Kenneth Branagh, David Tennant and Ben Whishaw have been shortlisted for the Best Actor award in the 35th annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, to be presented next month at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Branagh has been nominated for his role as Kurt Wallander, the Swedish detective in the Wallander series. Tennant is named for two roles, as the Doctor in Doctor Who and the British astronomer Arthur Eddington in the single drama Einstein and Eddington.

The full list of nominations is:
Best Single Drama
The Curse of Steptoe (BBC Four)
Einstein & Eddington (BBC Two)
Hughie Green, Most Sincerely (BBC Four)
Margaret Thatcher: the Long Walk to Finchley (BBC Four)
The No1 Ladies Detective Agency (BBC One)

Best Actor
Kenneth Branagh for Wallander (BBC One)
David Tennant for Doctor Who (BBC One) and Einstein & Eddington (BBC Two)
Ben Whishaw for Criminal Justice (BBC One)

Article found here

David Tennant says he held off the advice when talking to his Doctor Who successor, Matt Smith, but could tell he had the ‘right idea’ about playing the iconic TV character.

David told What’s On TV magazine about his recent conversation with Matt.

“We chatted on the phone not long ago and we did exchange a few opinions on what’s about to unfold for him, but advice is a very dangerous thing. Matt’s got an extraordinary journey coming up in all sorts of ways and I’m sure he’ll find his own way through it,” says David, who’s only just returned from Dubai where he’s been filming his next Doctor Who adventure, The Planet Of The Dead.

“I could tell Matt was very up for it, though, and excited in all the right ways. He says he’s going to take it very seriously and he seems to have the right idea about playing The Doctor, so far as I can tell.”

The Planet Of The Dead can be seen over the Easter holidays on BBC One and will also star Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans as the characters Lady Christina de Souza and Malcolm.

Credit: What’s on TV

Lindsay Duncan is to guest-star as an assistant to Doctor Who in the programme’s second special of 2009.

Duncan will play Adelaide, the Doctor’s cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet in the unnamed episode.

The actress, who has starred in Rome and GBH, said “I’m thrilled to be involved in Doctor Who. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

There are four Doctor Who specials planned for 2009 with the first – Planet of the Dead – airing at Easter.

Russell T Davies and Phil Ford are joint writers of the second special and filming will start on the episode in Spring.

David Tennant stars in all four programmes, concluding his run as the Doctor before 26-year-old Matt Smith takes over the role in 2010.

Credit: BBC news.

Doctor Who star David Tennant’s return to the stage as Hamlet has been named the event of the year by theatregoers.

Some 35,000 people took part in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards, which also saw Kenneth Branagh win best actor for Ivanov.

Comic Eddie Izzard was named best solo performer for his show Stripped.

Best actress in a play was won by Katy Stephens for The Histories, while Rain Man’s Josh Hartnett was named London newcomer of the year.

Tennant was forced to miss much of the Royal Shakespeare Company performance with back problems, but returned to the stage after surgery.

Source: here.