You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can’t spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That’s the curse of the Time Lords.
With Eccleston gone, a new actor was chosen: David Tennant. Within one or two years, he became the most popular actor of the revival, almost beating Tom Baker’s status in the Classic period.
About David Tennant
Tennant was born to Essdale Helen and Rev. Alexander “Sandy” McDonald. Like Colin Baker before him, David was a lifelong fan of Doctor Who and cited it as the reason he wanted to become an actor. At sixteen, he attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. During this thime, he changed his last name to Tennant, inspired by Pet Shop Boys’ lead singer Neil Tennant (they’re his favorite band.) because the Equity Union already had a David McDonald. He starred in an episode of Dramarama. He joined the Dundee Repertory Theatre in the 90’s. He also became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also played Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of FIre. His most recent role was in Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger.
Changes
- Beginning with “The Runaway Bride”, a new opening was used, complete with a slightly new logo.
- “School Reunion” and “Doomsday” both started spinoffs. “School Reunion” started the Sarah Jane Adventures and “Doomsday” started Torchwood.
- First appearance of the Ood: “The Impossible Planet”
- Four of the Doctor’s adventures were solo, for the first time since Tom Baker’s “The Deadly Assassin”.
- First appearance of the Judoon: “Smith and Jones” (although the Judoon have yet to appear again, they have appeared in a Sarah Jane Adventures episode.)
- First appearance of the Weeping Angels: “Blink”
- John Simm became the seventh actor to play the Master in “Utopia”
Conclusion
David Tennant is my favorite revival era Doctor. He is the most romantic of the Doctors, and that doesn’t bother me in the slightest. He was a fun character anda welcome change from Eccleston’s depressed attitude. He was very energetic. While he didn’t beat Tom Baker in my favorite Doctor rankings, I still think he was a great choice and I was sorry to see him go.
The Companions
Rose Tyler
It’s always interesting seeing how a new Doctor changes the dynamics. With the ninth Doctor, Rose helped him overcome his survivor’s guilt. With the tenth, he seemed more willing to express his love for her (the friendly kind anyway)
Mickey Smith
With the Tenth Doctor, Mickey finally got the respect he deserved. He was far from Mickey the Idiot anymore. I thought this was a great change.
Captain Jack Harkness
Despite only appearing twice in the main show, Harkness continued to be busy, thanks to Torchwood. His relationship with the Tenth Doctor was a bit softened, and they seemed to be better friends.
Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)
(Note: because Donna doesn’t join until after Martha’s departure, I put Martha first)
First Appearance: “Smith and Jones”
Last Appearance: “Last of the Time Lords” (returns in “The Sontaran Strategem” and “Journey’s End”)
Martha is a wonderful and pretty companion. I loved her relationship with the Doctor and the sense of wonder she expressed. She is also the only character from the main show to appear in Torchwood, besides John Harkness of course.
Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)
First Appearance: “The Runaway Bride” (does not officially join until “Partners in Crime”)
Last Appearance: “Journey’s End”
I loved Donna! She was so much fun and was the shot in the arm the Doctor desperately needed. I loved how she freely spoke her mind when she objected to what the Doctor was doing,which seemed like every story.
River Song (Alex Kingston)
First Appearance: “Silence in the Library”
Most Recent Appearance: “The Name of the Doctor” (with 11th)
Ah, the enigmatic River Song. What a confusing, but enjoyable, character you are. I think I should really hold off until next time for her.
Best Stories
“The Girl in the FIreplace”
The Doctor learns just how terrible time travel can be in what I think is one of the saddest stories ever.
“School Reunion”
How could I not like this story? It brought back Sarah Jane! It was great to see her again, and her spinoff series is excellent, especially for a kids show. Why Netflix doesn’t have it is beyond my understanding.
“The Impossible Planet”/”The Satan Pit”
Doctor vs. the devil? Yes, please!
“Fear Her”
A story about a little girl who can trap people in her drawings. Very weird, but I enjoyed it.
“The Shakespeare Code”
The Doctor and Martha meet William Shakespeare himself! This was a real treat for a Shakespeare buff like me.
“Human Nature”/”Family of Blood”
The Doctor gives up his status as a Time Lord and becomes human in this story inspired by a novel. This is my favorite Martha story
“Blink”
The first appearance of the Weeping Angels. Moffatt at his best!
“Utopia”/”The Sound of Drums”/”The Last of the Time Lords”
While I still think Roger Delgado was the best Master, John Simm certainly was great in this version.
“Planet of the Ood”
Any time you see the Ood, expect a great story. This was a great commentary on humanity’s tendency towards exploitation.
“The Unicorn and the Wasp”
As an Agatha Christie fan, this was a real treat for me. The Doctor meeting another one of my favorite writers. Now all we need is one where he meets Tolkien.
“Silence in the Library”/”Forest of the Dead”
The Vashta Narada need to make a comeback. They are too scary for just one story.
“The Stolen Earth”/”Journey’s End”
It was about time Davros showed up in the revival. Bringing back all the companions meant the TARDIS was rather crowded (in fact, this story sets the record for most companions), but thankfully, the story gave them enough time.
“The Waters of Mars”
Ever wonder why the Doctor doesn’t want to mess with fixed points? This episode gives a very good reason: because it gets worse.
Worst Stories
“Love and Monsters”
What a disgusting story! The Absorbalon is a terrible master. And the ending: no, just no.
“Daleks in Manhattan”/”Evolution of the Daleks”
Note to anyone writing a Doctor Who episode: The Daleks do not need lackeys. It never works.
“Voyage of the Damned”
I really wanted to like this episode. An outer space version of the Titanic actually sounded interesting. But there were so many problems and the climax just wasn’t very satisfying.
Aspie Catholic 