Tuesday-Wednesday TV News

The final ratings for Boom Town, ten days ago, have been reported by BARB: 7.68 million viewers watched the episode, including timeshifted viewers. "Doctor Who" was 18th overall during the week, and seventh overall when counting all broadcast episodes of a series as one show.

More ratings news: according to the overnights from ViewingFigures, 645,740 viewers tuned into the Sunday night repeat of "Bad Wolf" on BBC3 (for a 4.6% audience share), with 343,440 viewers (2.4% share) tuning in for the repeat of "Doctor Who Confidential" after. "Bad Wolf" was at number 1 in its timeslot by over 150,000 viewers, "Confidential" at fourth place.

DonÆt read this weekÆs Radio Times if youÆre sensitive to spoilers, as the magazine concludes its fifteen weeks of extensive coverage and promotion for the series. ôThe Daleks return û and how!ö announces the cover, with ôRT recommendsà the weekÆs best of televisionö (page 4) praising a ôFantastic ending to a fantastic seriesö. The double-sided Dalek poster offered to readers seven weeks ago is back (page 10), this time in the form of ten copies signed by Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper to be given as prizes to any UK readers who can use a telephone and know who is to play the Tenth Doctor. This weekÆs double-paged ôDoctor Who Watchö (page 14) is dominated by a large picture of some Daleks, with a couple of insets featuring Billie Piper and Barnaby Edwards, while the text itself centres on Russell T DaviesÆ enthusiastic thoughts on the finale (ôYou will die! ItÆs magic!ö), as well as featuring the customary plug for the products available from BBC Books and BBC DVD. Sci-fi Collector has a full-page advert on page 43. ôTodayÆs Choicesö for Saturday (page 72) are dominated by Live Aid reminiscences, to mark the 19 years and 48 weeksÆ anniversary of the event. But the page does find room to preview both ôThe Parting of the Waysö (ôan immensely successful seriesà no preview tapesö) and Doctor Who Confidential (ôDaviesÆ clear vision has been the single most important factor in the success of the revivalö). There is also a very brief interview, complete with photograph, with Nick Briggs on Dalek-voicing (ôYou have to be a bit manicàö), as well as a tiny plug for the new exhibition in Brighton. BBC OneÆs listings for Saturday evening (page 74) are headed by a small shot of Daleks surrounding the TARDIS: ôJust what the Doctor didnÆt order: our favourite Time Lord could be about to meet his fate at the hands of his greatest enemiesö. Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide at 6.15pm is advertised as ôa look back at the Doctor and RoseÆs whirlwind adventures in both time and space, including their encounters with alien enemies both old and new. Featuring behind-the-scenes access, and interviews with cast and crew.ö For the episode itself, ôAs the Earth is plunged into a bloody war, the Doctor is forced to take drastic action. Will Rose lose her friend forever?ö The cast listing contains a major spoiler for the episode (about its end, rather, which we won't spoil for you here!), and yet another plug for the ninth Doctor novels and DVDs. On BBC Three, the blurb for Doctor Who Confidential reads ôElectrocuted by the Slitheen, eaten by Reapers and tortured by Van Statten. For the ninth Doctor, the job certainly hasnÆt got any easier. As the series draws to a conclusion, relive the highs and lows of Christopher EcclestonÆs tenure.ö The BBC3 repeat showings for ôThe Parting of the Waysö and Confidential are confirmed for 10.50pm and 11.35pm on Saturday and in the regular 7û8pm slot on Sunday. ItÆs the endà

Russell T Davies has told the official Doctor Who website that the Bad Wolf secret is still out there. "Have you solved the mystery of Bad Wolf, the cryptic hidden message spread across this season of Doctor Who? Well, no. You haven't. At least, not according to Executive Producer Russell T Davies, who has been keeping an eager eye on the various theories about who or what the Bad Wolf could be: 'Judging from the reactions I've had, a lot of people seem to think the Bad Wolf has already been revealed. Oh, it's the TV station. Oh, it's half a million Daleks. I've even got one friend claiming it's the Face of Boe! I must get better friends. I don't want to give anything away yet, but there is another revelation to come in Saturday's episode. We haven't discovered the true Bad Wolf yet.'"

This week's Heat magazine previews the final episode: "We've been warned about something horrible and mightily dangerous throughout this series. Something called Bad Wolf. And now, as we reach the end of this remarkable run, we know who it is. Or rather who they are.... A suitably stunning climax, and probably the most awesomely epic Doctor Who ever. Baftas must rain down." Heat gives the episode five stars. Also, this week's Star magazine awards Saturday's episode with 5 stars (out of 5): "All too soon, it's the end of the series, and Rose Tyler's friendship with the Doctor is tested when Earth plunges into all-out war. With the human race being mercilessly slaughtered, Doctor Who is forced to take immediate and terrifying action. Yikes on a bike." And Closer magazine has Saturday's Doctor Who as it's Pick of the Day: "As the Doctor heads for a final showdown with his arch-enemies, he's forced to take drastic measures that put Rose's life in danger. As we all know, Christopher Eccleston is hanging up his TARDIS key (to be replaced by Casanova's David Tennant), so prepare for a real cliffhanger ending".

Christopher Eccleston is featured on the cover of Alumni Magazine at the University of Salford in Greater Manchester, where he did a Foundation Degree in Drama and Theatre in 1983 and from where he received an Honorary MA in 2001. The university has been celebrating the prowess of its famous former student; the article includes information on his career, with quotes from Russell T Davies on the character of The Doctor (presumably for the benefit of former students from overseas who have never seen the show).

More on the CBBC special mentioned in Monday's report. The show will "air" from Friday and run until Sunday; to access it, simply press the red button on any BBC channel and then type in the number 570, or alternatively go to Sky Channel 616 and press red for CBBCExtra. There will be some exclusive Doctor Who footage, including a new Phil Collinson interview.

The Western Mail today notes "What Doctor Who has done for us" in an article which asks "It's won the battle of Saturday night TV - as well as fighting off aliens and daleks - but what has the new Doctor Who series really done for Welsh TV?" The article goes into the notion that the series "has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the creative industries in Wales as a whole. This is the biggest network project ever to come out of BBC Wales, and its staggering success has done a huge amount to highlight to the rest of the world the maturity and creative strength of the media industry here in Wales. Before Doctor Who was commissioned, the University of Glamorgan published a study showing that over 85% of BBC Wales' annual spend stayed in Wales, sustaining hundreds of Welsh jobs in businesses outside the BBC and giving a measurable boost to the Welsh economy. We shouldn't underestimate the additional benefits Doctor Who is bringing to those businesses - from costumiers and set builders to prop suppliers and stage electricians. For a number of businesses, it was their first brush with a major television production - a Cwmbran upholsterer more used to crafting designer sofas was asked to build a seat for the Doctor's Tardis; the Defence Aviation Repair Agency at St Athan found one of their hangars accommodating Billie Piper suspended from a crane rather than housing high-powered jet aircraft. The benefits were spread far and wide, with filming taking in locations from Swansea, Miskin and Penarth to Newport, Barry and Monmouth. ... Now, when the world of television takes a look at the pool of talent here in Wales, they will find that - like the Tardis - it is much, much bigger than it looks from the outside." Read the full article at the Western Mail site.

That missing Dalek has been found, according to BBC News and other sources. "A Dalek stolen from a Somerset tourist site has been found on Glastonbury Tor after thieves said it was 'too hot'. The prop, which was at Wookey Hole Caves, near Wells, for a Doctor Who exhibition, was taken more than a week ago. A 'ransom note' was then issued. Cave owner Gerry Cottle made appeals for information. In the early hours of Tuesday, staff recieved a phone call telling them where the Dalek was. Mr Cottle has denied that the theft of the Dalek was a publicity stunt."

Several news sources are reporting the comments made by Russell T Davies several days ago to the UK Press Association, which we reported at the time, including the reports that Santa Claus will be seen in the Christmas special this year ("We've got a Christmas special.just wait until you see what we do with Santa!" Davies had told the Press Association), that the Daleks wouldn't return next season, and that the Cybermen would be making a return next year. The Sun and the FemaleFirst website are among these reporters.

The Daily Express reports that Georgia Moffett (Peter Davison's daughter) is interested in being a companion. "The petite 20-year-old, whose mother is Davison's ex-wife, actress Sandra Dickinson, auditioned to be Christopher Eccleston's assistant the first time round. After failing, she insisted she was relieved as her family connections might have made the situation 'a bit twee'. However, she has now changed her mind and says: 'They told me I was too young for it but if they want me now, I'd love to do it!'"

Anneke Wills is interviewed in today's Mirror. The former Doctor Who companion said that when she first saw Billie Piper in Doctor Who, "it was like seeing her younger self through a time warp." "I would say to Billie: 'Life is never as straightforward as you think it's going to be.'" The article profiles her, including what she is doing nowadays and her career and life; read the full article at the Mirror site today.

Today's Guardian speculates the meaning of "Bad Wolf" and what it represents for the series.

The BBC's listing for the documentary Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, airing before the final episode on Saturday 18 June at 6:15pm, reads: "After being off our screens for many years, the ninth Doctor has been making up for lost time. And with the Doctor on the brink of war, now is the perfect time to look back at the highs and lows of his journey with Rose that have all built up to the ultimate stand-off with the ultimate enemy - the Daleks. From a council estate to a battle in space, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide takes us behind the scenes of the new series, to talk to cast and crew and celebrate all the triumphs and tears, smiles and trials shared between the Doctor, Rose and the millions of fans who have turned on to see a new Who at his alien best. The Ultimate Guide is just what the Doctor ordered." The listing for the final Doctor Who Confidential airing after the episode reads, "The Last Battle: After 900 years of time travel, globe trotting just does not get any easier. Electrocuted by the Slitheen, eaten by Reapers and tortured by Van Statten - the ninth Doctor has seen it all. But as the new series reaches its dramatic conclusion, will the doctor survive the final battle of the great time war? As a fitting tribute, Doctor Who Confidential relives the highs and lows of his time with Rose, and sees Christopher Eccleston takes his final bow."

Other news: an article in today's The Independent discusses the BBC's sales of its products overseas; the BBC Press Office has a report on the musical drama "Blackpool" starring David Tennant from last year has won the Best of Festival, Global Television Grand Prize and Best Mini-Series at the prestigious Banff 2005 Rockie Awards in Canada;

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Paul Engelberg, Andy Parish, Peter Weaver, Faiz Rehman, Paul Hayes, Gill Spaul, Steve Manfred, Paul Blewett, Adrian Hill and Kate Butterworth)