The fifth series of Doctor Who is to be put on hold for 12 months, throwing David Tennant's future on the show into further doubt.
The BBC said today that the fifth run of the Saturday teatime show would not be shown until 2010, two years after the fourth series airs next year.
It means 2009 will effectively be a "gap year" filled by three Doctor Who specials starring Tennant and overseen by head writer Russell T Davies.
Today's announcement will add to speculation over the long-term future on the show of both Tennant and Davies, who masterminded its return to the small screen with Christopher Eccleston in 2005.
It follows a Daily Mirror report today that Tennant will play Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company between July and November next year.
"Doctor Who is one of the BBC's best loved and most successful dramas," said Jane Tranter, controller, BBC Fiction.
"Its journey over the past three series has been one of the most ambitious and exciting that we have had, and I'm delighted to be able to confirm not only three exciting specials for 2009, but a fifth series in 2010."
The next series, which will be broadcast next spring, will be Tennant's third in the title role after Eccleston left following Doctor Who's comeback season in 2005.
But Tennant's long term future on the show has been the subject of much speculation, which came to a head after it was confirmed he would spend half of next year on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Mr Davies's future on the show, which films for nine months of the year in Cardiff, is also in doubt after he indicated his long-term ambitions lay elsewhere.
"I wouldn't want to do series seven," Mr Davies told the Observer in March. "There are other things I want to do."
The show's lead writer and executive producer, Mr Davies took on a "show runner" role overseeing all creative aspects of the drama and in particular leading the team of Doctor Who writers, as well as scripting individual episodes himself.
One of the show's writers, Steven Moffat, who was behind BBC2 sitcom Coupling, has been tipped to take over the show runner role if Mr Davies quits.
Doctor Who will next be seen on screen in a Christmas special co-starring Kylie Minogue at the end of this year.
Next year's fourth series will also see the return of Catherine Tate as the doctor's sidekick following her appearance in the last Christmas special as motormouth Donna.
The show has become one of the BBC's most important ratings winners, a linchpin of its Saturday night schedule equally well received by viewers and critics alike.
Doctor Who's last series ended in July with 8 million viewers, a 39% share of the audience.
"The success of Doctor Who is a fantastic tribute to the dedication and expertise of the production team at BBC Wales who have worked on the project from the outset," said Menna Richards, controller, BBC Wales, announcing the future scheduling of the show today.
"This announcement is marvellous news for all involved, and more importantly for the programme's amazing fan base and audience. BBC Wales is looking forward to producing the fifth series."
The BBC said today that the fifth run of the Saturday teatime show would not be shown until 2010, two years after the fourth series airs next year.
It means 2009 will effectively be a "gap year" filled by three Doctor Who specials starring Tennant and overseen by head writer Russell T Davies.
Today's announcement will add to speculation over the long-term future on the show of both Tennant and Davies, who masterminded its return to the small screen with Christopher Eccleston in 2005.
It follows a Daily Mirror report today that Tennant will play Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company between July and November next year.
"Doctor Who is one of the BBC's best loved and most successful dramas," said Jane Tranter, controller, BBC Fiction.
"Its journey over the past three series has been one of the most ambitious and exciting that we have had, and I'm delighted to be able to confirm not only three exciting specials for 2009, but a fifth series in 2010."
The next series, which will be broadcast next spring, will be Tennant's third in the title role after Eccleston left following Doctor Who's comeback season in 2005.
But Tennant's long term future on the show has been the subject of much speculation, which came to a head after it was confirmed he would spend half of next year on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Mr Davies's future on the show, which films for nine months of the year in Cardiff, is also in doubt after he indicated his long-term ambitions lay elsewhere.
"I wouldn't want to do series seven," Mr Davies told the Observer in March. "There are other things I want to do."
The show's lead writer and executive producer, Mr Davies took on a "show runner" role overseeing all creative aspects of the drama and in particular leading the team of Doctor Who writers, as well as scripting individual episodes himself.
One of the show's writers, Steven Moffat, who was behind BBC2 sitcom Coupling, has been tipped to take over the show runner role if Mr Davies quits.
Doctor Who will next be seen on screen in a Christmas special co-starring Kylie Minogue at the end of this year.
Next year's fourth series will also see the return of Catherine Tate as the doctor's sidekick following her appearance in the last Christmas special as motormouth Donna.
The show has become one of the BBC's most important ratings winners, a linchpin of its Saturday night schedule equally well received by viewers and critics alike.
Doctor Who's last series ended in July with 8 million viewers, a 39% share of the audience.
"The success of Doctor Who is a fantastic tribute to the dedication and expertise of the production team at BBC Wales who have worked on the project from the outset," said Menna Richards, controller, BBC Wales, announcing the future scheduling of the show today.
"This announcement is marvellous news for all involved, and more importantly for the programme's amazing fan base and audience. BBC Wales is looking forward to producing the fifth series."
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...161700,00.html
about a fifth season or 
that there's a sort of gap in 2009.
I'm thinking Michael Shanks leaving Stargate cos he's had enough, the show went on and he came back. That's the regular way things work.... however it was only possible because of RDA, AT and CJ.
However, I doubt the writers ganged up and said, "Hey! We demand a year off so we can do other stuff!" I'd say they were simply taking advantage of an existing opportunity.
Sorry, but no. I don't think that even a year off could have saved either of those shows. Once the rot has set into the production staff, there's no going back- not in one year and not in five.
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