Villain Neil Patrick Harris;
“IT’S LIKE THE band getting back together for one last hurrah,” says David Tennant. The band, in this case, led by Tennant himself as the hugely popular one-time frontman of Doctor Who, with backing from Catherine Tate as his companion, Donna Noble, all orchestrated by Russell T Davies, the returning showrunner. The last time this particular trio worked together was the hugely popular 2010 New Year’s Day episode, which also featured a host of cameos from Doctor Who seasons past.
Now this band of three Who legends is reuniting for three special episodes to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary. “It was a very casual conversation between us initially,” Tennant tells Empire ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike earlier this year. During lockdown the three of them took part in Doctor Who ‘Tweet-alongs’, watching old episodes together, and according to Davies, it was Tate who was the first to say, “Wouldn’t it be a laugh if we made some more?” “I never thought anything would come of it,” Davies says, “but I had to email the BBC and let them know David and Catherine were up for doing something.” A few months later, Davies was invited to a Zoom meeting with BBC Drama big cheeses, hoping they’d commission a 60th anniversary special. “The next thing I know, they’re asking for three specials and also if I’d like to show-run it again,” says Davies. “But this time on a bigger platform, working with a streamer. And much to my surprise I said, ‘Yes!’”