Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials.
The Big Picture
- The final 60th-anniversary special of Doctor Who could introduce the possibility of a spin-off show featuring David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor, but it could detract from Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and his upcoming adventures.
- The bittersweet resolution of the Doctor and Donna's tragic arc in the specials provides closure that fans had been waiting for, so why take away the Doctor's newfound family and home so quickly?
- The twist of bigeneration in "The Giggle" opens up new story opportunities for Doctor Who, but a spin-off led by David Tennant wouldn't offer enough differentiation from the parent series. Tennant could still appear in future specials instead.
The final installment of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials has definitively left the door open for the return, or a possible series for David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor. Would a spin-off show even be a good idea now that Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor is about to embark on his own adventures in time and space? Would a different series with a near-identical premise, title character, and the same narrative flow lean too far into fan service?
Russell T Davies offered viewers a bittersweet resolution to the Doctor and Donna Noble's (Catherine Tate) tragic arc, for which fans only had to wait fifteen years. The specials gave both viewers and, more importantly, the Doctor and Donna, the closure viewers had been cruelly denied in “Journey’s End” and “The End of Time Part 2.” The anniversary specials enabled Davies to redeem himself by allowing the Doctor to find a family and home. Why take this away from him so quickly?
“The Giggle” has also potentially changed the future of Doctor Who with a twist viewers did not see coming: Bigeneration. The Whoniverse now has two doctors because of some quirk in the regeneration process. The Doctor has split, retaining his own identity and bigenerating into a brand-new identity. Tennant remains the fourteenth incarnation, while Ncuti Gatwa has emerged as the vivacious Fifteenth Doctor. This presents Davies with multiple story opportunities in the future, but a David Tennant-led spin-off isn't necessarily the way to go.
Doctor Who
The show follows the adventures of a Time Lord “The Doctor” who is able to regenerate, and the Doctor’s human friends. The Doctor and companion’s journey through time and space in the TARDIS – a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box – saving the universe with a combination of wit, bravery, and kindness.
A David Tennant Spin-off Would Be a Distraction From Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor
What would a Tennant spin-off even look like? A Time Lord with a TARDIS frequents his best friend Donna’s suburban home and engages in sitcom-like scenarios? Slice of life realism with the occasional Adipose or Sontaren thrown in to spice things up? Two shows with the same central conceit of time travel, fighting aliens, and solving the big overarching season mystery wouldn't work unless there's a good hook to draw us all in. But what would differentiate a potential from the parent series? We've already had incarnations of Tennant's Doctor resurfacing for specials, and the metacrisis Doctor is off having adventures with Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in a parallel universe. What would make it stand out from its parent show when they share the same concept?
Davies has expanded the Whoniverse into serialized adult sci-fi with Torchwood and children’s entertainment with The Sarah Jane Adventures. Both shows had moderate success and leaned into a specific angle with a target demographic in mind. However, plans for a spin-off, Rose Tyler: Earth Defense, were scrapped and Class failed to gain much of a following — and, apart from lifting concepts and monsters from Doctor Who, could just as easily have belonged entirely outside the Whoniverse.
The one thing most of the above shows had in common: they all had a unique angle to exploit. A possible Tennant spin-off couldn’t work because it would directly clash with Gatwa and the new story that's planned for the future. During the brief debut Gatwa had as the Fifteenth Doctor, he added a vibrancy and was totally at ease with the past. This promises renewal and bright future adventures. A Tennant spin-off would detract from that. Everything has its time, and Tennant has had his; Gatwa is the Doctor we want to see now. The point of Davies' decision was to give the Doctor some peace, and we're glad to see it.
David Tennant Could Still Appear in Future 'Doctor Who' Specials
The beauty of this particular ending for Tennant's Doctor and Donna in "The Giggle" is that they could still be brought back occasionally to explore the universe. The bigeneration twist presents Davies with possibilities for new specials. An alternative to a speculative spin-off could be feature-length episodes featuring the Doctor and Donna, UNIT, or even Mel (Bonnie Langford) working together in some capacity.
Donna has been offered a position at UNIT, and what this tells us is that we’re in all likelihood going to be seeing her again at some point in the future when Earth is threatened by some extraterrestrial threat only the Doctor can stop. Tennant's absence could be easily explained away if he's unavailable to return at any point: The Fourteenth Doctor is off gallivanting throughout history, or the future, or at the edge of creation. If UNIT is to play a prominent role in the next series, isn't it about time we learned what has become of Torchwood? Not to mention the loose ends left after the events of Torchwood: Miracle Day and the fall-out from that chaos. There's plenty to delve into with regard to this storyline that doesn't necessarily have to involve Tennant's presence in any way.
How Did Bigeneration Happen in 'Doctor Who'?
Gatwa's and Tennant's Doctors briefly explained the mythical status of bigeneration during "The Giggle" as something heard of but never experienced. It was all a bit flippant, and we didn't get any real clarity amid everything else happening. Some will assume that the Toymaker's (Neil Patrick Harris) outlandish magic and meddling may have factored in when triggering this new part of the regenerative process.
Another theory is that Davies could be playing the long game by seeding the specials with teases and hints at villains and maybe old foes, like The Master, who could resurface in the upcoming season of the show. We've already caught a glimpse of a lady's hand snatching the gold tooth imprisoning Missy (Michelle Gomez), so maybe the Doctor won't be the only Time Lord (or Lady) to experience this phenomenon.
But now, as Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor prepares to jump into the TARDIS with his new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) for some epic adventures, it's time to let Tennant's Doctor rest for the moment. He's earned that much.
All three Doctor Who anniversary specials are available to stream on Disney+.
