BBC wants more of Russell Davies's Doctor Who

BBC News reports that high ratings for the debut episode of the revival of sci-fi hit Doctor Who, written by Queer as Folk creator Russell T. Davies, have led to the commissioning of a second season of 13 episodes as well as a Christmas special. Some 10 million people tuned in to see the show Saturday. The openly gay Davies said, "It's fantastic news. It's been a tense and jittery time because the production team has been working on plans." BBC head of drama programming Jane Tranter told The Guardian newspaper she was happy about the show's renewal, adding, "In all honesty, I had got myself into a proverbial steel jacket as far as Doctor Who was concerned. I told myself I'd be completely and utterly thrilled if it got 6.5 million, but there was a little voice inside whispering, 4.5 million." It is not known if actor Christopher Eccleston (who starred in Davies's The Second Coming) would return for the second season.