David Tennant quits as Doctor Who

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David Tennant is to stand down as Doctor Who, after becoming one of the most popular Time Lords in the history of the BBC science fiction show.
Tennant stepped into the Tardis in 2005, and will leave the role after four special episodes are broadcast next year.
He made the announcement after winning the outstanding drama performance prize at the National Television Awards.
"When Doctor Who returns in 2010 it won't be with me," he said.
"Now don't make me cry," he added. "I love this part, and I love this show so much that if I don't take a deep breath and move on now I never will, and you'll be wheeling me out of the Tardis in my bath chair."
'I'll miss it'
Three years was "about the right time" to play the role, he told the BBC in an exclusive interview.
"I think it's better to go when there's a chance that people might miss you, rather than to hang around and outstay your welcome," he said.
His stint in the show had been "the most extraordinary time, it's been bewildering, life changing, very exciting", he said.
"And just so much fun, such a great show to work on.
"That's one of the reasons I think it's right to take a deep breath and bow out when it's still fun, when it's a novelty.
"I don't ever want it to feel like a job, so I want to move on when it still feels exciting and fresh and that means I'll miss it."
Tennant, the 10th actor to play the Doctor Who, left fans guessing about his return at the end of the latest series.
In the last episode, in July, the Doctor had to defeat his enemies the Daleks to save the universe.
Almost 10 million people watched as the Time Lord apparently started the process of regeneration - but did not complete it.
Tennant will appear in a Christmas special, titled The Next Doctor, before filming four more specials in January.
"They'll be the four last stories that I do," he said.
In a sign of his popularity, he was voted best drama performer in a public vote at the National Television Awards.
He has been named most popular actor at the same ceremony for the past two years. That prize has been discontinued this year.
An average of 8.1 million people a week watched the latest series - the fourth since it made a comeback in 2005 - in its Saturday evening slot on BBC One.
Russell T Davies, executive producer, said: "I've been lucky and honoured to work with David over the past few years - and it's not over yet, the Tenth Doctor still has five spectacular hours left!
"After which, I might drop an anvil on his head. Or maybe a piano. A radioactive piano. But we're planning the most enormous and spectacular ending, so keep watching."
A fifth series of the show is scheduled for 2010.
Tennant replaced Christopher Eccleston, who resurrected the show after a 16-year break.
Tennant made his name in TV dramas such as Blackpool and Casanova.
He started his career in theatre and in recent months has returned to the stage with well-received performances in Hamlet and Love's Labour's Lost for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
In December last year, Tennant denied rumours that he was planning to quit after Catherine Tate - his new companion in the Tardis - told the Jonathan Ross radio show she thought the next series of Doctor Who would be Tennant's last.
He said at the time: "Catherine Tate stitched me up good and proper. She goes on Jonathan Ross and makes up a load of old nonsense."

[Amelia G]

Wow, guess it wasn't nonsense.

I find Christopher Eccleston sexier, so they could bring him back and I'd be perfectly pleased.

[keiko]

SRSLY!?!?!?!?!?!

I leave the internet for one day and My Doctor QUITS?!?!?!

I'll comment more when the shock wears off and i can do more than sputter incoherently at my screen...
~K

[Bikerpunk]

Change is good. I liked Tennant a LOT, think he was the best ever.

[Lady Alias]

He's leaving because...he enjoys it? Sounds like there's something else going on.

[Mindgames]

He's leaving because...he enjoys it? Sounds like there's something else going on.

It's not surprised you all, surely... When RTD announced his departure the writing was on the wall for most of the cast. After the specials there's nothing else scheduled, and David's got bills to pay like the rest of us. Who works best when it runs for a few years and then is left to fester for 20 - try and keep it alive for too long and you end up with Sylvester McCoy. Say no more.

[keiko]

*sighs*
once again mG is right. it is a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder.

bugger.

~K

[Amelia G]

It's not surprised you all, surely... When RTD announced his departure the writing was on the wall for most of the cast. After the specials there's nothing else scheduled, and David's got bills to pay like the rest of us. Who works best when it runs for a few years and then is left to fester for 20 - try and keep it alive for too long and you end up with Sylvester McCoy. Say no more.

When did RTD announce he was leaving? What is he doing now? And I thought I was paying attention to the Whoverse.

[Mindgames]

Last May he confirmed he was quitting after season 4, leaving Steve Moffat to do the specials. Quite a bit of press about it at the time, including a conversation on here somewhere if I recall.

He's still exec-p on a lot of projects (including Torchwood and Sarah Jane), and wrote the first part of the Torchwood mini-season we talked about on here a few weeks back, but he's not writing anything for Who itself.

Course, now the quest can start in the press for The Next Doctor (*wot? title of the Xmas special? OMG SRSLY?*). I'll phrase this extremely hypothetically, to the point of being hypothetical about even being hypothetical, but:

What'd you think about it being a girl?

When did RTD announce he was leaving? What is he doing now? And I thought I was paying attention to the Whoverse.

[darkamor]

I was as upset as most Doctor Who Fans when David Tennant made his announcement about not wanting to return in 2010 (I truly enjoyed his time acting with Catherine Tate) .... but when word got out that those who brought the show back from the dead were leaving the project the BBC certainly wasn't rushing out someone else to write / develop new episodes - it's a few specials and that's it ....

~(^)~