Tennant sort of stayed 4 years, depending if one sort of considers those final movies as a season.
Spoilers Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner
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Tennant sort of stayed 4 years, depending if one sort of considers those final movies as a season.
Not depending, he did stay 4 years. That the content from the fourth year isn't a numbered season doesn't change that, they still produced 5 episodes during that time.
those five specials are considered a Specials Series, so they definitely can count as either a standalone or sometimes be counted as part of series 4... personally, i never understood why couldn't they have just refer to those Specials as series 5? Matt's first season then would series 6, whats the big idea?
Anyway.
It was the start of the Conspiracy Against Numbers in Who. A concerted effort by either the BBC, the Production Team, or Faction Paradox to prevent the rise of another Andrew Pixley, and a psy op against a certain kind of fan XD
(Oh, and vis a vis all the discussion about studio vs location — don’t forget that Dalek Spaceship interior that was a Car Park because it was easier to do than sets. Modern Who loves a location shoot.)
Billie Piper and David Tennant told fans at LA Comic Con that they would love to return for a possible movie:
Of course, the big question is how would one make such a film accessible for non-Whovians, especially if Piper and Tennant presumably return as their recent Doctor incarnation and all of the baggage that comes with them.
While reuniting at LA Comic Con recently, Piper and Tennant were asked if they'd consider starring in a Doctor Who movie, to which Piper immediately answered: "Yes," with Tennant adding, "Sure!"
"I always was pitching for that," Piper continued. "Where's the film?"
"Where's the movie?!" asked Tennant.
"And we're the ones." Piper laughed. "I loved it that people went to see the last Doctor Who episode in the cinema. I just loved that. I would love the Doctor Who experience on the big screen. They're sort of like films anyway. But yeah, I'd do that. Wouldn't you?"
"Oh, for sure, yeah," Tennant answered, adding: "We're available!"
Obviously this is just pure speculation on their parts, but perhaps such a movie is the best way to go at the moment? The series takes a break, does a big theatrical movie with its two biggest stars, and then sets up how the series will continue. That would allow more time to find a proper, permanent showrunner (if there is one to be found) while keeping the franchise alive in a different form.Of course, the big question is how would one make such a film accessible for non-Whovians, especially if Piper and Tennant presumably return as their recent Doctor incarnation and all of the baggage that comes with them.
NEW DOCTOR WHO MOVIE CONFIRMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111111111111111ONEONEONE
God imagine if Tom just kept coming back all through the 80s...
Seriously though they can't keep returning to the Tennant well. I get he was hugely popular and while he's by far not my favourite modern Doctor it isn't like I didn't like him in the role, but the point about Doctor Who is change, that's part of what's kept it going all these years and the show is more than just Tennant- heck Matt was just as popular.
I'm all for bringing people back in inventive ways (Piper is fantastic in The Day of the Doctor because she isn't Rose) but one of the things I didn't like about the Fourteenth Doctor was that he was almost indistinguishable from the Tenth.
The Specials undoubtedly gave the franchise a shot in the arm but I wonder if it was a bad idea in hindsight, not only did it set the bar higher for Ncuti than if he'd simply been following Whittaker, but the whole bi-generation thing didn't help, hey remember that other Doctor you really liked, guess what, he's still around!
I don't know what it is with showrunners lately, both RTD and Chibnall seem to have gone out of their way to undermine their current Doctor.
Seriously though they can't keep returning to the Tennant well. I get he was hugely popular and while he's by far not my favourite modern Doctor it isn't like I didn't like him in the role, but the point about Doctor Who is change, that's part of what's kept it going all these years and the show is more than just Tennant- heck Matt was just as popular.
I'm all for bringing people back in inventive ways (Piper is fantastic in The Day of the Doctor because she isn't Rose) but one of the things I didn't like about the Fourteenth Doctor was that he was almost indistinguishable from the Tenth.
The Specials undoubtedly gave the franchise a shot in the arm but I wonder if it was a bad idea in hindsight, not only did it set the bar higher for Ncuti than if he'd simply been following Whittaker, but the whole bi-generation thing didn't help, hey remember that other Doctor you really liked, guess what, he's still around!
I don't know what it is with showrunners lately, both RTD and Chibnall seem to have gone out of their way to undermine their current Doctor.
In hindsight, that might've been interesting! Woulda missed out on McCoy though, and who really wants that.
I do agree with you here and I only mentioned Piper and Tennant (not just because the quotes are from them) because they're probably the most recognizable names, which would help make the movie more successful. Well, Tate is probably on the same level while Gatwa is still "just" a rising star, but my point still stands.
As much as I love Smith and Karen Gillan, I don't think either of them are quite at that same level of stardom, although admittedly Gillan is part of ensemble casts of two very successful movie franchises.
I can't imagine the show without McCoy.
Is Tennant that big? He's done some interesting work but he's never really broke into Hollywood. You could argue the same about Matt I guess, though he's obviously one of the main characters in The House of the Dragon and he's about to play the villain in a Star Wars film. I do like Tennant but half the reason he's so recognisable is because he appears to be some kind of insane workaholic so he's always in something!
Honestly, and globally, I'd probably put Tennant and Smith about on a par. And to be honest at best Piper and Gillan are on a par also, though IMO obviously Karen has the bigger career.
I’m subject to correction but my purely anecdotal and possibly quite wrong observations were that Tennant was the Doctor when the show was at its most popular in the U.K. - there was almost national mourning when he left - but Smith was bigger in the USA as BBC America really began to push the show around time he took over. That was why he even cameoed via the external handset on the TARDIS In Capaldi’s first episode, to reassure new viewers there.
David remains a big deal on British tv (Rivals and the Hack have both recently been very popular) but internationally Matt is arguably doing a little better thanks to HOTD, even if he had setbacks with Terminator Genysis and Morbius.
David remains a big deal on British tv (Rivals and the Hack have both recently been very popular) but internationally Matt is arguably doing a little better thanks to HOTD, even if he had setbacks with Terminator Genysis and Morbius.
I think that's a fair assessment.
I agree with all of that but Tennant has also had major successes with Jessica Jones, Broadchurch, Good Omens, and the DuckTales revival. I would argue he's very well known to television audiences, both in the US and the UK beyond Doctor Who, but I'll admit he doesn't have much major exposure in movies, aside from Harry Potter and that was 20 years ago (...what the fuck...?!?!).
Yes, Smith has House of the Dragon and The Crown, but that's still less plethoric than Tennant.
Yes, Smith has House of the Dragon and The Crown, but that's still less plethoric than Tennant.
I have a different take. I think the specials were very much needed. Many fans got burned out during the Chibnall years. I think the specials got them to give DW another chance. I'm talking about not the hardcore fans but a bit softer. Tennant coming back certainly generated a lot of hype and excitement and probably coaxed many viewers to give Ncuti a chance.
We'll probably never know for sure. But for me, the specials felt like the right thing at the right time.
Am I remembering correctly that originally RTD was just doing the specials and then later agreed to more? I have this idea that he originally just thought about bringing Tennant back. Was that plan hatched during COVID?
If that's true, whether the specials helped or hurt Ncuti, they might not have been part of the larger plan originally.
I would've been ok with that. And McCoy was kind of a Troughton knockoff, particularly at the beginning. Ok, reminiscent of Troughton.
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