Casting is rolling for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special An Adventure in Space and Time. The First Doctor, William Hartnell, who passed away in 1975, is being played by David Bradley, whom you may recognize (should you have your geek card handy) as Argus Filch from the Harry Potter series. Read on for the official press release. It’s chock full of good quotes from Mark Gatiss and David Bradley.

Jan 29, 2013 | BBC AMERICA
Harry Potter’s David Bradley, Call the Midwife’s Jessica Raine and The Bourne Supremacy’s Brian Cox to star

BBC AMERICA will co-produce and premiere An Adventure in Space and Time as part of the channel’s celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. An Adventure in Space and Time will tell the story of the genesis of Doctor Who – which first aired on November 23, 1963 – and the many personalities involved.

Announced today, David Bradley (Harry Potter) is set to play the first ever Doctor, the iconic William Hartnell, in the drama written by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who), who will also serve as executive producer alongside Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock) and Caroline Skinner (Doctor Who, The Fades). An Adventure in Space and Time (1×90) is a co-production between BBC Cymru Wales and BBC AMERICA. The drama will premiere later this year on BBC AMERICA.

The BBC’s Head of Drama Sydney Newman, credited with the creation of the show, will be portrayed by Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Identity) and the producer, Verity Lambert, by Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife). The director of the first ever episode An Unearthly Child, Waris Hussein, will be played by Sacha Dhawan (History Boys, Last Tango In Halifax).

Mark Gatiss, writer and executive producer said: “What a cast! I’m utterly delighted that everyone’s favorite Time Lord will be in such brilliant and stellar company. We have a terrific team who can’t wait to tell the fascinating and surprising story of how the Doctor began his journey through Space and Time.”

Richard De Croce, SVP Programming, BBC AMERICA added: “We’re excited to work with BBC Cymru Wales on this co-production, allowing us to bring An Adventure in Space and Time to Doctor Who fans on both sides of the pond. Mark and the talented team behind the project are sure to create a special that will delight audiences while commemorating this incredible series’ 50th anniversary.”

Commenting on his upcoming role, David Bradley said, “I’m absolutely thrilled. I first heard about this role from Mark while watching the Diamond Jubilee flotilla from the roof of the National Theatre. When he asked if I would be interested, I almost bit his hand off! Mark has written such a wonderful script not only about the birth of a cultural phenomenon, but a moment in television’s history. William Hartnell was one of the finest character actors of our time and as a fan I want to make sure that I do him justice. I’m so looking forward to getting started.”

An Adventure in Space and Time is a co-production between BBC Cymru Wales and BBC AMERICA. Filming begins at the beginning of February at BBC’s Television Centre in London before moving to Wimbledon Studios. The drama is produced by Matt Strevens (Misfits, Skins) and directed by Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, The Street).

Doctor Who recently delivered record ratings for BBC AMERICA when the Christmas Day special Doctor Who: The Snowmen became the channel’s best ever telecast in demo, delivering 2.4 million total viewers and 1.3 million A25-54 in Live+7, rounding out a year of success. Doctor Who returns on March 30 as part of BBC AMERICA’s Supernatural Saturday programming block, alongside world premieres of new original series The Nerdist and Orphan Black.

A date has not been officially announced for when the special will air, but we will keep you posted on the latest for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special An Adventure in Space and Time.