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Fourteenth Doctor

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The Doctor
The Fourteenth Doctor
Doctor Who character
David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor in "Wild Blue Yonder" (2023)
First regular appearance"The Star Beast" (2023)
Last regular appearance"The Giggle" (2023)
Introduced byRussell T Davies
Portrayed byDavid Tennant
Preceded byJodie Whittaker (Thirteenth Doctor)
Succeeded byNcuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor)
Information
Tenure25 November – 9 December 2023
Appearances3 stories (3 episodes)
CompanionsDonna Noble
ChronologySpecials (2023)

The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor and was last seen on the programme in that role in 2013.

Within the series narrative, the Doctor is a millennia-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, with somewhat unknown origins, who travels in time and space in the TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of each incarnation's life, the Doctor regenerates, changing their physical appearance and aspects of their personality. Tennant's second incarnation is outwardly similar to the Tenth Doctor, but with a more sentimental and affectionate persona, and a weariness that reflects his life experiences in the centuries since.

Prior to the reveal of David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor, the BBC had announced that the Thirteenth Doctor, portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, would be succeeded as the programme's lead by a new Doctor portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa. However, Whittaker's final appearance surprised audiences when she instead regenerated into a form portrayed by David Tennant. The BBC later clarified that Gatwa would portray the Fifteenth Doctor, following on from three special episodes in which David Tennant would play the Fourteenth Doctor.

The Fourteenth Doctor's run consisted of three special episodes as part of the BBC's commemoration of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, led by returning executive producer Russell T Davies. Tennant was praised for his performance, though some criticised the move to bring back an actor who had previously portrayed the Doctor.

Appearances

[edit]

The Fourteenth Doctor first appears at the conclusion of "The Power of the Doctor" (2022) immediately following the Thirteenth Doctor's regeneration. The Doctor notices that his appearance has reverted to a form similar to that of the Tenth Doctor (played by David Tennant).[1] The following month, Doctor Who Magazine announced that their monthly comic strip would feature the Fourteenth Doctor in Liberation of the Daleks, a story that picks up straight after the ending of "The Power of the Doctor", depicting roughly the first hour of the Fourteenth Doctor's life.[2] Liberation of the Daleks leads directly into the Fourteenth Doctor's next televised appearance – a minisode aired during the Children in Need telethon on 17 November 2023, informally titled "Destination: Skaro".[3] A short comic strip titled "Under Control", published as part of Doctor Who: The Official Annual 2024, depicted the Fourteenth Doctor shortly after regeneration confronting the Sycorax, a recurring alien species in the series.[4] On 24 November 2023, Tennant appeared in character as the Fourteenth Doctor for the CBeebies Bedtime Story.[5]

As part of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials, the Fourteenth Doctor next appears in "The Star Beast". Arriving in Camden Town, the Doctor bumps into former companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) – who had her memory of the Doctor wiped following a Time Lord biological metacrisis by him in his similar-looking tenth incarnation – and her daughter Rose (Yasmin Finney). Encountering the alien Meep who plans on destroying London, the Doctor is forced to trigger the metacrisis, granting Donna access to the knowledge that will enable them to save the city. Donna seems to perish until it is revealed that Rose has inherited some of her mother's repressed Time Lord abilities, allowing the DoctorDonna's powers to be shared safely between the two.[6] Later, Donna spills coffee on the TARDIS console, forcing it into an uncontrolled dematerialisation. The TARDIS crash lands aboard a spaceship that is adrift at the farthest edge of the universe, where they encounter shape-shifting entities known as "Not-Things". When they return to Camden, a few days after their departure, they discover Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) has been keeping watch for the TARDIS, who warns them that the world is coming to an end.[7] The Doctor and Donna team up with UNIT, where the Doctor is reunited with several allies from past adventures to combat a plot by the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) to create global anarchy. In the ensuing battle, the Fourteenth Doctor is shot by the Toymaker, but instead of regenerating, the Doctor "bi-generates" – a supposedly mythical Time Lord process where the new incarnation splits off as a separate physical entity. The Fourteenth Doctor teams up with the new Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) to defeat the Toymaker. The Fifteenth Doctor warns his predecessor that he's worn himself out and needs to process the psychological impact of recent events. The Fourteenth Doctor settles down with Donna and her family, while the Fifteenth Doctor goes off in a duplicate version of the TARDIS to embark on new adventures.[8]

The Fourteenth Doctor appeared in Comic Relief's Red Nose Day special for 2023, in which host Lenny Henry regenerates into him as the Fourteenth Doctor rushes off to host the show.[9] A costume based on the Fourteenth Doctor's was also added to the video game Fall Guys as part of a promotion for the 60th anniversary specials.[10]

Development and casting

[edit]
Tennant's return was conceived by showrunner Russell T Davies (left) after a conversation with him and co-star Catherine Tate (right).[11][12]

Tennant, Tate, and showrunner Russell T Davies participated in the "Doctor Who: Lockdown" events, which were watchalongs of various episodes of the show held by the Doctor Who community during the COVID-19 pandemic, with informal discussion between the three as a result of "Lockdown" leading to the 60th anniversary specials and the reprisals of Tennant and Tate's roles.[11][12] Davies initially teased their return by not disclosing the true nature of it, hinting that Tennant and Tate may have been reprising their roles via flashbacks or via an alternate universe.[13] Davies originally planned to bring back Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, and not as a separate incarnation, with the 60th anniversary specials instead being flashbacks to unseen Tenth Doctor adventures.[14]

In May 2022, Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the actor who would take over from Jodie Whittaker in the role following a series of special episodes throughout 2022.[15][16] At the end of the final special, "The Power of the Doctor", it was revealed following Whittaker's regeneration that the Doctor had regenerated into an incarnation portrayed by Tennant, with Gatwa being the fifteenth incarnation of the character.[17][18] Tennant starred in the programme as the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010 and is the first actor to portray two incarnations of the character over several episodes. The return of an actor as a new incarnation of the Doctor was proposed by Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman in a 1986 exchange with then-BBC One controller Michael Grade after the dismissal of Sixth Doctor actor Colin Baker; Newman envisaged Patrick Troughton, who portrayed the Second Doctor, returning for one series before regenerating into a female incarnation.[19] Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor, had returned in the 2013 special "The Day of the Doctor" as a character known as the Curator, suggested to be a possible incarnation of the Doctor.[20]

Davies stated in an interview that despite the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors' similarities, the Fourteenth was more "human" than the Tenth.[21] The Fourteenth tends to say things the Tenth would not have said, once saying that he loved his companions.[22] In an interview with BBC News following the announcement of his role reprisal, Tennant commented on his Doctor's appearance, saying: "To a sort of casual viewer, I look like I'm sort of dressed in the same way as I used to be. But actually we've gone for something that's sort of the same, but different. That has echoes of the past, but it's also a bit something of the now as well."[23] The Fourteenth Doctor's clothes regenerated with his appearance from the Thirteenth Doctor's, rather than him choosing them like in most of his regenerations. Davies explained that he wished for the Doctor's clothes to change as part of the first regeneration from a female to a male Doctor, fearing it would be interpreted as a mockery of feminine traits and drag culture by having Tennant appearing in clothing designed for Whittaker.[24]

Tennant and Tate appeared as the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble in three specials to commemorate the programme's 60th anniversary in November 2023.[25] Following the specials and the character's in-universe "bi-generation" into the Fifteenth Doctor, Davies stated that there were no further plans to bring Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor back and that the character was "parked".[26] Davies joked that the Fourteenth Doctor had died following the specials, stating that "He went to Venice, 2063, when the city sank, and he went into a whirlpool, which is really sad..." This was later debunked by a reference to the Fourteenth Doctor made in the episode "The Legend of Ruby Sunday". (2024)[27]

Reception

[edit]
Tennant's return was criticised by some reviewers as overshadowing Ncuti Gatwa's incoming performance.[28][29]

Announcement

[edit]

The unexpected return of Tennant was praised by some, though others criticised the move to bring back an actor who had previously portrayed the Doctor; Diane Darcy felt Tenannt's comeback to be preemptive damage control by Davies to ward off any protentional criticisms of Ncuti Gatwa's incoming performance.[30] Elisa Guimarães of Collider saw the return of Tennant to the series as a "cop-out", noting how bringing back Tennant after Whittaker's run as the Doctor and before Gatwa's made it seem to casual audiences as though there was little confidence in either's ability to make the show successful. She believed Tennant's return overshadowed both of them and was a "major step back" for the series.[28]

Critical reception

[edit]

Tennant's portrayal as the Fourteenth Doctor received widespread praise,[31] though there was some mixed feelings towards the concept of bi-generation.[32] Alex Donaldson of VG247 praised Tennant's performance, stating that while he initially had doubts about the incarnation, Tennant's performance helped to encapsulate and showcase the Doctor's growth since the Tenth Doctor, as well as highlighting Tennant's own personal strengths as the Doctor.[22] Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue noted that despite the feeling of a "cop-out" with Tennant's return, the ability of Tennant's Doctor to come back and expand on the emotions the Tenth Doctor left behind "feels right for what this Doctor is".[33] Vicky Jessop of the London Evening Standard additionally praised the return of Tennant's Doctor, noting that it helped draw back fans of the series from Tennant's initial time on the show while being able to become its own separate identity from the Tenth Doctor.[34]

Constance Grady, writing for Vox, criticised the character's bi-generation, which allowed the Fourteenth Doctor to live on in-universe. She criticised it for apparent bias towards Tennant's incarnation of the Doctor by allowing him to continue to exist while other incarnations died and changed, stating that "Tennant gets treated as though he is somehow more the Doctor than any other incarnation".[35] Charles Pulliam-Moore of The Verge additionally noted that while there were avenues for Tennant's Doctor to explore independently of Gatwa, he felt that Tennant being kept around existed only to placate those uncomfortable with the idea of a black Doctor, noting that "The Giggle" framed the Fifteenth Doctor as emotional support for the Fourteenth Doctor and intrinsically tied to his predecessor, resulting in Gatwa's Doctor having less individuality overall.[29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Chris Chibnall (writer), Jamie Magnus Stone (director), Nikki Wilson (producer) (23 October 2022). "The Power of the Doctor". Doctor Who. Episode – 2022 Special 3. BBC. BBC One.
  2. ^ "THE FOURTEENTH DOCTOR'S ADVENTURES BEGIN – EXCLUSIVELY IN Doctor Who Magazine!". Doctor Who Magazine. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Doctor Who Children in Need Special 2023". BBC iPlayer. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ^ Donaldson, Mark (23 November 2023). "8 Things David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor Does Before Doctor Who's 2023 Specials". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Doctor Who takes a break from time travel to read CBeebies Bedtime Story". BBC Media Centre. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  6. ^ Russell T Davies (writer), Rachel Talalay (director), Vicki Delow (producer) (25 November 2023). "The Star Beast". Doctor Who. Episode – 2023 Special 1. BBC. BBC One.
  7. ^ Russell T Davies (writer), Tom Kingsley (director), Vicki Delow (producer) (2 December 2023). "Wild Blue Yonder". Doctor Who. Episode – 2023 Special 2. BBC. BBC One.
  8. ^ Russell T Davies (writer), Chanya Button (director), Vicki Delow (producer) (9 December 2023). "The Giggle". Doctor Who. Episode – 2023 Special 3. BBC. BBC One.
  9. ^ Laford, Andrea (17 March 2023). "Sir Lenny Henry "regenerates" into David Tennant in Doctor Who sketch for Red Nose Day". CultBox. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  10. ^ Laford, Andrea (16 August 2023). "New Fall Guys game looks for Doctor Who available for a short time". CultBox. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  11. ^ a b Bacon, Thomas (30 September 2022). "Doctor Who: Lockdown! Led To David Tennant & Catherine Tate's Return". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Doctor Who star David Tennant explains how return to role happened". Digital Spy. 11 October 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Russell T Davies hints at reason for David Tennant's Doctor Who return". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Doctor Who's David Tennant explains original plan for flashback special". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Ncuti Gatwa: BBC names actor as next Doctor Who star". BBC News. 8 May 2022. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  16. ^ Martin Belam (8 May 2022). "Doctor Who: Ncuti Gatwa to replace Jodie Whittaker, BBC announces". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  17. ^ "David Tennant is the Doctor! | Doctor Who". doctorwho.tv. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  18. ^ Kilbane, Aoife (23 October 2022). "Doctor Who: Here they come..." BBC Media Centre. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  19. ^ Howe, David J.; Walker, Stephen James; Stammers, Mark (1996). Doctor Who – The Eighties. Virgin Books. pp. 90–94. ISBN 0-7535-0128-7.
  20. ^ "Doctor Who 50th anniversary special features surprise double cameo appearances". Radio Times. 23 November 2013. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  21. ^ London, Rob (14 November 2023). "David Tennant's New 'Doctor Who' Regeneration Is "Slightly More Human" Than the Last". Collider. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  22. ^ a b Donaldson, Alex (8 December 2023). "With his turn as the 14th, David Tennant secures the bag as the greatest Doctor Who(s) of all time". VG247. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  23. ^ Mzimba, Lizo (23 October 2022). "Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker's regeneration reveals a new Doctor". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  24. ^ Morris, Lauren (10 November 2022). "Doctor Who boss explains David Tennant's regeneration costume twist". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  25. ^ Fullerton, Huw (24 September 2021). "Russell T Davies to return as Doctor Who showrunner". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  26. ^ "Doctor Who boss says there are "no plans" for David Tennant to return". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Doctor Who shares update on David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  28. ^ a b Guimarães, Elisa (29 October 2023). "Making David Tennant the Fourteenth Doctor Is a Total Cop Out". Collider. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  29. ^ a b Pulliam-Moore, Charles (12 December 2023). "The new Doctor Who debut felt like a timey-wimey slap to the face". The Verge. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  30. ^ "David Tennant's Doctor Who Return Can Only Work as a Criticism of Toxic Fandom". 27 December 2022.
  31. ^ Examples include:
  32. ^ Woodrow, Ryan (11 December 2023). "Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials Review: Faces Old And New". Men's Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  33. ^ Leishman, Rachel (12 December 2023). "So Why Exactly Did David Tennant's Face Come Back as the Doctor on 'Doctor Who'?". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  34. ^ Jessop, Vicky (7 December 2023). "'I don't want to go' – a love letter to David Tennant's Doctor". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  35. ^ Grady, Constance (13 December 2023). "Doctor Who's big twist betrayed the show's oldest rule". Vox. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
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