Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special: First Casting News

The BBC today confirmed reports -previewed in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine - that David Tennant and Billie Piper will reprise their roles as the Doctor and Rose Tyler for November's anniversary special.

Despite many reported denials, the actors have long been rumoured to be making a return to the programme.

Tennant and Piper last appeared as the Tenth Doctor and Rose in The End of Time on New Year's Day, 2010.

The hour-long special - to be shown in 3D on TV and in cinemas - also stars yet another Harry Potter film actor, John Hurt (Alien, The Elephant Man, V for Vendetta, and Channel 4's new historical saga, Labyrinth), Ken Bones, Marshall Griffin, and newcomer Orlando James.

The celebratory story, scripted by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Nick Hurran, will commence production next week.

Vintage 'Doctor Who' Scripts Discovered

The Radio Times website has reported that a collection of the earliest Doctor Who scripts has been unearthed in Kent by local prop maker and researcher, Jason Onion.

Six documents, hidden for fifty years, were loaned from Joan Coburn Moon - the widow of writer Anthony Coburn - and include two versions of the first episode, An Unearthly Child, an alternative draft of The Cave of Skulls, and the complete scripts for The Masters of Luxor. This 'lost story' was ultimately replaced by Terry Nation's The Daleks but was eventually dramatised last year by Big Finish.

Tom Cole writes: "You can see that the template for the Daleks came from [Coburn]... these episodes [see] a device to unlock TARDIS, which became the sonic screwdriver, and the science [of] regeneration" said Onion. “This find completes the genesis of [the show] from Coburn's imagination. The drafts explain the mystery of Doctor Who, his origins, his people and all the background.” 

Meanwhile, Rob Leigh of the Daily Mirror stated that Coburn was inspired by the sight of a real Police Box outside Televison Centre to devise the TARDIS exterior, and that the scripts provide the original names of the ship and the Doctor's planet. Susan (originally Suzanne) is also revealed as "a princess saved from another world" and Coburn is hailed as creator of "the cornerstones of Doctor Who that have been expanded on.. ever since".

Australian-born Coburn, a writer and producer at the BBC from the 1950's, lived in Herne Bay, and died in Canterbury in 1977, aged just 49.

Doctor Who Vs. Bleak House (1998)

The BBC dramatised Charles Dickens' epic novel, Bleak House for Radio 4 in 1998. This award winning five-part series last aired on Radio 7 in 2007 and 2008, and starred six Doctor Who guest actors:

• Jean Marsh (Miss Flite) first appeared in the 'classic' series as Princess Joanna in The Crusade (1965), then as short-lived companion Sara Kingdom in nine episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan later that year, and finally as Morgaine in Battlefield (1989) - the role of space agent Kingdom was reprised by Big Finish for The Companion Chronicles releases, Home Truths (2008), The Drowned World (2009), The Guardian of the Solar System (2010), The Five Companions (2011), and The Anachronauts (2012), then for the 'lost' story The Daleks: The Destroyers (2010) - Marsh also voiced Maria for The Wishing Beast (2007)
• Robert Portal (Carstone) voiced Marshal Ney for The Curse of Davros (BF, 2012) and Reggie for the recent The Auntie Matter
• Charlie Hayes (pictured with her mother, 'classic' series actress Wendy Padbury) voiced Jade for Master (2003), Jenny for The Seven Keys to Doomsday (2008), Gatlin for Bernice Summerfield and the Criminal Code (2010), Jen for both of The Companion Chronicles releases, Memory Cheats (2011) and The Uncertainty Principle, Death for Love and War (2012), and Veltreena for the forthcoming Lords of the Red Planet 'lost' story - all from Big Finish
• Ellie Haddington (Miss Hortense) was Professor Docherty in Last of the Time Lords
• Michael Attwell (Krook) was Isbur in The Ice Warriors, and Bates in Attack of the Cybermen
• Michael Fenton Stevens (Skimpole) voiced Mr Seyton (alias Shakespeare) for The Kingmaker (BF, 2006) and Brooks for The Raincloud Man (BF, 2008)