14 Tales From The History Of Doctor Who From William Hartnell To Jodie Whittaker
4. He'll Make A Fine Doctor!
Very possibly, David Tennant's Tenth Doctor is the reason that Doctor Who has continued from the revival until today. While Eccleston was responsible for successfully reviving the character in the 2005 series, his abrupt departure then left fans a little unsure on where it was going. Who was this young Scottish man that the papers were announcing as the latest incarnation of the Time Lord?
David John McDonald was a hardcore, lifelong fan of the show. While he had heard that his name had been in consideration for the Ninth Doctor, he didn't audition, as he felt he would not have been prepared to take on the role. He had acted, in small roles, in several Big Finish productions before being cast, and had a very small cameo in the first 'official' Ninth Doctor story, the BBC animated webcast Scream of the Shalka.
When he got the role, he was able to do something that only Peter Davison had known to do (on arrival) before. He asked that the producers ensured that he was credited as 'The Doctor' and not 'Doctor Who', as Eccleston had been the series before him!
Often unseating Tom Baker as the most popular Doctor of them all, he was a very welcome addition to the 50th Anniversary special.