Mid-Week Series Update

A very quick update from the past two days as attentions are focused elsewhere... I'll get caught up sooner or later!

Dalek scored high ratings with the final BARB ratings tally landing at 8.63 million viewers. "Doctor Who" was the fourth most watched series of the week, after the multi-episode airings of "Coronation Street," "Emmerdale" and "Eastenders". Very impressive figures for a Saturday night. (Also of note: the former ITV challenger for Doctor Who's time slot, "Celebrity Wrestling," has been relegated to a Sunday morning 9.45am time slot.)

BBC News reports that the long-touted Doctor Who film isn't dead. The article states that BBC films will produce several new projects "that may include a Doctor Who feature. ... BBC Films boss David Thompson confirmed that BBC Films is pushing ahead with its plans for a Doctor Who feature, the progress of which is dependent on how the new Doctor Who TV series is received in the US." This was announced at the Cannes Film Festival, according to the report.

Several magazines and sources are reporting on the BBC shutting down theBBC Model Unit. The Sun's article, headlined "Dalek Ace Is Sacked By Beeb", with the intro "The man who put the Daleks back on telly has been EXTERMINATED", it says the "special effects guru . . . was told the BBC had run out of cash." According to the article, the BBC says it is shutting his award-winning department, the Model Unit. It specifically refers to Mike Tucker, who has done model work on the new series and worked on the original series during the Sylvester McCoy era: "Mike's team, who won a Bafta and Royal Television Society gong, were told they can work on the new series - but only as freelancers. As well as recreating the Daleks, Mike was responsible for the amazing scene when an alien spaceship sliced through Big Ben." The article quotes a BBC spokesman as saying: "We'd work with Mike again on a freelance basis if there are projects requiring his expertise." Criticising the "failure by the BBC to appreciate the power of the Daleks", the piece also takes the opportunity to have another swipe at the Beeb for its treatment of Dalek designer Ray Cusick, and mentions how the new series nearly failed to include the Daleks because of a row over rights. Private Eye also reports this: "The new series of Doctor Who has seen praise heaped on the head of Mike Tucker, the special effects supervisor responsible for bringing the Daleks back to the screen, demolishing Big Ben and crashing an alien spaceship into the Thames. Last month the Radio Times rewarded him with a double-page feature on his work, and he was nominated for a BAFTA for his miniature work on the documentary The Brighton Bomb. To show its appreciation, BBC resources also informed him that the unit he heads is not "financially sustainable" and that it would be closed down and he and his team would be made redundant - though they were welcome to reapply for freelance work." It's also been reported at Female First.

Dead Ringers featured a sketch about the "real reason" Christopher Eccleston left Doctor Who... Turned out his very Northern family are all Star Trek fans. They even explained Eccleston's ears as being a gift from his dad (they're Ferengi ears)... unable to cope with his parents' shame of their son being the new Doctor Who, Eccleston quits... only to take on a role in Blake's 7: The Movie.

This weekend's Brighton Doctor Who Exhibition is offering free entry to all those "dressed in a recognisable Doctor Who theme." Visit the exhibition'swebsite for further details.

Wednesday's Sun offered a picture preview of the forthcoming episode "The Empty Child." Headlined Who's A Bad Girl? it says Rose is swept off her feet by Capt Jack Harkness (played by John Barrowman) in the story set during the Blitz in London. Accompanied by two colour pictures - the main one being of Rose with Jack in front of Big Ben's clock face, the other of Richard Wilson as Dr Constantine - the three-par piece, which labels the episode the scariest yet, also reveals a plot twist concerning Constantine.

Colin Baker praises the next Doctor, David Tennant, or so says the Belfast Telegraph. "Baby-faced actor David Tennant will make a great 10th Dr Who, says stage and television star Colin Baker, who is about to appear in high drama at the Opera House in Belfast. And Baker should know - he was the sixth Dr Who and he still attends Dr Who conventions all over the world. 'I'll be back in Belfast next August 14 for a meeting of the Type 40 Dr Who Society which has over 160 members,' he said. Colin, who opens at the Opera House in Dracula on Monday, May 23, isn't surprised that Christopher Eccleston gave up as Dr Who after one series. 'Really one is enough for any actor,' he said. 'I did two, but they were over three years. 'Christopher was so believable as Who, but David will be special too, as he is an absolute Doctor buff which makes him perfect for the role. I loved my time as Dr Who, with Louise Jameson as my partner Leela in the Tardis and the bonus now is the reunions in towns like Belfast,' adds Baker. 'I spend my day with people who think I am wonderful.'" This might be picking up on another story, since of course Colin Baker never worked with Louise Jameson on screen!

Thursday 26 May sees the first National Skills Day, launched today by the UK television industry. Broadcast Nowreports that the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, five, BSkyB, Pact and Bectu have combined to stage the event, as part of National Learning at Work Day, to "raise awareness of the fundamental importance of skills development and career progression to the future of the industry" and that it will include "A masterclass on the making of the new Doctor Who". A series of masterclasses will include a workshop hosted at BBC Scotland by Doctor Who producer Phil Collinson. Broadcast Now gives a link to the website for the event.

Note to viewers: there is no listed repeat of "Doctor Who Confidential" at all on Sunday, May 22, according to Radio Times... not even the "Cut Down" version. Make sure you tune in on Saturday for that day's broadcast.

The Daily Star, meanwhile, notes that "Rose's sexy space hunk has Doctor Who green with envy. It's the green-eyed monster facing Doctor Who when he becomes jealous of sidekick Rose's new hunk. Sexy Rose - played by 22-year-old Billie Piper - is about to be swept off her feet by a handsome time traveller called Captain Jack Harkness. She and the Doc meet the dashing space hero (actor John Barrowman, 38) when they travel back in time in the Tardis to London in the 1940s and find themselves in the middle of the Blitz. The inter-galactic star takes an immediate fancy to Rose - with the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston, 41) looking jealous. 'The pair clearly connect and there is a real sexual chemistry between them,' said a show source. 'It even looks like Rose may have found a hero better than The Doctor himself.' However, the pair don't get much time to snog - they discover that London is being terrorised by something more frightening than the Nazis."

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Chuck Foster, John Bowman, Faiz Rehman, Robert JE Simpson)