Russell T Davies hints at reason for David Tennant's Doctor Who return
The showrunner gave some teases in this month's Doctor Who Magazine.
It's been over a month since the Doctor Who fanbase was rocked by news that David Tennant and Catherine Tate would be returning to their iconic roles as The Doctor and Donna Noble for the show's 60th anniversary.
Ever since then, fans have been trying to work out just how the pair might come back, and now returning showrunner Russell T Davies has given them some new theories to mull over.
Writing in this month's edition of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies put forward a few potential explainers for how this could be possible.
He said: "A mysteriously forgotten excursion for the TARDIS in between Planet of the Ood and Sontaran Stratagem? Or maybe a multiverse thing, they’re all the rage these days. Maybe this is the Doctor and Donna from Universe 557, all set to collide with our own.
"Then again, maybe, just maybe, this return is so impossible that it’s actually an intricate illusion created by an old enemy of the Doctor’s. Or maybe an old enemy of Donna’s. Nerys!
"Of course, I wouldn’t give that away in the pages of DWM, would I? But then again. This magazine is the first place I ever revealed the name of Billie Piper’s Rose (in issue 340). So read carefully. There are truths in here."
As Davies states, it's highly unlikely he would reveal the real explanation for their return so casually, so take those potential explanations with a huge pinch of salt. However, the tease at the end that "there are truths in here" is sure to set fans' minds racing to uncover just what it all means.
Davies previously gave some similar teases in a statement alongside the announcement that Tennant and Tate would return, 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."
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Devotees of the long-running sci-fi show have been gifted with a whole host of exciting announcements these past two months, from the confirmation that Ncuti Gatwa will be playing the new Doctor to the casting of both Yasmin Finney and Neil Patrick Harris in crucial roles.
Davies also recently promised that his new era would be "off the scale", while he has previously teased that he has "immense plans" for when Gatwa joins the fray.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
