The Stage

Casanova star gets appointment with Doctor Who

Published Monday 18 April 2005 at 16:55 by Liz Thomas

David Tennant, star of hit BBC shows Casanova and Blackpool and Stephen Fry film Bright Young Things, has been confirmed as the new Doctor Who.

The Corporation announced last month that the show was to be recommissioned but admitted it had failed to get current timelord Christopher Eccleston to agree to a second series.

Since then a number of names, including Bill Nighy, Alan Davies and Richard E Grant, have been put forward as potential replacements but Tennant has always been the firm favourite to become the tenth incarnation of the Doctor, while Billie Piper returns as assistant Rose Tyler.

He said: “I grew up loving Doctor Who and it has been a lifelong dream to get my very own Tardis. Taking over from Chris is a daunting prospect - he has done a fantastic job of reinventing the Doctor for a new generation and is a very tough act to follow.”

The time-travelling role reunites him with Casanova writer Russell T Davies, who penned much of the first series of Doctor Who and has already begun work on the first six episodes of series two.

Davies added: “Regeneration is a huge part of the programme’s mythology and I am delighted that new, young viewers can now have the complete Doctor Who experience as they witness their hero change his face.”

The production has been widely credited by critics for rejuvenating BBC1’s Saturday night ratings, with audience figures consistently above 7 million. Filming for the next 13-part adventure and the Christmas special begins in Cardiff this summer.