The bus named after John Nathan Turner, Doctor Who's longest serving producer, has entered service in the South Coast city of Brighton.

As reported earlier this year, the decision to honour the producer, who lived in Brighton, was taken by public vote, with Nathan Turner's name adorning one of the 24 new Coaster buses brought by the city.

The bus travels Route 12, from Brighton to Eastbourne, passing the Seven Sisters Country park, where parts of 1969 Doctor Who story The War Games were filmed.

John Nathan Turner comes with a low emission ‘Euro 6’ engine, free Wi-Fi, an upper deck table with USB charge points, softer seating, next stop information and real time tracking of the bus location.

Steven Moffat, lead writer for Doctor Who and co-creator of Sherlock, has been award an OBE for his services to drama in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Speaking to the BBC's Lizo Mzimba:
The full interview is available here.

Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director of BBC Cymru Wales commented on Moffat's honour:

Moffat's predecessor, Russell T Davies, was awarded an OBE in 2008.

Also awarded OBEs for service to drama are Lesley Manville, who played Heather Hartnell in the 50th Anniversary drama An Adventure in Space and Time, and Martin Clunes, whose first television role was as Lon in the fifth Doctor adventure Snakedance.

Lenny Henry, who once played the Doctor in a 1985 spoof of Doctor Who for his comedy show, is being knighted for his services to drama and charity.

Today we celebrate 80 years of the writer Terrance Dicks, who was born on the 14th April 1935.

Arguably the most prolific contributor to Doctor Who, as well as being script editor in the Pertwee era he also wrote a number of memorable adventures for the television series, including both the introductory story Robot for fourth Doctor Tom Baker and the series own 20th Anniversary celebration, The Five Doctors. His Target novelisations accounted for over sixty of the Doctor's adventures, and he was later invited to write a story for the launch of the Virgin New Adventures in 1991 (Timewyrm: Exodus), and then to launch the new official range of BBC Books in 1996 with The Eight Doctors. He has written for 21st Century Who, contributing the "Quick Reads" books Made of Steel and Revenge of the Judoon. He also wrote the novelisation of the Sarah Jane Adventures pilot, Invasion of the Bane.

Speaking of the Doctor's best friend, Dicks re-introduced the character for Big Finish, writing their first Sarah Jane Smith audio adventure Comeback.

He brought Doctor Who to the stage twice, with Doctor Who and the Daleks in Seven Keys to Doomsday in 1974 and then The Ultimate Adventure in 1989. He adapted both to be released on audio by Big Finish in 2008, and then wrote a followup to the latter, Beyond the Ultimate Adventure in 2011.

As well as fiction, he also co-wrote arguably the first ever reference book for the series, The Making of Doctor Who, first published in 1972 - a time long before the wealth of factual literature available to Doctor Who fans today! Other publications include The Doctor Who Monster Book and The Doctor Who Dinosaur Book.

For many of us of a certain age, however, he will always be *the* storyteller of the Doctor's early adventures.

Happy birthday, "uncle" Terrance!

The actor Nigel Terry has died at the age of 69.

Nigel Terry played General Cobb in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story The Doctor's Daughter.

Terry has a long career both on stage and screen and worked extensively for both the National Theatre and theRoyal Shakespeare Company.

He is best known for playing King Arthur in John Boorman’s 1981 film Excalibur. Other movie roles include playing Prince John in Anthony Harvey’s The Lion in Winter and playing the title role of Caravaggio in the Derek Jarman film. On television he appeared in Agatha Christie's Marple, MI-5, Foyle's War, Holby City, Mortimer's Law, Resort to Murder, Highlander, The Orchid House, Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Denys Villiers, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sherlock Holmes and Kenilworth.

Nigel Terry died last Thursday after contracting emphysema.

A rare interview with a very young Lalla Ward has been released on YouTube.

Ward was just fourteen when she was featured on the BBC Arts programme A Whole Scene Going. First shown on the 9th March 1966, the film looks at the work of the young poet and artist. The item was directed by John Crome who uploaded the feature, which is missing from the BBC archives, to his YouTube Channel

Ward would go on to play the fourth Doctor's companion Romana from 1979 to 1981

Tomorrow is the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon and some faces from the world of Doctor Who will be taking on the challenge. Jonathan Bailey, Mark Lewis Jones, Greg James and Lindsey Russell (current presenter of Blue Peter) will run the 26.2 miles for their chosen charities.

Details below on how to donate:

Jonathan Bailey - MND Scotland (fundrasing page)
Mark Lewis Jones - Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research (donation page)
Greg James - Lord's Taverners (fundrasing page)
Lindsey Russell - Children in Need (donation page)

You can follow the marathon across the BBC from 8.30 tomorrow.

Peter Davison, who celebrates his 64th birthday today, is currently appearing in London's West End in the revival of the Musical Gypsy.

Davison plays Herbie in the show, which is based upon the memoirs of the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, and which is currently previewing at London's Savoy Theatre. The cast is led by BAFTA award winning actress Imelda Staunton who was asked to take on the role of Rose by the play's lyricist Stephen Sondheim, after he saw Staunton's performance as Mrs Lovett in the 2012 production of Sweeney Todd.

The show's cast album, featuring Davison, is released on 27th April.

Davison will take time off from the show to host Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular’s UK tour this May.

NB The first London production of Gypsy in 1973, starring Angela Lansbury, featured a 9 year old Bonnie Langford in the role of Baby June.

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Fortitude, the psychological thriller television series starring Christopher Eccleston, has been renewed for a second 10-part series.

The series, which also stars Michael Gambon airs in the UK on Sky Atlantic, where the first episode was watched by more than 2.5m people and is the channels most successful original commission.

A new interview with Doctor Who composer Dominic Glynn is released on April 1 by Reeltime Pictures as part of the Myth Makers series.

The DVD is available from Galaxy 4 or can be ordered or downloaded from Time Travel TV

Also out this month are re-issues of some classic interviews from Myth Makers

• Myth Makers 015 Jon Pertwee
• Myth Makers 002 John Leeson
• Myth Makers 106 Flight Through Eternity - The Sixties Vol. 2
• Myth Makers 058 Raymond E Feist
• Myth Makers 070 Gareth Thomas
• Myth Makers 029 Barry Letts & Terrance Dicks Vol. 2
• Just Who On Earth Is Tom Baker?
• The PanoptiCon Tapes Vol. 2
• Mindgame Trilogy

All are available from Time Travel TV

Doctor Who's longest serving producer, John Nathan Turner, is to be honoured by the City of Brighton and Hove, with a new bus named after the former resident.

As we reported earlier this week, the final decision to honour the producer was taken by public vote, with Nathan Turner's name being one of 9 selected from a shortlist of 31. An additional 15 names were selected from over one hundred submissions.

John Nathan Turner lived in the city, which is on the south coast of England, for many years, including the period in which he was overseeing Doctor Who. His name will now go on one of the 24 new Coaster buses to be deployed on route 12, that travels east along the Sussex heritage coast towards Eastbourne. The new buses come with a host of new features including low emission ‘Euro 6’ engines, free Wi-Fi, an upper deck table with USB charge points, softer seating, ‘talking buses’ with next stop information and real time tracking of bus locations.

Others being honoured include author Rudyard Kipling, actress Dame Anna Neagle and former voice of the speaking clock Brian Cobby

Full list is here

Brighton and Hove Council are asking members of the public to decide if one of the city's new buses should be named after former Doctor Who producer John Nathan Turner.

The south coast resort is to acquire 24 new Coaster Buses and has been asking for nominations for names for the new vehicles. Over 100 suggestions have been made so far and the council has selected 15 names to be revealed at a future date. The names for the remaining 9 buses will be selected by public vote, with former resident Nathan-Turner making one of the the short lists. Eight names are on the list and the most popular two will be given to one of the new buses.

Nathan Turner was producer of Doctor Who from 1980 until the show was cancelled in 1989. He is competing against a number of local dignitaries for the honour.

Voting can be done online. The closing date is Wednesday 25th at 12pm.