David Tennant has admitted it’s hard giving up what he calls “the best job in the world” as Doctor Who.

His last series of adventures start on TV in a couple of weeks with The Waters of Mars and then two Christmas episodes which see his final exit.

He says it’s going to be difficult to hand over the reins to new Time Lord Matt Smith.

He said: “I’m really excited for him but I remember how exciting it was starting out on this kind of a journey – and nerve-wracking and a bit overwhelming but just such a kick.

“So I’m jealous he’s going through that now but brilliant and it couldn’t happen to a nicer chap.”

‘More epic’

According to David, the final Doctor Who episodes, which he filmed back in April, are very sad in places.

He added: “Because you can only tell the story of a character dying once it allows you to go to places you haven’t quite been before.

“It allows you to tell types of stories that you can’t do when it’s an ongoing series.

“It allows it to be bigger and more epic, and sadder and wilder, and the stakes are just that bit higher.”

What happens next

David’s a massive Doctor Who fan, so not being a part of the cast will have its advantages.

“I’m sure it’ll be a bit odd at first to watch somebody else playing the part but I’m really looking forward to not knowing what happens next as well,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to being a viewer again because I’ve always loved Doctor Who so I can’t wait to sit down and watch a new one.”

However, it won’t be easy to walk away from such a huge role without being eternally linked to it, something which David doesn’t mind at all.

He said: “I do think it’s a bit like being President of the United States, I think you always get to be called the Doctor.

“I will always expect, when I see you in the future, to refer to me as the Doctor, clearly.”

His replacement, 27-year-old Matt Smith, is the youngest actor ever to take on the role of the Time Lord.

Little-known actress Karen Gillan has been unveiled as the next assistant.

In terms of David’s future plans, he’s already filmed a BBC version of Hamlet, which will be on TV over Christmas.

He’s also landed roles in World War II drama Glorious 39 and the second St Trinians movie: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold.

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Screencaps for the second part of the Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith are now in the gallery. Enjoy!

David Tennant said he had to keep a “stiff upper lip” while filming his final scenes for Doctor Who.

“It was very emotional saying cheerio,” Tennant said after a screening of latest adventure The Waters of Mars, to be shown on BBC One on 15 November.

“There’s lots of scenes in the final episode that are very sad, and were very sad to play.”

He added: “On the actual final day I was a bit of a puddle, but kept a mildly stiff upper lip.”

The Scottish actor, who took on the role of the Time Lord in 2005, admitted he had been a “nervous” about seeing another actor on the role.

“I’m thrilled that it’s carrying on,” he said, “and know that everyone who’s there is a great choice, but of course you feel a bit proprietorial.”

‘Intense’

Tennant is being replaced by actor Matt Smith, 27, who will appear as the 11th Doctor next year.

The Waters of Mars will be followed by two episodes over the Christmas holiday that will see Tennant’s Doctor once more pitted against The Master, played by John Simm.

The Waters of Mars is set on the Red Planet in the year 2059, and co-stars actress Lindsay Duncan as Adelaide – the commander of Earth’s first off-world colony.

Tennant agreed that it was “probably” one of the scariest Doctor Who episodes.

“It tells a different sort of story. We expect the Doctor to take control earlier,” he said.

The show’s outgoing executive producer and lead writer Russell T Davies said: “It’s not so scary as intense.”

The episode is dedicated to Barry Letts, the producer of Doctor Who throughout the Jon Pertwee era of the early 1970s, who died earlier this month.

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Doctor Who will return to BBC One on November 15 with The Waters of Mars.

As previously revealed, the second of four specials airing throughout the year will feature David Tennant’s Doctor alongside Lindsay Duncan’s Adelaide.

The Russell T. Davies and Phil Ford-penned episode will also feature Peter O’Brien as Adelaide’s second-in-command Ed.

It has been directed by Graeme Harper and produced by Nikki Wilson.

The episode will be followed by two more specials featuring Tennant’s final outings as The Doctor before his regeneration and replacement by Matt Smith.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars airs Sunday, November 15 at 7pm on BBC One.

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David Tennant’s last show as Doctor Who is going to be emotional, writer Russell T Davies has warned.

The 38-year-old actor is handing over the Tardis to newcomer Matt Smith this December after five years in the role.

Russell told BBC Breakfast on Thursday: “At Christmas… I warn you now get your Kleenex out and your tissues.”

He continued: “We finished the episode yesterday and we were crying our eyes out. It’s very lovely, powerful stuff, it’s David Tennant at his absolute finest.”

Commenting on how so many viewers have “fallen in love” with the character over the years, Russell said: “I think the doctors themselves have something to do with it.

“We just stand back and get the cameras rolling.”

Russell is leaving the show at the same time as Tennant, but said his next project would not be another revival.

He said: “I’ve relaunched and rewritten my favourite show in the world, nothing else could ever compare, so I wouldn’t do anything else, I wouldn’t relaunch anything else but I think people should.

“Doctor Who’s proved how alive these things can become for a new generation so stories should never die.”

Russell will be replaced as the programme’s lead writer and executive producer by Steven Moffat.

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Since Ianto Jones perished (somewhat controversially) in the penultimate episode of Torchwood: Children Of Earth earlier this year, there’s been a Gareth David-Lloyd-shaped hole in our hearts. Thankfully, GDL has now risen from the Torchwood ashes and teamed up with former EastEnders stars Tracy-Ann Oberman and Joe Absolom for a mysterious online drama called Girl Number 9. We caught up with the trio recently to find out as much as we could about their dark new project.

What’s Girl Number 9 all about?

Tracy-Ann: “It’s an an online series that’s going to be an event drama online. It’s been filmed beautifully at Elstree studios so it looks like a film. It’s been done in six episodes but it also stands up as a stand-alone drama or even as a pilot for a series. ”

Gareth: “They’ve just caught a serial killer – a guy that kills children – and basically it’s a mental and physical cat and mouse game between the detective and the killer.”

Joe: “They sent me a script which was about 20 pages, and I didn’t know what medium or format it was. But the way the television industry is going, it’s becoming more about the internet. This is the first of its kind. Each part is only two minutes long, so it’s like a short film but just one story.”

What can you tell us about your characters?

Gareth: “I play James Matheson, the detective. He’s a guy who probably drinks a lot and he’s always late for work but he’s also very determined and very focused on the job in hand. He’s also very obsessive about the case to begin with. We start with him relaxed because the killer’s caught. He’s late for work because he’s probably been out on the pop!”

Joe: “I play like the horrible character that the police have found. So far seven young girls between the age of 8 and 10 have been sexually molested, killed and pulled apart. Ripped to pieces in a very grim way! They think they’ve got their man, so my scenes are basically all in the interview room and I’m handcuffed to a chair. It’s no laughing matter!”

Tracy-Ann: “I’m in charge of it. Cathy Lyndon is overseeing it, she’s the boss, she’s been trying to track down this serial killer for seven or eight months and they’re not getting anywhere. He’s a bit of a Hannibal Lecter character with a very clever and dark mind. He’s very dangerous but with a baby angel face! It’s all about whether he allows himself to be caught. Who knows?! He won’t talk to her – he’ll only talk to Gareth’s character. She basically sets off on a wild goose hunt to try and save girl number nine.”

Do you think online dramas like this will catch on?

Gareth: “I hope so. I think it’s a great idea. I didn’t know what to expect when I went into it but I had so much fun shooting it. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

Joe: “Things like royal weddings always go down well on TV, but there’s definitely a place for internet stuff. In 10 to 15 years, we’ll probably all be watching TV on the internet, won’t we?”

Tracy-Ann: “Twitter’s involved as well. They’ve done a clever interactive thing with it. James approached me on Twitter and got me interested in it via Twitter so it feels like the first Twitter-related drama that there’s ever been!”

Gareth, is the Ianto backlash still continuing?
“I think so. A little bit! I went down a couple of weeks ago to check out the impromptu memorial outside Ianto’s tourist office and there are more and more things there. It’s wall-to-wall with notes and cards and things, which is nice. It’s very flattering.”

Are you still getting letters sent to you?
“Absolutely – I get a lot of that. It’s flattering and overwhelming. I’m happy that the character made such a positive impact on people’s lives. It feels good when something you’ve worked hard on has that effect on people.”

Girl Number 9 launches Friday at 9pm at canyousaveher.com

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Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige and Sally Hawkins will star in Richard Ayoade’s feature directorial debut Submarine.

An adaptation of Joe Dunthorne’s novel, Submarine centres on 15-year-old Swansea boy Oliver Tate (Roberts) as he romances classmate Jordana Bevan and attempts to stop his parents splitting up. Dunthorne’s novel has drawn comparisons with JD Salinger’s classic teen angst tale Catcher In The Rye.

Michael Sheen had previously been slated to star in the Warp Films adaptation, but is no longer attached to the project.

Ayoade, a music video helmer known for his acting roles in The IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, also adapted the screenplay.

Submarine started filming earlier this week in Cardiff and will wrap up production in seven weeks. Andy Stebbing, Mark Herbert and Mary Burke are producing the coming-of-age comedy alongside Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films company, Film4, the UK Film Council, Wales Creative IP Fund and Film Agency Wales.

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You can find screencaps for the first part of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith in the gallery as well as promotional images and episode stills for both parts. There is also a picture from a different photoshoot.

Enjoy and come back tomorrow for Part Two!

We now have a new layout featuring (and in memory of) The Tenth Doctor as his time draws to a close.

I hope you like it!

Also, please feel free to let me know if any of the colors used for the text are too light for you as different monitors have different brightnesses and I will adjust the coloring. Thank you!

CBBC series The Sarah Jane Adventures and Dustbin Baby are to go head to head in the drama category at this year’s Bafta Children’s Awards.

The two shows are nominated against US5, which is the true story of a German boy band, and Rhestr Nadolig Wil, shown on Welsh broadcaster S4C.

The Bafta Children’s Awards, to be held at the Hilton Park Lane on November 29 and hosted by comedy duo Dick and Dom, celebrate the best in children’s media, including television and video games.

In entertainment, sketch show Sorry I’ve Got No Head, made by So Television for CBBC, will compete with The Legend of Dick and Dom, also shown on CBBC.

Meanwhile, Helen Blakeman, who adapted Jacqueline Wilson’s Dustbin Baby for CBBC, is nominated in the best writer category, and CBBC. CBeebies, Cyw and Nick Jr will compete for the title of channel of the year.

This year’s awards will also incorporate the Bafta Kids’ Vote, which will see children get to vote on their favourite film, TV show, website and video game.

The television show shortlist includes Dustbin Baby, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Newsround.

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