David Tennant’s representative advised him against accepting the role in Doctor Who.

      In the fourth season of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, an episode titled Turn Left explored the fate of the universe through an alternate timeline influenced by a minor choice. David Tennant, who portrayed the Doctor in that episode, experienced his own Turn Left moment prior to taking on the role. The actor recently disclosed that his agent advised him against accepting the part that later propelled him to fame.

      In a recent episode of David Tennant Does a Podcast with… featured on Variety, Tennant discussed this topic with his wife and fellow actress, Georgia Tennant. At the time he was offered the role in 2005, the revival of Doctor Who had not yet premiered. Ultimately, Tennant succeeded Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor in the first season’s finale, but he admitted he did not immediately agree to the offer.

      Tennant remarked that he “was clearly going to do it,” but acknowledged there was “definitely a moment when I wasn’t… I had to process what it all meant, and at that time, I had an agent who said, ‘Don’t touch it, it’s not going to work.’ This was not my current agent, but a previous exceptional agent who has since retired, though she turned out to be incorrect. She indicated, ‘It’s not going to work, you don’t want that hanging around your neck.'”

      After accepting the role, Tennant portrayed the Doctor for five years through four seasons and several specials before stepping down in 2010. Had he declined, he might never have met his wife, Georgia, who guest starred as the Doctor’s daughter, Jenny, in a season 4 episode. Georgia Tennant is also the daughter of Peter Davison, who played the fifth Doctor in the original series.

      Tennant has returned as the Doctor for both the 50th and 60th anniversary specials of Doctor Who. The current series is available for streaming on Disney+, with a new season set to premiere on Saturday, April 12.

      Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for more than 15 years, with his work featured in publications like Wizard Magazine and Geek…

      Doctor Who fans have only seen Ncuti Gatwa's 15th Doctor in a brief appearance during the final 60th anniversary special and in a single Christmas special last year. Although it’s still early to determine the nature of Gatwa’s Doctor, he certainly showcases an engaging smile in the new trailer for Doctor Who season 14. The latest teaser does not reveal much regarding the plot but highlights the palpable chemistry between the Doctor and his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). Ruby appears reminiscent of the Doctor's prior companions, Rose Tyler and Amy Pond, but these previews suggest she has the potential to develop significantly in her role.

      Doctor Who has returned from a prolonged break with a new special titled Doctor Who: The Star Beast, marking the 60th anniversary of the series. This special is the first of three featuring David Tennant as an all-new incarnation of the Doctor, the Fourteenth Doctor, alongside Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, his former companion from the fourth season.

      Over the past 60 years, the Doctor has had numerous companions on his time-traveling adventures. In creating a list of the seven best companions from the modern revival series that commenced in 2005, we have adhered to that era, with one exception due to a character having a significant role in both classic and modern Doctor Who. For insights into who secured the top position on the list, continue reading.

      This month celebrates the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, the hit BBC sci-fi series with a passionate global audience. While new episodes of the 2005 revival series will be available on Disney+ later this month, fans of classic Doctor Who can further delve into the Doctor's adventures. Tubi has announced that over 600 episodes of the original series are now available for free streaming.

      Doctor Who first premiered on November 23, 1963, during a time when preserving television programs was not prioritized. Consequently, 97 episodes are missing from the original 871-episode run. However, some of those lost installments have been animated using archival recordings of the actors. These animated recreations will also be accessible on Tubi under the title Classic Doctor Who: The Animated Lost Stories.