Doctor M

Doctor Who's return rumours hit the press and internet.

It's been another week of hopes raised and hopes dashed, with news of the Doctor's return hitting the Sunday papers and the world wide web.

In the 16th March addition of the Observer, Jane Tranter, the Head of Drama for the BBC, was asked for her opinions on the state of Saturday night television.

After bemoaning modern day drama, Jane suggested her fantasy Saturday night viewing in which she said, "I'd like to do a modern version of Doctor Who starring someone like Judi Dench".

With a cameo by John Cleese, no doubt?

There must have been something in the printing ink, for on the same day the Sunday Mirror ran an article entitled Time For Dr. Who To Return by Ben Dowell, which stated that Mark Gatiss and the League of Gentlemen were in talks with the BBC to produce the series.

Mark will be playing the Doctor, the scripts have all been written and fellow Gentlemen Mark Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson are all poised to play baddies.

Tubbs and Pauline in the TARDIS, marvellous!

Unfortunately the news has since been debunked by the League website. 'Sadly no foundation in this rumour at all', said the boys' management.

But the mad rumour of the week has to go to the one reported by the Dark Horizons website. Their informant, know only as 'Joe', gave the following 'inside information':

'[I] was given a lecture recently by an Exec from the BBC at my Uni in London. While in full flow on greenlit sci-fi scripts, she said that the next series of Dr Who is happening and has been given the greenlight. She confirmed this after the lecture, when I spoke to her about the development of my own project.'

No comment.