David Tennant shares simple reason he decided to reprise Doctor Who role

Scottish actor returns to the Whoniverse this autumn

David Tennant has shared the very simple reason he chose to return to Doctor Who for the show’s 60th Anniversary specials, which will air later this year.

The Scottish actor, 52, made his Time Lord debut in the 2005 reboot of the classic British sci-fi series as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor.

To the delight of many Doctor Who fans, Tennant is making his return to the BBC series as the Fourteenth Doctor in November.

Speaking to EW in a recent interview conducted before the ongoing actors’ and writers’ strike, the Good Omens star gave a simple response as to why he decided to revisit the beloved show once again.

“The real answer is that I still love it,” Tennant said. “You do spend your years away from Doctor Who, always watching it. Always thinking of ideas. Thinking about how I would expand it, thinking of stories... It never goes away.

“I have been inventing stories in my head ever since I was about six. So when I left the show, that doesn’t stop.”

Tennant will make his return this November for the show’s three 60th anniversary episodes, titled “The Star Beast”, “Wild Blue Yonder”, and “The Giggle”.

Of his forthcoming reprisal, the actor quipped: “I just hope I look as fast as I did in the 2000s.”

David Tennant in ‘Doctor Who’ (BBC)

Tennant will be rejoined by Catherine Tate as his old companion Donna Noble, while Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper) plays a character called Rose.

The Staged actor’s reprisal of the role was a long-rumoured surprise for fans, as Sex Education breakout Ncuti Gatwa had already been announced as the new Doctor.

In Jodie Whittaker’s final episode as the Thirteenth Doctor, which aired in October 2022, the Time Lord didn’t regenerate into Gatwa as expected. Rather, the Doctor turned back into Tennant, who looked confused and repeatedly asked: “What?”

Following Tennant’s return as the Fourteenth Doctor will be Gatwa, who makes history as the show’s first Black lead.

Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will be joined by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jinkx Monsoon in the new series, along with Jonathan Groff. Both of these castings have sparked fan speculation that the show will receive another musical episode.

Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials are scheduled to air on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ in the US this November. Gatwa’s first episode as the 15th Doctor will air over the 2023 Christmas period, followed by the rest of the season airing in 2024.