The BBC has announced that all rights issues surrounding the Doctor Who property have been resolved and that writer Russell T. Davies (Bob and Rose, Queer As Folk, The Second Coming) has been commissioned to provide screenplays for the new episodes.  The long running science fiction series, which aired first run on the BBC from 1963 to 1989, will return in a contemporary form in 2005.  Screenwriter Davies told the Toronto Star, '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 Doctor Who heritage at the same time as introducing the character to a modern audience.'

It is far too earlier to speculate on the identity of the new Doctor, who will follow in the footsteps of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, and the beloved Tom Baker.  The new series will not air until 2005, but if it does catch on with a new generation of fans, pop culture retailers will have a formidable arsenal of tie-in products available including DVDs of the earlier series, novelizations, and various toy items ranging from TARDIS pencil boxes to action figures of the various incarnations of the good Doctor.  Let's just hope that they bring back the Daleks!