Russell T Davies, the Doctor Who executive producer, is developing a BBC drama series about fortysomething gay men, the corporation has confirmed.
Davies, who is taking a break from his duties on Doctor Who, is currently developing script ideas for the new project.
The Queer as Folk writer will oversee the project when he takes a break from working on Doctor Who in 2009.
Confirming the development, a BBC spokeswoman said that it was "too early" to say which channel might show the drama or whether it will be produced in-house or by an independent production company.
"It's going to be about fortysomething gay men and how jealous they are of gay teenagers," Davies said in an interview with the Guardian on Saturday. "I've been longing to write something for adults."
In the interview, Davies said that the inspiration for the new drama is a friend, a former Mr Gay UK, who split up from his boyfriend.
"He asked me: 'Why are so many gay men so glad we split up?' That remark's stayed with me for six years. I think there's a self-punishing streak in that gladness and I want to explore it."
Davies' gap year means that the fifth series of Doctor Who will not be shown until 2010, two years after the fourth series airs next year.
Davies's future on the show, which films for nine months of the year in Cardiff, is also in doubt after he indicated his long-term ambitions lay elsewhere.
"I wouldn't want to do series seven," Mr Davies told the Observer in March. "There are other things I want to do."
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