Behind-the-scenes footage from the long-running BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who shows David Tennant‘s (first) last day on set as the Tenth Doctor.
A new Doctor Who Confidential video on YouTube takes place during the production of the two-part 2009/2010 special “The End of Time.” In it, Tennant is called back to the green screen — ostensibly to collect additional lighting references — only to be blasted with confetti in a room full of cheering crew members.
“I knew that I was finished,” Tennant said in an interview included in the video. “I was fully aware of what the shots were and I knew we’d shot them all … I thought, ‘Please don’t make me come in and everybody look at me, because I’ll only get upset.’ But of course they did, and of course I did.” Tennant later admitted that he was “very touched” and “a bit shy” over the gesture.
David Tennant as the Tenth (and Fourteenth) Doctor
The original Doctor Who series premiered in 1963, starring the late William Hartnell. The lead actor has periodically changed as the Doctor “regenerates,” with several careers launched into super-stardom through the role. The modern era of Doctor Who began in 2005 after many years off the air.
Tennant debuted as the Tenth Doctor in late 2005 before ultimately departing in 2010 with “The End of Time.” He briefly returned in 2013 to team with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. More recently, Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor regenerated back into Tennant — making him both the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctor.
Actor Ncuti Gatwa has already been announced as the Fifteenth Doctor. Tennant will pave the way for his entrance via the three Doctor Who specials that will air on the BBC and Disney+ this November. These episodes will also feature the return of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble, and Karl Collins as Shaun Temple.
The 14th season of the modern era of Doctor Who will premiere early in 2024.
