But he admits he paused before committing himself to restoring the Doctor to primetime TV some 15 years after the last series.

"I actually spent three days thinking very seriously about it," he admits.

"I love Doctor Who, and part of me thought 'If you love something maybe you should leave it alone'.

"But it was three days of nonsense really, and my friends were slapping me round the head and saying 'Don't be stupid, of course you've got to do it!'."

Russell's writing credits include award-winners such as Queer as Folk, Bob and Rose and The Second Coming - the latter starring the man who would become the new Doctor in the 2005 series, Christopher Eccleston.

But long before Christopher was cast, along with actress Bille Piper as the Doctor's latest travelling companion, Rose, Russell knew where the new series was going.

"The key word is fun," he says. "It's funny, scary, fast-moving, adventurous but above all the new Doctor Who is fun.

"I watch a lot of other science-fiction shows and they tend to be very pious, sombre, dark, even angst-ridden, and that would just die a death on a Saturday evening.

"People want to be entertained at that time, so Doctor Who is fun, fast-paced and takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride."

But Russell says he's striven to remain faithful to the legacy of a programme which has inspired loyalty and devotion in its fans for over 40 years.

"It's faithful to the old series, but at the same time it's a brand new show aimed at a new audience."