The cover for the 407th issue of Doctor Who Magazine has been released online. Naturally, the issue boasts a fantastic Planet of the Dead themed cover, and no doubt the inside will be just as jam-packed with features and interviews regarding the anticipated Easter special!

A full press release detailing the magazine’s contents will be released in a few days, but until then…

It has been claimed that the first trailer for Planet of the Dead will air on BBC One this coming Wednesday, just before this week’s episode of The Apprentice at 9PM.

The trailer will be our first official glimpse of the special, which is due to transmit on BBC One/HD over Easter Weekend. The episode sees a London bus take a detour to a mysterious alien world, where the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina to fight the planet’s terrifying secrets. But time is running out…

There’s been no official word from the BBC regarding the trailer, but tune into BBC One at around 8.55PM on Wednesday 1st April to see if it turns out to be true!

David Harewood will star in an upcoming episode of Doctor Who, it has been confirmed.

The actor, who is currently portraying the role of Friar Tuck in Series 3 of Robin Hood, announced the news while making an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Radio Show yesterday. 

But he is “sworn to secrecy” about the character/villain he will be playing, so didn’t say anything about what his role will involve, or even what episode it’ll be in.

The news has sparked speculation online that he will be appearing in David Tennant’s last episodes as the next incarnation of the Master.

Thanks to John for the tip!

This Autumn will see the release of John Barrowman’s second autobiography, it has been confirmed.

Publisher Michael O’Mara Books will be releasing the book, which is called I Am What I Am, later this year, and like his first autobiography, Anything Goes, which was released last year, John will be writing the second volume with his sister, Carole E. Barrowman.

The book will be released on 1st October 2009, and will offer fans with a more “in-depth exploration of John - his thoughts, opinions and experiences” and will “focus on his achievements over the past couple of years”.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with John and Carole Barrowman again,” said Kate Gribble, commissioning editor. “I Am What I Am promises to be just as entertaining, heartfelt and revelatory as Anything Goes – if not more so – and John’s many fans can look forward to a very funny, very honest and very intimate treat.”

The BBC Press Office was today updated with scheduling information for Easter weekend, strongly pointing towards either an Easter Saturday, April 11th, or Easter Sunday, April 12th, transmission date for Planet of the Dead.

“When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special.

But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer…”

Although an exact airtime hasn’t been announced yet, the website has released the official synopsis for the episode, which stars David Tennant as the Doctor, Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina and Lee Evans as Malcolm.

The episode is written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts.

The Daily Express has today claimed that Tom Baker is set to make a triumphant comeback in the fifth series of Doctor Who next year.

According to the report, the actor, who played the fourth incarnation of the Time Lord from 1974-1981, will appear in a future episode alongside the new Doctor, Matt Smith.

“As it’s Doctor Who, his return all these years on could be explained in all manner of ways,” a BBC ‘insider’ told the newspaper.

Take with a pinch of salt for now!

This week, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales are recording the new Doctor Who soundtrack at the BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff.

The music will be heard for the first time in Planet of the Dead, which airs in a few weeks, and new scores are also being recorded for the remaining 3 special episodes.

“We are thrilled that the orchestra records the soundtrack for this special programme and is associated with the BBC Wales series,” said David Murray, director of the orchestra. “The opportunity to perform a different style of music helps to showcase the diversity of the orchestra.”

It’s also the first time the Doctor Who soundtrack will have been recorded at the Hoddinott Hall, which offers new and exciting recording and performing facilities which are set to improve the quality of the music in the series.

This news has also sparked speculation that a new arrangement of the theme tune is being planned for the special episodes. Stick with us!

The fourth series of Doctor Who has been nominated for a BAFTA!

The series, which aired last year on BBC One, is up against Shameless (Channel 4), Spooks (BBC) and Wallander (BBC) in the Best Drama Series category.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday 26th April. WhovianNet would like to wish Doctor Who and its cast and crew the very best of luck!

The first of this year’s Doctor Who specials, Planet of the Dead, will air on Easter Sunday, according to Sky’s listings magazine.

Sky Mag has put down the transmission date for the episode as being April 12th 2009, meaning that the episode will air on the Sunday rather than the Saturday.

A preview of the episode, which is the first in the show’s history to be filmed in HD, was shown at the Millenium Stadium during the recent Six Nations Rugby match. It’s believed that the same trailer will debut on our screens this weekend – either before or after the first episode of the new series of Robin Hood.

Please bear in mind that although this broadcast date is likely, it’s still yet to be finalised by the BBC. Stick with us!

It has been confirmed that a brand new Doctor Who adventure written exclusively for BBC Audiobooks will be released on 2nd July 2009.

Doctor Who: The Rising Night is written by Scott Handcock and sees the TARDIS arriving in an 18th Century village in the Yorkshire Moors, where livestock has been vanishing from the farmland and strange lights have been seen in the skies…

Something is very wrong here, and the Doctor soon becomes involved in a nightmarish adventure, in which he is helped by a young local woman named Charity. Who is feeding on the blood of the locals, and when will the carnage stop?

We’ll bring you more news regarding the release, including its cover and reader, when the news becomes available!