BBC probe "Dr Who" Internet leak Tue Mar 8, 2005 11:40 AM GMT LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC says it has launched an inquiry into how a new episode of cult TV sci-fi series "Doctor Who" has been leaked on the Internet. The classic programme, which has been off air since 1989, makes a much-anticipated return to the small screen later this month with Christopher Eccleston starring as the time-travelling hero and former pop star Billie Piper as his sidekick. However, the BBC -- which was due to trumpet the show's regeneration at a celebration launch on Tuesday -- said one of the 13 new 45-minute episodes had been posted on the Internet. "This is a significant breach of copyright which is currently under investigation," a BBC spokeswoman said. "The source of it appears to be connected to our co-production partner," she added, referring to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, the leaked clips show Piper's character working in a London department store when it comes under attack by evil aliens, the Autons. Enter the Doctor, who routs the invaders despite their sneaky trick of taking the form of plastic household objects. "We would urge viewers not to spoil their enjoyment and to wait for the finished version which airs at the end of the month," the BBC spokeswoman added. "Doctor Who" first appeared in 1963 and became a huge hit, despite its unconvincing monsters and wobbly sets. The new series features Eccleston as the ninth reincarnation of the Timelord and will also see the return of the Doctor's arch enemies, the Daleks. Net pirates steal preview of Doctor Who comeback Owen Gibson, media correspondent Tuesday March 8, 2005 The Guardian Thousands of net-savvy Doctor Who fans have managed to circumvent the first rule of time travel by seeing the first episode of the BBC's new multimillion pound revival of the series before it has even been broadcast. Down the years the Doctor has dealt with Cybermen, Daleks and Silurians with good humour but the BBC's latest incarnation of Doctor Who, starring Christopher Eccleston as the eponymous Doctor and Billie Piper as his assistant, is facing a more troublesome enemy in the shape of internet pirates. The first new episode of the series for 15 years, written by Russell T Davies, has been leaked on to the internet despite being jealously guarded by the BBC ahead of the pro gramme's launch later this month. It is believed to originate from a DVD of the episode sent to a Canadian broadcaster. Tens of thousands of fans have already seen the episode, having downloaded it using a computer program called Bit Torrent. As a result of the leaks, reviews of the first episode are already starting to appear on the internet. Ain't it Cool News, a US site which delights in reviewing TV shows and movies before they are released, is not impressed. "From the cheap opening credit sequence to the hammy and frequently inaudible dialogue, it feels like a fan-produced parody of the original series," it said. Elsewhere in cyberspace, other fans have successfully campaigned for the episode to be removed from download services. UKNova, which provides downloads of popular shows, said that it had taken the episode down because "it is not in the overall interests of this site to distribute a copy of such a long-awaited and high-profile show before it is aired".