It’s been a year since Doctor Who bid farewell to Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor in “Power of the Doctor”—an episode that didn’t exactly provide the most fitting farewell to her tenure. But enough about that! Remember when David Tennant showed up for like 30 seconds at the end? The BBC would like you to remember that. Please. For the love of God, please.
That’s very much the vibe of this new behind-the-scenes video released by the corporation today to mark the one-year anniversary of “Power of the Doctor.” That might be a little mean, but to be fair it makes a lot of sense considering we’re exactly a month away from Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, and with David Tennant back in action as a new incarnation of the Doctor, the BBC is much more focused on that future than it is even the relatively recent past. In spite of the Tennant-heavy focus though, the actor himself wanted to make sure Whittaker was kept part of the moment on the day.
“We were texting through the whole experience,” Tennant notes in the video. “I wanted her to feel like she was sharing in the moment.”
Sometimes Doctor Who will film regenerations with both actors present—for Tennant’s own regeneration from the 10th to 11th Doctors, he and Matt Smith filmed their scenes on the same day—but in the case of Whittaker’s departure, and the end of Chris Chibnall’s tenure as Doctor Who showrunner, the 14th Doctor side of the regeneration sequence was ultimately filmed months after Whittaker herself had said goodbye. Aside from the production complications of having to match actors up months after the fact, at least Whittaker got to be spiritually present for the rest of her explosive goodbye to the TARDIS.
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