While David Tennant’s return to Doctor Who in the 60th anniversary episodes has been equal parts exciting and satisfying, the original plan for the actor’s return would not have been nearly as fun. Doctor Who is a British sci-fi series that first began in 1963, and at this point, has run for a total of 26 seasons. The series follows a character named the Doctor, a humanlike extraterrestrial being who is a Time Lord, meaning he travels through space and time. Along with his companions, the Doctor explores the universe, fights against bad guys, and helps people in need. Currently, Doctor Who is airing its 60th anniversary episodes.
In all, there are three episodes dedicated to Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, and each of them stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Fourteenth Doctor, and his companion, Donna Noble respectively. What is unique about this is that Tennant played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010, and his return as the Fourteenth Doctor is the first of its kind. No Doctor Who actor has ever played two regenerations of the Doctor before. So, in a cool twist, audiences get to enjoy another Tennant performance, yet, it is one that is fresh and different because he is technically a new iteration of the Doctor.
David Tennant’s Doctor Who Return Being Tenth Doctor Flashbacks Sounds Disappointing
And yet, David Tennant playing the Fourteenth Doctor wasn’t always the plan. In fact, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies originally planned for Tennant to reprise his role as the Tenth Doctor, with the 60th anniversary episodes being flashbacks. In an interview with Radio Times, David Tennant revealed that “It would have been an unseen adventure from years before. Russell immediately had an idea for a story, which I’m not going to mention because I don’t think it’s yet seen the light of day. It certainly wouldn’t have been part of an ongoing story. But I hope one day he does use it, because it sounded great.”
Although Tennant seems to like the flashback story Davies came up with, it is a relief that this is not the route the showrunner ended up going down. Ultimately, the thought of David Tennant coming back for a flashback story is, in some ways, disappointing. While it certainly isn’t the worst idea in the world, it does not have the same excitement factor that the Fourteenth Doctor has. David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor is beloved, but he already had his time to shine. Having Tennant play the Fourteenth Doctor instead is a much more unique and fresh idea.
Doctor Who’s Original 60th Plan Would’ve Created A Problem For Season 14
Another problem with Davies’ original David Tennant plan is that it would have created a problem for the next season, Doctor Who season 14. Namely, without David Tennant, the previous Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, would have had to regenerate into Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor before season 14 could start. This would have been strange because Whittaker’s Doctor Who season ended way back in 2021. Therefore, bringing her back for only a few moments, so she could regenerate, seems strange. On the other hand, having the 60th anniversary episodes make up for that time gap instead is a much better plan.
All in all, the 60th anniversary episodes made the right choice in making David Tennant the Fourteenth Doctor because it makes the timeline more clear. Rather than making Jodie Whittaker’s 2021 exit seem arbitrary by bringing her back in 2023, Doctor Who opted to bring David Tennant back for a short time so that the regeneration was more seamless and sensical. Plus, along with that, Tennant’s return is an exciting detail that makes audiences want to watch even more. Though it may seem complicated at first glance, this route is much better than returning to a more familiar story.
Doctor Who’s Fourteenth Doctor Regeneration Was Way More Exciting For The 60th Specials
Overall, David Tennant becoming the Fourteenth Doctor is simply more exciting, which is what makes it better than the original plan, and perfect for the 60th anniversary specials. After 60 years, it makes sense that Doctor Who would do something that has never happened before on the series, and bringing back David Tennant in particular was a wise choice. Though seeing Tennant in any capacity would have been good, even in flashbacks, having him be the Fourteenth regeneration is so much more interesting. In the end, the 60th anniversary episodes combine fresh new Doctor Who material with David Tennant nostalgia to make a perfect set of special episodes.
