros himself, actor Julian Bleach, talking exclusively about taking on the role of the Daleks' creator.

Is the fact that other actors have played the part in the past a help or a hindrance? "That can make it harder to approach it afresh," considers Julian, "but it's more of a problem if you're trying to find a new interpretation of the character. What I was trying to do with Davros was to recreate, and match as closely as possible, a previously established character." So what’s Julian's take on Davros? Twisted megalomaniac? Mad scientist? Misguided genius? "All of those things, but I'd say the character was very probably originally inspired by Hitler, and I found that to be quite a useful reference point, particularly in some of his more dogmatic speeches!"

It's not just Davros who’s quizzed this issue, DWM features exclusive interviews with David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Freema Agyeman, Billie Piper, John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Eve Myles, Penelope Wilton, Jacqueline King, Bernard Cribbins, Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri, Adjoa Andoh, Elisabeth Sladen, Thomas Knight, John Leeson, Alexander Armstrong, Nicholas Briggs, Julian Bleach and Richard Dawkins. Find out which former companion had to have an injection to stop her vomiting. Discover whose bottom to hold onto in a crisis, and whose gave Catherine Tate a shock. Learn which actress is happy to "mug away in the background." And establish who would win in a Dalek Crucible-based wind-breaking competition!

PLUS!

• The Doctor and Donna’s battle with the Sycorax reaches its explosive climax in the final part of the latest full colour comic strip The Widow’s Curse.


• Showrunner Russell T Davies reveals exclusively what won't be in Series Five.


• The chance to vote for your favourites in DWM’s annual Season Survey


• The latest news on the forthcoming Doctor Who Specials and Series Two of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

AND... all the latest news, exclusive photos, reviews, previews, competitions and a choice of FOUR covers to collect!

Today's edition of The Sun says David Tennant is being offered one and a half million pounds to stay on as the Doctor for Series Five.

In what it claims to be an exclusive, it quotes a source as saying: "He's interested. Everyone thought he was going, but it's not as open and shut as that."

Click here for the full report - but beware, as at the end it names a character it says is returning in one of the specials.

Doctor Who's co-executive producer Julie Gardner has revealed transmission details for two of next year's specials.

And in the interview in today's Daily Telegraph about the show's future, the head of drama for BBC Wales says the cutback in 2009 is a good thing for the programme.

She says: "Aside from Series Five, which will have a full 13 episodes and transmit in 2010, we are making four one-hour specials. The first, which we've already filmed, will go out this Christmas. The next will go out the following Easter. The other specials have yet to be scheduled, although one will definitely be on at Christmas 2009."

In the interview, Gardner says: "The reduced schedule for 2009 acknowledges the fact that the show should continue not just for another one or two years, but for another five or 10. It needs to be nurtured, loved and looked after."

The article states that Russell T Davies is writing two of the specials and co-writing the other two. It is not revealed who the other co-writer is.

As Series Four draws to a close, Executive Producer and Head Writer Russell T Davies talks about his involvement with Doctor Who, the show he was part of reviving after a 16-year hiatus in 2005. Answering fans' questions on the BBC News website, he says that once he leaves he will no longer be involved with the show even for an occasional writing stint. He hands the reins over to Steven Moffat in 2010.

"I think Steven's more than his own man. He doesn't need me at all. I won't write for it in the future. I'm done with it. It's time to move on and I'd hate to be just a ghost haunting the corridors that I used to walk.

"And who needs me? Because Steve's brilliant and they've got a thousand million plans. I'll just be old news and it's about time."

He said he would most miss the people he had worked with. "They are genuinely brilliant people, our designers and producers and the crew at BBC Wales. They are fantastic and they're part of the reason I've stayed for so long."

Despite his intial fears of low budget and a non-peaktime slot, he was pleased with the way the BBC treated the show. "I thought there'd be a lot of compromise, I thought we'd be compromised on budget. We could have ended up with no ratings and a Sunday afternoon slot, so absolutely nothing [was compromised] and that really is the honest answer. We got to make everything that I wanted to make.

"I knew what we'd made was good. So I knew I could sleep at night. I knew even if no one watched it, I could sit there and say I had done a great piece of work."

He added: "None of us ever saw this much success coming. I didn't even envisage a spin-off would be possible."

When asked about his favourite line of dialogue, he replied: "I did love Donna, played by Catherine Tate, in a show we did two weeks ago called Turn Left. She said: 'You liar, you told me I was special' to Rose, when she feels her life has been betrayed and lied. I think she delivers that line with such venom - I love that moment."

Asked which villains or creatures he might have brought back if he'd continued with Doctor Who, he said: "I've used a lot of the classics but the Silurians were always very good. They were a race of lizard people who were the original owners of the Earth. I always thought it was a very clever idea that there was a civilisation before us. I'm not bringing them back but they're ripe to be returned one day."