David Bradley to play first Doctor Who as BBC gears up for An Adventure in Space and Time

David Bradley as William Hartnell, in An Adventure in Space and Time (BBC)

The BBC is planning the celebrations for the 50th birthday of one of its most successful and enduring shows: Doctor Who.

Part of the schedule will be BBC Two drama An Adventure in Space and Time. The one-off, feature-length show tells the story of the show's beginnings, set when it first aired on 23 November 1963.

And now the corporation has revealed a picture of David Bradley (above) playing William Hartnell - the first ever Doctor - in the show.

Sydney Newman - who was then the BBC's head of drama and is credited with the show's creation - is played by Brian Cox, who appeared in the Bourne trilogy. And Call The Midwife star Jessica Raine will portray the producer, Verity Lambert.

Mark Gatiss, who appeared in the third series of Doctor Who as the rejuvenated body of an ageing scientist, has written the show and will be executive producer alongside long-time Who boss Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner.

Gatiss said: “David Bradley brings every ounce of his talent, humour and presence to the role of William Hartnell. It's a wonderfully touching and subtle performance and I'm immensely proud of both him and the film.”

The show is due to air some time in November, with an exact date to be set later in the year.