1:38pm UK, Friday September 26, 2003

Dr Who is set to make a return to the BBC - but not for another two years.The show's creators say the series is in the early stages of development.

The Time Lord will return to our screens in two years' time

Details of who will play the Time Lord will not be available for some time.

The new series will be written by Russell T Davies, creator of the Channel 4 drama Queer As Folk and acclaimed ITV drama Second Coming.

Davies said: "I grew up watching Dr Who and hiding behind the sofa like so many others.

"Dr Who is one of the BBC's most exciting and original characters. He's had a rest and now it's time to bring him back.

"The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary.

"Although only in the early stages of development, I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Dr Who heritage at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience."

Doctor Who is the world's longest running science-fiction series and was screened from 1963 to 1989 with several actors playing the role over the decades.

They include William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.

In 2001 Sylvester McCoy reprised his role as the seventh Dr Who in an audio drama broadcast on the web.