Doctor Who continues to be a show that fans adore. Starting way back in 1963, the series is coming up on its 60th anniversary. It didn’t always run during that time, and “New Who” brought the series to a wider audience in the United States after the revamped series debuted in 2005, but it is undeniable that the show as a whole is one that continues to delight the Whovians of the world.
New Who is where I got into the show, and it has left me with two favorite Doctors, one being Matt Smith as Eleven, with a nearly perfect run of the series, and the other being David Tennant’s Ten. Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor is complicated because while he is the favorite of many a Whovian, his final moments as the Doctor soured the run for many of us. “I don’t want to go,” echoed through the TARDIS as Ten regenerated into Eleven, and it really put a sour note on his era as a whole. At least for me.
Now, we’re getting another go at Tennant’s run with a brief return to the series before Ncuti Gatwa takes over as the next Doctor, and my god does it feel great to have Tennant back. I loved both Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker’s runs as the Doctor, but Ten and Eleven were huge for getting so many into the series. The final moments of Ten really did hurt me, and knowing that we have another chance with Tennant is just making me giddy.
Now, we have a new look at his return, and it is perfect—long coat, plaid waistcoat, and hopefully Chucks and all.
The gangly Doctor is coming back, and it feels like a long time coming given how many fans have asked for this to happen.
Timey-wimey wibbly-wobbly
Whenever a Doctor leaves, fans ask when they’ll return. That’s the joy of a show like this: Anyone can come back. We’re messing with time. So the question of whether David Tennant would return to the role was less about who was playing the Doctor at the time and more about fans just wanting to see their favorites again. Still, there were nearly constant asks for his return. He did come back ten years ago for the 50th anniversary special, while Matt Smith was still the Doctor, and he’s coming back again in time for the 60th, which opens up a door for returns of other Doctors (hopefully I do get to see Smith again).
This is just exciting, though, because I did genuinely love Ten’s run. I just hated those final moments, and that tainted everything else. Getting a redo, one where hopefully Ten doesn’t scream at someone about how important he is before saying he doesn’t want to leave, is an exciting chance to fix something that many of us feel was wrong for Ten as a character.
This look is perfectly Ten, and I can’t wait to see what adventures await him and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) once more.
(featured image: BBC)
