Source: BBC News
After months of media speculation, the BBC can confirm that the BAFTA award-winning Doctor Who will return for a fifth series in Spring 2010.
Viewers are in for a treat this Christmas, as a special episode starring David Tennant and Kylie Minogue will be broadcast on BBC One in December 2007.
Series Four, which went into production in July 2007, will hit UK screens in Spring 2008, followed by a special episode for Christmas 2008.
In 2009 Doctor Who will return with three specials starring David Tennant, with Head Writer, Russell T Davies.
The full-length fifth series will transmit in 2010.
Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, says: “Doctor Who is one of the BBC’s best loved and most successful dramas. Its journey over the past three series has been one of the most ambitious and exciting that we have had, and I’m delighted to be able to confirm not only three exciting specials for 2009, but a fifth series in 2010. ”
Menna Richards, Controller, BBC Wales, says: “The success of Doctor Who is a fantastic tribute to the dedication and expertise of the production team at BBC Wales who have worked on the project from the outset. This announcement is marvellous news for all involved, and more importantly for the programme’s amazing fan base and audience. BBC Wales is looking forward to producing the fifth series.”
Following the critically acclaimed season three finale, the BBC has announced that Catherine Tate is set to return to the TARDIS for the complete 13-week run of series four, reprising her role as Donna from the 2006 Christmas special.
Freema Agyeman, who won praise for her portrayal of Martha Jones in series three, is also set to return mid series four.
Uncool, so uncool.
Sure it’s great to hear that there will be a fifth season, but instead of it being in 2009 as I had naturally assumed, I find out that we only get 3 specials in 09. So uncool.
The reason for the 3 specials instead of a full season is because David Tennant has been asked to appear in two plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2008. He will be playing Hamlet and also in Love’s Labour’s Lost. I doubt this is something he would want to turn down as an actor so instead of recasting the role of the doctor the BBC has taken the bold step to altered the schedule to accommodate him. I for one don’t mind if it means he will carry on in the role for a fifth season.
woot!!! go doc go! hehe
darcy
Yep David Tennant and Patrick Stewart will be on stage together as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2008. I can see it now a crowd whering Black Tie; Evening Dresses; Star Trek uniforms and 16 foot long scarfs, with calls of “Make it so” coming from the crowd.
Even though I am completely despondent about having a whole year with little to no Doctor Who, I am just really happy this show is not disappearing! Doctor Who has become my favorite show- I really hope they bring back Rose in season 5 full time (I would love Billie Piper and the producers forever) since the dynamic between her and the doctor had just become so great in series 2. And I wish the BBC would put the show online for the US too, for those of us not lucky enough to live in Britain…
Why are they replacing the Martha Jones actress.. I loved her, and how do we get her back full time?
I live in Illinois and I got hooked after a friend of mine made me watch it. I didn’t think I would like it… Being a Trekkie, I knew it was nothing like it…But I loved it. I just finished the third season and I’m looking forward to watching the 4th, when I came across this story. 2010! What will I be doing in 2010? Most likely not thinking about Doctor Who because I haven’t seen it in 2 years!! I need my sci-fi! I’m still devastated that there’s no more Star Treks and X-Files to watch… So I’ll move on to my next sci-fi addiction.. :(( Poor me!
Maybe having a series 5 in 2009 and 6 in 2010
Something strange happens… The doctor apears as david tennant in the first episode, but he regenerates and it’s back to christopher eccleston, although whenever the specials are here he regenerates back to david tennat
i think thats cool, it means something whack with his regeneration process 😉
I am so relieved that there is going to be a fifth series butttttt, A WHOLE YEAR WITHOUT DOCTOR WHO!!!! AND ONLY THREE SPECIALS!!!! I’ll go mad couldn’t you just run the old series or something until the fifth can run? seriously a whole year! That’s just mean! SO couldn’t you just run the old series for the New Zealanders who absouloutly love the series!
i know it’s not much but there’s actually 5 specials for 2009…. yay!!!!!!!!!!
Yikes! No more Doctor who until 2010. That’s just unfair. Don’t they realize how many fans there are out here?
You know how the fans sent bags of peanuts to CBS when they took Jericho off the air? We should all send something to the BBC…..
But what to send on behalf of the doctor? We could all send screwdrivers???
Or something that looks like a “sonic screwdriver” ? ;-D
Lisa
No Dr. Who in ’09 what the hell! except for the three specials, I can’t go a whole damn year without a new storyline episode. I ‘m a huge fan! I’ve got all four series so far, and most of the documentaries from the older shows. Well guess what, when series 5 starts, it had better amaze me since me and all of the other dr. who crazies have to wait for a once in a life time, greatest sci-fi show on the face of the god-damn earth of which we live on.
p.s. David Tennent you freaken rock as the doctor! YEAH!!!! I hope you’re the doctor for a long time.
p.s.s. Billie Pipe is freaken sexy and hot as hell
i love doctor who im a twelve year old girl and i love doctor who but i also love David Tennent. please dont make him leave doctor who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙁 🙂 plz dont make him leave
I only started to watch the doctor for the past 2 years, but I’ve fullen in love. I do hate the idea that there wont be a new one until 2010. but i just finished watching it tonight on BBCA from comcast cable, so waiting one year won’t be so bad 😉
i hear david tennant is no longer in doctor who for series 5 it will be someone else
WTF!!! BBC is kidding, this can’t be! I was pressing fas forward often when she appeared the screen! Bring back Billie Piper aka Rose and…no martha as well. she was boring but Tate is making me ****. What do I read above…No Tennant??? You gotta be kidding, but okay then bring back the first and best Doctor!
@GI Joe – William Hartnell has been dead for 34 years I don’t think the first doctor is coming back.
Joe–
Sorry you’re upset that Tennant is leaving. But change is part of the show and every Doctor has had his time and moved on. The show will continue. I think Tennant’s leaving is a good thing. And the fact that new producer Stephen Mofatt seems to want to move forward and stop bringing back Rose and everyone else is also a great move.
It will be a new era…and I am eager to see where it takes us.
They can’t bring back the best Doctor because Doctor #3 (Jon Pertwee) has been dead for a while. Tom Baker bored me to death. Peter Davison (Doctor #5) and Colin Baker (Doctor #6) weren’t there long enough to give an opinion either way and Sylvester McCoy (Doctor #7) suffered from poor scripts and too much cost-cutting by the BBC before it went on hiatus for 16 years. Also Patrick Troughton (Doctor #2) had some pretty good story lines.
In the day and age of digitally created characters, I expect it won’t be long before we can bring all the Doctors together on-screen again….
And maybe recreate the lost stories from the telesnaps….
And to each his or her own on their favorite Doctor.
can not believe that david tennant the 10th doctor is being replaced by a 26-year-old Matt Smith he looks like some little kid . WTF seriously i cant take the show seriously any more. they introduced him at the end of “End of time part 2” and ya not so good . they should have kept the 9th Doctor longer so avid tennant could do season 5