The poll, by sci-fi website Totalscifionline.com, placed the show, which first aired on the BBC in 1963 and ran for 26 years starring a
succession of different actors in the title role, in the number one spot.

Doctor Who was picked up again by the channel in 2005 when first Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant took on the role of the mysterious Doctor.

Red Dwarf, starring Chris Barrie and Craig Charles, came in second place, while The X-Files, starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, rounded out the top three.

The original Doctor Who theme was composed by Australian-born composer, Ron Grainer in 1963 and arranged by Delia Derbyshire.

Derbyshire produced the iconic theme tune by combining a tape loop of a struck piano string with the sound of test oscillators and filters.

The theme tune has been reworked a number of times over the years, with the current version arranged by Murray Gold.

Matt McAllister, editor of Totalscifionline.com said: "The poll result proves that in addition to being one of the most popular science fiction shows ever created, Doctor Who also boasts the most iconic
sci-fi theme tune.

"Grainer and Derbyshire's theme manages to convey the outlandish quality of the show and is instantly recognisable to fans throughout the world just by its opening bars."

Top Ten Sci-FI TV theme tunes:

1) Doctor Who
2) Red Dwarf
3) The X-Files
4) Buffy the Vampire Slayer
5) Star Trek
6) Thunderbirds
7) The Twilight Zone
8) Battlestar Galactica
9) Quantum Leap
10) The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy