Tennant, one of the most popular actors to play the role, 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, according to news reports on the BBC and elsewhere. Tennant will appear in a 2008 Christmas special before filming four more specials in January. "They'll be the four last stories that I do," he said.
This suggests a regeneration taking place in the 2009 Christmas special.
Tennant anticipated fans' dismay, protesting he feels he needs to leave now or never. "I love this part," he said, "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."
Tennant has done three seasons of Who, with Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, and Catherine Tate playing his main companions. Tate left the show at the end of the last season, so it's not certain who will be playing opposite Tennant in the upcoming specials.
Tennant has made a game of being coy about his tenure on the show, dropping contradictory hints about his future intentions. The show itself even teased fans in the penultimate episode of the last season, showing the start of a regeneration – only to abort it at the top of the season finale.
Russell T. Davies, executive producer of Doctor Who, 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."
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar