Producer Simon Guerrier said: "This series has long been in the works - arguably since Terry Nation tried to launch his Daleks TV show back in the 1960s. We've taken that as our cue and come up with a fast-moving, fun series of adventures for Space Security Service agents Anya Kingdom and Mark Seven, who were such a hit in the Dalek Universe range.

"We start with Anya back in London in the 20th century, working undercover as a police officer on the trail of one group of aliens - and then getting caught up with another. Soon the action moves to... well, just wait and see!"

Writer LR Hay said: "It was hugely exciting to be involved in shaping a completely new series, and script editor John Dorney pitched it as James Bond in space, so how could I resist? David Richardson said that he really liked the idea of bringing back Ann Kelso, maybe this time in a 1980s setting, because he wanted to explore the Life on Mars vibe, which had not really been dug into when we first met Ann, and I just loved that idea.

"So, Constable Ann Kelso is back in 20th century London, but this time she knows that she is really space security agent Anya Kingdom. We have all the fun and games you would expect of a time traveller parachuted into the 1980s Metropolitan Police. She has back up in her own time in the form of Mark Seven, and they are well aware how crucial their mission is, but as things progress, they start to suspect that there is even more going on."

Director Barnaby Kay added: "It was lovely to bring Anya and Mark back into this great new series. It's really exciting stuff, and Joe Sims and Jane Slavin are just fabulous. They know what they're doing, they know their characters way better than I do, and they've been so responsive and have clearly enjoyed bringing these characters back.

“One of the pleasures of doing these stories is going all over the universe and meeting all these extraordinary characters. I love the bouncing around, messing about in space - who knows where they'll jump next?"