BBC photos confirm Dr Who filming in Dubai

The BBC has released photos that confirm that part of the forthcoming Doctor Who Easter special is being filmed in Dubai.

Planet of the Dead, which stars David Tennant as the Doctor alongside Wonder Woman star Michelle Ryan and comedian Lee Evans, began filming in January in Cardiff and the team are now in the Gulf to film further scenes for the episode.

"We rarely take Doctor Who abroad," said Doctor Who producer Tracie Simpson. "We did visit Rome for Series Four's The Fires of Pompeii - which gave us some spectacular footage.

"The locations in Dubai are a perfect match for writer Russell T Davies's vision of the episode and we expect to film some incredible scenes while we are here."

Bionic Woman and Merlin star Michelle Ryan plays the mysterious Lady Christina de Souza who joins the Doctor on a bus-trip which takes a very unexpected detour into danger.

British comedy star Lee Evans also joins the cast playing a character called Malcolm whose life becomes connected to the Doctor's under extraordinary circumstances.

Planet of the Dead is the first of four Doctor Who Specials which will air in 2009. Written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts, the episode is will be screened on BBC One in Spring 2009.

The story will also be the first to be shot and broadcast in the Hi-Defintion format already used by Torchwood and several other major BBC Productions.

The bus to be used in the episode was badly damaged by a crane on arrival in Dubai last month, so the script was changed hastily to incorporate the damage.