10 Year Anniversary: David Tennant Made His Doctor Who Debut Ten Years Ago Today



Today marks the tenth anniversary of David Tennant's debut as the Doctor in Doctor Who. He made his first appearance in the show as the Tenth Doctor after the Ninth Doctor played by Christopher Eccleston regenerated in the closing scenes of The Parting Of The Ways.

David was offered the role as the Doctor during a pre-transmission screening of Casanova with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner. After being assured that they were not joking and were in fact entirely serious David accepted the role and went on to play one of the most popular incarnations of the character of all time.

On 21st April 2005 the regeneration scene was filmed in top secret and as the filming took place months after Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper had wrapped on the episode David found himself alone in the TARDIS with just a skeleton crew and piece of cellotape to provide him with an eyeline so that it would appear as though he and Rose were in the TARDIS together.
The episode was not given to press before its transmission in order to keep the ending entirely secret although fans were already expecting a regeneration after the BBC had announced David would be taking on the part on 16th April.

About the episode:
Rose Tyler has faced danger and seen wonders alongside the Doctor, but now their friendship is put to the test as Earth plunges into an epic war. With the human race being slaughtered, the Doctor is forced into terrible action. Will the time travellers ever be reunited?

Watch David's debut scene:


Script Extract:

DOCTOR: Rose Tyler. I was going take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses. Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny.

ROSE: Then, why can't we go?

THE DOCTOR: Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this.

ROSE: You're not making sense.

THE DOCTOR: I might never make sense again. I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with

(The Doctor doubles over in pain.)

ROSE: Doctor!

The DOCTOR: Stay away!

ROSE: Doctor, tell me what's going on.

THE DOCTOR: I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying.

ROSE: Can't you do something?

THE DOCTOR: Yeah, I'm doing it now. Time Lords have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go

ROSE: Don't say that.

THE DOCTOR: Rose, before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I.

(Golden light bursts out of the Doctor's body.)

THE DOCTOR: Right then. There we are. Hello! Oh, new teeth, that's weird. Okay, so where was I? Oh that's right -
(BIG SMILE)
Barcelona!

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