Today's Sunday Express has asked four top writers for their thoughts on their favourite Doctor and Dark Horizon's author Jenny Colgan has chosen David Tennant.
Here's what she said:
Jenny Colgan on David Tennant (2005-2010)
The rules of engagement between the Doctor and human girls were laid down a long time ago. Tom Baker, on meeting a stunning-looking adversary, says simply, “You’re a beautiful woman… probably.”
Humans and Time Lords simply do not mix, and as a long-time fan of the show that suited me just fine. Does Aslan have a girlfriend? No. Neither should the Doctor then. In fact, the 1995 film with Paul McGann was roundly slagged off for the fact that he kisses his assistant in it. Ahem!
When I wrote my Doctor Who novel, Dark Horizons, a query came back from the big bosses who make the show in Cardiff.
The Doctor is saving someone from drowning and, in the original draft, “tore off his shoes and trousers and leapt into the water”.
This came back with a big red pen line through it, along with the note, “The Doctor does not remove his trousers.” Well, quite. I should have known better.
Of course, that was all fine until David Tennant came along. Peter Davison and Christopher Eccleston had both been attractive men but David was, not to put too fine a point on it, gorgeous.
They tried to play down his instant chemistry with Billie Piper, but it simply could not be denied. She fancied him because you fancied him, your mum fancied him, your granny fancied him, everybody fancied him, whether he took his trousers off or not.
So he combined everything you already loved about the Doctor – his wit, his brains, his joie de vivre and usefulness in a tight spot – and added the cherries on the top: dashing black eyes, a heart-melting grin and really, really good hair.
Then the show took Billie away and broke his heart, and suddenly he became even more attractive, in a wounded puppy fashion (who was also brave, resourceful, clever etc).
But there’s another reason Tennant is my favourite Doctor, which is that he starred in some of the greatest episodes there have ever been of Doctor Who, or in fact any television series. Blink, Family of Blood and Silence in the Library, to name but three, were all outstanding with some wonderful writing.
Being Scottish helps, too, but what really gives DT the edge are those brown eyes, and the intense look they got when River Song told him his true name or he found himself on the wrong side of the wall from Rose.
It’s so nice to know that in some alternate universe, spliced with a little bit of human DNA (from the marvellous Donna Noble, if you remember – I expect all their children have bright-red hair), this Doctor, alone of all the transfigurations, was allowed to fall in love with Rose, settle down and live happily ever after. The Doctor so rarely gets a chance to be happy, but this one did.
Comments
Post a Comment