UK TV insiders claim David Tennant is preparing to sign up for a fourth season playing 'The Doctor', in the hit BBC sci-fi series.

There has been media speculation in the UK that Tennant was considering leaving the revamped show at the end of his third season. The Scottish actor took over the role from Christopher Eccleston, who regenerated into The Doctor for the new-generation version of the classic BBC show in 2005, but left after a single season.

The Sun newspaper had claimed actor Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty) was being lined up to take over as the Time Lord halfway through the fourth season.

(The third season of Doctor Who has just been bought by Prime Television in New Zealand... while State Television (TVNZ) have already nabbed the rights to the spin-off show, Torchwood, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. Both series have yet to be scheduled in New Zealand).