UK DOCTOR WHO fans will have an opportunity to see Paul McGann this coming Sunday (5 February) in AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE (ITV 1 21:00).

Former Doctor (Eighth) plays 'cad' Dickie Erskine in the classic thriller, SLEEPING MURDER.

It co-stars Sophia Myles who will star in SERIES 2 - THE GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE alongside David Tennant and Billie Piper.

Christopher Eccleston fan? Who isn't. BBC4 (digital channel) are repeating the drama, OUR FRIENDS IN THE NORTH (nine parts) from Wednesday 8 February at 22:30. It co-stars new James Bond 007, Daniel Craig. Expect swearing, violence, more swearing, nudity, swearing and more swearing.

Fantastic!

This morning, Tom Baker launched the BT VOICE TEXT service on BBC NEWS 24 - and he was good form.

Describing his 65 hour recoding marathon for BT's new service as one of the best things he's ever done, and demonstrated some of the intricacies of the recording "kisses", "gurgling" and "moans".

Baker was recently voted Britain's most easily recognisable voices (behind HM Queen, Tony Blair and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher). Of Blair, Baker said that he was "shameless" in his public sobbing.

Fantastic!

Stand by for the denials.

Source within BBC FILMS have confirmed that the synopsis for DOCTOR WHO (a feature presentation) has been "delivered".

The first BBC BOOKS to feature David Tennant's Tenth Doctor will be published in May 2006 (with the abridged CDs released in July, read by David Tennant).

THE RESURRECTION CASKET by Justin Richards.
Hardback £6.99 13 May 2006 + Audiobook £9.99 3 July

Starfall is a world on the edge, where crooks and smugglers hide in the gloomy shadows and modern technology refuses to work. And that includes the TARDIS. The pioneers who used to be drawn by the hope of making a fortune from the mines can find easier picking elsewhere. But they still come - for the romance of it, or old-fashioned organic mining. Or in the hope of finding the lost treasure of Hamlek Glint - scourge of the spaceways, privateer, adventurer, bandit...Will the Tardis ever work again? Is Glint's lost treasure waiting to be found? And does the fabled Resurrection Casket - the key to eternal life - really exist? With the help of new friends, and to the horror of new enemies, The Doctor and Rose aim to find out...

THE FEAST OF THE DROWNED by Stephen Cole.
Hardback £6.99 13 May 2006 + Audiobook £9.99 3 July

When a naval cruiser sinks in mysterious circumstances in the North Sea, all aboard are lost. Rose is saddened to learn that the brother of her friend, Keisha, was among the dead. And yet he appears to them as a ghostly apparition, begging to be saved from the coming feast...the feast of the drowned. As the dead crew haunt loved ones all over London, the Doctor and Rose are drawn into a chilling mystery. What sank the ship, and why? When the cruiser's wreckage was towed up the Thames, what sinister force came with it? The river's dark waters are hiding an even darker secret, as preparations for the feast near their conclusion...

THE STONE ROSE by Jacqueline Rayner.
Hardback £6.99 13 May 2006 + Audiobook £9.99 3 July

Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realizes that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to Ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture. While the Doctor searches for a missing boy, Rose befriends a girl who claims to know the future. But then, the Doctor stumbles on the hideous truth behind the statue of Rose - and Rose herself learns that you have to be very careful what you wish for...

This morning, THE SUN reports from the set of SERIES 2's THE IDIOT'S LANTERN (aka the television) and guest star, Maureen Lipman.

The comedienne, 59 - famous for her BT ads - plays an extra-terrestrial "intelligence" who invades black and white tellies in the Fifties.

New Doctor David Tennant, 34, battles to stop her disrupting the XXXXXX XXXXXX (removed - spoiler).

Maureen, pictured alongside him as Beattie in the BT commercials, said: "This will earn me my entire year's worth of street cred."

She filmed her scenes this month at the BBC's original broadcasting studio at Alexandra Palace, North London. Maureen said: "It was very cold and the wind blew up my evening dress and rattled my pearls.

"I had to respond to commands such as, 'OK Maureen, now could you give us 15 seconds of having every last drop of energy sucked out of you?' It was great."

The episode is written by Mark Gatiss, and is scheduled for May 2006.

The DVD release for GENESIS OF THE DALEKS (previously 27 March 2006 - now 10 April 2006) and INFERNO (release confirmed as 29 May 2006) were confirmed last week (and the release dates announced this week) and, now, here's the EXTRAS.

GENESIS OF THE DALEKS extras are very special:

• Commentary with Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Peter Miles (Nyder) and director David Maloney.
• GENESIS OF A CLASSIC - cast and crew recall working on the story in this specially shot documentary.
• THE DALEK TAPES - new documentary narrated by Terry Molloy (who plays Davros in other DOCTOR WHO stories), that tells the story of the Doctor's most iconic villain, including rare footage from programmes such as Blue Peter.
• BLUE PETER - a March 1975 item looking at a collection of DOCTOR WHO models.
• DOCTOR WHO 1976 Annual as a PDF.
• Radio Times Billings.
• Continuity Compilation + Photo Gallery + Subtitle production notes.

INFERNO extras:

• Commentary with script editor Terrance Dicks, producer/director Barry Letts, Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier) and John Levene (Sgt. Benton).
• CAN YOU HEAR THE EARTH SCREAM? - a 35 minute making of documentary, featuring interviews with Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, actors Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney, John Levene, Ian Fairbairn and actor/stunt arranger Derek Ware.
• THE UNIT FAMILY (PART ONE) - a 36 minute documentary looking at the first half of the 'UNIT family' that characterised the Third Doctor's Earth-bound stories. Featuring interviews with Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, UNIT creator Derrick Sherwin, and actors Nicholas Courtney, John Levene, Caroline John and actor/stunt arranger Derek Ware.
• Visual Effects Promo Film - an excerpt from an early attempt to 'sell' the experience and facilities of the BBC Visual Effects Department to new clients. Featuring model effects filming from INFERNO and THE AMBASSADORS OF DEATH.
• THE PERTWEE YEARS INTRO - a short introduction to the story's final episode from Jon Pertwee, originally presented as part of BBC Video's The Pertwee Years VHS release.
• The 1971 DOCTOR WHO Annual as a PDF.
• Radio Times billings + Photo Gallery + Subtitle Production Notes.

With credit to DRWHO-ONLINE.

The classic series artist, Andrew Skilleter has attacked the NEW SERIES with renewed vigour - The Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler print is coming soon.

The limited edition print will be available from galaxy4 (a leading DOCTOR WHO retailer) or direct from the artist (andrew@andrewskilleter.com) for £12.00 (plus P+P).

Other prints available will be TARGET BOOK & BBC VIDEO covers for THE DEADLY ASSASSIN, THE FIVE DOCTORS, THE DALEK OMNIBUS and EARTHSHOCK.

The MYTH MAKERS dvd release charts his career, and for a limited time a special edition of the product is available. This special 'limited' Artist's Edition of the DVD features a stylish eight page full colour illustrated booklet containing new text, photographs and artwork, including background on the filming and Andrew's twenty year involvement with the legendary Terrance Dicks. Also included is the very first reproduction anywhere of a new painting for SHADA, the creation of which is shown in the DVD.

Each booklet and DVD disc are signed by Andrew Skilleter. Region 2 + 4. £15.99 + P+P. Again contact andrew@andrewskilleter.com

Thanks to KASTERBOROUS for the information.

ARGOS (UK) STORES have announced an exclusive from CHARACTER OPTIONS: a twin pack of action figures titled "Regeneration".

Featuring the Ninth Doctor (as see in the DALEK BATTLE PACK) and a leather coated Tenth Doctor. There is some confusion about this product. Is it a single-pack with two heads (Ninth and Tenth Doctors) or a twin pack? ARGOS' information contradicts itself. More soon. ss

Released in early February for £9.99.

Also shown is the Tenth Doctor and "damaged" K9 Remote Control pack. £16.99.

Christopher Eccleston's THE SCHOOL OF NIGHT is now officially cancelled.

The period play was due to start on 27 February (previews 16th). According to his Agent, Christopher is "very disappointed by the news".

A BAFTA Source has indicated that DOCTOR WHO's receipt of a BAFTA (its first?) Award is "guaranteed" according to an initial consideration of votes received.

The Source would not be drawn on which Award it would be.

The 2006 BAFTAs will be announced in late March (for the April ceremony), with DOCTOR WHO eligible for the following 5 categories (we've added a potential nominee and a "possibility percentage"):

• Best Actor (Christopher Eccleston - 75%)
• Best Actress (Billie Piper - 80%)
• Drama series (DOCTOR WHO - 85%)
• The Alan Clarke Award (Russell T Davies - for television writing - 30%)
• The PIONEER Audience Award (Voted for by the public - 100%)

If I were Christopher Eccleston; get the "dj" dry cleaned.

In a rare fan interview, former DOCTOR WHO companion (alongside William Hartnell's First Doctor), Peter Purves recently spoke to KASTERBOROUS.

A fascinating insight to 1960's DOCTOR WHO.

As we exclusively reported last year (following the BRAND EXPO), CHARACTER OPTIONS' range of DOCTOR WHO toys and figures will be expanding throughout 2006. However, the double packs of action figures will now be split and sold as singles.

The first "wave" of 5" action figures will be released in February/March (£6.99 each), with a second & third wave launched in April and then June/July (after the Second Series has been broadcast).

The action figures (not in scale to the recently produced 5" remote control Dalek) will include:

• THE TENTH DOCTOR - with coat
• THE TENTH DOCTOR - in suit
• THE MOXX OF BALHOON (debut in THE END OF THE WORLD)
• THE LADY CASSANDRA (debut in THE END OF THE WORLD)
• SLITHEEN (debut in ALIENS OF LONDON)
• SYCORAX (from THE CHRISTMAS INVASION)
• ROSE TYLER (not shown)
• K-9 (from SCHOOL REUNION)
• KRILLIAN (from SCHOOL REUNION)
• CYBERMAN - version 1 - full suit (debut in RISE OF THE CYBERMEN)
• CYBERMAN - version 2 - skin and metal (debut in RISE OF THE CYBERMEN)
• WEREWOLF (debut in SATAN'S PIT)
• THE TENTH DOCTOR and K-9 (Remote Control) - £16.99
• THE TENTH DOCTOR - 12" version - £16.99
• CYBERMAN - 12" VERSION - £16.99
• TARDIS control room playset - £39.99
  

After a long and protracted bidding war in America, SCI-FI CHANNEL has won the rights to broadcast DOCTOR WHO (beating HBO - a mainstream favourite that has worked with the BBC on ROME and recently acquired the rights to EXTRAS).

The Christopher Eccleston series will start broadcast in March 2006. The screening deal was confirmed by the US channel and BBC WORDLWIDE AMERICAS on Thursday. Welcoming the deal, SCI-FI CHANNEL's Thomas P Vitale said DOCTOR WHO was a "true sci-fi classic".

However, USA 'cousins' expecting to buy the Eccleston DVD boxset (Region 1) will have to wait too. It is delayed until 4 July due to technical difficulties (i.e. not really. Watch the show on TV first then buy the boxset).

The series will start on Saturday 15 April 2006.

Originally it was to be 25 March 2006.

From the DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE (ditch the comic-strip, guys) stable comes a new publication aimed at 6-12 year old boys. DOCTOR WHO ADVENTURES will be published every fortnight and will include interviews, a comic-strip, competitions and puzzles - and a free gift!

DOCTOR WHO's Head Writer, Russell T Davies likens the new venture to the 1979 DOCTOR WHO comic.

Don't expect it to cost 12p. Yes, kiddy-winks, that's what we were paying then to join the Doctor on his adventures.

Not too sure about this one! We give it 18 months.

Published on 6 February, William Hartnell's THE REIGN OF TERROR (1964) is the final "lost" DOCTOR WHO to be released on audio CD.

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and his companions to Robespierre's Paris, where they discover the French Revolution to be in full swing. Separated from each other, the group find themselves caught up in history as they struggle to stay alive and find their individual way back to the TARDIS.

Linking narration by Carole Ann Ford, and a bonus interview gives a fascinating insight into the making of the adventure.

F rom PLAY.COM at £9.99 pre-release price. See right.