Doctor Who director Rachel Talalay returns for 60th anniversary
After directing several popular Peter Capaldi episodes, Talalay has been brought back to helm the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
More Doctor Who news! Following the announcement of new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa and the return of former series stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate, we now know the director set to work with Tennant and Tate on new material airing in 2023.
And happily for fans, it’s another familiar face. British-American director Rachel Talalay, known for helming popular Doctor Who episodes starring Peter Capaldi (including his final regeneration into current Doctor Jodie Whittaker) has confirmed that she will be back for the 60th anniversary celebrations, five years after she last turned her hand to TARDIS filmmaking.
Known for work on films like Tank Girl, Freddy’s Dead and A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, as well as TV series like Ally McBeal, The Flash, Riverdale and American Gods, Talalay gained particular attention for her collaborations with former Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat.
During Moffat’s tenure as Doctor Who showrunner, Talalay directed seven episodes of the series, including every two-part finale starring Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi, as well as Capaldi and Moffat’s final episode, Twice Upon a Time. Around the same time, she collaborated with Moffat on an episode of his BBC drama Sherlock.
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Talalay also shot Peter Capaldi’s regeneration into Jodie Whittaker, which meant working with then-Thirteenth Doctor Whittaker for her first on-screen appearance.
However, this new project will mark the first time Talalay has worked substantially on a Doctor Who project without Capaldi and Moffat, as well as the first time she’s collaborated with returning writer/showrunner Russell T Davies (who had left by the time Talalay came on board).
Still, it’s sure to seem like a bit of a homecoming for a fan-favourite director, often cited as the best Doctor Who has ever had on the books. We can’t wait to see what she and Davies have in store for the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble next year.
Talalay confirmed the previously-rumoured news on Twitter today, sending her appreciation to fans who came out to see the show film in Camden, North London.
"Thank you for all the love, Doctor Who fandom," her statement began. "Back atcha. Hope you enjoyed yourselves!"
She added: "FYI, I did not lie/fib/Andrew Garfield about not directing on Monday. Some rehearsals and caught a shopping trip to [clothing retailer] Cyberdog: have loved it there for years!"
The namedrop of Academy Award nominee Garfield is a light-hearted reference to the actor's repeated denials he was reprising the role of Peter Parker for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which ultimately proved to be false.
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