It's a good news/bad news day for fans of the Doctor - the BBC have confirmed the future of the show until at least 2010, but there's a but - there will be no full series in 2009.

Series four, to be shown next year, will be the last until the fifth series in 2010 - but there will be the usual Christmas specials and three "special" specials to look forward to in 2009, filling the gap between the series. Interestingly both David Tennant and showrunner Russell T Davies are confirmed for these - but their involvement in the eventual series five is less clear.

It's been known for some time that Tennant has commitments to the Royal Shakespeare Company next year (he's playing Hamlet) and many had assumed that he would not be filming any Who in 2008 as a result, leading to the conclusion that he would hang up his screwdriver at the end of series four and regenerate, but apparently this is not to be - the BBC appear to want to work around his other committments and just go for a much lighter filming schedule. This might well be related to the other widely anticipated departure from the crew however, as Davies has long been mooted to be leaving after series four. The beeb may think it wise to have a "gap year" in 2009 while a new executive producer (predicted to be Stephen Moffat) get to grips with their new show for 2010.

Either way, more news here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6976178.stm