He has travelled through time, space and universes, but on Saturday the eagerly awaited new series of Doctor Who will drop in somewhere more familiar: America.

The BBC series has had a growing US following since its revival in 2005 – and with an opening episode that focuses on 1960s Washington, this may be the year that Americans really embrace the show.

BBC America, which broadcasts the show in the US, has given it a big marketing push. "You cannot go anywhere in New York City right now without seeing a poster or something else about the show," said Barnaby Edwards, an organiser of the fan group Doctor Who New York. "People are talking about it and others have heard of it. I hear from new fans all the time who have discovered the show and then are hooked."

Increased exposure in the US is a prospect that delights Doctor Who's lead writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat. "I'm excited by any new audience for Doctor Who. Getting the show to as many people as possible is what it's all about – this isn't a home movie we're making," he said. "An increased profile in America would be hugely beneficial to the strength and longevity of the show."

The two-part season opener sees Moffat flexing his screenwriting muscles and the programme's production standards taking a step up, as the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song face a new – and scary – enemy, in a dark and ambitious start to the series.

Last year's series opener, in which Matt Smith made his debut as the Doctor, drew 1.2 million viewers to BBC America – a small number given the size of the US, but the subscription cable channel's biggest audience. This year, US audiences will also see the show the same day it is broadcast in the UK.

Aaron Cistrelli, president of the Time Meddlers of Los Angeles fan club, said attendance at the largest Doctor Who convention in the US was rising. "Each year for the past three to four years, attendance has spiked dramatically, breaking record each time."

But while American fans are pleased to see the show set in the US, they hope Doctor Who retains its Britishness. "I think part of the appeal is the British style, something that doesn't exist over here, and thus giving it a different quality than we are used to," said Cistrelli.

Edwards agreed that its distinctiveness from US dramas was part of the charm, but added: "Being British helps, but people find the stories and character compelling. And it spans all ages and genders."

Moffat said his decision to start the season in the US was not based on the fans. "We just had a story that got us excited, and America was the natural setting. Truth is, an American setting isn't necessarily the way to an American audience's hearts, because it's not exactly something they're starved of. I was a huge fan of The West Wing, but I never sat wishing more of it was set in the House of Commons."