David Tennant Stands Down From "Doctor Who"

Dave Knott writes "After winning the outstanding drama performance prize at the British National Television Awards, David Tennant announced that he will be quitting the iconic role of The Doctor. Quoting Tennant: 'When Doctor Who returns in 2010 it won't be with me. Now don't make me cry. I love this part, and I love this show so much that if I don't take a deep breath and move on now I never will, and you'll be wheeling me out of the Tardis in my bath chair.' Tennant will appear in a Christmas special, titled The Next Doctor, before filming four more specials in January. After that, the search will be on for the actor to play the 11th incarnation of The Doctor."

Comments

We have a problem

[Selfbain]

In the old Tom Baker episodes, the 11th doctor shows up and tries to steal the lives of his former self.

Although, this could add a new twist to the show.

Re:We have a problem

[TheRaven64]

The Valeyard was created between the Doctor's 12th and final regenerations. It was not the 11th Doctor.

Re:We have a problem

[Caduceus1]

It was the Colin Baker (6th) Doctor, not Tom, and the Valeyard wasn't the 11th Doctor. The wording was strange, but it was implied that it was his last, or 13th, incarnation. And since this is Doctor Who anyways, it is possible that particular incarnation will never come to be. Plus, if the ratings are there, the Doctor will obtain or be granted additional regenerations somehow, which has already been established as possible.

Re:We have a problem

[Caduceus1]

Actually, there is nothing about him personally knowing either Omega or Rassilon prior to him encountering them during the series - they are legendary Time Lord figures.

And I don't remember any mention by Romana about his incarnations being that high.

There is some debate about some images shown in the episode "Brain of Morbius" which some believe to be images of earlier incarnations of the Doctor, but it is explicitly stated elsewhere that the 1st Doctor we know of is indeed the first (either in "The Three Doctors" or The "Five Doctors" I believe).

Re:Continuity

[KasperMeerts]

No, they can regenerate 12 times. So we can still switch actors until the Thirteenth doctor, where they will have to invent a way to give him new "lives". The Master succeeded in this before he died permanently.

Interview with David Tennant

[BorgAssimilator]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7698200.stm

It's an interview with David Tennant about his thoughts of the show and him leaving. The best thing I saw in this article was the fact that Davies was leaving, hopefully paving the way for better episodes..... (but that's just my opinion).

Re:Interview with David Tennant

[sunami]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7698200.stm

It's an interview with David Tennant about his thoughts of the show and him leaving. The best thing I saw in this article was the fact that Davies was leaving, hopefully paving the way for better episodes..... (but that's just my opinion).

And Steve Moffat is picking up the reigns of main writer, the man who, in my opinion, has made the best episodes of the revived series.

Re:Interview with David Tennant

[PieSquared]

Blink was probably my favorite episode, so I guess I might as well find out for you...

From wikipedia:

"Blink" is the tenth episode of the third series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 9 June 2006, and is the only episode in the 2007 series written by Steven Moffat.

Re:Interview with David Tennant

[sapphire wyvern]

Yep. "Blink", "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances", "The Girl in the Fireplace", "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" (hey, who turned out the lights?). In other words, every single one of the best stories in the new Doctor Who (while Russell T Davies is sadly over-represented in the "worst stories" category, although he's not responsible for all of them).

Also, he wrote much of "Press Gang" and quite a few "Coupling" episodes, as well as a recent adaptation of "Jekyll" that was awesome. He's one of my favourite television writers in fact. I am looking forward to the next season *so much*.

Re:Interview with David Tennant

[AJWM]

"Blink" took the Hugo Award (voted by science fiction fans registered for Worldcon) this year for "Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form". In 2007 that award went to the Dr. Who episode "The Girl in the Fireplace", also by Steven Moffat, and the year before that to "The Empty Child", again by Steven Moffat.

Not a bad track record.

Re:Interview with David Tennant

[actor_au]

He wrote all of Press Gang and Coupling. A lot of British shows tend to have a single writer or fixed small writing team, its why their TV-show runs can be so short, because one guy pumping out scripts can become hard to keep up.
J. Michael Straczynski's writing on Babylon Five(he wrote much of season 1 and all of seasons 2-5 with the exception of one episode) is one of the few times anyones ever written full hour long 21-23 episode seasons solo.

Moffat also wrote Time Crash(the Fifth and Tenth Doctor cross-over charity special last year) and The Curse of the Fatal Death(another charity special with Richard E Grant, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Broadbent ,Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumely all playing the Doctor), I've had a man-crush on him since I watched Press Gang.

RTD did write some horrible episodes(Gridlock, Last of the Timelords(not horrible until the end), the last two Christmas Episodes, , ), , I think his problem was that he had great ideas for huge arcs but didn't believe in the little details that lead up to the later important big picture. His humour has been good, not brilliant, but he's been funny at times and Midnight and Turn Left were two brilliant episodes that I felt will really cement him as a good Who writer looking back (although I sometimes think that Turn Left was only really strong because the actors in it just hit their roles perfectly with a level of intensity that really hit the script for six), also in previous seasons Love & Monsters and to a smaller degree Boomtown(the whole boogie board thing was stupid but it was an interesting look at the doctor facing up to his responsibilities) were pretty good as well.

Re:Continuity

[Eudial]

Isn't the Doctor out of regenerations now?

Con-ti-nu-ity? What is this strange and alien concept? And what does it have to do with Doctor Who?

He's been out of generations for quite a while, if you count the fact that the serial "The Brain of Morbius" indicates that he's had several regenerations before the first doctor.

Re:Continuity

[otopico]

This was sidestepped by some Dr Who by saying the regeneration limit was artificial and the actual process of regenerating has more to do with the mind than the body. Some high energy being what not. But the catch is the person must not desire the change or their desire for it prevents it.

Yeah, Dr who people are odd, but it is science fiction so they can do pretty much whatever they want.

The Doctor's Regenerations

[nordaim]

Time Lords were limited, I believe by Rassilon, to 12 regeneration cycles, allowing for a possible total of 13 Doctors. However, in one of the early seasons, this limit is removed from the Doctor and it is not clear whether or not it was ever reapplied.

But, with characters such as Captain Jack or Jenny (the Doctor's clone-daughter), it would be easy enough to write it out so the show can go on forever.

I am still hoping the 13th doctor is evil.

Re:Continuity

[sesshomaru]

However, The Master has been able to "come back to life" before, so fingers crossed.

I wouldn't worry about that, they deliberately included that scene with his ring being taken at the end so they can bring him back if they want.

Of course, I can remember the Master being burned away in a fire till he was completely gone with nothing left, and coming back in a later episode.

He responded to the Doctor's "WTF?" (echoing those of us in the audience) with, "Come now Doctor, you know I'm indestructible."

Re:Continuity

[OrangeCowHide]

The 12 regeneration limit was added in as an arbitrary plot point to give a impetus to a single character in a specific episode. With a single stroke of the pen a Time Lord could only regenerate 12 times. This is fiction, as a result, with a single stroke of the pen the limitation could be removed. We knew the Doctor's real name for 8 years, before it was removed as easily as it was put in.

The deified Robert Holmes had a bit of tendency to demystify the Doctor, which is a bit of a shame. Of course, he never expected people would be talking about Doctor Who 45 years after it started (note: Robert Holmes not only created the 12 regeneration limit, he also wrote the majority of the episode which implied the Tom Baker Doctor is the 8th or 9th Doctor).

Re:Hugh Laurie

[hal2814]

For those of you confused by the joke...