The first episode of the BBC's new 'Doctor Who' series has been leaked onto the Internet weeks ahead of its official TV premiere.
The 45-minute episode, titled 'Rose,' was made available for download on several Internet sites on Tuesday. Rose is the name of the Doctor's new assistant, played by Billie Piper.
The revived show, which features Christopher Eccleston in the lead role, is expected to air on BBC One later this month.
The BBC spokesman said: "This is a significant breach of copyright which is currently under investigation. The source of it appears to be connected to our co-production partner."
The news comes just weeks after the publication of a report identifying the UK as the biggest downloader of pirated web TV shows.
