David Tennant is leaving :(

[KryptonSite]

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5042656.ece

This suuuuuuuuucks. I was really hoping he'd do some episodes with Steven Moffat.

[Lexgirl33]

Noooooooooooo :( That just made me sad.

[TMLS]

Craig, I "exclusively" announced this in the NTA thread on the main Who board before he announced it! I don't think it'll stay a spoiler for long. Please move it into here if you so desire.

[harryandginnyfanatic]

This is terrible. :(

I was really looking foward to seeing where Moffat was gonna take 10 in Series 5.

What are the chances of Tennant changing his mind?

[TMLS]

None from what he said live and subsequent interviews that were posted once the embargo lifted.

It's a good fresh start for the series - and has been one of its key features in re-inventing itself over the years to stop it from going stale. Better for 10 to go out at the top of his game. Always leave them wanting more, and all that.

[susangail]

Too bad. I preferred Christopher Eccleston at first, but David Tennant grew on me...

[Randy G.]

I'll miss him, but I agree. Leave them wanting more.

[harryandginnyfanatic]

What gets me is they just finally wrapped up the storyline with Rose. Tennant's Doctor had so much story potential that I feel was just wasted on the Rose character. In Journey's End he seemed more upset to lose Donna.

Those specials in 09 better be the best Doctor Who episodes ever.

[number8]

Came across a news link for this just a while ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698200.stm

Not a viewer of the show, just figured I'd share.

[TMLS]

Already two threads:

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107097

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107116

Please read the boards in future please, Mr Moderator. And a spoiler like that in spoiler tags unless it's in the spoiler section ;)

[jimmyolsenblues]

I am very upset about this , I really grew to love David after being such a 9th doctor fan.
At first I was upset about David becoming the doctor, so that is a great testament to how great he embodied to me how the doctor should be...some of the best scenes on tv were david tennant as the doctor.

----- Added 16 Minutes later -----

=========
David Tennant Explains Why He's Crushing Your Doctor Who Dreams (http://io9.com/5070684/david-tennant-explains-why-hes-crushing-your-doctor-who-dreams)

<!-- google_ad_section_start -->
<script type="text/javascript"> newVideoPlayer("/davidtennantquits_io9.flv", 441, 248,""); </script><object style="visibility: visible;" id="flv_6018" data="/assets/util/videoModule.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="441" height="248">




</object> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/stills/davidtennantquits_io9.flv.jpgIt's official: David Tennant is leaving as the star of Doctor Who, the BBC's hit series about an eccentric time traveler who roams the universe in a phone booth, righting wrongs. Tennant will stay on for four special one-hour episodes, to air in 2009 and early 2010, and then leave. This means his exit will be written (or co-written) by producer Russell T. Davies, who's also leaving after those four specials. And it means new producer Steven Moffat will have a blank slate, including a new lead actor, when he takes over in 2010. Here's a snippet of the video from the BBC site, where Tennant explains why he always intended to leave after three seasons, and why he wanted to leave along with RTD. [BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7698539.stm)]</p>

[quinny06]

We all knew this was coming, but it's still crap. James Nesbitt is pick for the 11th Doctor!

[Welling_is_pretty]

This was on Newsarama the other day as well (the first I heard of it). I love David as the Doctor and am sorry to see him go.

What is it about the new modern Doctors that make them stay only a few years and then "regenerate"? Weird.

[quinny06]

This was on Newsarama the other day as well (the first I heard of it). I love David as the Doctor and am sorry to see him go.

What is it about the new modern Doctors that make them stay only a few years and then "regenerate"? Weird.

Well, 3 or 4 years is the average time for a Doctor. The First, Second, Fifth and Eighth lasted 3 years, the Third lasted 4. The Sixth Doctor was the current doctor for around three years I think, but the show was on hiatus for some of that.

So David's done about the usual amount of time, three series and a year's worth of specials. At least he lasted longer than the dissapointingly short run of the Ninth Doctor. I still hate Eccleston for doing that, even though he was amazing in the role.

[newbaggy]

This was on Newsarama the other day as well (the first I heard of it). I love David as the Doctor and am sorry to see him go.

What is it about the new modern Doctors that make them stay only a few years and then "regenerate"? Weird.

Not exactly a new trait, if you look at the seven actors to play The Doctor in the original series.

1) William Hartnell

Length of run: three years

Left because: ill-health (rumoured to also have had disagreements with producers)

2) Patrick Troughton

Length of run: three years

Left because: he decided that to stay longer than three years might leave him irrevocably typecast.

3) Jon Pertwee

Length of run: five years

Left because: producer Barry Letts had already announced that he was leaving, so it seemed a convenient time to go. Also, Roger Delgado (the original Master) had been killed in a car crash whilst on holiday, adding to the "end of an era" feel.

4) Tom Baker

Length of run: seven years

Left because: simply seems to have become tired of the role (although there were later stories that he regretted leaving - and a production company that pitched a Doctor Who revival to the BBC in the early 1990s claimed to have an agreement for Baker to return as The Doctor).

3) Peter Davison

Length of run: three years

Left because: Patrick Troughton had advised him that the best way to avoid typecasting was to stay in the role for no more than three years.

3) Colin Baker

Length of run: two years

Left because: although he had only completed two series, the eighteen month hiatus between seasons 22 and 23 meant that his three-year contract had expired. Producer John Nathan-Turner was told by BBC management (who, having failed to axe the series, wanted someone's head to roll) that Baker's contract was not to be renewed.

5) Sylvester McCoy

Length of run: three years

Left because: the series was cancelled. However, had season 27 gone ahead, McCoy might have decided to leave at the end of that series.

So, most of The Doctors have only stayed for three years or less, making David Tennant's decision to leave after three-and-a-bit years pretty much par for the course. Besides, regeneration is part of what makes Doctor Who so long-lasting - not simply because it means that the role can always be recast, but because the incoming actor can automatically reinvogorate the show. Much as I love David Tennant's performance (and I think that he could have remained for another year or two longer), he has done the sensible thing: quit while you're ahead, and - more importantly - whilst other people are prepared to offer you good roles. The series can prosper and flourish without him - even though his successor will have a tough act to follow.

[Antithesis]

I hate to see him go too. I don't understand the typecasting thoughts in the examples. Maybe it's just me, but even if an actor is in only a few episodes of a show I like,(usually the first role I see them in) I always associate them in that role. In other words, at least for me, many actors are typecast the moment I enjoy a character they portray.

[TMLS]

It's not the typecasting in the minds of the fans though, it's typecasting in the minds of the Director and casting agents. You only have to look at how each Doctor subsequently did to see it is a problem:

Hartnell - N/A, was ill

Troughton - Seemed to leave in time, had some good parts in The Omen and a lot of TV work though worth noting he was already successful.

Pertwee - Didn't do too much, though had the notable (and fantastic) Worzel Gummidge that he became just as known for. Did a lot of voice overs.

Baker T - Medics was probably his biggest non-DW role, most other things he's done as a version of TomDoc (see his appearances in Randall & Hopkirk)

Davison - Was already in a successful role in All Creatures Great and Small, so didn't have so much of a problem, and still today gets lead roles in TV dramas and comedies.

Baker C - Plenty of guest roles but nothing major. Notable for having a Cult dedicated to him.

McCoy - Another on guest roles, nothing major though done a lot of stage work.

So it's only really Davison who's been able to completely break free. Will be interesting to see how Tennant fares, he's had a good approach in appearing in various media whilst doing Who so people recognise him as an actor first and foremostly - see Secret Smile, Harry Potter, Learners.

[harryandginnyfanatic]

Didn't he say something about being interested in playing The Riddler in the next Batman?

[Welling_is_pretty]

See, I didn't know that about how long the actors usually stay. I was going by Tom Baker, who I knew to have played the doctor for a number of years. I just assumed that was the usual amount of time. (and, of course, what happens when we assume? LOL)

Yeah, a part of it was also thinking back to Eccleston and his weirdly short run (I still don't know why he left. Can anyone PM me with the answer?).

Maybe it's just me but it seems like time is going by so fast these days and no one stays like they used to! and wow, did that make me sound old! "Why in my day...!" :lol:

[quinny06]

Eccleston has never really given a reason for leaving. I think the BBC issued a statement saying he didn't want to be typecast, but then Chris kicked off because he had apparently said no such thing.

I think all he's ever said about it is that he always intended to only stay for one series.

[Welling_is_pretty]

Thanks for the info!