March 31, 2007  •  Posted By Shaun Lyon

It's the end of March and Doctor Who is back today for its third series with the airing of "Smith and Jones" at 7.00pm on BBC1, starring David Tennant as the Doctor and introducing Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones!

The broadcast will be followed by episode one of the third series of Doctor Who Confidential at 7.45 on BBC3. There's also the first episode of the second series of Totally Doctor Who this coming Monday, 2 April at 5.00pm on BBC1. Meanwhile, BBC3 is repeating The Runaway Bride, last December's Christmas special, at 7.00pm on Sunday 1 April, followed by a repeat of the new episode at 8.00pm.

The following is a quick overview of the week's broadcasts along with some programme information from Radio Times. Welcome back, Doctor Who!

SMITH AND JONES
It's back and this time it looks like there may be two travellers - the Doctor and Martha, alias Smith and Jones. When Martha Jones finds herself on the moon, she meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, and her life will never be the same again. Starring David Tennant (The Doctor) and Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), with Anne Reid (Florence Finnegan), Roy Marsden (Mr Stoker), Adjoa Andoh (Francine Jones), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Tish Jones), Reggie Yates (Leo Jones), Trevor Laird (Clive Jones), Kimmi Richards (Annalise), Ben Righton (Morgenstern), Vineeta Rishi (Julia Swales), Paul Kasey (Judoon Captain). Written by Russell T Davies, directed by Charles Palmer.
Saturday 31 March, 7.00pm, BBC1
Repeats Sunday 1 April, 8.00pm, BBC3; Friday 6 April, 9.00pm, BBC3


DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL 3.1: MEET MARTHA JONES
Behind-the-scenes look at Doctor Who. The Doctor has a new companion, Martha Jones. By sheer courage and determination, she has wowed the Time Lord and been offered a place on board the TARDIS. Featuring exclusive footage from the new series and interviews with Freema Agyeman, who plays Martha, David Tennant and head writer Russell T Davies, the programme examines the development of Martha's character and the huge interest behind the casting of the new companion.
Saturday 31 March, 7.45pm, BBC3
Repeats Sunday 1 April, 8.45pm, BBC3; Friday 6 April, 9.45pm, BBC3


TOTALLY DOCTOR WHO 2.1
It's back with a twist as the children's companion series to Doctor Who introduces a new adventure to the mix. Barney Harwood and Kirsten O'Brien present a show celebrating the the latest adventures of the last living Time Lord. They look at anything and everything that Doctor Who has inspired children to create and do - from TARDIS-shaped garden sheds to new alien designs, from DIY special effects to new versions of the theme music. There's also the Companion Academy, in which eight young hopefuls who think they've got what it takes to travel with a Time Lord are recruited.
Monday 2 April, 5.00pm, BBC1
Repeats Friday 6 April, 6.00pm, BBC1; Saturday 7 April, 10.30am, BBC2 and 6.30pm, BBC1


THE RUNAWAY BRIDE
A repeat of last December's Doctor Who Christmas special starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
Sunday 1 April, 7.00pm, BBC3

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March 31, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

The centre spread of today's edition of The Sun features Paul Kasey.

The 33-year-old, who has played a variety of monsters in the revamped series, tells what it's like to act behind the heavy make-up and prosthetics.

A sidebar by Sun TV editor Sara Nathan focuses on Freema Agyeman.

NB: Both articles contain plot details.

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According to unofficial overnight figures, the special Doctor Who edition of The Weakest Linkwas the most watched non-soap programme on Friday.

5.7 million viewers saw stars from the series battle it out with Anne Robinson, a 25% share of the total TV audience.

This made the programme the 4th most watched of the day, behind the big three soap shows. It was the highest rating The Weakest Link has achieved this year, beating the previous high by nearly 2 million viewers.

The programme easily beat "A Touch of Frost" on ITV1

Over on BBC3, 430,000 tuned in at the start of the evening to watch Donna and The Doctor battle it out with the Empress, in a repeat of The Runaway bride. This made it the 8th most watched programme on Multi Channel Television for Friday.

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Doctor Who executive producer Russell T Davies was the first guest on Jonathan Ross's BBC Radio Two programme on Saturday morning.

Davies confirmed there will be a Christmas special in 2007 and said he has already planned the storyline for Season Four, which is pencilled in for transmission in the spring of 2008.

He also spoke about his life long love of the series, his favourite classic series Doctor, and the joys of working in Wales.

The whole programme is available via the BBC listen again facility for the next seven days.

Davies first appears around 38 minutes into the programme.

He was also a guest towards the end of Loose Ends on BBC Radio Four Saturday evening. This programme can also be heard for the next seven days.

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To celebrate the return of Doctor Who to UK television screens, fans in Leicester are invited to meet a Cyberman and Dalek at the BBC's Open Centre.

Enrty to the centre is free. As well as the Doctor Who monsters it has an underground vault with cameras and lights, which takes visitors back two thousand years to the city's Roman origins.

The Doctor Who event runs from Monday 2nd April until Thursday 5th April 2007 and is open from 9.00am -5.00pm each day.

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Following the UK transmission of the first episode of the new series, Smith and Jones, the official BBC Doctor Who website has been updated.

There are links to a downloadable audio commentary on the episode with producer Phil Collinson and new companion Freema Agyeman, as well as several sounds from the new episode to download.

The site also includes a video podcast and an updated gallery as well as photos from the filming; fans can even download Martha's ID badge! There are also new teasers and trailers for the remainder of series three.

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March 30, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

Anyone who missed David Tennant on last night's Graham Norton Show on BBC Two has a second chance to see him in an extended repeat this coming Sunday on the same channel at 10.45pm.

Quoting from the show, the BBC Press Office refers to a plot element that has caused controversy.

NB: Although the press release says the repeat will go out at 11.30pm, Radio Times and the BBC's What's On says it will actually be broadcast at 10.45pm.

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March 30, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

Today's edition of The Times has a huge feature on the new series.

A banner splash reading "Who's hot" runs across the front page under the masthead, and the three-page article by Caitlin Moran is in the Times2 section as the lead story, with David Tennant on the cover.

NB: Contains a major character spoiler.

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Martha Jones has signed up to myspace where she promises to update her blog whenever she can.

Martha's wish is to meet interesting people. Maybe over the next few weeks she will get the chance.

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March 30, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

The BBC News Entertainment website follows up yesterday's companion gallery, marking Martha Jones's forthcoming first adventure, with an interview with Freema Agyeman today, saying the Doctor Who star is "set to go stellar".

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Julie Gardner, executive producer of Doctor Who, answered calls from fans today on BBC Radio Wales's phone-in programme with Richard Evans.

One surprise caller was Russell T Davies's father, talking about his son's lifetime passion for the series.

The interview is available for the next seven days via the BBC listen again facility.

The interview starts approximately 1 hour 8 minutes into the programme.

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March 30, 2007  •  Posted By R. Alan Siler

DigitalSpy is currently running a story that takes readers on a lunar odyssey throughout the Doctor's many incarnations, familiarizing Doctor Who's younger audience with all the Doctor's previous visits to or encounters with the Moon.

Beginning with 1967's "The Moonbase" the article continues on through the decades, concluding with a brief synopsis of "Smith and Jones", which kicks off Series Three on BBC1 at 7:00 pm on Saturday, 31 March.

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March 29, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

The BBC today announced the beginning of a test syndication of a range of its TV channels and radio networks via 3G to certain mobile phones.

Although no specific programmes were named, the BBC chose to useDoctor Who to illustrate the announcement via its press office.

Lasting up to 12 months, the test will allow subscribers to Orange, Vodafone and 3's TV packages to watch BBC One, BBC News 24 and BBC Three (with the exception of some sport and acquired programmes) streamed on their mobiles.

Subscribers will also be able to listen to up to eight radio stations, including Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music, BBC 7 and Asian Network.

It will start within the month, said the corporation.

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March 29, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

With just two days to go before the first adventure of new companion Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman, the BBC News Entertainment site celebrates her arrival by taking a look back at some of the actors and actresses who have travelled in the Tardis with the Doctor.

The gallery of 11 images starts in the Hartnell era and ends with a publicity picture of Martha.

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March 29, 2007  •  Posted By Chuck Foster

There is now a preview of the forthcoming series running on a loop on BBC's Digital service; the loop runs for about a minute and a half and features clips from a number of stories. Beware spoilers!

The preview is available on Sky Digital and Virgin Media but not on Freeview because of scheduling reasons, according to the official Doctor Who website, which says it hopes to have the trailer on the site shortly.

Update - this preview is now available via the BBC channel on YouTube.

A number of clips are shown, including brief snippets from later stories such as Human Nature (including the wedding reported in Heat and on tonight's Graham Norton Show), Utopia and The Sound of Drums, featuring Derek Jacobi, Michelle Collins, John Simm and John Barrowman.

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March 29, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

Freema Agyeman talks about her encounter with the Daleks in an interview on Digital Spy.

"I was so excited when I knew it was going to be a Dalek day," she says.

"They came rolling on, and it was incredible. It was like holding a sonic screwdriver for the first time... or walking into the Tardis, all those moments, it's like goosebumps, heart racing. You think 'I'm actually part of this and I can't believe it'. The Daleks were a big moment."

The interview is in two parts, with the second one going online on Sunday.

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March 29, 2007  •  Posted By Kenny Davidson

The Stage and Paul Cornell are reporting the nominations for the Hugo Awards 2007. Doctor Who is nominated three times in the "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form" category, which the programme won last year with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.

This year, the episodes nominated are Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, The Girl in the Fireplace and School Reunion.

The other two nominations in this category are episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1.

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The TV schedules for the 7th April are now becoming clear, with Doctor Who facing its stiffest competition since Season One was placed against Ant and Dec.

The Shakespeare Code will be transmitted in the usual Who slot of 7pm. As with week one it will be preceded by theThe National Lottery People's Quiz and followed by the new search for a star series Any Dream will Do with Graham Norton leading a search for a new leading man for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor.

ITV1 fights back with its own search for a star series, Grease Is the Word at 6.05pm. The programme follows thousands of hopefuls auditioning for the the lead roles of Danny and Sandy in a brand new West End production of Grease. The programme runs until 7.10pm in direct competition with the first ten minutes of Doctor Who. ITV1 then schedules Harry Hill's TV Burp The programme has averaged 5.3m Viewers for the first part of this year.

On BBC2 the 1999 version of the film Anna and the King is being shown. Starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. Last shown in 2006 it was watched by 2.0m viewers.

Channel 4 continues with Born Survivor: Bear Grylls demonstrating survival techniques.

Channel 5 has a spoof spy adventure, The Ambushers. Made in 1967 this film stars Dean Martin and Senta Berger. On its last showing on Channel 4 in 2005 it only got 0.3m viewers.

All schedules are subject to change

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David Tennant's incarnation as the Doctor has been voted the coolest TV character beating federal agent Jack Bauer, played in the hit US show 24 by Kiefer Sutherland, to second place.

The poll for radiotimes.com was conducted to find the coolest character - defined as laidback and sexy - on TV.
The Fonz in the Seventies TV show Happy Days, played by Henry Winkler, now 61, came third.

Colin Firth's heart-fluttering turn as Mr Darcy in the TV adaptation of Jane Austen favourite Pride And Prejudice is fourth, followed by The Cat in Eighties comedy series Red Dwarf, brought to life by Danny John-Jules.

The top 10 list was voted for by more than 4,000 TV fans.

Radio Times deputy TV editor David Butcher said: "David Tennant is so hugely popular as the Doctor - he looks like becoming a bit of an icon.

1. Doctor Who (David Tennant)
2. Jack Bauer in 24 (Kiefer Sutherland)
3. The Fonz in Happy Days (Henry Winkler)
4. Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth)
5. Cat in Red Dwarf (Danny John-Jules)
6. DCI Gene Hunt in Life On Mars (Philip Glenister)
7. Dermot O'Leary
8. Columbo (Peter Falk)
9. Dylan in The Magic Roundabout
10.Sawyer in Lost (Josh Holloway)

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March 28, 2007  •  Posted By Shaun Lyon

The press release for issue 26 of Doctor Who Adventures has been released from BBC Magazines; the cover illustration is at right (click for a larger version).

Be prepared for the return of Doctor Who with the exciting new issue of Doctor Who Adventures.

Inside, there’s a sneak preview of the first two episodes – Smith and Jones and The Shakespeare Code. There are loads of new pictures, so look out for Judoon and some very sinister witches…

Also this issue:

* Monsters – meet the moody Adherents of the Repeated Meme.
* Comic strip – there’s a new adventure for the Doctor aboard a futuristic space station. What evil menace is hiding there?
* Win – we’ve got part two of our life-size Dalek Sec competition. And if you missed part one, you can still enter by collecting the bonus token printed in issue 27.
* Adventure Guide – there’s all you need to know about the day the Doctor met Donna in The Runaway Bride.
* Make a mask – wind your self up and put a Clockwork Robot mask on your head!
* Picture puzzle – prepare for mayhem at a New Earth hospital.
* Quiz – are you a Who expert? Take our quiz to find out.
* Posters – fantastic pictures of the Beast, the Doctor, Martha and Donna.
* PLUS more things to win, more puzzles and your Doctor Who questions answered.

This issue comes with three free gifts. You get a great Doctor Who folder, a set of felt-tip pens and a choice of two different sketch pads – either a sonic screwdriver pad or a TARDIS one.

Doctor Who Adventures Issue 26 is out on Thursday 29 March. Don’t miss it!

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March 28, 2007  •  Posted By R. Alan Siler

Metro, "Britain's first urban national newspaper," is currently featuring an interview with Russell T. Davies in its "60 Seconds" column, in which the Doctor Who Executive Producer gives a few insights into Season Three and his thoughts on fandom and on being a fan himself.

Davies responds to questions such as "What does the 'T' stand for?", "What's your favourite piece of Doctor Who merchandise?", and "Which are better, Cybermen or Daleks?"

Davies' answer: "Daleks any day; that’s why I wrote an episode where the Daleks thrash the Cybermen. The fact they still work now is astonishing. We were tempted to redesign them and drew up all sorts of different Daleks – circular Daleks, flying Daleks, real Star Wars-type Daleks – but they just weren’t Daleks. There’s a reason they’ve lasted 40 years. I’d like to read a university-level essay on why the design of the Daleks has worked so well."

Metro was launched in March 1999 as a free, colour newspaper for morning commuters. At first only available in London, now commuters in 13 of Britain's major cities can pick up a free copy of Metro as they travel to work in the morning. Every weekday morning some 1.12 million copies are distributed across the UK making Metro the world's largest free newspaper and the fourth biggest newspaper in the UK.

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March 27, 2007  •  Posted By Kenny Davidson

A one-day Doctor Who convention is to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, on 3rd June.

Army of Guests will take place at the Quality Hotel, near Glasgow's Central Station, bringing together Frazer Hines, John Leeson, Deborah Watling and Sophie Aldred, with further guests expected.

The event is organised by the Glasgow Doctor Who Group, and further details, including pricing, and help with travel and accommodation, can be found on their website.

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Unfortunately, due to prior engagements, David Tennant will no longer be attending the auction of his signed script from The Satan Pit, as had been reported by Outpost yesterday.

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March 27, 2007  •  Posted By Nathan Baron

The latest issue of the Radio Times has the final complete list of episode titles for series 3, along with a synopsis for each story. Notably, the issue confirms three previously-unknown titles; episode three is, as rumored for the past week,Gridlock, while the concluding episode of the Dalek two-parter, episode five, is called Evolution of the Daleks. Finally, the issue confirms the title for the season's last episode, which is called Last of the Time Lords. The full list of episode titles is below, from the issue which is now on sale; series three begins with "Smith and Jones" transmitted this coming Saturday evening at 7.00pm on BBC1.

Series Three Titles

1: Smith and Jones
2: The Shakespeare Code
3: Gridlock
4: Daleks in Manhattan (Part One)
5: Evolution of the Daleks (Part Two)
6: The Lazarus Experiment
7: 42
8: Human Nature (Part One)
9: The Family of Blood (Part Two)
10: Blink
11: Utopia
12: The Sound of Drums (Part One)
13: Last of the Time Lords (Part Two)

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March 27, 2007  •  Posted By R. Alan Siler

In an interview in The Sun today, Freema Agyeman comes clean on a very important subject: "I'm a big sci-fi fan - I even went to a couple of Star Trek fan conventions. The Next Generation was my favourite show and I loved Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard."

Agyeman says that she grew up with Doctor Who when Sylvester McCoy was in the title role, but even then she was more of a Trekkie. However, she comments "Now I can't wait to go to a Doctor Who convention as a member of the cast."

This is partly to do with the reception that she's gotten from Doctor Who fans: "The fans have been really, really encouraging. I've had some great letters saying that they'll miss Rose but they're looking forward to meeting Martha. It warms my heart to know that the fans are backing me."

Catch Agyeman's debut as Martha Jones this Saturday, 31 March, at 7 pm in "Smith and Jones", the first episode of Series Three.

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March 26, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

David Tennant will be at the auction of his signed script from The Satan Pit at John Nicholson Auctioneers this coming Wednesday.

As earlier reported by Outpost, the script has been signed by Tennant, Billie Piper and Russell T Davies.

It was given by Tennant to Arabella Weir, who played the Doctor in the Big Finish audio Exile, and will be sold by her in aid of a parent-teacher association of a primary school supported by Tennant, who is godfather to her son.

The fine art and collectables auction will take place at the auction rooms in Midhurst Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey and will be filmed for the ITV show Dickinson's Real Deal.

There is a reserve price of 1,000 pounds on this item, although the auctioneers expect it to go for between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds.

No ticket is necessary to go along to the event.

The full details of the lot going under the hammer are given below, and are as stated by the auctioneers.

LOT 401A. A DR WHO SCRIPT which was used in the last series with DAVID TENNANT as the Doctor, for DOCTOR WHO II, Episode 9. THE SATAN PIT, 4th Draft by MATT JONES, 4th Feb. 2006. The script was given to her by David Tennant as he is a close friend and godfather to Arabella's son. The script comprises 56 pages.

The script is the only one of its kind in the world. To prevent story leaks to the press each script is printed with name of the cast member at the top of each script. In this instance the script belonged to the leading role David Tennant. It is signed by David Tennant, Billie Piper and Russell T. Davis [sic].

3000-5000 pounds.

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March 26, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

Last year's series of Doctor Who has been nominated twice in the Bafta Television Craft Awards.

Crispin Green is up for an honour in the Editing: Fiction/Entertainment category, while The Mill has been put forward for recognition in the Visual Effects section.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Dorchester hotel in London on April 22.

Last year, the show was nominated for four craft awards but didn't win any, although Mike Tucker, who was in charge of the model effects, was in the team that scooped the gong for Best Visual Effects for the BBC1 drama/documentary Hiroshima.

(Thanks to Neil Marsh.)

POSTSCRIPT: As well as Doctor Who being nominated, The Model Unit, run by Mike Tucker, is also in line for an award for its visual effects work on Krakatoa: The Last Days, while Neill Gorton is nominated, alongside Vanessa White, for make-up and hair design on The Catherine Tate Show.

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The ratings for the Friday night repeats of Series Two came to a peak last week with the climax of the series, Doomsday, being watched by half a million people.

This was enough to make Doctor Who the fourth most watched programme on Multi Channel Television for the day.

Full details for the repeat run are shown below

Episode 1 : 02-Feb : 1931 - 309,000 - 2.0%
Episode 2 : 09-Feb : 1930 - 340,000 - 1.8%
Episode 3 : 09-Feb : 2016 - 409,000 - 2.1%
Episode 4 : 16-Feb : 1930 - 381,000 - 2.2%
Episode 5 : 16-Feb : 2016 - 322,000 - 1.8%
Episode 6 : 23-Feb : 1930 - 264,000 - 1.5%
Episode 7 : 23-Feb : 2016 - 412,000 - 2.3%
Episode 8 : 02-Mar : 1930 - 269,000 - 1.5%
Episode 9 : 02-Mar : 2016 - 396,000 - 1.5%
Episode 10 : 09-Mar : 1930 - 132,700 - 0.7%
Episode 11 : 16-Mar : 2015 - 152,800 - 0.8%
Episode 12 : 23-Mar : 1930 - 353,500 - 2.1%
Episode 13 : 23-Mar : 2015 - 503,300 - 2.9%

Overall the series averaged 330,000 viewers throughout its run.

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March 26, 2007  •  Posted By Mike Doran

Ratings are finally in for the final two episodes of Series Two on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. On Monday February 12th a total of 643 000 viewers tuned in to watch Army of Ghosts. Monday February 19th saw 458 000 viewers tuning in to watch the series finale Doomsday.

No ratings were available for Fear Her which was broadcast back on February 5th.

(With thanks to Rod Mammitzsch and DWIN)

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This week's Radio Times once more features Doctor Who as its cover story, with two different versions, Moon and Earth, available.

The magazine dedicates 16 pages to the new series, including interviews with David Tennant and new companionFreema Agyeman, and exclusive information on the new monsters.

There is also a complete episode guide by executive producer Russell T Davies.

Radio Times is available across the UK from Tuesday 27 March.

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March 25, 2007  •  Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Cosmic Hobo has announced that The Devil of Denge Marsh, the second installment of their Scarifyers series starring Terry Molloy and Nicholas Courtney, will be released on May 7th.

Tis Shub-Niggurath as we worship, and dread,
For she reigns o'er the living and dwells with the dead,
O'er shoreline and beach, o'er heathland and marsh,
She sees all that men do, and her judgement be harsh.
A melting minister… a scientific project gripped by madness… a remote village on the Kent coast where the locals have some strange habits indeed. It's all just the ticket for top-secret government department, MI-13.

Lionheart (Nicholas Courtney) and Dunning (Terry Molloy) are back, to do battle with the Women's Institute, an old adversary and an inter-dimensional being from the dawn of time - THE DEVIL OF DENGE MARSH.

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March 25, 2007  •  Posted By R. Alan Siler

Living Scotsman is currently featuring an interview with native son David Tennant on the eve of the debut of Series Three of Doctor Who. The interview, entitled "The Doctor Will See You Now", takes a look at David's career thusfar, from announcing to his parents at the age of three that he wanted to be an actor and play the Doctor, to projects that he's working on now during breaks from Who.

He makes mention of his first appearance in Doctor Who, in Big Finish's Colditz: "I got to play a Nazi-ish character and Sylvester McCoy was the Doctor. Sylvester McCoy was a bit after my time, to be honest, but he's still a god among men because he's played the Doctor. I played it quite cool, though. I don't think they knew quite how overexcited I was."

To read the entire article, please visit the Living Scotsman online.

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March 26, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

The CBBC Newsround site has posted 14 new pictures from Series Three.

They feature the Doctor, Martha, Florence Finnigan (Anne Reid), Mr Stoker (Roy Marsden) and "sinister characters in black".

Note: Some of the captions hint at a plot twist.

(Thanks to Ryan.)

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March 24, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

David Tennant will be appearing in the last episode of the current series of Dead Ringers on BBC2.

He will not be in it as the Doctor but will be doing 'an impression', say sources.

The show - well-known for Jon Culshaw's take on Tom Baker's Doctor, plus its Doctor Whoand Torchwood skits - will go out on Thursday, March 29 at 9.30pm.

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March 24, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

Today's Daily Telegraph carries an Opinion piece by Sam Leith that delves into the psychology of the revivedDoctor Who.

Leith praises Russell T Davies and the scriptwriters for producing "one of the best and most artful pieces of popular television in years", adding "what has made it so resonant is not the cast of silly monsters, the excellent jokes, the jolly special effects, and so forth - but its underlying deep melancholy".

The article, which is headlined "It's now time to take Doctor Who seriously" and quotes poet Elizabeth Bishop, T S Eliot and novelist Audrey Niffenegger, calls the programme "an extraordinary study of loss" and says: "Its deep theme is loneliness."

Leith adds: "It's all as sentimental as hell... and quite irresistible."

NB: The piece starts with - and is based on - a spoiler.

(Thanks to Ewan Eaton.)

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March 23, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

David Tennant has signed a one million pound deal to appear in the entire fourth series ofDoctor Who, according to the Daily Mirror today.

The newspaper says: "Despite false reports suggesting the 35-year-old would bow out halfway through next year's run, insiders have revealed he will film the full 13 episodes."

According to a source: "To be honest, David was never going anywhere. He loves to create an air of mystery about his role in Doctor Who, and when he might leave, so he's happy for people to speculate about his departure.

"But the truth is he's finished filming the third series and he's signed a contract to appear in the whole of the next series. That will see him filming throughout 2008. It's brilliant for the show and the fans."

NB: The Mirror story contains a minor spoiler.

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March 23, 2007  •  Posted By R. Alan Siler

In today's edition of Digital Spy, David Tennant talks about the possibilities of doing a multi-Doctor story in the New Series. "Sure...it's a lovely idea, [but] I just don't know about the practicalities of it, really. It's one of those shows and because it goes on for a long time it has this history."

The article gives a rundown of past stories in which a current Doctor meets up with past incarnations.

Go here to read the complete article.

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Fans in Wales are being offered a chance to see the first episode of the new series before the rest of the UK.

Smith and Jones will be exclusively screened on Saturday, 31 March at 10.30am at a number of venues across the principality.

Tickets are free and available on a first come, first served basis from 9am on Monday, March 26 by calling 08703 667 887 (Calls from a BT line cost up to 8p per minute. Some operators and mobiles vary and calls may be recorded for training). Tickets will not be available before this date.

BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru will also be giving listeners the chance to win a ticket when a small number are released as competition prizes

The Venues are

Cardiff Bay Odeon
Swansea Odeon
Wrexham Odeon
Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Pwllheli Neuadd Dwyfor

Details here

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March 22, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

Sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX is celebrating the return of Doctor Who with world-exclusive gifts.

Both its 132-page SFX Collection Doctor Who special and the May issue of SFX will be covermounted with Who goodies only available with the titles.

The special goes on sale on Wednesday, March 28. It will give readers a classic Doctor Who novel - one of 15 - from Target. They will be original editions no longer available in the shops and exclusive to readers, says the publisher.

The SFX special will have news and gossip from the 2007 series plus episode guides for the 2005 and 2006 series, the two Christmas specials and Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

In the May issue of SFX, on sale Wednesday, April 11, fans will have the first chance to get hold of the new Doctor Who Sticker Collection album.

It is full of never-before-seen images from the latest series, says publisher Future, which adds that in a world exclusive the album, from Merlin, will be offered to readers one week before it goes on sale across the UK.

The following June issue of SFX will also be covermounted with a pack of Doctor Who stickers from Merlin.

Click on the image of the special below for a larger version. The May edition cover is yet to be released.

(Thanks to Will Guyatt at Future Publishing.)

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The Saturday night schedule is beginning to become clear after a short period of misinformation and confusion created by the network's scheduling department in order to confuse their rivals.

On BBC1 Doctor Who will launch at 7pm as expected.

Its lead in is now expected to be second in the series of The National Lottery People's Quiz with Jamie Theakston, a countrywide search for the UK's best quizzer. Doctor Who will be followed by the new search for a star series Any Dream Will Do, fronted by Graham Norton and featuring John Barrowman as one of the judges.

Doctor Who's main opposition on ITV1 is likely to be their third showing of the feature film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second film in the series. This is the exact same film that ITV put up against the start of Series 2 when it achieved 5.1 million viewers against New Earth's 8.6 million. The film was first shown in December 2005 when it got 8.3 million viewers.

On BBC2 Doctor Who will face the 1956 film The Man Who Never Was staring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame. Playing the role of Joe is one William Russell, seven years before he stumbled into the Tardis playing one of the first companions Ian Chesterton. This film was last shown on 10th April 2004 when it was watched by 2.2 million viewers.

Channel 4 are showing a documentary Born Survivor: Bear Grylls which demonstrates how to survive in the world's most extreme environments. Something which may be useful to the Doctor.

Channel 5 have the 1983 Oscar winning film Terms of Endearment staring Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson. On its last showing in August 2006 it was watched, on Channel Five, by 0.73 million viewers.

Doctor Who Confidential will be on BBC3 from 1945-2025

All schedules are subject to change until this weekend when they are issued to the listing magazines.

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March 22, 2007  •  Posted By John Bowman

A one-day Doctor Who convention is to take place in Northern Ireland in May.

Organiser UT Events says Genesis will see Colin Baker, Louise Jameson and Annette Badland among the guests.

It will be held at the Park Avenue Hotel in Belfast on Sunday, May 27 from 9am until midnight.

The convention will also see guest Q and A sessions, autograph sessions, photograph sessions and prize giveaways, say the organisers.

More details at UT Events.

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March 22, 2007  •  Posted By Anna Roberts

There have been regular news items on the Series Three press launch and the confirmation of a fourth series on Wednesday night. Much of the attention focused on the introduction of new companion Martha Jones and newcomerFreema Agyeman's reaction to working on the series and the attention it brings. (Warning, links may contain spoilers.)

A report by BBC Arts Correspondent David Sillito from the event was shown throughout Thursday on BBC Breakfast, BBC News 24 and BBC World. BBC Breakfast also announced that Agyeman would be appearing on the show next week, and broadcast an 'exclusive' new trailer for the season at the end which contains the spoiler that several papers reported on today. (The programme also interviewed 'former assistant' Catherine Tate on her Comic Relief sketch with prime minister Tony Blair, and her thoughts on the trailer.) This second trailer can also be viewed at the BBC website, which has also been updated with a new front page and more pictures.

Meanwhile, children's news programme Newsround has also been covering the show, with a behind-the-scenesreport on the launch screening. Several clips from Smith and Jones were shown, but presenter Lizo was unsuccessful in his attempt to find out more about the mysterious Mr Saxon, although David Tennant did reveal that "he's more than a match for the Doctor".

BBC Wales Today covered the launch in their lunchtime programme, including an interview with presenter and confessed fan Jonathan Ross. The press launch was also mentioned in their evening bulletin, which can be viewedhere for one day. GMTV were also in attendance at the launch, and gave a very positive review, showing a variety of clips from Smith and Jones.

John Simm was interviewed by Simon Mayo on Five Live this afternoon. He confirmed he is playing a character called Mr Saxon, but wouldn't be drawn on the nature of the character. "There's a lot of secrecy about it," is the only comment he would make after repeated queries from Mayo. He was attracted to the show by its writer, he said, as he tends to be with all the roles he takes.

Among the papers taking an interest in the press launch was The Times, which focused on the attention Freema Agyeman is about to receive, saying that she "is about to become one of the most recognisable faces on British television". Martha will apparently be a "sassier sidekick", with a different dynamic in her relationship with the Doctor.

The Daily Mail also carried a report on the press launch, and focused on one particular aspect of the first episode.The Sun followed a similar angle, as well as a separate article highlighting the differences between Rose and Martha, and the hazards of stunt work. The Sun's exhaustive coverage includes a video clip and continues on the 23rd March, with a report on the confirmation of a fourth series, but that David Tennant declined to comment on his involvement (as has been his position since taking the role). The Western Mail, Evening Standard, and Daily Mirror also carried reports on the press launch.

Swansea fans will have the chance to see Smith and Jones a little early, as This is South Wales reported that the Swansea Odeon will be having an exclusive screening nine hours before the episode is broadcast.

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Wednesday 22nd March is World Water Day. The project is supported by the charityLove One, which has David Tennant as one of its ambassadors.

The charity sells bottled water in stores, and spends the profits to aid some of the one billion people in the world who don't have access to clean water.

The charity's website features a video starring Tennant.

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March 21, 2007  •  Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish Productions has released covers and information about two upcoming Doctor Who short story anthologies. Authors include Helen Raynor, Todd McCaffrey, Brian Keene, Keith R.A. DeCandido and Brian Dooley.

May sees Short Trips: Destination Prague edited by Steven Saville. A sample story, Gold and Black Ooze byRobert Hood, is available. The blurb follows..

Prague has its demons - a city saved from the ravages of war and the Third Reich because of its beauty, it is home to Rabi Loew's Golem, Rudolph II's obsession with finding the elixir of youth, scientific genius in the form of Kepler and Tycho Brahe, and the alchemical obsessions of Magister Kelly.

It is believed that there are magnetic energies whose lines intersect in Prague at several spots. Astronomy, astrology, numerology and magnetic forces have all played a role in building the city - but how will they influence its future?

This is the city rich in history, and full of potential - how will it adapt over the centuries to come? Will it have a glamorous rebirth or wallow in a dystopic nightmare? And what will be the role of the old superstitions in the new world?

For the Doctor and his companions, the answers to these questions are only just the start of further mysteries…



Short Trips: Snapshots comes out in June and is edited by Joseph Lidster...

A mysterious ghost haunts a hotel in India. The terrifying alien C'rizz attacks commuters in King's Cross station. Beneath a London council estate, a creature is waiting to be born. And on a distant world, an old man trades stories with a strange time traveller.

Throughout his adventures in time and space, the Doctor meets so many people and each one is affected in some way. The waiter who keeps a special table for the Time Lord's granddaughter, Susan. The American student who befriends lost Lucie Miller. The teenage girl who discovers that she may be something more than human.

What is it like when that strange blue box appears in your life? What is it like when your eyes are opened to so much more?

What is it like when everything changes?

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March 21, 2007  •  Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish Productions released more information today on their upcoming Bernice Summerfieldrelease for April, The Judas Gift by Nick Wallace.

The Braxiatel Collection. Once it was a home, a haven, one of the 800 Wonders of the Universe. Not any more.

Draconia and the Mim are at war and the Collection is caught in the crossfire. Its future hangs in the balance as Bernice tries to fathom the motives of a new Draconian ambassador.

Director Bev Tarrant must use every trick she knows if the Collection is to survive. She's been a smuggler, a killer and a thief, but all that's behind her now. Isn't it?

Beware your sins will find you out. Especially when you accept the Judas Gift.

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March 21, 2007  •  Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish Productions has released new covers and cast information about their upcoming titles.

I.D. by Eddie Robson is currently due out in April and will include the second story Urgent Calls, as well as a newBig Finish Magazine for subscribers.

Exotron by Paul Sutton will be out in May, and features the second story Urban Myths.

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March 21, 2007  •  Posted By Jarrod Cooper

Big Finish Productions has released the covers to more of the BBC7 Doctor Who series: Immortal Beloved in April, Phobos in May, and No More Lies in June.

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March 21, 2007  •  Posted By Anna Roberts

As the broadcast of the new series looms closer, the Doctor Who publicity machine has been working overdrive.

The launch of the third series took place tonight in Mayfair, London, screening the first two episodes to assorted press. As well as David Tennant, Freema Agyeman and Russell T Davies, a variety of other stars were in attendance, including Jonathan Ross, Dawn French, Adam Woodyatt and Sophia Myles. BBC Wales featured a report of the launch in their 10.25pm bulletin, highlighting the introduction of Martha Jones and the Welsh locations featured in the series.

Radio One DJ Jo Whiley went to the press launch tonight, and will be reviewing the event on her show tomorrow between 10.00 and 12.45. If you miss it, the show will be available on listen again here for the next seven days.

Newsround will also have a report on the press launch tomorrow.

There will also be a variety of appearances by various members of the cast and crew over the next week, and here's a round-up of television and radio shows to look out for.

Freema Agyeman will be appearing on Blue Peter on Tuesday, 27th March, and viewers have been invited to submit questions. Freema will also be a guest with Simon Mayo on Radio Five Live on Friday, 30th March between 1 and 4pm. Update: Freema will also be appearing on BBC Breakfast next week (date to be confirmed).

Also on 27th March, Russell T Davies will be appearing on the Richard and Judy Show on Channel Four from 5pm. John Barrowman will also be appearing with Richard and Judy on 29th March, and on the Charlotte Church Show on 30th March from 10pm.

David Tennant will be a guest with Fearne and Reggie on Radio One on Saturday 24th March from 7-10am. He will also be appearing on the Chris Moyles show on Radio One and with Steve Wright on Radio Two next week, but the dates have not yet been announced. These shows are available for seven days after broadcast via listen again.

Catherine Tate will be interviewing David Tennant for the new series of Chain Reaction. This is being recorded on 26th March, and there is no information yet on when this will be broadcast on Radio Four. David Tennant will also be the interviewer on the next show, but it is not yet known who his guest will be.

A repeat of The Sarah Jane Adventures has also been scheduled for Saturday 31st March on the CBBC channel from 4pm, preceding the broadcast of Smith and Jones.

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