David Tennant

Due to being excessively drunk yesterday, I had to catch up with the Doctor Who 'Christmas' episode earlier today. But then, I'd already seen the preview last Thursday, so I already knew what was going to happen. Part 2 of The End Of Time is the one that holds all the mystery for me now. And yes, there will be spoilers.

After taking a brief look around the web, the verdict for this first part is quite dire. After seeing the preview last week, my biggest complaint was at how The Master managed to fairly easily transform the entire population of Earth into copies of himself. Seemed like an overly complicated set-up to work in a "Master Race" gag.

I think it's fair to say that Part 1 is a bit of a mess - nice to see the resurrection of The Master by a cult of Harry Saxon's disciples in Broadfell prison. But are we really expected to believe that Lucy Saxon would be wearing lipstick in jail?

There are no complaints about The Master in the first part of the episode - John Simm returns as the manic, insane, rogue Time Lord. He's got new abilities - an energy beam that he shoots from his hands, amazing jumping capabilities and a flash of an electric blue skull every now and again. However, by the time he's captured by a billionnaire and made to repair an "Immortality Gate", he inadvertently chooses to hack it and remake the world in his own image.

Great news for Doctor Who fanatics - Time Out magazine are releasing a special collector's edition of their magazine tomorrow, with ten different covers, each with one of the ten incarnations of The Doctor on them!

While the magazine goes on sale on 8th December 2009, fans looking for a collectors set can buy online via the Time Out website. It's about £21 for all ten editions.

No-one expected that David Tennant would be resting on his laurels after quitting his job as Doctor Who. However, considering he seemed to be enjoying his recent stint in Hamlet, you'd think his next career move would be treading the boards for a while.

Not so, word reaches us that Mr Tennant will be taking the lead role in a new NBC series called 'Rex Is Not Your Lawyer'. The series is about Rex Alexander, a Chicago litigator who begins suffering panic attacks and takes up coaching clients to represent themselves in court.

David Semel, who directed the pilots for "Heroes" and "Life," has come on board to helm the comedic legal drama from Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun.

He will also executive produce with veteran Barry Schindel (who is attached as showrunner), Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. Leeds and Lampson serve as supervising producers.

NBC greenlighted the project in August, about two years after it was first developed, and had been trying to find a lead actor for several months until Tennant came along and nailed the part.

I just got back from yesterday's amazing Waters Of Mars screening in London. What a rush that was! From the cosy little cinema in the Soho Hotel, the assembled members of the press got to see the whole episode. Russell T Davies was there, David Tennant was also there. I even spotted the Doctor's daughter, Georgia Moffett there (she's a really pretty girl, looks a bit like Little Boots).

Anyway, it wouldn't be fair to spoil the episode so far in advance, so don't worry about finding out too much from this post. What I will say is that based on the trailer's I've seen for Waters Of Mars, I thought the whole episode would be abysmal. Really. I had serious concerns that David Tennant's third-last Doctor Who would be a complete washout.

The latest Doctor Who buzz is that Russell T Davies is planning a Doctor Who movie, and that it may be directed by Euros Lyn. Don't worry if the name doesn't mean anything to you - it will after next week: he's the guy who directed the third series of Torchwood, Children Of Earth.

Disturbingly though, it's being suggested that outgoing Doctor, David Tennant, will be starring in the movie. Huh? Seems a bit odd to put the long-serving Time Lord up against his latest incarnation. Why make a movie centered around Tennant when Matt Smith is the rightful heir to the role?

Don't get me wrong - I love Tennant - I grew to love him despite preferring Ecclestone's Doctor. It's just that the movie is rumoured to be two years away, and it doesn't make sense (to me) to have Davies and Tennant taking Doctor Who in one direction while Stephen Moffat and Matt Smith should rightfully be continuing the story.

Two things give this story an air of validation: Russell T Davies hinted at three surprises to do with Tennant's Doctor this year. So far, two have been revealed and a third is expected. Also, the trio of Lyn, Tennant and Davies are expected to appear at Comic-Con later this month, fuelling speculation of an announcement.

Let's not beat about the bush, Planet Of The Dead was a bit of a damp squib. Considering that we're in the countdown to David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who, I think most fans had high hopes for an exciting lead-in to this Doctor's death.

Instead, what we got was a tired episode that seemed to be willfully ripping off movies left, right and center: the opening scene was clearly lifted from Mission: Impossible.  Lady Christina de Souza - hmm, a black-clad, busty aristocratic treasure hunter - Lara Croft, anybody?

Fans of Doctor Who will be unable to sleep tonight, as word reaches us via the BBC website that the next Doctor Who actor will be revealed tomorrow on a special episode of Doctor Who confidential.

You know what this means? Well, of the four special episodes of Who airing this year, one is going to feature the death of David Tennant’s Doctor, and a regeneration into an all-new Timelord. We’ve known about Tennant’s departure for a while now, but I suspect when he leaves it’ll be a bittersweet affair for us.