David Tennant Review Of 2013: January - February

As the year draws to a close it's time to take a look back on David Tennant's projects of 2013. 

2013 turned out to be a busy year for David. It's amazing to think that this time last year, we hadn't even heard of Danny Latimer, let alone who had killed him, we couldn't imagine what David would look like with hair extensions and the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special rumours were just that - a rumour.

Over the next few days we'll be looking back, month by month, at what David got up to, starting with a review of the key events of January and February. 

January

TV 
David would appear in a number of high profile dramas during 2013, and the first of these, Spies Of Warsaw, was about to air in the UK and Poland. To promote the drama, David appeared on the Jonathan Ross show where he also spoke about Broadchurch and the growing rumours that he was to appear in the Doctor Who 50^th anniversary show. Spies Of Warsaw premiered on January 9^th on BBC One.

The UK was also anticipating the new crime drama Broadchurch that David had filmed during the later part of 2012. First glimpses of the drama were seen on the ITV Drama showreel and US fans were delighted to learn that the series would be coming to BBC America later in the year. There was also due to be a BAFTA screening of the first episode.

2013 was the year of the 50^th Anniversary of Doctor Who. The BFI announced a year-long programme of Doctor Who screenings, focusing on one Doctor per month, each with a Q&A panel featuring cast and crew. The Tenth Doctor screening was scheduled for October. BBC America announced the Doctors Revisited series of monthly specials and in January David contributed to the programme on William Hartnell.

David announced that due to his workload that he would no longer be taking part in Tree Fu Tom.

Filming began on the new legal thriller by David Wolstencroft, The Escape Artist.

Theatre
The huge news for January was that David would be returning to the stage later in the year.

At a Royal Shakespeare Company press conference it was announced that David would be taking on the lead role in Richard II, directed by Gregory Doran and staged at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and at the Barbican Theatre in London.

David was interviewed about taking on the role:

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Film 
Even in early January, the November 2012 release Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger was still holding onto a Top Ten place in the UK box office

Radio
BBC Radio 4 announced that David and Emilia Fox would reprise the roles of Leo and Emmi in Every Seventh Wave, the sequel to the 2012 radio drama Love Virtually.

David hosted the BBC Audio Drama Awards and even enjoyed some success as two of his past projects were among the winners - both Believe It! and Kafka The Musical scooped awards

 

Audio
David returned to the recording studio to work on some audiobooks. He recorded Cressida Cowell’s How To Steal A Dragon’s Sword and a new book in the series of authorised Chitty Chitty Bang Bang sequels by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time

Adverts

The latest Virgin Media ad campaign was launched. DavidTennantCom were invited down to watch a day’s filming: read our report here

Appearances

David appeared at the Project Motor Mouth Doctor Who Fan Convention in Slough along with Peter Davison, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker and Janet Fielding, where he took part in a guest panel, auctioned off charity items and signed for fans.

February

TV 

The Broadchurch premiere date on ITV was confirmed as 4^th March. Two public preview screenings took place, one in Bridport and one at BAFTA in London, and the response from both was very positive. 

The advertising campaign started with posters and a trailer while ITV released the official shots of the cast and and character profiles.

David was interviewed about the series:

The Times

Radio Times

Time Out

Meanwhile the BBC began to promote The Politician’s Husband with the first promo shots while David talked about his own preparations for the role.

David narrated the new three-part wildlife documentary from John Downer Productions, Penguins: Spy In The Huddle which began on BBC One this month

David contributed to the second Doctors Revisited special on Patrick Troughton which premiered on BBC America

Steven Moffat hinted that the Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary special would be a multi-Doctor story. However, David claimed that he was beginning to give up hope of being invited to be in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special.

Theatre 

The first tickets for Richard II at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre went on sale. It was confirmed that David would be joined in the production by Michael Pennington and Oliver Ford Davies

The RSC also announced that some of David’s costumes from past productions would be included in their In Stitches Exhibition.

Radio 

David appeared in Every Seventh Wave on BBC Radio 4 on Valentine’s Day. The production co-starred Emilia Fox. Listen again here

Film 

The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists picked up the RTS West Award For Best Film

Charity 

A cartoon version of David appeared in a special addition of the Beano for Red Nose Day

Look out tomorrow for our look back at March and April 2013