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Finally!

Although the SciFi Channel has not said anything yet (oops…see update below), the BBC has announced that series two (or, in U.S. terms, season two) of “Doctor Who,” which completed its original broadcast run on BBC 1 last month, will begin showing up on U.S. television screens in September.

The run will kick off with a two-hour premiere package that will include David Tennant’s debut, The Christmas Invasion.

Chris Regina, Vice President of Programming, SCI FI Channel, said “Our audience has clearly embraced ‘Doctor Who’ and it has delivered a significant increase in viewers in the time period. We are looking forward to keeping the momentum going with David Tennant as the new Doctor.”

Executive Producer and Lead Writer Russell T Davies says, “We were delighted by the first season’s success in the US, and can promise new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak, and some terrifying new aliens in Season Two.”

Also, the BBC’s “Doctor Who” Web site currently features a photo of David Tennant as the Doctor with Freema Agyeman, who will play medical student Martha Jones—the Doctor’s new companion—in series three of the programme (love using these UK terms).

UPDATE 8/11/06
SciFi Channel’s SciFi Wire reported the news about the second season of “Doctor Who” a few hours after the BBC announcement Thursday.

Photo: The TARDIS, Rose (Billie Piper) and The Doctor (David Tennant). Courtesy of the BBC.

Ah…Tenacious D hits the big screen in the “motion picture experience of the century”…coming soon!

During the first game of a day-night doubleheader against the Florida Marlins on July 30 (a game I attended), the Philadelphia Phillies traded All-Star outfielder Bobby Abreu—one of my favorite players and one of the best yet one of the most misunderstood players in the game—and starting pitcher Cory Lidle to the New York Yankees for four minor leaguers who are not likely to amount to much.

In other words, it was a salary dump, which was something Phillies general manager Pat Gillick—known for his honesty and candor—had said he would not do. In any event, a couple of nights earlier, the Phillies traded starting third baseman David Bell to Milwaukee for a suspect minor leaguer; and relief pitcher Rheal Cormier was sent to Cincinnati for another minor leaguer on July 31.

So the “fire sale” and Gillick’s comments after the Abreu/Lidle trade that he did not expect the Phils to contend again until after 2007 seemingly meant the team was giving up just not on this season but next season as well.

Well, somebody forgot to tell the 25 men still playing that they weren’t supposed to be contending again.

Instead, the Phillies have started playing their best ball of the season and have climbed right back into the thick of the National League wild card race. As of this morning, the Phillies are just 2 1/2 games behind wild card co-leaders Cincinnati and Los Angeles—and only two games out in the all-important loss column.

Now, the Phils still find themselves three games under .500 at 52-55, but the entire National League save the New York Mets completely sucks so they actually have a chance.

What is responsible for all this? Well, the pitching has been getting better except for Jon Lieber. Rookie left-hander Cole Hamels is starting to show glimpses of the future star he is projected to be. Brett Myers has been stellar despite some off-the-field problems a few weeks ago.

The Phils’ offense has also picked it up, scoring 63 runs over the last seven games.

The star of this offensive onslaught: Phillies All-Star second baseman Chase Utley (pictured above), who is currently riding a 35-game hitting streak, which ties the record for longest hitting streak by a second baseman set by Florida’s Luis Castillo a few years back. Utley is one game shy of tying the single-season franchise hit streak record set by teammate and shortstop Jimmy Rollins at the end of last season. Rollins wound up hitting safely in 38 consecutive games by getting hits in the first two games of this season.

Utley is hitting .330 this season and leads the NL in hits (144), multi-hit games (46) and runs (93).

Meanwhile, 2006 Home Run Derby king Ryan Howard continues to enjoy a tremendous sophomore season, batting .287 with 36 home runs and 94 runs batted in.

One of the great surprises and one of the great stories is 33-year-old rookie catcher/infielder Chris Coste. A journeyman minor leaguer, Coste finally made his major league debut this season. However, he went 0-for-14 and it seemed he was more story than substance. But injuries required the Phillies to give him another chance and Coste responded. This real-life Roy Hobbs is now batting .375 with four homers and 19 RBI. Even more amazing are his situational stats. With runners in scoring position, Coste is batting .542 with 13 RBI. In the same situation with two outs, he is batting .600 with five RBI.

Will the Phillies pull off one of the most improbable playoff runs ever? Chances are slim. However, if the Phillies go into Shea Stadium this weekend and take at least two of three from the NL East-leading New York Mets after a convincing sweep of the NL Central-leading Cardinals in St. Louis, I think I’ll really start to believe…again.

(Photo: Kyle Ericson/AP via MLB.com)

It was already hitting 90 degrees today at the Jersey Shore when I departed for my fifth 21-mile ride of the summer and my sixth overall at 9:45 a.m., but I managed to put in a pretty good ride that I completed in 1 hour, 22 minutes for an average speed of 15.4 miles per hour.

The ride also put me at a total of 116 miles for the summer, leaving me 84 miles shy of my goal of 200 miles by the end of August.

What was most encouraging about today is that I didn’t rest (except at stop lights and to cross busy highways, etc.). I usually stop for a few minutes when I reach the Manasquan Inlet before starting the return trip, but today I just rode through and didn’t get fatigued except for one little stretch of the return trip after “dragging” another cyclist I encountered when I had to wait a few seconds for the Mantoloking Bridge to close. He dragged me down the bridge and then for another mile or two, so I returned the favor for a couple of miles before I made a left turn and he continued going straight.

Oh, on that one street with the “your speed is…” radar sign, I hit 22 mph…so I’m getting closer to another goal of going over the street’s 25 mph speed limit.

For a refresher, here is my route…

Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has been identified as the cyclist who failed a drug test during the race, according to a statement on his Phonak team’s Web site.

The headline link above takes you to the SI.com story since there is understandably heavy traffic at the Phonak site.

This is just terrible news.

Floyd Landis became the third American to win the Tour de France today, crossing the finish line in Paris in the peloton just behind 20th stage winner Thor Hushovd of Norway to earn the maillot jaune

The Phonak team leader officially finished 69th in Sunday’s 96-mile ride from Sceaux-Antony to the tree-lined streets of Paris’ Champs-Elysées, but in a group of riders that crossed the line just eight seconds behind Hushovd, who became the first Norwegian to win the final stage and could be the first rider to ever win the Tour’s opening-day prologue and also claim the final stage.

Landis completed the 20-stage race in 89 hours, 39 minutes, 30 seconds with an average speed of 40.784 km/h (25.3 mph). He lost two seconds off his 59-second lead going into the final stage, beating Spain’s Oscar Pereiro by 57 seconds.

The victory gave American cyclists eight consecutive wins in the Tour de France, as Landis’ triumph comes after fellow American Lance Armstrong’s record seven straight Tour titles. Landis also joins Armstrong (1999-2005) and three-time winner Greg LeMond (’86, ’89, ’90) as the only Americans to win cycling’s most prestigious event.

Landis, who suffers from a degenerative hip condition and will undergo hip replacement surgery in the near future, won this year’s Tour after a disastrous ride in Stage 16, when he dropped from first to 11th place and found himself down by 8 minutes, 8 seconds to Pereiro. However, he came back strong the next day by winning Stage 17 and moving from 11th to third place, just 30 seconds behind Pereiro.

The Tour de France win highlights a very successful year for Landis, who also won the Tour of Georgia, the Paris-Nice race, and the Tour of California.

(Photo: Floyd Landis raises his arms in victory on the podium after winning the 93rd Tour de France. Courtesy of LeTour.fr/Photographers-Bruno Bade, Ingrid Hoffmann, Jean-Christophe Moreau.)

Barring a disaster in Sunday’s 20th—and final—stage of the 93rd Tour de France, Floyd Landis should become the third American to win the race.

Landis finished third in Saturday’s 19th stage, a 35.4-mile time trial from Le Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines, at 1:10 behind the Ukraine’s Serhiy Honchar, who won the stage. However, the Phonak team leader needed only to make up time on overall race leader Oscar Pereiro of Spain, and Landis did just that.

Trailing Pereiro by 30 seconds and in third place entering the day, Landis beat Pereiro by 1 minute, 29 seconds in Saturday’s time trial to take the yellow jersey and build a 59-second lead over the Spaniard.

All that stands between Landis and a Tour victory is Sunday’s 96-mile ride from Sceaux-Antony to Paris, including the traditional Champs-Élysées finish. With such a sizable lead, Landis should succeed seven-time winner and fellow American, Lance Armstrong, as Tour de France champion and join Armstrong (1999-2005) and Greg LeMond (’86, ’89, ’90) as the only Americans to win the Tour.

What is remarkable about Landis is that his Tour was nearly over after a disastrous ride in Stage 16, when he dropped from first to 11th place and found himself down by 8 minutes, 8 seconds to Pereiro. However, he came back strong the next day by winning Stage 17 and moving from 11th to third place, just 30 seconds behind Pereiro.

In addition, it was revealed during this year’s Tour that Landis is afflicted with a degenerative hip condition and plans to undergo hip replacement surgery following the race.

(Photo: Floyd Landis is congratulated by cycling legend Eddy Merckx after claiming the yellow jersey following Saturday’s 19th stage. Courtesy of LeTour.fr/Photographers-Bruno Bade, Ingrid Hoffmann, Jean-Christophe Moreau.)

This is definitely good news for fans of the “generation 1” Transformers…Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime from Sunbow Productions’ animated “Transformers” series from 1984-87 (as well as the 1986 animated “Transformers: The Movie”), will be reprising the role in the upcoming, Michael Bay-directed live action/CGI “Transformers” feature.

From Superherohype.com:

The original voice of Transformers ‘ Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, will also voice the character in Paramount’s anticipated big screen adaptation. Cullen made the announcement over the phone during the studio’s presentation at the San Diego Comic-Con today.

CNET.com posted an item a few days ago listing the top 10 can’t miss, tech-related clips on YouTube.

I enjoyed four of the clips so much I decided to share them on TWR.

Here are the final two clips, both of which provide a look back at Steve Jobs…

Current TV 1981 Flashback: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs Introduces the Macintosh in 1984

…who, along with his brother Pat, created the steak sandwich, which eventually became the famous Philly cheesesteak. Harry died Thursday at the age of 90.

Here is an excerpt from a story in today’s Philadelphia Daily News:

Harry and his older brother, Pat, had been selling hot dogs at a stand at 9th and Wharton streets in South Philadelphia since 1930.

It was a time when horses still plodded the streets and there was a water trough for the steeds in front of the hot-dog stand.

Pat suggested that Harry go to a local grocery store and pick up a slab of beef. Harry went, paying 7 cents for a pound.

He took it back to the stand, sliced it up, put some raw onions on the grill and, unknown to them, a legend began sizzling right there in front of them. The world’s first steak sandwich was born.

Pat and Harry slapped the meat on rolls and were about to devour their meal when a cab driver, a longtime fan of the brothers’ hot dogs, arrived for his meal and smelled the delicious aroma of meat frying in onions.

“I want one of those,” the driver said.

“But it’s our dinner,” the brothers protested.

The cab driver was insistent. He was about to become the first of a long line of Philly steak-sandwich addicts, stretching through the decades and around the globe, with billions of the succulent fare devoured.

“Sell him yours,” Pat said. After all, he was the oldest, and in an Italian family, the oldest sibling ruled.

Harry handed it over. They charged the driver 5 cents.

No doubt others had made steak sandwiches before and certainly thousands would make them in the future. But Pat’s King of Steaks was born that day at 9th and Wharton, and its fame spread rapidly through a hungry city.

So grab yourself a cheesesteak today, bow your head in a moment of silence…and devour the sandwich in memory of a true king of steaks.

(Photo courtesy of Pat’s King of Steaks.)