AHEAD OF TONIGHT'S PREMIERE, "DOCTOR WHO" ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR CAST FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY

David Tennant and Billie Piper to return for blockbuster celebrations with John Hurt also confirmed

Ahead of tonight's premiere, Doctor Who revealed some of the all-star cast that will mark the 50th anniversary. David Tennant and Billie Piper will join current Doctor and companion, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman, while John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alien, Harry Potter) will also co-star.

Last seen as the Doctor on January 1, 2010, this will be the first time Tennant has reprised his role as the Tenth Doctor. During his reign as the Time Lord, Tennant appeared in three series as well as several specials. He was first revealed as the Doctor in the 2005 series finale, The Parting of the Ways.

Meanwhile Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler for two series following the reboot in 2005, will appear in the show for the first time since featuring in Tennant's last episode, The End of Time in 2010.

Also confirmed to join the cast is John Hurt who will also co-star in the anniversary special that will form part of blockbuster celebrations. Produced by BBC Cymru Wales for BBC One, the 50th anniversary will be written by Steven Moffat and Directed by Nick Hurran.

Filming for the 50th anniversary begins this week in the UK. Meanwhile, Doctor Who returns to BBC America tonight, March 30, 8:00pm ET/PT with eight epic episodes, which officially introduces the Doctor's newest companion, Clara Oswald, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. Doctor Who will be immediately followed by the world-premiere of new original series Orphan Black at 9:00pm ET/PT and Chris Hardwick's The Nerdist at 10:00pm ET/PT as part of BBC America's Supernatural Saturday.

All-new special, Doctor Who: The Companions, premieres Sunday, March 31, 7:00pm ET/PT. As the Doctor's newest companion, Clara Oswald, steps into the TARDIS, take a look back at previous companions that have won over the Doctor's heart in Doctor Who: The Companions. Along the way, companions old and new talk about how the show has changed their lives, and how they've never quite managed to leave the TARDIS behind. Matt Smith and David Tennant are joined by fellow contributors including John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Arthur Darvill (Rory) and Noel Clarke (Mickey).

Additionally, David Tennant's two-part special Spies of Warsaw premieres on Wednesday, April 3, 9:00pm ET as part of BBC AMERICA's Dramaville programming block. Adapted by renowned Emmy(R)-winning writing team Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (Across the Universe, Tracey Takes On...) and executive produced by Richard Fell (Outcasts), Spies of Warsaw is based on The New York Times Bestselling author Alan Furst's acclaimed novel. David Tennant and Janet Montgomery (Made in Jersey, Black Swan, Entourage) star in the thrilling spy story set in Poland, Paris and London in the years leading up to the Second World War.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 80.7 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.