Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas
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- Publication: Coventry Evening Telegraph
- Date: 2005-12-17
- Author: Marion Mcmullen
- Page:
- Language: English
HIGHLIGHT: NEW LOOK... David Tennant is a much more ruthless Doctor than his predecessors. HORN BLOWER... The Doctor has faced the invasion of the Daleks, the terror of the Cybermen and countless other villains - now it's the wrath of the musical Santas.
A CHRISTMAS invasion is about to get under way, but it's aliens not reindeer who could be paying a visit over the holidays. TV writer MARION McMULLEN finds out why the latest Time Lord is a down-to-earth star.
HO, HO, HO. Father Christmas is bringing monsters and aliens from outer space for Doctor Who this Christmas - oh, and a whole new identity.
Casanova and Blackpool star David Tennant becomes the 10th Time Lord on Christmas Day following in the footsteps of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy and Christopher Eccleston.
David makes his appearance as Doctor Who on BBC1 in a one-off special that sees him battling sinister masked Santas, a killer Christmas tree and a plot to take over the world by a monstrous alien race.
It marks a fantastic whirlwind of a year for the former Royal Shakespeare Company actor who played Romeo and Touchstone on the Stratford stage. Over the past 12 months, the 34-year-old has rocketed from being a relative unknown in the eyes of the public to a household name.
He recently played a disturbing boyfriend in ITV's Secret Smile, but it's his role as the famous Time Lord that is set to cement his place in history.
David grins: "It's such a great job. I get to play a Time Lord and have a Tardis. You can't knock that."
So what can Doctor Who fans expect from the new Time Lord?
"Viewers are going to see a slightly more no-nonsense Doctor," says David. "We are more aware that he's someone who fought a war, lost all his people and because he's the last Time Lord, the last authority in the universe, he's less indulgent, more ruthless."
The other striking difference between David and his predecessors is his overall look. The Doctor will be wearing a tailored calf-length coat - chocolate brown with a blue pinstripe suit and white plimsolls. David himself labels the look "Geek Chic".
"I wanted something that I'd enjoy wearing, an outfit that would look good and feel right. We also wanted something that was modern, without being specifically en vogue.
"I also wanted an outfit that wasn't too authoritarian. So that's why I opted for a scruffier-styled suit. It's more what you'd expect to see a student sporting than a college professor. And inevitably the look is influenced by the sort of things I like wearing."
David has been a lifelong fan of Doctor Who. His favourite Doctor is Tom Baker and he admits that watching his hero in action had a part to play in his decision to be become an actor.
"I grew up with Tom Baker. And Peter Davison really, 'cos I was - what? - 10, 11 when he was doing it. So they were my two Doctors.
"Tom Baker is the one I have the earliest memories of, and then I was still watching it very avidly through Peter Davison."
David adds happily: "Being scared and having nightmares is part of our childhood. The Christmas episode does have some scary moments. But that's great. I don't think we should shy away from it. Kids love fear."
Road to the Tardis
BORN in Paisley, Scotland, the son of a Presbyterian minister.
FIRST appeared on TV back in 1994 in Takin' Over The Asylum
FOLLOWED it up with roles such as the Reverend Gibson in Kenilworth writer Andrew Davies's adaptation of Trollope's He Knew He Was Right and as the maverick DI Carlisle in Blackpool.
PLAYED the legendary Casanova in Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies's ground-breaking series.
RECENTLY appeared on ITV as a disturbing boyfriend in Secret Smile.
TWO of his most recent theatre roles were in dark and gritty plays, The Pillowman and Look Back in Anger. He was awarded the Best Male Performance award at the 2005 Critics Awards for Theatre of Scotland for the latter.
PLAYS Barty Crouch Junior in the fourth Harry Potter film, The Goblet of Fire.
The Doctor attracts all ages ONE of the biggest surprises of last year was the varied age range of the audience Doctor Who attracted.
The series really hit a chord with viewers of all ages and has been heralded as good family entertainment.
The majority of David Tennant's television and theatre roles have been for a predominantly adult audience, so how does he feel about his new army of younger fans?
"It's genuinely watched by everyone, aged seven to 70, including groups you wouldn't particularly expect to be huge Doctor Who fans.
"I'm continually surprised by the number of trendy teenage girls and middle-aged mums who come up to talk to me and who genuinely love the show. I think that's what's extraordinary and unique about it.
"But that's how it should be. I think it's a good enough show to justify that kind of cross-spread of audience.
"I doubt I'll ever do something that attracts such a varied audience again."
David admits he couldn't resist having a peek at fan websites when it was first announced he was to play Doctor Who.
He laughs: "I just couldn't help myself, and everyone was encouraging me to go on and see what the fans were saying about me.
"So I went on there and the first comment I read was very nice, and the next comment was terribly flattering, and then the next one said something like 'I can't bear the sight of him' And the one after that said 'Who?' The one after that said 'I'd rather have David Morrissey'.
"The one after that said 'That's it! The dream is finished! Somebody who looks like a weasel could never play the Doctor! It's over'. And then I thought to myself that maybe it's best not to read this sort of thing too much.
"I just hope people like it. I hope they stick with it and give it a chance. I know everyone loved Chris, and so did I, but hopefully I won't disappoint people."
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- APA 6th ed.: Mcmullen, Marion (2005-12-17). Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas. Coventry Evening Telegraph .
- MLA 7th ed.: Mcmullen, Marion. "Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas." Coventry Evening Telegraph [add city] 2005-12-17. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Mcmullen, Marion. "Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas." Coventry Evening Telegraph, edition, sec., 2005-12-17
- Turabian: Mcmullen, Marion. "Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas." Coventry Evening Telegraph, 2005-12-17, section, edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Look_Who_Santa_Is_Bringing_You_This_Christmas | work=Coventry Evening Telegraph | pages= | date=2005-12-17 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=14 May 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Look Who Santa Is Bringing You This Christmas | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Look_Who_Santa_Is_Bringing_You_This_Christmas | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=14 May 2025}}</ref>
