PHOTOS: David Tennant In The End Of Time #ThrowbackThursday

Our final Christmas-themed Throwback Thursday looks at David's exit from Doctor Who, five years ago today. 

The two-part story The End Of Time was broadcast over Christmas and New Year 2009-10 and marked David Tennant’s departure from the role of the Tenth Doctor. It was also the last Doctor Who story written by Russell T. Davies before he too departed, handing over the running of the show to Steven Moffat.

The End Of Time Part One (25^th December 2009, BBC One)

It's the Tenth Doctor's final journey – but his psychotic nemesis the Master has been reborn, on Christmas Eve. With both determined to cheat death, the battle ranges from the wastelands of London to the mysterious Immortality Gate, while the alien Ood warn of an even greater danger approaching, as a terrible shadow falls across the entire Universe.

The End Of Time Part Two (1^st January 2010, BBC One)

The Doctor faces the end of his life as the Master's plans hurtle out of control. With the sound of drums growing louder, and an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilf must fight alone. But sacrifices must be made, and the deadly prophecy warns: "He will knock four times."

Following the events of The Waters Of Mars the Doctor realises that his days are numbered and has been fleeing the summons of the Ood, but on his return to the Ood Sphere, he learns that all of humanity have been sharing the same nightmare – the Master is returning, Meanwhile Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins), the grandfather of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) is receiving messages from visions of a mysterious woman that relate to the Doctor. When their paths cross, Wilf joins the Doctor in the TARDIS to not only track down the Master but also to save the universe from an even greater threat.

The story was filmed during the spring of 2009, with locations including parts of Cardiff, Penarth and Swansea, and Tredegar House in Newport. Cast included return appearances from Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, Jacqueline King and John Simm, with Timothy Dalton, Claire Bloom, David Harewood, Sinead Keenan and June Whitfield also among the guest cast. The final few minutes of the episode saw the Tenth Doctor revisiting many of his past companions and friends, with cameos from Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Noel Clarke, John Barrowman, Elisabeth Sladen, Tommy Knight, Jessica Hynes, Camille Corduri and Russell Tovey. The opening scene of Part One was shown during the 2009 Children In Need show.

At the close of the story, David spoke his last line “I don’t want to go”, before regenerating into the Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith.

David actually had further footage to film as the Doctor following completion of this episode, for his guest appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith which aired in October 2009.

David returned as the Doctor for the 50^th Anniversary special The End Of Time. In the Doctor’s timeline this is placed in the period after The Waters Of Mars and the Doctor’s wedding to Elizabeth I is referenced at the start of The End Of Time Part One.