The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of

the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

, the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the British

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''. He is played by

David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...

in three series and nine specials. The character has also appeared in other ''Doctor Who'' spin-offs. In 2023, Tennant returned to the role, this time as the fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien

Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their Nonli ...

from the planet

Gallifrey The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their non-linear perception of t ...

who travels in time and space in the

TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...

, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor regenerates; as a result, the physical appearance and personality of the Doctor changes. Tennant's portrayal of the Tenth Doctor is of an outwardly charismatic and charming adventurer whose likable and easygoing attitude can quickly turn to righteous fury when provoked. Preceded in regeneration by the

Ninth Doctor The Ninth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston during the first series of the show's revival in 2005. Within the serie ...

(

Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the Ninth Doctor, ni ...

), he is followed by the

Eleventh Doctor The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation (otherwise known as regeneration) of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As wi ...

(

Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...

). This incarnation's companions include some who travelled with his previous incarnation: working-class shop assistant

Rose Tyler Rose Tyler is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She was created by series producer Russell T Davies and portrayed by Billie Piper. With the revival of ''Doctor Who'' in 2005, Rose was intro ...

(

Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leian Paul Piper; 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer who is best known for her portrayal as Rose Tyler in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2006, 2008, 2010). She initially gained recognition as a singer a ...

), her boyfriend

Mickey Smith Mickey Smith is a fictional character in the BBC One science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by British actor Noel Clarke and was the show's first televised black companion. The character is introduced as the ordinary, ...

(

Noel Clarke Noel Anthony Clarke (born 6 December 1975) is an English actor, writer, director and producer. Rising to prominence for playing Mickey Smith in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2006, 2008, 2010), he received critical acclaim for writing, directing, and ...

), and former "Time Agent"

Captain Jack Harkness Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. The character first appears in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Empty Child" and subsequently features in the ...

(

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman MBE (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010; 2020–2021) and its spin-off ''Torc ...

), as well as medical student

Martha Jones Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. The show's first female black companion, she is a companion of ...

(

Freema Agyeman Freema Agyeman (; born Frema Agyeman; 20 March 1979) is an English actress. She rose to fame with her role as the Doctor's companion Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' (2007–2010) and its spin-off '' Torchwood'' ...

) and fiery

temp worker Temporary work or temporary employment (also called gigs) refers to an employment situation where the working arrangement is limited to a certain period of time-based on the needs of the employing organization. Temporary employees are sometimes ...

Donna Noble Donna Noble is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a companion of the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors (both portr ...

(

Catherine Tate Catherine Tate (born Catherine Jane Ford, 5 December 1969) is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC Two, BBC sketch comedy series ''The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007), as well as bein ...

). He eventually parts ways with them all by the end of the 2008 series finale, "

Journey's End ''Journey's End'' is a 1928 dramatic play by English playwright R. C. Sherriff, set in the trenches near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, towards the end of the First World War. The story plays out in the officers' dugout of a British Army infantry com ...

", after which he attempts to travel alone for the duration of the 2008–2010 specials before being accompanied by Donna's grandfather

Wilfred Mott Wilfred "Wilf" Mott is a Recurring character, recurring fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', played by Bernard Cribbins. He is the grandfather of the Tenth Doctor's Companion (Doctor Who), companion ...

(

Bernard Cribbins Bernard Joseph Cribbins (29 December 1928 – 27 July 2022) was an English actor and singer whose career spanned over eight decades. During the 1960s, Cribbins became known in the UK for his successful novelty records " The Hole in the Ground" ...

) on his final adventure in " The End of Time".

Overview

Executive producer

Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies ( ; born 27 April 1963), known professionally as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for being the original showrunner and head writer of the revival of the BBC sci-fi seri ...

revived ''Doctor Who'' after a 16-year absence with the premiere of "

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

" in 2005. Following the BBC's announcement of a second series being commissioned, the story broke that

, who played the titular

, would not be returning for the second series. On 16 April 2005, the BBC announced that David Tennant had been selected for the role of the Tenth Doctor. His first appearance in the series was for 20 seconds following the Ninth Doctor's regeneration at the end of "

The Parting of the Ways "The Parting of the Ways" is the thirteenth episode and the season finale of the revived first series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 June 2005. It was the sec ...

". His first full episode as the Doctor, barring an appearance in a " mini-episode" during the 2005

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

show, was the 2005 Christmas Special, "

The Christmas Invasion "The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute Television special, special episode of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2005. This episode features the first full-episode appea ...

". He then appeared in the

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

and 2008 series. Rather than a traditional series run, 2009 and early 2010 featured Tennant in a series of four specials. He also guest-starred in the 2009 two-part ''

The Sarah Jane Adventures ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC s ...

'' story '' The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith''. Tennant also appears in two animated serials ''

The Infinite Quest ''The Infinite Quest'' is an animated serial based on the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was made by BBC Television, but does not share the same producers as the live-action series. It was aired in twelve weekly pa ...

'' and '' Dreamland''. In 2013, Tennant reprised his role as the Tenth Doctor for the 50th anniversary special, "

The Day of the Doctor "The Day of the Doctor" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', marking its 50th anniversary. It was written by Steven Moffat, who served as an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale. It was ...

", and returned to ''Doctor Who'' as the

Fourteenth Doctor The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor and the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' for the 2023 specials. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Ten ...

in 2023 for three 60th anniversary specials.

Personality

The Tenth Doctor speaks with an

Estuary English Estuary English is an English accent, continuum of accents, or continuum of accent features associated with the area along the River Thames and its estuary, including London, since the late 20th century. In 2000, the phonetician John C. We ...

accent, rather than the

Lancashire dialect The Lancashire dialect (or colloquially, Lanky) refers to the Northern English vernacular speech of the English county of Lancashire. The region is notable for its tradition of poetry written in the dialect. Scope of Lancashire dialect ...

(Christopher Eccleston's own dialect) that the Ninth Doctor used, the

Received Pronunciation Received Pronunciation (RP) is the Accent (sociolinguistics), accent of British English regarded as the Standard language, standard one, carrying the highest Prestige (sociolinguistics), social prestige, since as late as the beginning of the 2 ...

of most earlier Doctors, or Tennant's natural

Scottish English Scottish English is the set of varieties of the English language spoken in Scotland. The transregional, standardised variety is called Scottish Standard English or Standard Scottish English (SSE). Scottish Standard English may be defined ...

(which he tries to repress while acting). David Tennant told '' SFX'' magazine in 2006 that Russell T Davies had asked him to drop his natural Scottish accent, because he felt "we'd like to not go for another obvious regional accent, because I suppose they'd done that". In a 23 December interview on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

, Tennant explained that a line had been scripted for the Christmas special explaining that the newly regenerated Doctor had imprinted on

's accent "like a chick hatching from an egg", but the line was cut from the final episode. He also has two "

catchphrases A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

" which were allons-y (a French term meaning "let's go".) and molto bene (an Italian term meaning "very good"). These two terms were apparent in many of his episodes. In the audiobook '' The Last Voyage'', the Tenth Doctor states that he is not

neurotypical The neurodiversity paradigm is a framework for understanding human brain function that considers the diversity within sensory processing, motor abilities, social comfort, cognition, and focus as neurobiological differences. This diversity fal ...

. The depictions of the personalities of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors shared certain similarities e.g. both being youthful, energetic, friendly, childlike, "good boyfriend Doctors", as

Steven Moffat Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television ser ...

described them and, according to

Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received ...

"very human Doctors" when compared to other incarnations.

Appearance

The Doctor complains that his tenth incarnation is not "

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

". However, this incarnation was happy to have sideburns and to have more hair than his previous incarnation. He wears his own brown hair in various ways throughout the series (unstyled in "

", a 1950s-style quiff in "

The Idiot's Lantern "The Idiot's Lantern" is the seventh episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on 27 May 2006 on BBC One. It was written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Euros Lyn. The ...

", and flattened forwards in " The Runaway Bride" and "

") but mainly styled it in a spiked-up fashion throughout most of the series, with this style being described by friend and later one-time companion Wilfred Mott as being a "modern style sort of hair. All sticky-uppy". He has dark brown eyes and is perceived by most, including companions and other characters such as his future incarnation as "slim and a little bit ''foxy''". They chose these kind of foxier, more slim and younger men for the show earlier on to attract attention and gain traction for this "regenerated" version of Doctor Who called " New Who". His costume was unveiled on 27 July 2005. He generally wears either a dark brown (with blue

pinstripes Pinstripes are a pattern of very thin stripes of any color running in parallel. The pattern is often found in fashion. The pinstripe is often compared to the similar chalk stripe. Pinstripes are very thin, often in width, and are created with ...

) or a blue (with rust red pinstripes) four-buttoned suit with a shirt and a tie, or a shirt and t-shirt, a light brown faux-suede

duster coat A duster is a light, loose-fitting, long coat. History The original dusters were full-length, light-colored canvas or linen coats worn by horsemen in the United States to protect their clothing from trail dust. These dusters were typically sli ...

(which he claims was given to him by

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...

), and different coloured pairs of Converse All-Star trainers, depending on his suit. According to an interview on '' Parkinson'', David Tennant and Russell T Davies got the idea for the Tenth Doctor's costume from an outfit

Jamie Oliver Jamie Trevor Oliver Order of the Star of Italy, OSI (born 27 May 1975) is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. He is known for his casual approach to cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and o ...

had worn on ''Parkinson'' just after Tennant had taken the role. David Tennant has commented that he would vary the combination of the buttons he fastened on his jacket in different episodes. Tennant thought the look was very

geek chic The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a genera ...

. The Doctor dons a pair of dark tortoise-shell rectangular frame glasses, an affectation (along with his signature footwear) borrowed from the

Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...

. On one occasion, he wears a pair of Red-Cyan 3D glasses, both as a joke and for practical reasons. Despite appearing in only one story, the glasses became an accessory commonly associated with Tennant's incarnation of the character. and has been cited by costume designer Louise Page as the costume she is most proud of from her time on ''Doctor Who''.

Appearances

Television

The Ninth Doctor (

) regenerates into the Tenth Doctor at the climax of the first-series (2005) finale, "

"; he then reintroduces himself to his companion

(

) in a ''Children in Need'' mini-episode called "Born Again". In the 2005 Christmas special, "

", he is in a comatose state for most of the episode, following his regeneration. After eventually waking up, he defeats the alien

Sycorax Sycorax is an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Tempest'' (1611). She is a vicious and powerful witch and the mother of Caliban (character), Caliban, one of the few native inhabitants of the island on which Prospero, the he ...

and saves Earth; in the process, he loses a hand, which regrows owing to his recent regeneration. Amongst other second-series (2006) adventures, the Doctor and Rose save

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

(

Pauline Collins Pauline Collins (born 3 September 1940) is a British actress who first came to prominence portraying Sarah Moffat in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973) and its spin-off '' Thomas & Sarah'' (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography ' ...

) from a werewolf in " Tooth and Claw", resulting in the creation of the anti-alien

Torchwood Institute The Torchwood Institute, or simply Torchwood, is a fictional secret organisation from the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series ''Torchwood''. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the e ...

. In " School Reunion", the Doctor shares an adventure with two former companions, journalist

Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien ...

(

Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011) was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series ''Doctor Who'', appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside ...

) and robot dog K9 (voiced by

John Leeson John Francis Christopher Ducker (born 16 March 1943), known professionally as John Leeson, is an English actor. He is known for portraying Bungle in ''Rainbow'' and voicing K9 in ''Doctor Who'' and spin-offs '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'' a ...

), before taking on Rose's boyfriend

Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, Michaela, and Michelle, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...

(

) as a second companion. The TARDIS slips through a crack in the Time Vortex causing them to be stranded on a parallel Earth, where they encounter the

Cybermen The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. The Cybermen are a species of space-faring cyborgs who often forcefully and painfully convert human beings ...

in the episode, "

Rise of the Cybermen "Rise of the Cybermen" is the fifth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC One on 13 May 2006. The episode introduces a terrestrial reinvention of the Cyb ...

". After saving parallel Earth, Mickey decides to stay and help stop the Cybermen around the world despite The Doctor telling him he can never return in "

The Age of Steel "The Age of Steel" is the sixth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 20 May 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, " Ris ...

". He and Rose become stranded on a planet orbiting around a black hole in "

The Impossible Planet "The Impossible Planet" is the eighth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC One on 3 June 2006. It is the first part of a two-part story. The second part, ...

", where the Beast is waiting, with a Torchwood team. While there, in "

The Satan Pit "The Satan Pit" is the ninth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on 10 June 2006. It is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, " The Impossible Plane ...

", the Beast taunts the Doctor and Rose about Rose's death. During the 2012 Olympic Games in "

Fear Her "Fear Her" is the eleventh episode of the second series of the British science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 24 June 2006. It was written by Matthew Graham and directed by Euros Lyn. The episode takes place in Lo ...

", The Doctor picks up the Olympic flame and carries it to the end, starting the Games. The series finale takes place in contemporary London, where modern-day Torchwood is the scene for war between the evil alien

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in th ...

s and parallel-universe

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...

". In the closing scene of "Doomsday", a mysterious bride called

(

) inexplicably appears in his TARDIS. The 2006 Christmas special, " The Runaway Bride" sees The Doctor and bride-to-be Donna save the Earth; Donna saves The Doctor from going too far in his revenge against the alien

Racnoss The long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has an extensive universe inhabited by a continuously expanding gallery of creatures and aliens. The series first aired on BBC in 1963 until its cancellation in 1989, with ...

, and although she declines his offer of companionship, she tells The Doctor he may need a new companion to keep him in check. In the

third series Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...

(2007), The Doctor takes on

(

) as his new companion. Together, they witness the mysterious

Face of Boe Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series, ''Torchwood''. The character first appears in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Empty Child" and subsequently features in the ...

(

Struan Rodger Struan Rodger (born 18 September 1946) is a British actor who has appeared widely in a range of supporting roles. He appeared briefly in '' Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'' in 1978 but his first major film role was as Eric Liddell's ...

) prophecy to The Doctor that "you are not alone", in "

Gridlock Gridlock is a form of traffic congestion where continuous queues of vehicles block an entire network of intersecting streets, bringing traffic in all directions to a complete standstill. The term originates from a situation possible in a grid ...

". They are rejoined by former companion

(

) in a three-episode adventure beginning with "

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...

", where presumed-deceased archenemy and fellow Time Lord The Master (

John Simm John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970) is an English actor, director, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in ''Life on Mars'', the Master in ''Doctor Who,'' and DS Roy Grace in ''Grace.'' His other television credits include '' ...

) becomes

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

and ages The Doctor. Martha's plan sees The Doctor infused with the world's psychic energies, and he easily defeats The Master, who seemingly refuses to regenerate and dies in The Doctor's arms. Following this adventure, in the

dénouement A story structure, narrative structure, or dramatic structure (also known as a dramaturgical structure) is the structure of a dramatic work such as a book, play, or film. There are different kinds of narrative structures worldwide, which have be ...

of series finale "

Last of the Time Lords "Last of the Time Lords" is the thirteenth and final episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 30 June 2007. It is the last of three episodes that form a li ...

", Jack and Martha both depart the TARDIS, and The Doctor is shocked to see what appears to be the RMS ''Titanic'' crash into it. Set moments prior, another ''

'' mini-episode, "

Time Crash "Time Crash" is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on 16 November 2007, as part of the BBC One telethon for the children's charity Children in Need. Written by Steven Moffat, it sta ...

", features a brief encounter between Tennant's Tenth Doctor and the

(

Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of Jame ...

), containing meta-humour surrounding the fact David Tennant had watched and loved Davison's Doctor as a child. In parallel with the third series, Tennant lends his voice to the animated serial ''

.'' The 2007 Christmas special, "

Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an Ensemble cast, all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, Lynne Frederick and Malco ...

", sees The Doctor and a waitress,

Astrid Peth Astrid Peth is a fictional character played by Kylie Minogue in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She is a one-off companion of the Tenth Doctor who appears in the episode "Voyage of the Damned", which ...

(

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

), save the Earth from the impending crash of the starship ''Titanic''; Astrid dies heroically, and The Doctor encounters

(

) for the first time. In the premiere episode of the fourth series (2008), " Partners in Crime", The Doctor is reunited with Donna Noble, Wilfred's granddaughter, who becomes his regular companion. In "

Planet of the Ood "Planet of the Ood" is the third episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 19 April 2008. The episode takes place in the year 4126 on the Ood-Sphere, the titular pla ...

", the alien

Ood The Ood are an alien species with telepathic abilities from the long-running science fiction series ''Doctor Who''. In the series' narrative, they live in the distant future (circa 42nd century). The Ood are portrayed as a slave race, natura ...

prophesy the Tenth Doctor's demise. Martha accompanies them for three episodes; in two, entitled "

The Sontaran Stratagem "The Sontaran Stratagem" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as The Doctor. The episode was broadcast ...

" and "

The Poison Sky "The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the Doctor Who (series 4), fourth series of British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and t ...

", The Doctor battles the war-hungry alien

Sontarans The Sontarans ( ) are a fictional race of extraterrestrial humanoids principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off series ''The Sarah Jane Adventures''. A warrior race characterised b ...

, and last of which sees him become a father of sorts to

Jenny Jenny may refer to: * Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people * Jenny (surname), a family name Animals * Jenny (donkey), a female donkey * Jenny (elephant), a female elephant in the German Army in Worl ...

(

Georgia Tennant Georgia Elizabeth Tennant (; born 25 December 1984) is an English actress and producer. She played Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon's daughter Abigail in ''The Bill'', Jenny in the ''Doctor Who'' episode " The Doctor's Daughter" and Lady Vi ...

), in "

The Doctor's Daughter "The Doctor's Daughter" is the sixth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 10 May 2008. Set on the planet Messaline, the episode features Georgia Moffett as Je ...

". He meets archaeologist and future companion River Song (

Alex Kingston Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston (born 11 March 1963) is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her regular role as Elizabeth Corday, Dr. Eliz ...

) for the first time from his perspective in the two-parter, "

Silence in the Library "Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the Doctor Who (series 4), fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part s ...

" and "

Forest of the Dead "Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008. It is the second of a two-part story; the first part, "Silence in ...

"; she dies, but he stores her consciousness to a hard drive to live on forever, after accepting that one day she will come to mean a lot to him. After Donna encounters Rose in a parallel world in "

Turn Left "Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008. David Tennant only makes a small cont ...

", the Doctor realises that Rose's words to Donna — "Bad Wolf" — must herald the end of the world. In finale episodes "

The Stolen Earth "The Stolen Earth" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series and the 750th overall episode of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast on BBC One on . The episode was written by show runner and hea ...

" and "

" (which cross over with spin-offs ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British-American science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect i ...

'' and ''

''), the Doctor and Donna reunite with former companions Rose, Sarah Jane, Martha, Jack, and Mickey to save the universe from

Davros Davros () is a fictional Character (arts), character from the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was created by screenwriter Terry Nation, originally for the 1975 serial '' ...

(

Julian Bleach Julian Bleach (born 29 December 1963) is an English actor, singer and playwright, who is known as co-creator and " MC" of '' Shockheaded Peter'', a musical entertainment based on the works of Heinrich Hoffmann, which won the 2002 Olivier Award ...

), the creator of the Daleks. The Doctor was fatally wounded during the event, causing him to regenerate, although he chooses to maintain his current self while transferring residual energy into his previously severed hand. This results in a metacrisis that creates a half-human Doctor who would leave to have a romantic relationship with Rose in the parallel universe, while also imbuing Donna with a Time Lord's mind. This forces the Doctor to erase Donna's memories of their adventures together in order to save her life. A '' Doctor Who Prom'' mini-episode, " Music of the Spheres", features a lone Doctor composing his musical ''Ode to the Universe'' before being interrupted by the small alien Graske (

Jimmy Vee James Vee (born 3 February 1959) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for playing a number of ''Doctor Who'' Creatures and aliens in Doctor Who, monsters and aliens including Bannakaffalatta in the 2007 Christmas special ''Voyage of the Damned ...

). In lieu of a 2009 series, Tennant appears as the Tenth Doctor, without a regular companion, in several special episodes over the course of 2008 and 2009, the last of which aired on New Year's Day, 2010. In the Christmas special "

The Next Doctor "The Next Doctor" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', broadcast on 25 December 2008 as the fourth ''Doctor Who'' Christmas special of the revived series. During its original airing, the episod ...

", The Doctor mistakenly believes he has met a later incarnation of himself in an amnesiac Londoner (

David Morrissey David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. He had numerous small roles in films and television series throughout the 1990s before achieving wider recognition for playing Gordon Brown in '' The Deal'' (2003 ...

), with whom he saves

Victorian-era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...

London. "

Planet of the Dead "Planet of the Dead" is the first of Doctor Who (2008–2010 specials), four special episodes of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' broadcast between mid-2009 and early 2010. It was simulcast, simultaneously broadcast o ...

" (Easter 2009) features jewel thief Lady Christina de Souza (

Michelle Ryan Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2000–2005, 2025–present). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television s ...

) as The Doctor's one-off companion, and The Doctor is presented with a prophecy of his imminent death, with a woman telling him 'he will knock four times'. Tennant makes a crossover appearance in a ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' two-parter, " The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith", in which a powerful being known as The Trickster (

Paul Marc Davis Paul Marc Davis (born 16 April 1974) is a British actor who has appeared on ''Doctor Who'' (the episode "Utopia (Doctor Who), Utopia") and three of its spin-off series: ''Torchwood'' ("Exit Wounds (Torchwood), Exit Wounds"), ''The Sarah Jane Ad ...

) also alludes to the Tenth Doctor's impending demise. In "

The Waters of Mars "The Waters of Mars" is the second of four hour-long specials of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', all serving as David Tennant's final episodes as the Tenth Doctor. As with the previous special, " Planet of the Dead ...

", The Doctor tries to alter history and avert the death of one-off companion Adelaide Brooke (

Lindsay Duncan Lindsay Vere Duncan (born 7 November 1950) is a Scottish actress. She is the recipient of three BAFTA nominations and one Scottish BAFTA nomination, as well as two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her work on stage. She has starred in sever ...

); when she commits suicide, he begins to feel his mortality weigh down upon him. In the animated serial '' Dreamland'', The Doctor is joined by two one-off companions in 1950s

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,422 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fi ...

. In the two-part send-off " The End of Time", The Doctor confronts the Ood about their original prophecy and is led to contemporary Earth where, in the second part, the again-resurrected Master restores Gallifrey and the Time Lords to existence, although he redeems himself by assisting The Doctor to defeat Time Lord President

Rassilon Rassilon is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. In the backstory of the programme, he was the founder of Time Lord society on the planet Gallifrey and its first leader, as Lord High President. A ...

(

Timothy Dalton Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. He gained international prominence as the fourth actor to portray fictional secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, starring in '' The Living Dayli ...

) before disappearing alongside the other Time Lords. However, Wilfred finds himself trapped in a chamber that is about to be flooded with radiation. He knocks on the glass door four times, fulfilling the prophecy of the Doctor's death. The Doctor sacrifices his life to prevent Wilfred's death, exposing himself to 500,000 rads of deadly radiation and triggering his

regeneration Regeneration may refer to: Science and technology * Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs * Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis ...

. He holds it back and is shown visiting several companions. He gives Donna a winning lottery ticket on her wedding day, buying it with money he borrowed from her late father in the past, saves Martha and Mickey from a Sontaran sniper, saves Sarah Jane's son

Luke Luke may refer to: People and fictional characters * Luke (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Luke (surname), including a list of people with the name * Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luk ...

(

Tommy Knight Thomas Lawrence Knight (born 22 January 1993) is an English former actor best known for playing Luke Smith in ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' and ''Doctor Who'', Kevin Chalk in the original run of '' Waterloo Road'', Cal Bray in ''Glue'' and Arc ...

) from a car, introduces Jack to a romantic interest (

Russell Tovey Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of '' The History ...

), and finally, just before regenerating into the

(

), informs Rose in 2005 that she is about to have a "great year". As he begins regenerating once in the TARDIS, his last words are "I don't want to go". Tennant reprised the role for the show's 50th anniversary in "

" (2013), appearing alongside the

(

), future companion

Clara Oswald Clara Oswald is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She was created by series producer Steven Moffat and portrayed by Jenna Coleman. Clara was introduced in the seventh series as a new travel ...

(

Jenna Coleman Jenna-Louise Coleman (born 27 April 1986) is an English actress. She began her television career by playing Jasmine Thomas in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2005 to 2009, followed by a recurring role in the BBC school-based drama series ''Wat ...

) and a forgotten past incarnation, the

War Doctor The War Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by the English actor John Hurt. Although he precedes Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in t ...

, played by

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...

. In the special, which from the Tenth Doctor's perspective takes place between the 2008–2010 specials "

" and " The End of Time", the Doctor unintentionally marries

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

(

Joanna Page Joanna Louise Page is a Welsh actress and presenter, known for portraying List of Gavin & Stacey characters, Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the David Copperfield (1999 film), ...

) while luring out a

Zygon The long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' has an extensive universe inhabited by a continuously expanding gallery of creatures and aliens. The series first aired on BBC in 1963 until its cancellation in 1989, with ...

. He helps the other Doctors in saving Gallifrey at the Time War's conclusion, but will not retain memories of the event. His final words are, once again "I don't want to go" after being told that he will die on Trenzalore. At the conclusion of the 2022 specials, the

Thirteenth Doctor The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She is played by Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, in three series, five specials and a ...

regenerates into the

, who bears the same form as the Tenth.

Spoofs

David Tennant has also made numerous cameo appearances as The Doctor outside of ''Doctor Who'', frequently in spoof appearances. Singer and actress

Charlotte Church Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a British singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter from Cardiff, Wales. As a child, Church was a popular classical singer with a less-successful attempt to mov ...

spoofs ''Doctor Who'' alongside an actor playing the Tenth Doctor in her own ''

The Charlotte Church Show ''The Charlotte Church Show'' is a Channel 4 entertainment television show presented by Welsh singer Charlotte Church. It was first broadcast on 1 September 2006 and ran for six subsequent Fridays. The show was commissioned for a further two seri ...

'' (2006). In an appearance on ''

The Friday Night Project ''The Sunday Night Project'' is a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title ''The Friday Night Project''. Originally broadcast on Friday nights, the show moved to Sunday n ...

'' in 2007, Tennant plays a female companion to the Tenth Doctor (

Justin Lee Collins Justin Lee Collins (born 1974) is a former actor and radio and television presenter from Bristol, England.Alan Carr Alan Graham Carr (born 14 June 1976) is an English comedian, broadcaster, and writer. His breakthrough was in 2001, winning the '' City Life'' Best Newcomer of the Year and the BBC New Comedy Awards. In the ensuing years, Carr's career burgeo ...

). When the show became ''The Sunday Night Project'', Catherine Tate appeared in a

skit Skit may refer to: * * A short segment in a performance, such as: ** Sketch comedy ** Hip hop skit ** Puppet skit ** Promo (professional wrestling) * Skit note, parody of a banknote * "Skit", a song by Bad Gyal from '' La joia'', 2024 See als ...

playing the Tenth Doctor. Tennant starred opposite Catherine Tate in her own ''

The Catherine Tate Show ''The Catherine Tate Show'' is a British television comedy sketch programme written by Catherine Tate and Derren Litten featuring a wide range of characters. ''The Catherine Tate Show'' aired on BBC Two and was shown worldwide through the BBC ...

'' special (2007) as

Lauren Cooper Dame Lauren Alicia Mishika Tanisha Felicia Jane Cooper is a fictional character in '' The Catherine Tate Show''. Lauren is one of the show's main characters and is portrayed by Catherine Tate. The character was "killed off" in the 2007 Christmas S ...

's (Tate) teacher Mr. Logan, whom Cooper teases for his resemblance to the Doctor; eventually, he reveals himself to be the Tenth Doctor and shrinks Cooper into a 5" Rose Tyler

action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...

. In the final episode of '' Extras'' (December 2007), a brief scene shows The Doctor and an unidentified

Wren Wrens are a family, Troglodytidae, of small brown passerine birds. The family includes 96 species and is divided into 19 genera. All species are restricted to the New World except for the Eurasian wren that is widely distributed in the Old Worl ...

companion attacked by Schlong, a slug-like alien played by Andy Millman (

Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (2001–2003) ...

). The Tenth Doctor is also featured in political satire; in a 2007 episode of '' Dead Ringers'', when faced by the question of

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...

's succession,

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...

(impressionist

Jon Culshaw Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968) is an English actor, comedian and Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist. He is best known for his work on the radio comedy ''Dead Ringers (comedy), Dead Ringers'' since 2000. Culshaw has voiced ...

) regenerates into David Tennant after promising "

New Labour New Labour is the political philosophy that dominated the history of the British Labour Party from the mid-late 1990s to 2010 under the leadership of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The term originated in a conference slogan first used by the ...

is all about renewal", later vowing 100 more years of power. Tennant modifies his first line in "The Parting of the Ways" ("New teeth, that's weird"), to "New Labour, that's weird" and proceeds to address the public in a Tony Blair impression resembling Culshaw's. Tennant also guest-voiced his incarnation of The Doctor in an episode of ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...

'' (2016). He later played the role in full costume for a sketch with

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Musical theatre, musical Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Cre ...

in a live performance at

The O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...

in 2018.

Literature

As the face of the ''Doctor Who'' franchise for 2005–2010, the Tenth Doctor appears extensively in ''Doctor Who'' spin-off media; in the majority of these series, the character simply takes after the place of the Ninth Doctor, and in turn is replaced by the Eleventh following the debut of the 2010 series. Novels featuring the Tenth Doctor are all published by

BBC Books BBC Books (also formerly known as BBC Consumer Publishing and BBC Publishing) is an imprint majority-owned and managed by Penguin Random House through its Ebury Publishing division. The minority shareholder is BBC Studios, the commercial subsidia ...

. The character appears in

New Series Adventures The ''New Series Adventures'' are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, ''Doctor Who''. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published twice a y ...

novels spanning from '' The Stone Rose'' (April 2006) to '' The Krillitane Storm'' (September 2009). A number of ''Decide Your Destiny'' novels were published between July 2007 and March 2008, as well as five books published as a part of

Quick Reads Initiative '' Quick Reads'' is a series of short books by bestselling authors and celebrities. With no more than 200 pages, they are designed to encourage adults who do not read often or find reading difficult to discover the joy of books. Quick Reads are a c ...

, a government-sponsored

adult literacy Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...

project. BBC Children's Books released their own 10-part series, ''The Darksmith Legacy'', supported by an interactive tie-in website. Additionally, short stories are frequently published in ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...

'', ''The Doctor Who Storybook'' series (2007–2010 editions), the BBC website, and annuals and suchlike; one example is the story "The Lodger" by Gareth Roberts, later adapted into an Eleventh Doctor television episode of the same name. National newspapers ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' and ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' have each published one Christmas-themed Tenth Doctor short story. Additionally, the Tenth Doctor appears in a novelisation of his ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' crossover appearance. The Tenth Doctor also appears extensively in comic books, replacing the Ninth Doctor in those published in ''Doctor Who Magazine'', and the younger-audience ''

Doctor Who Adventures ''Doctor Who Adventures'' (abbreviated as ''DWA'') was a British magazine devoted to the science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. Originally published by Immediate Media Company, the magazine launched in 2006 to accompany the revive ...

'' and '' Doctor Who: Battles in Time''. American comic book publisher initially published a 2008 Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones miniseries between January and June 2006. This was later followed by a truly ongoing Tenth Doctor series in July 2009, set during the 2008–2010 specials and lasting sixteen issues before relaunching with the Eleventh Doctor. In stories set after "Journey's End", The Doctor is accompanied by numerous one-off and recurring companions who do not feature in the television series. Outside of ''Doctor Who'' literature, penciller Georges Jeanty includes a cameo of the Tenth Doctor and Rose in a panel of ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight'' is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2007 to 2011. It serves as a canonical continuation of the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', and follows the events of that show's ...

'' story arc "

No Future for You "No Future for You" is the second story arc of the ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight'' series of comic books, based upon the television series of the same name, and is written by Brian K. Vaughan. The story arc would be reprinted in trade ...

". The Tenth Doctor was utilised in the American

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

political

cartoon strip A comic strip is a sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, these ...

, ''

This Modern World ''This Modern World'' is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Tom Tomorrow (real name Dan Perkins) that covers current events from a left-wing point of view. Published continuously for more than 30 years, ''This ...

''. Arriving in 2003, the Doctor hints to Sparky the Wonder Penguin (the strip's main character) that in five years' time, the next

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

could be a black man, with the middle name Hussein, whose father was a Muslim. The character also appeared in a story arc of the webcomic ''

PvP Player versus player (PvP) is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between human players. This is often compared to player versus environment (PvE), in which the game itself controls its players' opponents and is usually off ...

'', in which character Brent Sienna hallucinates materialising in the TARDIS.

Audio drama

As is the case with the BBC Books novels, the Tenth Doctor replaced the Ninth as the face of the ''Doctor Who'' audiobook series, beginning with ''

Pest Control Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest (organism), pest; such as any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the da ...

'' in May 2008 and ending with ''

Dead Air Dead air, also known as unmodulated carrier, is an unintended period of silence that interrupts a broadcast during which no audio or video program material is transmitted. Radio and television Dead air occurs in radio broadcasting when no audio ...

'' in March 2010. The majority are read by David Tennant, save one read by Michelle Ryan and two by Catherine Tate. A number of Tenth Doctor novels were also abridged to become audiobooks, again featuring David Tennant's voice alongside other cast members such as Freema Agyeman and television series guest stars such as Georgia Tennant,

Reggie Yates Reginald Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British television presenter, actor, writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has wo ...

and

Anthony Head Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and singer. Primarily a performer in musical theatre, he rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé, ...

; the last of these scheduled is ''

Judgement of the Judoon The ''New Series Adventures'' are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, ''Doctor Who''. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published twice a y ...

'', for December 2010. On 26 October 2015, it was announced Tennant would reprise his role for '' The Tenth Doctor Adventures'', a series of full-cast audio stories produced by

Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...

. The first volume of stories had the reprise of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, consisting of ''Technophobia'', ''Time Reaver'', and ''Death and the Queen'', which were released in May 2016. The second volume of stories saw Billie Piper reprise her role as Rose Tyler alongside Tennant. The stories consisted of ''Infamy of the Zaross'' (with Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler), ''Sword of the Chevalier'', and ''Cold Vengeance'', which were released in November 2017. A third volume was released in May 2019, once again with Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, in the stories ''No Place'' (with as

Jacqueline King Jacqueline King is a British stage and television actress known for her role in Alan Ayckbourn's theatre production of '' GamePlan'' and as recurring character Sylvia Noble in ''Doctor Who'' (2006; 2008-2010; 2023). Career King trained at the ...

Sylvia Noble The fourth series of British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'' was preceded by the 2007 Christmas special "Voyage of the Damned". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes aired, starting with " Partners in ...

and

), ''One Mile Down'' and ''The Creeping Death''. Outside of '' The Tenth Doctor Adventures'', David Tennant has appeared as the Doctor for several special Big Finish releases. He made brief cameos at the end of the '' Jenny – The Doctor's Daughter'' series and the final story of Big Finish's multi-Doctor anniversary special ''The Legacy of Time''. The Tenth Doctor made a significant appearance in the final story of the '' Donna Noble: Kidnapped!'' spin-off series starring

. In 2020, Tennant appeared alongside

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...

as the

Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from ...

in the first story of the '' Out of Time'' trilogy and co-starred in three audio plays opposite

as River Song in '' The Tenth Doctor and River Song''. Tennant also made an uncredited cameo in series eight of ''

The Diary of River Song ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The' ...

'' as the Doctor. In 2021, as well as starring in the nine-part '' Dalek Universe'' saga (which sees the Tenth Doctor trapped in the pre-Time War universe and separated from the TARDIS), Tennant reprised the Tenth Doctor for the second part of the '' Out of Time'' trilogy, fighting

with the

(

) in ''The Gates of Hell''. As part of the multi-platform '' Time Lord Victorious'' storyline, Tennant co-starred in ''Echoes of Extinction'' alongside

Paul McGann Paul John McGann ( ; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...

as the

Eighth Doctor The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Paul McGann. The character was introduced in the 1996 TV film ''Doctor Who'', a back-door p ...

. He was set to be the first Doctor to appear in the spin-off series ''

'', reuniting Tennant with

and

Gareth David-Lloyd Gareth David Lloyd (born 28 March 1981), known professionally as Gareth David-Lloyd, is a Welsh actor, writer and singer, best known for their role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction series ''Torchwood.'' Early life They were born i ...

Ianto Jones Ianto Jones is a fictional character in the BBC television programme ''Torchwood'', a spin-off from the long-running series ''Doctor Who'', played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd. A regular within the show, Ianto appears in every episode of ...

, for '' Absent Friends''. However, while this story was recorded, its release was cancelled in May 2021. The '' Out of Time'' trilogy concluded in June 2022 with ''Wink'', featuring the Tenth Doctor and the

Sixth Doctor The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Colin Baker. Although his televisual t ...

battling

Weeping Angels The Weeping Angels are a race of fictional predatory alien creatures from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The Weeping Angels are "quantum-locked", meaning they can only move when unobserved. Weeping ...

. In the same month, Tennant appeared as the Doctor in the seventh series of '' The War Master'' opposite

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen as well as for his work at the Royal National Theatre, he has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, two ...

as The Master. In September 2022, Big Finish released the ''Tenth Doctor, Classic Companions'' special, which reunites the Doctor with K9,

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...

, Leela and Nyssa; he retrieves K9 from a temporal anomaly, helps an alternate version of Leela save a village, rescues Nyssa from a criminal using Time Lord technology as part of a scam, and subsequently leaves K9 with Ace after they stop Axos ("

The Claws of Axos ''The Claws of Axos'' is the third serial of the Doctor Who (season 8), eighth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 13 March to 3 April 1971. ...

") from escaping its time loop prison. Marking Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, Big Finish released the ''Once and Future'' series, in which an unspecified incarnation of the Doctor (later revealed to be the

) is attacked with a weapon that causes them to switch randomly between past and future incarnations. Tennant appears as the Tenth Doctor for ''The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50'' alongside

Michelle Gomez Michelle Gomez (born 23 November 1966), is a Scottish actress. She gained recognition for her roles in the comedy series '' The Book Group'' (2002–2003), '' Green Wing'' (2004–2007), and '' Bad Education'' (2012–2013). She went on to app ...

as Missy. This production was recorded in October 2020, long before Tennant was cast as the

for the television 60th anniversary specials. The Tenth Doctor has made other Big Finish appearances that did not involve Tennant, using other actors to voice the Doctor. In April 2018, '' The Tenth Doctor Chronicles'' featured four new stories and starred voice actor

Jacob Dudman Jacob Stanley Dudman (born 22 August 1997) is an English actor, writer and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in the Netflix programs ''The Stranger (British TV series), The Stranger'' (2020), ''The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die'' (2023), ...

as the Doctor and narrator;

and

reprised their roles as

and Lady Christina de Souza respectively. '' The Churchill Years'' featured stories of the show's portrayal of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

– played by

Ian McNeice Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor. On television, he has played government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series ''Edge of Darkness'', Bert Large in the comedy-drama '' Doc Martin'', the Newsreade ...

narrating in-character – meeting various incarnations of the Doctor, including the Tenth Doctor in the episodes ''Hounded'' and ''Churchill Victorious''. Likewise, the Tenth Doctor appears in three episodes of '' Tales from New Earth'' voiced by

Kieran Hodgson Kieran Hodgson (born ) is a British character comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his role as Gordon in the BBC sitcom '' Two Doors Down''. Early life and education Hodgson was born, around 1988, in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, whe ...

. In the Short Trips range, the Tenth Doctor appeared in the two-part story ''The Jago and Litefoot Revival'' alongside the

, narrated by

Christopher Benjamin Christopher Benjamin may refer to: * Christopher Benjamin (actor) Christopher John Benjamin (27 December 1934 – 10 January 2025) was an English actor with many stage and television credits from 1958 to 2016. He played Henry Gordon Jago in ...

and

Trevor Baxter Trevor Baxter (18 November 1932 – 16 July 2017) was a British actor and playwright. He is possibly best remembered for playing Professor George Litefoot in the ''Doctor Who'' story ''The Talons of Weng-Chiang'', and the subsequent audio spinof ...

Camille Coduri Camille Coduri (born 18 April 1965) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her role as Jackie Tyler, the mother of Rose Tyler, in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2006, 2008, 2010). She has since appeared in the BBC comedies '' Him & Her'' (2 ...

reprised her role as

Jackie Tyler Jackie Tyler is a fictional character played by Camille Coduri in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The character, a resident of contemporary London, is introduced in the first episode of the 2005 revival as the mot ...

to narrate a pair of stories featuring the Tenth Doctor's meta-crisis clone in ''The Siege of Big Ben'' and ''Flight into Hull'' set on the parallel Earth.

Video games

The Tenth Doctor appears alongside his fellow incarnations as a playable character in the 2015

toys-to-life Toys-to-life is a video game feature using physical figurines or action figures to interact within the game. There are several technologies used to make physical figurines appear in game such as image recognition, quick response (QR) codes, Blue ...

crossover game ''

LEGO Dimensions ''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Wii U. ...

''. He is shown wearing his duster coat and brown pinstripe suit. The character uses voice lines taken from the BBC archives. His

interior is a location that players can explore. He, as well as the

, appears as a playable character that users could purchase for free from the Avatar Shop within ''

Roblox Roblox (, ) is an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation that allows users to program and play games created by themselves or other users. It was created by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 200 ...

'' for a limited time, which also featured the Pting as a shoulder accessory, and the

in the form of a backpack. These items were added as part of a sponsorship between the

Roblox Corporation Roblox Corporation ( ) is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California. Founded in 2004 by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel, the company is the developer of Roblox, which was released in 2006. , the company employs over 2,400 ...

and the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

to promote the series finale of

Series 12 Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

. Additionally there has been a new "google game" made that you can find on almost any web browser when searching for "Doctor Who". This game includes many of the

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

including the 10th Doctor. The aim of the game is too collect all of the letters of "GOOGLE" in the lowest amount of time possible.

Reception

Tennant's tenure as the Tenth Doctor is highly regarded among fans of the show and his character received critical acclaim for his complexity and humanity. He is generally considered one of the greatest incarnations of the Doctor, often ranked alongside

. The BBC went as far as to consider ending the show in 2010, thinking it would fail without Tennant. In 2006, readers of ''

'' voted Tennant's Doctor "Best Doctor" over perennial favourite Tom Baker. He also won the

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and begun in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted o ...

award for Most Popular Actor in 2006 and 2007, and the award for Outstanding Drama Performance in 2008 and 2010. In a poll conducted by ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'' in March 2007, Tennant's Doctor was named the "coolest character on television".

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

ranked the Tenth Doctor the best Doctor in 2011. In 2013, IGN again ranked Tennant as the best Doctor, along with the ''Daily Mirror'' and ''Radio Times'', with Billie Piper also being voted as best companion. Users of

Plusnet Plusnet plc is a British internet service provider (ISP) providing broadband and landline services. The company was founded in 1997 in Sheffield, and became a public limited company (plc) in July 2004 when it was floated on the Alternative Inves ...

also voted David Tennant as the best Doctor in 2013. Users of DoctorWhoTV also voted Tennant as 'Ultimate Doctor' in 2013. Voters on ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...

'' also rated Tennant as the greatest Doctor in 2013 with 50.05% of the votes, and again in 2015. Readers of ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'' voted Tennant as the greatest actor to play the Doctor in 2014.

, who played

and appeared with Tennant in "The Day of the Doctor", said that he was her favourite Doctor, along with

. Writer

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

considered Tennant's portrayal to be the greatest Doctor. In 2016, ''Digital Spy'' readers voted the Tenth Doctor the best TV character of the 21st century.

Notes

# A serial of ''

'' starring the

called '' Death of the Doctor'' clarifies that the Doctor, in fact, made visits to every former companion.

References

External links

* . * . {{Subject bar , portal2=Doctor Who , portal3=2000s , portal4=2010s , commons=y 10 Extraterrestrial characters in television Male characters in television The Sarah Jane Adventures characters Television characters introduced in 2005 Fictional characters with mental disorders