David Tennant announced that he was leaving Doctor Who in October 2008. He was quoted as saying;
“I don’t ever want it to feel like a job, so I want to move on when it still feels exciting and fresh.”
BBC has just aired The End of Time part 2 which features the end of the 10th Doctor and the introduction of the 11th. The last words of Tennant’s Doctor are interesting;
“I don’t want to go.”
Now, this makes sense in the plot insofar as the Doctor had already said he felt that he had a lot more to do. Before that he had said the regeneration was like a death.
The line was discussed, at length, in Doctor Who Confidential. They filmed four versions and debated long and hard over which one to select. They wanted an audience impact but erred away from the most emotional or grim of the takes.
Nevertheless there is already speculation that the line was inserted by Russell T Davies to give his star the last word against the BBC.
There is history here. The BBC had originally said that Christopher Eccleston had quit as the 9th Doctor in a shock exit. The truth, however, was that the BBC had known Eccleston was going to go for months. They also failed to tell the actor they would make the announcement of his departure along with his final show.
The BBC had to apologise to Eccleston.
There was also an oddity around the replacement for David Tennant. Bookies had Paterson Joseph (who I feel would make an excellent Doctor) as the 3-1 favourite for the 11th Doctor. David Morrisey was 5-1 (he later featured as a character who thought he was the Doctor), James Nesbitt as 6-1 and John Simm as 8-1. Simm, of course, now plays The Master.
Matt Smith, who secured the role as the 11th Doctor, came as a total surprise. Well; he came as a total surprise to most of us as there was a last minute surge of bets on the young actor securing the role.
Betfair cut the odds from 33/1 to 1/3 on Matt Smith after the odd betting behaviour.
Of course, David Tennant isn’t the only one leaving Doctor Who today. Russel T Davies is also going – being replaced by Stephen Moffat.
It does make sense that a new lead writer would bring with him a new Doctor.
All we can do is debate. The chances are very high we’re reading far too much into a slightly shady history and a perfectly valid “I don’t want to go” attitude of a fighting Doctor.
… what do you think?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
It was probably just a difficult decision on his part and the fact Russell T Davis was leaving probably gave him less options.
Who'd want to stop being Doctor Who? The timing was about right. The new guy doesn't look like topping Tennant.
You don't think he was worried about being typecast?
I think he made the decision with his head rather than his heart. He could probably play the Doctor for years to come, but given the filming schedule, that's probably all he could do. Emotionally attached to the role though he is, it'll be the best thing for his career to move on.
What about Tennant and RTD going at the same time? One made the decision and the other followed? They talked it through? Just a fluke?
More to the point; what did you make of The End of the Time? :)
I think it just made it a natural jumping-off point. RTD wanted to do other things, and Tennant realized that right now is star was in ascent and spending most of the year doing Doctor Who prevented him from examining other doors that had opened. As for the End of Time, it was ok. First half coulda spent more time building up the Master's resurrection and less time running about dockyards. Second half was pretty good, but I will lay cash money down on RTD's favourite film being Return of the King. Because he had about fifteen fecking endings to… Read more »
I think he's gone way past that stage.He's probably going to find it hard to do much else in the UK, but I read he was going to try his luck in the US.
David has already said that he had talks with Stephen Moffat as he was nearly tempted to stay on but he decided against it. I don't think there was any bad blood at all. He jumped but was sad to go
He didn't want to – but felt he had to? I'd recognise decisions like that.
His name is DAVIES, not Davis. Jesus H. Christ there are piss poor “journalists” on this site. Can't even get bloody names you are LINKING TO right?
The auto-linker has been corrected; then fired. No one else claiming to be a journalist was identified.
From the 2006 series of Dw onwards there was a writer complaining that six stories he had sent in to the show during the 2005 series had been torn to shreds, with the shreds being scattered throughout the 2006 series. This argument went on until late october 2008, by which time the eventual departures of Davies, Gardner and Tennant had been announced.
No, he was ACTING. Of COURSE he was sad, he said as much, but he wanted to go while he felt he'd still be missed, rather than outstaying his welcome.
Anyway, David's very busy now, and he'll soon be in Hollywood, so although I'm sure he misses it he's not too sad.
Maybe the producers of “Doctor Who” wanted to try something similar like in Stargate. The creators of the series want to change actors and they did in Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe. They wanted to offer the public a new experience.
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Anadrol
Matt Is too good to worry about old Doctors Now.
Tom Baker was a Great… but now just one of the Old Doctors.
It happens… move on.
David Tennant knew that “Silents will Fall” which is about Dr Who (played by Matt Smith) meeting stars of the silent film era just as “talkies” are about to emerge. He meets Buster Keaton and eventually Charlie Chaplin as suggested by Donna Noble at the end of “Journey’s End.” Thinking the idea was too absur, David Tennant decided to leave the show and hand over the story to the incoming new Doctor – Matt Smith.
We now look forward to the story later this year entitled; “The Sound Of Silence”
David Tennant did not leave doctor who by his own free will, he was forced out.
This was proven in an interveiw with David Tennant, the footage is on youtube.
where?
where?
Dear David Tennant I cindy cave thinks you are THE very best dr who person in the whole of the universe!, but I know now that you are NOT a dr who any more but you was once before! you are greatest or have been the greatest dr who ever I would not care what people think so you are still the greatest & that is MY opion or my set out o.k.! you & I are very great friends that is if you do not mind me being your friend alkl right! oh Just one thing sorry about the… Read more »
Well there is always the alternative universe where the TARDIS had been sucked into.
The cloned doctor and Rose Tyler….What if the TARDIS gets sucked into it again?
Interesting? or Interested?
I personally think Christopher Eccleston should come back into Doctor Who, not as a doctor, for he made it clear it’s not a working environment to his liking, but maybe as a guest star. David and Matt are both excellent Doctors, but Christopher will always be my number one favourite. It’s a shame he quit.
You are so right, Accleston will always be my number one too.
He’s your number one, yet you can’t spell his name correctly?
Hmmm.
its eccleson and tennants the best
He is the best!! i agree!!
was david tennat every in the harry potter films
Yes, he played Barty Crouch, Jr. in The Goblet of Fire – the tongue flicking, evil son of Barty Crouch who took Poly Juice potion to be Mad Eye.
David Tennant or producers of Doctor who you have no idea how i feel about this change even though im crying while writing this please know that david Tennant the best doctor there is and would always be him and please if any of you guys are reading just please david tennant go back on the show please doctor who is the best show i have ever watched and what makes it special is that David Tennant was in it [please david go back in the doctor who show please please please please it may seem crazy that a thirteen… Read more »
There were 9 before him and there will be more after him.
Get over it. The show is bigger than Tennant and there are better Doctor’s than him too.
no you fool
I have to agree about the moving on. That is inevitable – it is the nature of the show. However, IMHO, David Tennant WAS the Doctor. :-)
Tom Baker and David Tennant are my favs so far.
yeah!!!!!! i want to bring tennant BACK
While Matt is a great doctor, David is the favorite hands down. If he comes back I know a lot of people who will come back to Dr Who. We also want Captain Jack back as well. David just has the “it” factor that makes Dr. Who so appealing to so many people. My mother started watching because of David, and left when he did. Please bring David back.
david tennant is the man, best doctor ever. jus the way he acts to the small things and everything. when I think doctor who, I think David tennant. and deep down even though i still watch dr who. It died to me the day david tennant left.
The reason David was such a good Doctor was because that is a role he has been wanting to play since he was a kid. That show is what made him decide to become an actor. He made that decision when he was only 6 years old.
He worked and worked, then finally got the role. You should see his audition tapes. They are amazing.
He lived his life long dream, but then it started to feel more like a job to him. He was having less and less fun.
i can honestly say i have watched the matt smith doctor who and it took some time to get use to him and i have now but you tennant will always be my doctor i like the fact we could tell by your face the emotions that were going on. matt is good but to me i still cant figure him out like i did david sorry matt but tennant is always my doctor
Matt Smith plays a very good Doctor, but he’s no David Tennant. What David does best, is to play the hard edged, deep emotional side to his doctor, the regrets and dare I say it fears without going overboard. Anyone can play the clowning around happy go lucky part of the doctor but it is this darker tinge to the character that makes a great performance. It’s almost as if the actor is playing both batman and the joker in the one role. Oh yeah the new console room is also garbage!
You really nailed it; I always thought Tennant was the best Doctor ever but you told me why.
i couldn’t’ve said it better
david tennent will always be my doctor
no one can replace david tennant
David Tennant is the best
your so true…….;-)
Yeah!!Tennant is the best
yeah…..
David is the best dr.at dr who
I want the next Doctor to be an old fuddy-duddy, kinda getting sick of the ‘hipsters’ as of late. Or Helen Mirren.
As a long time viewer of Doctor Who, and now rewatching the series with my wife and son, I have to agree that there was (and may never be) another Doctor like Tennant. Throughout his four years as the Doctor, he brought more emotion and passion to the role than any before him. This may come from his childhood love of the series, his strong theatre background, or a combination therein. So the ” I don’t want to go” may have been a truth from the Tenth Doctor as projected through Tennant. That being said, the Tenth Doctor wasn’t the… Read more »
I think all three of the newest Doctors have good aspects. I thought the actors embodied good characteristics that the Doctor needs. Eccleston was the funny one. Tennant was the passionate one. And Smith is the ‘alien’ one. I haven’t seen many of the original series, but I did very much enjoy Tom Baker’s portrayal: quirky, funny and alien. Baker will always be “the” Doctor for me and the one I compare all others to. By that comparison, I actually think Smith is the best of the new Doctors because he has an alien quirkiness to his acting that I… Read more »
Baker and Tennant definitely my favorite doctors so far. I miss that scarf! LOL
i miss david because matt looks weird(dont know how to spell!)and to be honest.i fancy(dont know how to spell that)david and i was trying to get his number so i could do sports railef(dont know how to spell)with him.
David tennant played a better doctor who then matt smith
Well, of course, THEN matt smith. We all know he’s the next doctor. And a better one THAN Tennant.
Russel T Davies and David Tennant made Doctor Who a merry-go-round of emotions. Irresistible, unable to look away from the TV for a second – forgetting absolutely everything that is happening around me. They even made me cry – what is a really tough job. Surprisingly Moffat in combination with Matt Smith can not – even though I found Doctor Who by getting hold of Moffats past productions. I am nearly up to date with the Series now, Matt Smith still does not reach me at all and I am still waiting for the emotions to return.
I haven’t seen the old episodes but Tennant took the science aspect out of Dr. Who and reduced the show to something I couldn’t watch. Tennant was no Eccleston and so I fast forwarded to season 5.
I am new to Doctor Who, I just recently started watching, beginning with the first season of the new series. However, Eccleston was the reason I got hooked. That scene when he’s in Jackie’s doorway: Jackie: I’m in my dressing gown. Doctor: Yes, you are. Jackie: A strange man is in my bedroom. Doctor: Yes, there is. Jackie: Well, anything can happen. Doctor: (smiles) No. That moment hooked me. I really liked Eccleston as The Doctor and was disappointed to see him go after one season. Took a while, but Tennent grew on me and think he really filled the… Read more »
Oh dear! Then you don’t quite know Dr. Who. David grew up watching the series as a child. He told his parents at the age of 3 he wanted to be an actor, and dr. Who inspired him. He ended up BEING dr who! He was the most true dr who of all the doctors. And Christopher was also excellent. But David is the doctor. Inside out. :)
Absolutely! Matt is missing the emotions!
I agree with you 1000000%!!! David was absolutely the best of the doctors so far. And an astounding actor. I just wanted to watch the show to see him!
David was the best doctor by far. He’s astounding. His emotions, the feeling in his eyes, his continuously active self, running, passionate and fabulous acting made him an excellent doctor! Matt is alright, but he’s missing the emotions and excellent facial expressions that David had. <3