Tennant moves in
- Publication: Total TV Guide
- Date: 2006-04-15
- Author:
- Page: 4
- Language: English
As David Tennant takes up residence in the Tardis, he's discovering the benefits of playing the 10th Doctor Who - loads of adoring fans and, best of all, his very own Time Lord doll!
The role of the Doctor is the most coveted on British television, but David Tennant is surprisingly unfazed by his incumbency as the 10th Time Lord. The Scots-born actor, who came to prominence a couple of years ago after garnering plaudits for roles in Blackpool and Casanova (the latter by Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies), is a mixture of boyish enthusiasm and level-headed candour when talking about the whole crazy experience.
'There is a sense of everyone waiting for you to fall on your face. After all, the show gets coverage like nothing I've ever done before and probably never will again,' explains the 35-year-old actor.
'At the moment, it feels like more and more people are coming up to me on the Tube, but it's all been very gradual. It wasn't as if I woke up suddenly and my world had exploded.'
And despite the fact that the stakes are high, Tennant is clearly having a ball. Not least because he and co-star Billie Piper get on so famously.
'Billie is the best,' says Tennant. 'She's great to work with and she's great to hang out with. I couldn't wish for anyone better to spend nine months of my life with.'
Clearly conscious of how luvvie-ish this may sound, Tennant
immediately checks himself and turns joker. 'Oh, and we're getting married and she's expecting my baby. There! You have an exclusive!'
Of course, the Doctor and Rose's romantic frisson is set to continue in this second series, although Tennant is guarded about giving too much away.
'Their relationship continues to grow, but it's not going to be overwhelming. You're not going to see them in bed together!'
The first episode of the new series sees the Doctor take Rose to mankind's new Earth in the year 5000000023. There they visit a luxury hospital run by cat people. On the surface it seems to be super efficient, but within these walls lies a gruesome secret. And to make matters even more dangerous, the Doctor's old foe Cassandra (Zoe Wanamaker) has resurfaced. And she's out for revenge.
Filming these antics proved very exciting for Tennant, although nothing compared to the thrill he got when the toy figures of his Doctor were unveiled.
'It's all really freaky, but absolutely brilliant. The fact that I am part of someone's play world,' he enthuses. 'My family are all getting plastic homunculi of me for Christmas this year!'
With the help of these small plastic figures, Tennant's profile is guaranteed to grow and grow. But the devotion of the show's many fans is in no way an annoyance. On the contrary, he finds it quite humbling.
'I got sent a scarf the other day which was a pretty accurate replica of Tom Baker's. I'm happy to accept these gifts. I just feel sorry that all they get in return is some crummy signed postcard.'
Captions:
Lip-lock Doc: What's going on between him and Rose?
What a doll: David is thrilled with the toy Doctor
Feline groovy: But can the Cat People be trusted?
OLD FRIENDS OLD ENEMIES
Here's who we'll meet over the next 13 weeks...
A rival for Rose?
In School Reunion, Seventies companion Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen) makes a surprise return, and it's handbags at dawn when Rose gets to hear of her history with the doctor. Plus, Sarah Jane's famous four-legged friend, K9 (bottom), puts in an appearance.
Return of the Cybermen
Some svelte-looking Cybermen (left) return to the series after an 18-year absence in The Rise Of The Cybermen and will be a presence throughout the series. The Doctor's second-biggest foes (after the Daleks) have invaded an alternative Earth that's heading for disaster.
Some right royal tales
In Tooth and Claw, Queen Victoria's (Pauline Collins) lonely widowhood is spiced up by a visit from a very aggressive werewolf. And in The Girl In The Fireplace, the Doctor and Rose travel to the court of Louis XV, where they meet courtesan Madame de Pompadour (Sophia Myles).
Death by TV
In The Idiot's Lantern (written by The League Of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss, a long-standing Doctor Who fan), a drab, post-war Britain comes under attack by an alien life force. Most chilling of all is that they travel through TV airwaves!
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- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Tennant moves in | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tennant_moves_in | work=Total TV Guide | pages=4 | date=2006-04-15 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=11 April 2025 }}</ref>
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