That Good Omens season 2 ending certainly was a gut-punch, wasn’t it? Everything we’ve ever wanted and everything we’ve never wanted, all at the same time. David Tennant gives it his all in that final episode, imbuing the demon Crowley with heart, desperation, and frustration. Now that Good Omens has come to an end, and we’re all waiting with bated breath for news of a season 3 renewal, we can set our sights on Tennant’s return to Doctor Who, as he becomes the official 14th Doctor in Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary special, but what can we do in the meantime?
A wacky sci-fi extravaganza awaits us this November, as Tennant (and Catherine Tate, a.k.a. Donna Noble) return for three special episodes, yet it’s only August now. November feels a long way away, despite time meaning nothing nowadays and everything always happening too quickly or too slowly. But what if you want more David Tennant before then? Turns out there’s one show I can recommend that you might not have seen before.
If you’re a fan of both Good Omens and Doctor Who, my guess is you enjoy a bit of adventure. You long for a bit of the fantastical, a bunch of action, a dash of humor, and a lot of heart. If so, you may be familiar with the works of venerated science-fiction author Jules Verne, who penned such classics as A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in 80 Days. Well, more recently than you might think, David Tennant starred in an international adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, available on PBS Masterpiece in the U.S. and BBC iPlayer in the U.K.
Now, this is very much an adaptation. For those of you who might have read the original novel, it will be clear that many creative liberties were taken; Phileas Fogg—Tennant’s character—starts the story a bit lonelier and less capable in this version, and Fogg and his French valet Passepartout (Ibrahim Koma), who has a more expansive backstory here, are joined on their daring adventure by a young, ambitious journalist who goes by the name Abigail ‘Fix’ Fortescue (Leonie Benesch). Fortescue is hoping to get her big break—and some semblance of respect in a male-dominated profession—by chronicling Fogg’s dangerous wager and journey.
Despite numerous deviations from the source material, this adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days is still an adventurous, globe-trotting romp, much of it shot on location in South Africa and Romania or on practical sets. Hans Zimmer—yes, really—wrote the show’s main title theme together with composer Christian Lundberg, and the overall score ties together a production that is both beautiful to look at and genuinely fun to watch.
While the pacing isn’t always on point, it is a joy to see Tennant’s version of Verne’s intrepid adventurer come into his own, and the relationships that develop between the core trio are compelling and relatable. Is this version of Around the World in 80 Days perfect? No, few things are, but if you’re looking for more David Tennant in your life right now, this might just be enough to tide you over while you wait for news of Good Omens season 3 and the return of the 10th/14th Doctor. And if it turns out you enjoy this 8-episode season of Around the World in 80 Days as much as I did, then you’re in luck—season 2 was ordered before season 1 even aired.
(featured image: PBS / BBC)
