TVSquad

The BBC broadcast the pre-title sequence (about two minutes) of the Doctor Who Christmas Special slated for Christmas Day 2008 for their Children In Need special on November 14th. It can be viewed here on the BBC website. One word of caution: it can only be viewed from a European IP address, possibly even only a British one.

Fortunately, I have managed to avail myself of those two minutes and I'm already excited about the episode. While I look forward to seeing a new face as the Doctor, it's still a shame that next year is likely David Tennant's last year in the title role.

Based on his brief appearance, David Morrisey could be a potentially good Doctor. However, I am of the opinion that anybody who can have fun with the role can be a good Doctor, since the Doctor can be anybody. I'm very much looking forward to the day after Christmas, when I can download the...uh, I mean hear about the Christmas Special from those who have watched it.

Once again the fate of David Tennant's role as the Doctor on Doctor Who is in question. Earlier this year there were rumors that Tennant would not resume his role for the fourth series of the popular science fiction program. However, those rumors were quickly refuted.

Now comes word directly from the BBC that the show will not be returning for a fifth series until 2010 (the fourth series premieres in 2008). It was postponed to allow Tennant to play Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company late next year. A spokesperson for the show said it was too early to comment on whether or not Tennant would return for a fifth series.

That's what a reporter in England is pushing for. He has started an online petition to have the Bluths come back together for an Xmas special in 2009.

So far reporter Eddie Wrenn has 3000 signatures, which, while nice, isn't enough to get anyone's attention. But it's the first step in a campaign to get Jason Bateman, Jessica Walter, Michael Cera, Ron Howard and company to come back and do a special for fans. And that's something that's a lot more realistic than some fans who try to get a show to come back full time on some network's schedule (as if actors don't move on to other projects and are just waiting around to be called back).

More shows should do this. Not only would they please fans, I think it would show some good will towards those fans and probably increase DVD sales as well. Yeah, I can imagine an Arrested Development special every couple of years.

Over the past week, the U.K. press has been saturated with "exclusive" sneak previews of the forthcoming Doctor Who Christmas Day special, "The Christmas Invasion" -- most of which are just re-hashes or mash-ups of the same photographs and interviews.

However, BBC News has published an exclusive interview with the new Doctor, David Tennant, which includes an eight-minute TV video interview on Breakfast, in which the 34-year-old Scots actor discusses his preparation for the role, the well-wishes he received from former Doctors Tom Baker and Peter Davidson -- and the Cockney accent he's given his incarnation of the famous Time Lord.

More importantly, there's two exclusive clips from the Christmas special, one of which elaborates on the TARDIS crash-landing in a London council estate.