The Doctor Who sixtieth anniversary is shaping up to be an unforgettable experience, as the BBC has announced that David Tennant and Catherine Tate are set to return to their roles as the Doctor and Donna Noble for an episode that is set to air in 2023. This news comes one week after the exciting announcement that the Fourteenth Doctor will be played by Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa. Adding to the excitement, it was announced last year that veteran Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies has returned to helm the show starting in 2023.
In the press release shared by the BBC, Davies shared in the excitement about the return of Ten and Donna 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.” It sounds like the showrunner is trying to keep fans on their toes with all of those potential storylines that could be playing out in the episode.
While Ten and Rose (Billie Piper) may be a fan-favorite romantic couple in the series, the DoctorDonna (riffing on the meta-crisis that devastated audiences) was undoubtedly one of the most dynamic duos that the series has ever created. Mostly because David Tennant and Catherine Tate have fantastic comedic timing together, which is evident in their extremely quotable Comic Relief sketch from 2007 and their time on the stage as Benedict and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing in 2011.
The last time Doctor Who fans saw Donna Noble, there were tears in our eyes. Her time aboard the TARDIS ended in heartbreak that she can’t remember. The meta-crisis caused by the regeneration energy that she absorbed caused her to lose her memory of her time with the Doctor, but of course, he will never forget. “The End of Time” marked her last appearance, as well as the end of Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor. Though Tennant did return for “The Day of the Doctor,” which was the fiftieth-anniversary episode during Matt Smith‘s time as the Doctor.
It looks like we’re going to have to wait until 2023 to discover how the Doctor and Donna will end up crossing paths with Fourteen, but BBC did confirm that the episode is currently being filmed. Perhaps someone will share a picture in the near future that will give us a clue as to what we can expect from their return! The possibilities are endless.
Jodi Whittaker will take her bow as the Thirteenth Doctor later this year.
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