Tennant set to quit as Dr Who? Tennant to join the RSC in 2008

[Milky Tears]

Leaving in the middle of the fourth series... it's another Sun exclusive.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2...600210,00.html

Tennant set to quit as Dr Who
By SARA NATHAN
TV Editor
December 28, 2006


DR Who star David Tennant is to quit the show — leaving BBC bosses looking for their 11th Timelord, The Sun can reveal.

David, 35, will leave in the middle of the fourth series.

The Scot is still filming the third series of the sci-fi favourite, which is set to be shown in the spring.

He has told the Beeb he will return the following year — but will not do the entire nine-month shoot. David has been bombarded with film offers after appearing in the last Harry Potter movie.

Producers are keen to get another Scot, Trainspotting star Robert Carlyle, 45, to step in.

They are also talking to David Morrisey, who was in BBC drama Blackpool with Tennant, as well as in Basic Instinct 2.

Tennant became Dr Who when Christopher Eccleston quit after one series. David stars with newcomer Freema Agyeman in the third series. She replaces Billie Piper, who left this year.

David refused to deny he was quitting when asked earlier this month, insisting he was “non-committal” about his plans.

He joked: “From the moment I accepted this job, everyone said, ‘When are you leaving?’ A boy could get a complex!” A Dr Who spokesman declined to comment.

It's Sara Nathan, so it must be true. He'll probably leave at the end of Series Three/next Christmas Special.

Edited to add: Sky News are running the story as well. In their newspaper review segment.

[Matthew T]

My opinion of him is now lower than a cockroach.

[Milky Tears]

I haven't been over there yet...

[Si Hunt]

Given that the 'end of series 3' bit seems to have been made up by James (!), would this be so bad? The end of Series 4 would transmit at the tail end of 2008, meaning he'd have been the Doctor for almost as long as Hartnell and Troughton.

On top of this, a mid-season change of Doctor would actually be good news, as it would mean they'd have to cast a new one, meaning the stories of RTD/Tennant/The Series all departing in 2008 could not come true.

So this is great news!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

It seems an odd place to regenerate the Doctor, but having said that it could work well as an 'oomph' for the ratings mid-season.

It's still a bit of a no-news story, isn't it - basically it boils down to "David Tennant will not be playing Doctor Who forever" says somebody. Well duh!

[Paul Clement]

If he were to be replaced by Robert Carlyle, I wouldn't complain. He's a great actor. I could quite easily envisage RTD doing a regen story mid-season, as Andrew said, it would give the ratings a boost mid season. It would also give the new actor time to bed into the role on the back of what should hopefully be, a successful season up to that point.

[Fatso the wombat]

The prospect of David Morrisey as the Doc fills me with a warm glow of loveliness. He would be wonderful. He's one of the very finest actors around today.

[Wayne]

I would hope for Robert Carlyle myself. That would be really interesting!

[Carol Baynes]

Yes, I can imagine him throwing a glass into a pub full of his enemies and then shouting, "someone here has been fookin throwin' glasses and no one leaves until we find the cant!!!!" ....before headbutting a sontaran.

Seriously though, he could be very good (although I wouldn't have considered him myself).

[Wayne]

Yes, I can imagine him throwing a glass into a pub full of his enemies and then shouting, "someone here has been fookin throwin' glasses and no one leaves until we find the cant!!!!" ....before headbutting a sontaran.

Seriously though, he could be very good (although I wouldn't have considered him myself).

Personally, i can't abide 'Trainspotting'. I know RC mainly from 'Cracker', but he also did a surprsingly good portrayal as Hitler a few years ago!
I've seen him in a few tv dramas, & i think he's a really good actor.

[Anthony Williams]

given that series four hasn't even been commissioned yet, I'd say that this news is fairly tenuous...

Ant x

[Si Hunt]

They're going to have to start filming it in about six months though, so if Tennant leaves mid-season then the regeneration story script would already be commissioned!

Si.

[SiHart]

There's a denial from the BBC... sort of from Yahoo News:

Dr Who bosses have denied claims that star David Tennant is to quit the show - but said a fourth series featuring the Scot as the Timelord has not yet been ordered.

Reports claimed Tennant, 35, would leave in the middle of the fourth series of the sci-fi drama, due to begin filming next year - sparking a hunt for the 11th Timelord after less than two years in the role.

But a BBC spokeswoman said that no fourth series had even been commissioned yet and negotiations with the star would not begin until it had been given the green light.

"David is absolutely committed to the show and is currently filming the third series," said a BBC spokeswoman.

"There is no fourth series currently commissioned yet so we could not confirm his involvement in that yet.

"David Tennant is committed to the series. When a further series is commissioned, we will be able to confirm his involvement."

The Scot's third series is set to be shown in the spring.
Tennant became the Doctor last year when Christopher Eccleston quit after just one series of the resurrected show.
In the third series of the sci-fi favourite, he stars with newcomer Freema Agyeman, who replaced Billie Piper.

Si xx

[Milky Tears]

OMG!! No fourth series has been commissioned yet! We're back to being doomed!!

[Paul Clement]

Personally, i can't abide 'Trainspotting'.

Heresy!!! It's a great film.

I know RC mainly from 'Cracker', but he also did a surprsingly good portrayal as Hitler a few years ago!

He's pretty good as Plunkett in 'Plunkett and Macleane' too.

[Paul Clement]

Quote:
Dr Who bosses have denied claims that star David Tennant is to quit the show - but said a fourth series featuring the Scot as the Timelord has not yet been ordered.

Reports claimed Tennant, 35, would leave in the middle of the fourth series of the sci-fi drama, due to begin filming next year - sparking a hunt for the 11th Timelord after less than two years in the role.

But a BBC spokeswoman said that no fourth series had even been commissioned yet and negotiations with the star would not begin until it had been given the green light.

"David is absolutely committed to the show and is currently filming the third series," said a BBC spokeswoman.

"There is no fourth series currently commissioned yet so we could not confirm his involvement in that yet.

"David Tennant is committed to the series. When a further series is commissioned, we will be able to confirm his involvement."

The Scot's third series is set to be shown in the spring.
Tennant became the Doctor last year when Christopher Eccleston quit after just one series of the resurrected show.
In the third series of the sci-fi favourite, he stars with newcomer Freema Agyeman, who replaced Billie Piper.

That's pure sophistry. All they are really saying is how can he leave during series four if series four hasn't been commisioned yet. I bet RTD worked out scripts for series four ages ago in the hope it would become a reality, so there's no saying that Tennant hasn't said that if it comes about, he'll only to part series then leave.

[Si Hunt]

Does anyone remember all that crowing about the new policy of commisioning series up to 2 years in advance to enable long-running storylines to be planned? Now here we are 18 months from when Series 4 should air, and apparently they haven't even given it the green light to happen yet. Either they haven't got confidence in their biggest series, or they have but we haven't been told, or all that about advance planning was a load of Betty.

Si.

[WhiteCrow]

I think he's made it clear in every interview he wanted to do this role, but was never going to do it forever. Part of Doctor Who is that the actors do move on, always has been.

I'm hoping he'll make it close to 3 seasons, which is a good length as the Doctor. I wasn't very happy that Chris Ecclestone only did it for the one season. But actors have to move on, typecasting is a terrible thing. It will be sad to lose David as the Doctor, but it'd be far sadder if we never got to see him as anything else because casting directors only saw him as the Doctor.

[Wayne]

Heresy!!! It's a great film.

There's some good performances in it, i'll grant you, But aside from being totally not my taste at all, it's a wildly overated film, IMO. Although not as overated as trash like 'Pulp Fiction'. Most overated film in the world, ever!

[Stuart Wallis]

Let me know when a 4th series has been commissioned, and I'll tell you what I think of this then.

[Paul Clement]

Although not as overated as trash like 'Pulp Fiction'. Most overated film in the world, ever!

Another film I adore.

[Wayne]

Another film I adore.

So do a lot of other mugs.

[Carol Baynes]

Oi!

[Larry]

If he were to be replaced by Robert Carlyle, I wouldn't complain.

yessseee another Scotsman to play The Doctor,

but I agree that it seems silly to be breaking this story when a 4th season has not even been commisioned which in it's self I find strange as the planning for it should be starting months before the filming starts.


But if is news is true then I dion't think it comes as any real supprise Tennent was going to go either at the start or end of series 4 and I quite like the idea of him say going aound episode 6.

[Milky Tears]

I agree with Mama Baynes.