Few people will object to David Tennant’s return to Doctor Who being hailed as an incredible moment in television history. So much so, in fact, that it’s been voted as the TV Moment of the Year at the Edinburgh TV Awards.
Unlike the other awards of the night, this particular one was decided by public vote only, and considering 5.5 million people tuned in to watch Jodie Whittaker regenerate into David Tennant, it’s not hard to see why it won. When Tennant appeared on our screens asking “What? What? Whaaaaat?”, before exclaiming he recognised “these teeth”, we knew our love for Doctor Who would come back stronger than ever. To say fans went wild is really downplaying the frenzy they whipped themselves into.
Check out the 60th anniversary episodes trailer below.
When fans clamoured to share their opinions on the decision for a familiar face to return, one Redditor said, “[Not gonna lie], kinda love it. I trust [Russell T Davis] to do something clever with it, I have no problem getting three more episodes of DT, Catherine Tate, and Bernard Cribbins, and it's a good palette cleanser after Chibnall.” We second that last one, though never disrespectfully towards Whittaker – she had to make do with badly written scripts, which ultimately held her back from cementing herself as a good Doctor.
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Even fans who weren’t sold on the decision – like user Fan_Service_3703, who said, “I don't hate it, but I'm very much against the whole degeneration concept” – can’t stop themselves from talking about the hype it generated. It was such an iconic moment, regardless of whether you loved or hated it. Let’s say it was the Marmite of regenerations, but where most of the public enjoyed it. Or, it’s like learning that Doctor Who is moving to Disney Plus, a decision that has divided fans . Basically, anything that’s divisive is a good metaphor for reactions to Tennant’s Doctor returning.
When Tennant was asked about his return, which has been requested by fans pretty much since his departure, the actor said it was his “last shot” before he gets “too old to do it again”. As far as we’re concerned, you’re never too old to do Doctor Who (make of that phrasing what you will).
Tennant will jump onto our screens for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who on 23 November, before eventually being replaced by the new Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa. I wonder if he’s got rid of all that Kenergy from the Barbie movie yet…?
Featured Image Credit: BBC OneTopics: TV And Film, Disney