As expected, the release of Horror of Fang Rock on DVD in the UK in January is even more confirmed than when Outpost Gallifrey announced it last week -- there's a new article in the DVD section of the Doctor Who Restoration Teamwebsite.

According to the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, there are some names we can add to our list of cast and crew for the new series production. Cast members in at least one story, likely one of the stories already completed, are actors Basil Chung and Fiesta Mei Ling as "an old Chinese couple", and Corey Doabe as a "spray-painting kid". On the production side, the following names have been linked to the first block of stories (directed by Keith Boak): Lowri Thomas, Unit Manager; James DaHaviland and Steff Morris, Assistant Directors; Patrick Begley, Props; andIan Richardson, Sound. The action vehicles -- likely the ones seen in the Cardiff shoot from late July/early August outside the Albion Hospital set (see the photo gallery) -- were provided by Millers Action. (Thanks to DWAS / Chuck Foster)

Telos Publishing announces the first nonfiction book covering the launch of next year's new Doctor Who television series, to be released during the summer of 2005, shortly after the first season is transmitted. Back To The Vortex: The Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to Doctor Who 2005 is written by J. Shaun Lyon, the editor of Outpost Gallifrey, with an introduction penned by Philip David Segal, the last television producer of Doctor Who (the 1996 TV movie starring Paul McGann), and cover montage illustration by noted Polish artist Dariusz Jasiczak (who did the frontispiece illustration for Telos' Doctor Who novella "Ghost Ship".)

Back to the Vortex is a two-part deconstruction of the new Doctor Who series. The first section is a primer on the time period between the announcement of the new series and the start of transmission, from the perspective of the outside looking in -- the media coverage, the press and magazines, the location shoots and the hype, as well as biographies of the cast and crew, and how the entire event changed the way the world looks at the series. The second part is a detailed and exhaustively researched guide to the first season of the show, complete with episode breakdowns, casting, historical outlook, logic issues, continuity and technology, as well as a collection of critical review and analysis of each story from a variety of perspectives by professional and fan writers from five countries, including Keith Topping, Scott Alan Woodard, Graeme Burk, Sarah Hadley, Robert Franks, Paul Hayes, Simon Catlow, Cameron J. Mason and Jon Preddle.

The book will be released in the UK very shortly after transmission of the series in both softcover and signed, limited edition numbered hardcover signed by the author and Segal, and will be distributed overseas shortly thereafter. The press release is below; meanwhile, the cover illustration is at right -- click the thumbnail for a larger version. Further details will be available shortly on the Telos Publishing website, and there is a Back to the Vortex page with some background information and other details here at Outpost Gallifrey.

Standing Wave is a new stage play about the life and music of Delia Derbyshire, the ground-breaking electronic composer among whose most notable contributions is her arrangement of the Doctor Who theme. The press launch of the play featured a life-sized Dalek. Details about the play, which runs at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland from October 7, can be found at the Tron Theatre website. (Thanks to Ben Morris)

Could it be that Doctor Who is returning with the Daleks... but without the famous catchphrase, "Exterminate!" In anarticle in today's "The Sun," it is noted that "BBC chiefs have deemed the aliensÆ catchphrase too cheesy for modern audiences. A Beeb insider confirmed last night: 'Doctor Who fans may be upset. But although the word may have scared kiddies in 1963, today it would be laughed off screen.' The source said: 'The Daleks have said æexterminateÆ for more than 40 years but it never did them any good. The Doctor always won in the end.'" Of course, the Sun also claims that the Daleks returned only after their 'campaign' to bring the monsters back to the show; meanwhile, quoted elsewhere, Tim Hancock, agent for the estate of Daleks creator Terry Nation, says, "There are three scripts in the new series of Doctor Who that will feature the Daleks.ö However, the BBC won't confirm the number of episodes they appear in. The article is also on Sky News, Ananova and other web sources. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg & Steve Tribe)

Big Finish has released the cover for the fifth Dalek Empire III serial, The Warriors, due out in October. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. Meanwhile, part four of Dalek Empire III as well as the current Eighth Doctor serial "Faith Stealer" have been released according to Big Finish.

Big Finish has released details for Her Final Flight, the special one-off audio release due in December. Although it was previously announced as a Sylvester McCoy audio, this has changed; it now reunites Colin Baker with Nicola Bryant (the Sixth Doctor and Peri) as the principal cast for the first time since "...ish" two years ago. It's also got a regular number - number 65 - as opposed to previous limited-edition releases (which may surely irritate people who aren't part of the subscriber base!) Click on the thumbnail below for a larger version of the cover.

Today's icWales features an article called "Ex-Doctor 'may return as villain'" which seems to pick up on the current rumors that Tom Baker wants to play the Master... and in the same headline mentions that actor David Jason ("Only Fools and Horses") "is likely to appear in the new version of the show" despite denials by the production team. One member of the crew said, "We would all be delighted to see Tom Baker back. ... He's a tremendously charismatic actor and would be a superb villain." Of course, it coudl just be publicity notions. Read the article by clicking the link.

Of course, this follows a report in the Sun from the weekend in which Baker has reportedly "slammed" Christopher Eccleston, saying he's never heard of him. Of course, this is several months after Baker gave similar interviews wishing Eccleston well. The report quotes Baker as saying Eccleston is taking the role too seriously: "Get your head out of your fat bottom," specifically. "It always sounds very hollow in the mouth of an actor. When actors use words like 'challenge' and 'serious' you think to yourself 'Oh just shut up'." Very peculiar; both stories could simply be publicity hounding.

An article at Sky News in the photos section shows several pictures from the Swansea filming location including close-up shots of Simon Callow as Charles Dickens and Billie Piper in period costume. Click on the link to see the photos and the accompanying article.

SFX has posted fifteen new photos from the filming sessions this week including one of Chris Eccleston and & Billie Piper (a small snapshot of which, at right, is displayed here with permission) and some of the background and setup, and of the "christmastime" streets. Click here to view them.