ER thesp joins Doctor Who

Alex Kingston of ER and Moll Flanders fame will guest in a Steven Moffat penned two-parter in series four of Doctor Who.

The Beeb describes her role as "a mysterious character who meets The Doctor on an expedition to uncover the secrets of an abandoned library", and she'll be joined for the adventure by James Bond regular Colin Salmon.

Ms Kingston said: "I used to watch Doctor Who through the crack in the door. I was so terrified but I couldn't tear myself away. I loved it so much and I'm delighted to be a part of the new series."

The BBC also reveals that the first episode of the new series, due to air on 5 April, will have Donna (Catherine Tate) "tracking down The Doctor during an alien emergency in modern-day London". That'll be followed by a series of "wonderful adventures", including a re-encounter with the Ood and a jaunt to Pompeii.

Kingston joins the swelling ranks of series four guest stars including Felicity Kendal, Tim McInnerny and Sarah Lancashire. Billie Piper will also reprise her role as Rose Tyler for three episodes of the series. ®