David Tennant And Billie Piper Confirmed For Doctor Who 50th
Finally! After months of the BBC saying a whole lot of nothing about whether any of the former Doctors or companions would be returning for the show’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the BBC has finally opened the gates just a bit. David Tennant and Billie Piper, who played the Tenth Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler, respectively, will return to reprise their characters as part of the anniversary blowout.
This is great news, and news that I was beginning to think would never come (and I wasn’t the only one). Ideally all the surviving Doctors should return — this isn’t just about the modern incarnation of the show, after all — but if they were only going to bring back one former Doctor, it makes sense to use Tennant, simply because he’s beloved by many of the fans and is the freshest in everyone’s minds. That being said, I hope my lingering cynicism will be proven wrong and this will be just the first announcement of many yet to come. How amazing would it be to see the modern Doctors sharing the screen with the classic versions? (We’ll just explain away their age with some timey-wimey mumbo jumbo.)
With Rose returning, dare we hope that Christopher Eccleston might come back as well? After all, he was the one who brought Rose into the Doctor’s crazy world in the first place.
Tennant and Piper weren’t the only big surprise. The BBC also revealed that actor John Hurt will be involved as well, although at this point we don’t know who or what he will be playing. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with John friggin’ Hurt.
The official Doctor Who twitter also sent out three images coinciding with the announcement, featuring Tennant, Piper, and Hurt. You can check them out below, along with the full official statement from the BBC.
David Tennant and Billie Piper to return for blockbuster celebrations with John Hurt also confirmed.
The BBC has today revealed some of the all-star cast that will mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. David Tennant and Billie Piper will join current Doctor and companion, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman, while John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alien, Harry Potter) will also co-star.
Last seen as the Doctor on January 1st 2010, this will be the first time Tennant has reprised his role as the Tenth Doctor. During his reign as the Time Lord, Tennant appeared in three series as well as several specials. He was first revealed as the Doctor in the 2005 series finale, ‘The Parting of the Ways’.
Meanwhile Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler for two series following the reboot in 2005, will appear in the show for the first time since featuring in Tennant’s last episode, ‘The End of Time’ in 2010.
Also confirmed to join the cast is John Hurt who will also co-star in the 3D anniversary special that will form part of blockbuster celebrations, set to take over the BBC. Produced by BBC Cymru Wales for BBC One, the 50th anniversary will be written by Steven Moffat and Directed by Nick Hurran.
