Popular Doctor Who Star David Tennant Won't Be Returning to the Tardis

Doctor Who is scheduled for regeneration in 2010. Scottish actor, David Tennant has played The Doctor since 2005 when he took over the title role from Christopher Eccleston. Eccleston reprised the role for the relaunch of the series, but only played The Doctor for a single season. Tennant's announcement October 29, 2008 at the National Television Awards that he will not be continuing his roll for Series 5, is a sad blow for millions of Doctor Who fans world wide. Speculation that Tennant would be leaving the series had grown in recent months following his refusal to answer questions about the new season premiering in 2010. His portrayal of the Time Lord has proven extremely popular and the show has gained a new audience since returning to regular programming. The Series 4 season finale, Journey's End was watched by more than 10.5 million viewers.

The long-running BBC science fiction series first aired in 1963. After continuous episodes, the program went on hiatus in 1989, returning for a brief stint in 1996. The show was successfully re-established in March 2005 under the direction of executive producer and head writer Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner. Both announced that they were leaving their positions with the show earlier this year. Steven Moffat is taking over the role previously filled by Davies. Among the episodes Moffat wrote for Doctor Who are Silence in the Library,Forest of the Dead, and Blink, for which he won the 2008 BAFTA Craft Award. These episodes are considerably spookier and more emotionally complex than those created by Davies. Since the announcement that Moffat would take over as executive producer and head writer, many fans and critics alike have stated that the new series will have a decidedly darker feel.

Since David Tennant, referred to by many as the best Doctor Who in series history, announced his departure, the press has been alive with conjecture as to who will be the next Doctor. Several names are being linked with the series including James Nesbitt (Jekyll, Murphy's Law), John Simm (Life on Mars, State of Play), Paterson Joseph (Jekyll, Peep Show), and actress Alex Kingston (ER, CSI). The presence of Alex Kingston on the list of prospects indicates the public's willingness to see The Doctor as a woman. Kingston's role as the enigmatic Professor River Song in the episodes Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead makes her a credible contender.

A trained Shakespearean actor, Tennant recently appeared in sold out productions of Hamlet and Love's Labours Lost. He has completed filming on Einstein and Eddington, a BBC drama about the relationship between British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington and German physicist Albert Einstein in which he plays the role of the British scientist. He has also been tagged for a role in the WWII film, 1939. 1939 boasts an acclaimed cast including Julie Christie, Bill Nighy, Jeremy Northam, and Romola Garai. It appears that as much as we will miss him as The Doctor, David Tennant will not be out of view for long.

Sources:

http://www.david-tennant.com/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/20/bbc.television2

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/news/2008/10/31/there-s-lots-of-excitement-about-a-new-doctor-who-91466-22157477/