The Galaxy 4 retailer website has listed several forthcoming UK DVD releases on their site that Outpost Gallifrey has previously reported as being planned for 2004: Ghost Light (said to be in release in May), The Green Death (July) and The Leisure Hive (September). While the dates have not been confirmed by BBC Worldwide, we do believe these are indeed on the drawing boards for 2004 release in the UK; of course, as soon as they are confirmed we'll let you know.

2004 will see some great stuff from the BBC Radio Collection. As previously announced, this year's first BBC audio release is Fury From the Deep, due out February 2, narrated by Frazer Hines. The audio release of The Wheel in Space is due out on CD on May 4; for the first time, Wendy Padbury (Zoe) narrates a story, having recorded her material on January 15 according to the BBCi site. Meanwhile, the re-release of Death Comes to Time in MP3 format has been pushed back to June 7, while The Crusade will be released on August 2 (likely with narration by William Russell, but that hasn't yet been confirmed). Details have also been revealed about the two Tales from the TARDISvolumes, now due out July 5; they both feature material only previously released on cassette. Volume one of "Tales" features the audio readings of the novelizations of "The Curse of Peladon" (by Jon Pertwee), "Kinda" (by Peter Davison) and "Attack of the Cybermen" (by Colin Baker), as well as two short-story collections, "Out of the Darkness" read by Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant and "Short Trips" read by Nicholas Courtney and Sophie Aldred. Volume two of "Tales" features readings of the novelizations of "Planet of the Daleks" (by Jon Pertwee), "Warriors of the Deep" (by Peter Davison) and "Vengeance on Varos" (by Colin Baker), as well as Paul McGann's reading of Gary Russell's "The Novel of the Film" and of the short story collection "Earth and Beyond". Finally, BBC Radio Collection will release a second volume of "Doctor Who at the BBC" sometime in the autumn. (Thanks to BBCi and Planet Who)

Lance Parkin, author of several acclaimed Doctor Who novels including "Father Time," "The Infinity Doctors" and "Just War," will be penning the third Faction Paradox novel. Entitled Warlords of Utopia, the novel is the third in Mad Norwegian Press' series of books concerning the time-travelling voodoo cult first created by Lawrence Miles for the BBC Books Doctor Who novel range. Parkin's book "is a generational story in which every parallel reality where Rome conquered the world finds itself warring against every parallel reality where Nazi Germany dominated the globe. The book serves to reintroduce crucial elements concerning the Warùthe ongoing conflict between major powers in the Faction Paradox seriesùpaving the way for major War developments in the Faction Paradox book line." The novel is due out in August 2003. (Thanks to Lars Pearson)

The January 12 edition of the Express newspaper mentioned the possibility of Tom Baker taking a role in the next series of the UK drama Monarch of the Glen. "Baker, 69 - famed for his striped scarf and poodle hair as the Doctor," says the article, "is in talks to become a regular on hugely popular BBC Scottish-set drama... The feelgood Highland series stars Susan Hampshire and Hamish Clark and has attracted a staggering 50 million viewers around the world. The larger-than-life Baker is seen as a suitably high-profile name to fill the gap left by Good Life actor Briers. 'Tom Baker would fit into the mould of an eccentric Highland character brilliantly,' says our source. 'He was initially reluctant to do the series because of the large amount of filming which takes place in Scotland, but now is very interested.'" (Thanks to Mark Askren)

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society has announced publication of its 40th anniversary drabble collection Who XL by Ian Wheeler. The book will include one drabble (or piece of writing exactly 100 words long) for each of the Doctor's TV adventures. Contributors include Colin Baker, Nicholas Courtney, Dave Stone, Andrew Pixley, John Freeman, Jean-Marc Lofficier and Gareth Preston, each explaining why a particular Doctor Who story is important to them. Details of ordering will soon appear on the DWAS website; a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death. (Thanks to Ian Wheeler)