Doctor Who: 10 Reasons David Tennant Deserved His Special Recognition Award
10. He Made The Doctor Complex Before Capaldi
Though much is made of Peter Capaldis prickly take on TARDIS travel, featuring a performance that split more fans down the middle than a buzzsaw at a Wizard World convention, it was Tennant and showrunner Russell T Davies that got there first. Their time on the show was characterized by a bright and breezy style but its easy to forget that Number Ten ran a gamut of emotional states and often behaved in a highly questionable fashion. There was his vindictive nature as he watched The Racnoss drown in The Runaway Bride. If Donna Noble hadnt appealed to his better nature who knows what dark path he would have followed? Succumbing to his own sense of power in The Waters of Mars was a turning point in the Doctors personality that made the hairs of the back of your neck (or the fluff on your bonded polycarbide armour if youre from Skaro) stand on end. And who can forget how he entered into regeneration with a large dose of radiation and an even bigger dollop of petulance? Capaldi was difficult from the outset but Tennant laid the groundwork for that to happen. His likeable persona made it possible for the show to veer into murky territory and he left a lasting legacy as a result.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
