Dr Who stars reunited in Dickens Little Dorrit

What the Dickens is going on?

The Beeb's new production of Charles Dickens' classic Little Dorrit is anorak heaven for sci-fi fans.

Just take a look at 'who's who'!

Doctor Who companion Freema Agyeman (known to Time Lord fans as Martha Jones, of course) plays Tattycoram in the rags to riches tale.

"I've always wished I could be involved in a period drama because I'm an enormous fan of them," beams Freema, who achieved huge fame as Martha.

"So I was bowled over when they asked me to play Tattycoram. I'd never had such a chance before, so I bit their hand off! It was a massive opportunity, and I couldn't possibly turn it down."

"I was equally delighted because Tattycoram is not written as a black part.

"She's an orphan, and in the 1820s there was a general prejudice against anyone who wasn't from an upper-class background. So the idea transposed well to a black character."

And whose path should she cross but that of Torchwood team-mate Eve Myles (policewoman Gwen Cooper in the Cardiff sci-fi spin-off series).

"I've always adored Charles Dickens!" exclaims Eve, who plays Maggy in Little Dorrit.

"His characters are so bold. They're larger than life, like a very rich painting. It's like having the luxury of playing on screen the sort of characters you'd usually only play on stage.

"Dickens conjures up this beautiful picture of London at the time. He writes about these wonderful communities. They're never run of the mill, they're always heightened and extraordinary.

"Working on this has exceeded all my expectations about Dickens - it's been an absolute blast."

Also familiar to Dr Who fans will be Russell Tovey, who plays John Chivery. He was one of the stars of the Titantic Christmas special which also featured Kylie.

There are roles, too, for Andy Serkis (Gollum from Lord of The Rings), Robert Hardy (Cornelius Fudge from the Harry Potter movies), Sea Of Souls star Bill Paterson and Spooks masterspy Matthew Macfadyen.

The 15-part series begins on BBC1 on Sunday October 26.