We now know how David Tennant’s Doctor Who return came about

Image via BBC Studios

While his 60th anniversary return next year was long overdue, the revelation that David Tennant was our new doctor (er, again) at the end of Jodie Whittakers still came as a huge shock to viewers youngest Doctor Who Final. Yes, Tennant is now officially dubbed the Fourteenth Doctor and is once again back in the TARDIS to pilot the show through the milestone year of 2023 before handing the sonic screwdriver to Ncuti Gatwa again.

But how did Tennant end up reprising his most famous role in the first place? Did he have to be coerced into it by a desperate BBC? In fact, it turns out the exact opposite is the case. Showrunner Russell T. Davies, who cast the Scottish star during his original tenure in 2005, revealed this Doctor Who Magazine that the seed of this exciting new development in the Whoniverse came from two things that have rarely brought us good news: the pandemic and Twitter.

In December 2020, Davies, Tennant and Catherine Tate joined the tweetalong trend – where celebs and fans watch a movie or TV show live together – with a seasonal re-imagining of the 2006 Christmas special, The Runaway Bride. The trio enjoyed this walk down memory lane so much that they wished they could work together again. As Davies recalled:

“[A]After that – I was just checking my phone, it was 8:01 p.m. on December 18, 2020 – Catherine texted me to say how much she enjoyed it. I wrote back, “God let’s get David to do some more Doctor and Donna I loved it so much!”… I don’t think I really meant it though. Honestly: no secret plan at work. But then Catherine replied, “Let’s do it! The Doctor and Donna – The Lost Adventures.'”

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When Tate revealed Tennant was just as excited about the idea as she was, Davies decided it was time to make it official and told the BBC that the entire trio was ready to give it another try. The rest is future Doctor Who Story:

“So I checked with David, he said yes, and then… Well, I just had to be professional. As a former producer of Doctor Who, I had a job to do; If David and Catherine had expressed a desire to return, it was literally my job to tell the BBC. It was no longer my choice. It was mandatory.”

Davies is yet to explain exactly how this led to his re-application as an EP, as that will be revealed in the next issue of the magazine. This bright new Disney-powered era of Doctor Who scheduled to start in November 2023.