David Tennant’s New Doctor Makes Surprise Debut

Image: BBC

The 14th Doctor has arrived—a little earlier than we first expected. Although Doctor Who will return to TV in a little over a week in a big way to celebrate its 60th anniversary in a trio of specials, tonight the BBC released a short scene marking the first onscreen adventure for David Tennant’s latest take on the Time Lord.

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Aired as part of the BBC’s annual charity telethon Children in Need, this clip sees the 14th Doctor cross paths with a mysterious man (Mawaan Rizwan) with ties to the Doctor’s oldest foe: the Daleks… and their genesis, in a brief, bizarre, and very fun little scene.

The Fourteenth Doctor is Here! | BBC Children in Need 2023 | Doctor Who

The scene doesn’t just mark Tennant’s first “full” onscreen adventure since he reprised the role Tenth Doctor in “The Day of the Doctor,” but returning showrunner Russell T. Davies’ first televised writing credit for Doctor Who since he departed the show in 2010.

Doctor Who will return to BBC One in the UK and Ireland—and debut on Disney+ worldwide elsewhere—on November 25 with “The Star Beast,” the first in a trio of weekly special episodes starring David Tennant as the 14th Doctor and Catherine Tate as returning companion Donna Noble, before returning again on Christmas Day for “The Church on Ruby Road,” marking the formal debut of Doctor Who’s 15th Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa.


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