Russell T. Davies to leave 'Doctor Who'

Russell T. Davies, who was behind BBC One's revival of Doctor Who, is stepping down from his role as the show's lead writer and executive producer.

Davies has been credited with the huge success of the series since it was brought back in 2005.

Acclaimed writer and producer Steven Moffat will take over for the next Who series, which will air in 2010.

Davies said: "It's been a delight and an honour working with Steven, and I can't wait to see where his extraordinary imagination takes The Doctor. Best of all, I get to be a viewer again, watching on a Saturday night!"

Moffat has written several Who episodes including 'Blink', for which he won the Writer Award at this year's BAFTAs, series two's 'The Girl In The Fireplace' and, from the current run, 'Silence in the Library'.

"My entire career has been a secret plan to get this job," he said. "I applied before but I got knocked back 'cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven.

"Anyway, I'm glad the BBC has finally seen the light, and it's a huge honour to be following Russell into the best - and the toughest - job in television. I say toughest 'cos Russell's at my window right now, pointing and laughing."

Moffat's recent work includes BBC sitcom Coupling and drama Jekyll. He has also written the screenplay for the first in a series of new Tintin movies, to be directed by Steven Spielberg.

The BBC said Moffat and Piers Wenger, who is also joining Who as an executive producer, were already planning the fifth series. There will be no series in 2009, as previously announced.

BBC fiction controller Jane Tranter paid tribute to Davies's work: "Scripts and writers are at the heart of what BBC drama is all about, and especially at the heart of Doctor Who. The past four series have been brilliantly helmed by the spectacularly talented Russell T. Davies."

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