Children in need Doctor Who special

The actors are getting together for the BBC charity Children in Need in a programme to be broadcast on November 14.

An insider at the BBC said: "It's a pretty ambitious idea and it's still being finalised. Everything is being kept under wraps but Doctor Who fans are in for a big treat."

The first of the 10 actors to take the role was William Hartnell in 1963, followed three years later by Patrick Troughton and then by Jon Pertwee but all three have since died.

The seven survivors include Tom Baker, now best known as the voice of the comedy series Little Britain, who played the role for seven years from 1974.

He was followed by Peter Davidson from 1981 to 1984, whose daughter Georgia Moffett has also featured in the programme and who is now dating the current doctor, David Tennant.

The others are Colin Baker, from 1984 to 1986, Sylvester McCoy who had two stints from 1987 to 1989 and re-appeared in the role in 1996, Paul McGann, who took over the role in 1996 and Christopher Eccleston who reprised the series in 2005.

The current doctor, Tennant, is set to go head-to-head with his sidekick Catherine Tate at this year's National Television Awards.

Both stars have been nominated for Outstanding Drama Performance for their roles as the Timelord and his assistant Donna Noble in the BBC sci-fi drama.

Tennant, who has not yet decided whether to return in a fifth series of Doctor Who, has previously won two National Television Awards.

This year will be the first time male and female stars have been pitted against each other in the acting category