Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.“Doctor Whoseason 15 has been pretty heavy on references to David Tennant’s era of leading the show, and NcutiGatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor manages to sneak in one more mention of Ten/Fourteen just before regenerating.David Tennant’s Tenth Doctorwas the star of the show between 2005 and 2009, taking over from Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor and becoming just the second actor to leadDoctor Who’s modern era. Tennant’s eccentric and charismatic performance as the Doctor quickly immortalized him among the show’s fan base, and years later,Doctor Whocan’t escape him.
Doctor Who’s season 15 opener immediately started the Tennant-era references, withBelinda being unamused by the term “timey-wimey,“which was a turn of phrase coined by the Tenth Doctor. Tennant’s face even resurfaces throughout Gatwa’s second and final season as the Doctor, and other nods to the Tenth Doctor’s time in the TARDIS are peppered throughout. There was even an entireepisode that served as a sequel to 2008’s “Midnight.“There is never anything belittling about these nods to Tennant’s efforts, and all of them bring a smile to my face.
Doctor Who Season 15’s Finale Takes A Humorous Jab At David Tennant’s Returns
Tennant is clearly the “other guy” Gatwa is talking about
David Tennant isn’t the only actor to reprise his role as the Doctor after stepping away from the show. Part of the beauty ofDoctor Whois that the door is always open for stars to return, and this includes former Doctors.Doctor Whoseason 15’s finale, “The Reality War,” even contains a perfect example of this in the form of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor cameo. However,David Tennant has now enjoyed two incredibly high-profile comebacks since he left in 2009, and Gatwa’s final episode didn’t shy away from acknowledging that.
When Thirteen shows up in Fifteen’s TARDIS before Gatwa’s regeneration scene, Fifteen says, “I’m surprised it’s not the other guy, he’s always turning up.”
WhenThirteen shows up in Fifteen’s TARDISbeforeGatwa’s regeneration scene, Fifteen says, “I’m surprised it’s not the other guy, he is always turning up.” Even without season 15’s other acknowledgments of Tennant’s era, it’s not hard to tell who Fifteen means. After coming back as Ten in 2013’s “The Day of the Doctor” alongside Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor and John Hurt’s War Doctor,Tennant returned a second time in 2023 to lead the cast as the Fourteenth Doctorfor the show’s trilogy of 60th-anniversary specials. So, it wouldn’t have been at all surprising if he’d appeared instead of Whittaker.
After Season 15, It’s Clear That Tennant’s Era Left The Biggest Legacy In Modern Doctor Who
Tennant’s time in the TARDIS was the most impactful since the 2005 revival (& possibly even before that)
As well as Belinda (Varada Sethu) reacting to Fifteen’s use of the term “timey-wimey,“she also poked fun at “Blink” in “Lux,“playfully criticizing that the beloved episode doesn’t sound that good when you boil the plot down to the fact that blinking isn’t encouraged.Tennant is just one of several actors to play the Doctor in the modern era, but it’s obvious from how easy episodes are to reference, with little more than a few words, just how much of an impact the actor has made since he made his hit debut in 2005 and made his various comebacks.
Other than his return for “The Day of the Doctor” and his brief cameo at the end of 2022’s “The Power of the Doctor,” David Tennant has only ever appeared inDoctor Whowhile Russell T. Davies was the showrunner.
That said, other than his return for “The Day of the Doctor” and his brief cameo at the end of 2022’s “The Power of the Doctor,” David Tennant has only ever appeared inDoctor Whowhile Russell T. Davies was the showrunner. Davies oversaw the show’s revival and left when Tennant did in 2009, and both men returned in 2023 for “The Star Beast.” So, whileDavies could have recalled any of several Doctors back for the 60th anniversary, it makes sense that he would want to work with someone with whom he has such a professional rapport.
What’s more,Tennant can now come back toDoctor Whoat pretty much any timeand with very little effort from a writing perspective. The Fourteenth Doctor was the first to bi-generate, which means he still exists in theDoctor Whouniverse despite passing the baton to Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth. Fourteen isn’t stuck in a parallel dimension or stranded somewhere without his TARDIS, he’s simply at the house of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and her family in 21st-century London. So, don’t be surprised if Davies recalls Tennant toDoctor Whoagain in the near future.
Doctor Who
Cast
An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
Doctor Who: Released on June 20, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
