▁It ▁par od ies ▁most ▁( if ▁not ▁all ) ▁of ▁the ▁sub gen res ▁of ▁science ▁fiction ▁but ▁is ▁first ▁and ▁for em ost ▁an ▁' odd ▁couple ' ▁type ▁comedy ▁( the ▁couple ▁in ▁question ▁being ▁the ▁characters ▁of ▁R immer ▁and ▁L ister ). ▁Running ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁eight ▁series , ▁the ▁idea ▁was ▁originally ▁developed ▁from ▁the ▁Dave ▁H oll ins : ▁Space ▁Cad et ▁sketch es ▁introduced ▁on ▁Grant ▁and ▁N aylor ' s ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁BBC ▁Radio ▁ 4 ▁show ▁Son ▁of ▁C lich é . ▁ ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁rev ival ▁and ▁other ▁develop ments ▁The ▁original ▁version ▁of ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁A part ▁from ▁a ▁television ▁movie ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁did ▁not ▁re - emer ge ▁in ▁a ▁bigger ▁budget ▁version ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁A ffect ed ▁by ▁rights ▁issues ▁for ▁some ▁years , ▁many ▁of ▁those ▁behind ▁the ▁new ▁series ▁were ▁fans ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁younger . ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁returned ▁to ▁television ▁screens ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁gain ing ▁a ▁profile ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁earlier ▁series ▁at ▁its ▁peak . ▁ ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁high - profile ▁of ▁those ▁behind ▁the ▁movement ▁to ▁return ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁to ▁the ▁screens ▁is ▁writer ▁Russell ▁T ▁Dav ies , ▁who ▁initially ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁BBC ▁children ' s ▁department ▁earlier ▁in ▁his ▁career ,