Doctor Who: David Tennant and Catherine Tate to return

The BBC has confirmed that David Tennant and Catherine Tate will return to Doctor Who.

The duo is currently filming for the show’s 60th anniversary, which will take place in 2023. Tennant portrayed the 10th Doctor on the time travel drama from 2005 to 2010, and Tate portrayed Donna Noble, his companion. The news comes just a week after the BBC revealed that Ncuti Gatwa, star of Sex Education, will be the next Doctor.

With Tennant and Tate on board, Russell T Davies, the show’s head writer, will be reunited with them.

At the same time as Tennant, Davies, who was in charge of Doctor Who when it was successfully revived in 2005, left. Their most recent episode together aired in 2010. Tennant has previously appeared on the show, joining then-Doctor Matt Smith for the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013.

It’s unclear whether this return will be similar to the previous one, with Tennant and Tate joining Gatwa.

Davies teased his fans by saying: “Perhaps there is an untold story here. Or a parallel universe. Or it could be a dream, a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can guarantee is that it will be spectacular, with two of our greatest stars reuniting for a once-in-a-lifetime showdown.”

With an average audience of more than eight million viewers per episode, Tennant and Tate’s 2008 series of Doctor Who is the most successful since its revival in 2005.

The 13-episode run was also well-received by critics, and it was nominated for best drama at the Bafta TV Awards that year.

The duo’s popularity could help boost ratings for a show that has seen its audience decline in the last two years, despite the fact that overall linear TV viewing has been declining.

Such announcements are frequently made in advance of Doctor Who filming in public places. The show has previously used the strategy of revealing information prior to shooting.

Later this year, Jodie Whittaker’s current incarnation of the Doctor will appear in one more special episode as part of a celebration of the BBC’s centenary. In 2023, the show will return.

Tennant has appeared in TV shows such as Good Omens, Around the World in 80 Days, and Broadchurch since leaving Doctor Who. For his role as serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des, he won a National Television Award in 2021.

Tate has appeared in sitcoms such as Big School and has continued to play Nan in films such as The Nan Movie, which was released earlier this year.

The two have also collaborated on a number of Doctor Who audio adventures, which have been released by Big Finish Audio Drama.

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