The DoctorDonna returns!
Catherine Tate and David Tennant - to the surprise of almost no one - are back for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, next year.
The announcement was made on Sunday, slightly crashing over the waves of positive publicity that Ncuti Gatwa was still bathing in since his unveiling as the next Doctor the previous weekend.
The Tennant/Tate statement cryptically says the stars:
"...are filming scenes that are due to air in 2023 to coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations."So now we can speculate whether "coincide" means they are in the 60th anniversary special or have their own spin-off, part of incoming showrunner Russell T Davies's rumoured plans for an MCU-like "expanded universe" of Doctor Who shows.
Catherine Tate's Donna Noble and David Tennant's Tenth Doctor are probably the best loved TARDIS crew pairing of the modern era (although Bill Potts and The Twelfth Doctor come close), so a confirmation of their return to the show was always going to be very welcome news.
Perhaps this will be a chance to undo the dreadful treatment Donna received at the end of her original story arc.
RTD is quoted in the official BBC press release as saying:
"They're back! And it looks impossible - first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on earth is happening? Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime."If nothing else, these past couple of weeks suggest that, with RTD back at the helm, the days of zero-to-minimal publicity in the tight-lipped Chris Chibnall era have come to end.
To add another layer of mystery, Yasmin Finney (Elle Argent in Heartstopper) has also been announced as joining the DoctorDonna as a character called ROSE!!!
RTD says:
"Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose? You’ll find out in 2023."
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| Yasmin Finney |
On his Instagram account, Russell concludes this announcement with:
"And that’s it for now, folks. I know: wouldn’t it be lovely to keep this quiet and surprise you all on TV?! But we can’t, not when we’re filming outdoors in London. So instead of spoilers, we have to own it instead. But now! Silence! And Jodie’s epic finale has kept secrets a million times better than us, just you WAIT!"
It is lightly funny that RTD's (second) first story is at least a year or so away, yet we have more information (and in a sense, hype) for it than Chibnall's last.
ReplyDeleteI also find it amazing just what a statement the casting has been so far - while Bradley Walsh and John Bishop have been lovely, it speaks to ambition that Chibnall's idea of exciting celebrity casting is 'comedians who would have hosted awards shows a decade ago, mostly that the older members of the family would be interested in' while Russell's is 'people with millions of social media followers, currently in award-winning shows incredibly popular with teenagers' - while I'm not sure how crazy I am about all of the nostalgia (even if it is an anniversary) I'm very excited for how much the show seems primed to be an international sensation again. Speaking as a mental Doctor Who fan, I tend to like Doctor Who (the program) the least when it's only ambition is to cater to mental Doctor Who fans.
I know exactly what you mean. RTD has a much better grasp on how to "sell the show", without compromising its integrity.
ReplyDeleteWith an established show such as Doctor Who, with a loyal and vocal fan base, you need to alienate as few as possible with the show's in-built "change", but you also need to attract new fans (some of whom will leave after a season or two, but others will become "mental Doctor Who fans" and be with you for life).