Dr Who Returns

As the 35th anniversary of TV Time Lord, Dr Who approaches, plans to convert the classic sci-fi series into a movie are currently being mooted. "We're in talks about a possible feature film for the cinema," confirmed a BBC spokesman. "Scripts have been prepared, but the film will be at least two or three years away if we decide to go ahead with it." While the corporation feels a feature film may be viable, it fears a revived Doctor would look out of place on the 21st century's TV screens and there are no plans to develop a new TV series. "The sci-fi shows of today such as the X-Files and Millennium have such high production values, so audiences now have much higher expectations," said the spokesman. Dr Who was axed in 1989, although a TV film starring Paul McGann as the Doctor was made in 1996. Despite its wobbly sets and dodgy designs, it was the show that terrified a generation of kids - particularly those crazy half-man half-machine Daleks whose raison d re was, of course, to exterminate. The cult series is not off our TV screens for good though: the big scarfed one's 35th birthday will be marked by an airing of some rare and unseen episodes. Highlights include the never before aired pilot for the first four-part Dr Who serial, An Unearthly Child, featuring the first Doctor, William Hartnell. The snag is, fans will only be able to catch the celebrations if they have digital TV. Digital channel BBC Choice is showing a week of special shows from 22-27 November to mark the anniversary of the Doctor's first appearance on the screen on 23 November 1963.