Following protracted fannying about at the Cannes Television Festival, the BBC’s refurbed Doctor Who has finally been snapped up by a US network.

The Sci-Fi Channel will start rolling out the 13 Eccleston episodes in March, around the time the new David Tennant-flavoured series materialises on British screens.

* Who’s best: The Doctor bags Top TV Moment
* Free weekly podcast: Podshock at the Gallifreyan Embassy

* Doctor Who (series 1), Sci-Fi Channel, Fridays at 9pm from March
* Doctor Who (series 2) comes to BBC1 this spring