David Tennant’s Rejected Doctor Who Return Would Have Been Perfect

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I still remember how upset I was when David Tennant left Doctor Who back in 2010 – it was such an emotional moment! But apparently, it almost didn’t happen! You see, David Tennant, a fantastic Scottish actor, took over from Christopher Eccleston in 2005, and quickly became my absolute favorite Doctor. His Tenth Doctor was just brilliant, and he played the role for four whole seasons plus a bunch of special episodes. I learned recently that Steven Moffat, who was becoming the new showrunner, actually had a plan to keep the Tenth Doctor around for even longer, and almost prevented that incredibly moving regeneration in “The End of Time – Part Two”! It’s amazing to think how close we were to seeing even more of him as Doctor Who.

I’ll always remember David Tennant as a truly iconic Tenth Doctor! He starred in some of the very best Doctor Who episodes – things like “Blink,” “Midnight,” “Silence in the Library,” and “The Waters of Mars” immediately spring to mind. It was such a treat to see him return in 2013’s “The Day of the Doctor,” and then again for the show’s 60th anniversary in 2023, playing the Fourteenth Doctor! I recently learned he almost had a whole *another* season as the Tenth Doctor back in 2010. Apparently, that would have really altered Steven Moffat’s run on Doctor Who, but honestly, it would have been absolutely perfect for David Tennant.

Steven Moffat Offered David Tennant Another Season of Doctor Who

I remember back in 2013, Doctor Who TV reported on what Steven Moffat had planned if David Tennant had stayed on as the Tenth Doctor after “The End of Time.” Moffat took over from Russell T. Davies as showrunner following the 2009 specials – he’d already written some amazing episodes during Tennant’s time – and he’s the one who brought Matt Smith in as the Eleventh Doctor. But apparently, his first idea was to keep David Tennant on, which would have totally changed things in Doctor Who’s fifth series. It’s fascinating to think about how different the show could have been!

When asked about his plans if David Tennant had continued as the Doctor for another year, Moffat explained, “It definitely would have been his last.” He shared that his idea was to begin with the TARDIS crashing into Amelia’s garden, and a very injured Tenth Doctor [would stagger] out. Amelia would then find him, give him fish custard, and generally help him recover. However, the audience would see that he was in very poor condition – possibly even dying. He would eventually return to the TARDIS and fly away. When he reappeared – many years later from Amy’s perspective – he would seem completely healthy and wouldn’t remember anything that had happened. Over time, we would understand that what we saw was the Tenth Doctor at the end of his life, on the verge of regenerating – events that [would] be revisited in episode 13.”

The Tenth Doctor’s Regeneration Under Steven Moffat Would Have Put Amy Pond Front and Center

As a Doctor Who fan, I still think about what could have been with series 5! It kicked off with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor making quite an entrance, crash-landing the TARDIS right into Amelia Pond’s (Caitlin Blackwood) garden back in the 1990s. He eventually came back for her years later – now played by Karen Gillan – and she became his first companion in this new era. But here’s a fascinating “what if”: Steven Moffat originally envisioned a very different path. He planned for Amy to actually join the Tenth Doctor, meaning Gillan would have traveled with David Tennant. The biggest change? Amy would have *witnessed* the Doctor’s regeneration firsthand, something she missed in the actual series, even being connected to the “Raggedy Man” storyline.

David Tennant and Karen Gillan shared the screen in Doctor Who for a short time in 2008’s “The Fires of Pompeii,” with Gillan portraying a seer from ancient Pompeii. If Gillan had come back as the Tenth Doctor’s final companion – following Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) – this earlier role would definitely have been mentioned. Each of those three companions either saw or knew about the Doctor’s regenerations, but Amy Pond never did. Seeing a regeneration would have given Gillan the chance to explore new depths in her portrayal of Amy.

Will David Tennant Ever Return to Doctor Who Again?

David Tennant’s portrayal of Doctor Who was so memorable that fans have consistently welcomed his returns to the show ever since “The End of Time.” He first reappeared in the series’ 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” in 2013, sharing the screen with Matt Smith and John Hurt, who played the War Doctor. More recently, he returned for three specials in 2023, and was once again joined by Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. These episodes concluded with a unique event called bi-generation, which allowed both David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor to co-exist – with Tennant’s Doctor choosing to retire and enjoy life with his newfound family.

Given that the Fourteenth Doctor is still alive and still has a TARDIS, there’s a good chance he might reappear in future episodes of Doctor Who. This seems even more plausible now that the Fifteenth Doctor has regenerated into Rose Tyler, with Billie Piper reprising her role. Rose is one of Doctor Who’s most memorable companions, famously known for her romantic relationship with the Tenth Doctor. While nothing is official regarding the future of the show, the return of any of these characters remains unconfirmed, it would be fantastic to see David Tennant back on the series.

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2025-10-01 16:16