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LONDON � The BBC's flagship sci-fi show "Doctor Who" has tapped a new production team as it gears up for its 31st series.

The latest run of "Doctor Who," which will see the debut of rising British star Matt Smith playing the Time Lord, will be produced by two people who have already worked on the show and its U.K. spin-offs.

They are Tracie Simpson, who produced the recent "Doctor Who" special "Planet of the Dead," and Peter Bennett, whose credits include "Torchwood," created by Russell T. Davies, the British screenwriter responsible for the successful revival of "Doctor Who" four years ago.

Also on board is Beth Willis, who produced the high-profile U.K. drama skein "Ashes to Ashes," the sequel to "Life on Mars."

They join the program's new showrunner Stephen Moffat, who is stepping into Davies' shoes, and Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, where "Doctor Who" is made.

Pre-production on the new series starts in May with filming scheduled to start this summer around the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.