Warning: spoilers for “The Giggle” are in play. If you haven’t seen the final Doctor Who 60th anniversary special yet, you’ve been warned.
After last weekend’s revelation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctor’s fates, Doctor Who’s wild bi-generation twist left us with two Time Lords, two TARDIS-es, and only one pair of pants. With David Tennant currently earthbound, and Ncuti Gatwa ready to jet off with Doctor Who’s Season 14 cast, the incoming Doctor shared a fun story about how his predecessor literally wore the pants in this bi-generation scenario.
It all came about thanks to an interview Gatwa did with BBC Radio 2, where a young fan named Blythe asked him why he was pants-free for his big introduction. Without batting an eye, and with the good-natured charm The Doctor is known for, Ncuti explained his costuming situation, and David Tennant’s part in it all, thusly:
@bbcradio2 ♬ original sound - bbcradio2
Before we go any further, points have to be awarded to Ncuti Gatwa for expertly handling such a curveball question with a young fan. On top of his performance in the Fifteenth Doctor’s debut during “The Giggle,” this chat further shows how the Sex Education alum landed the role of a lifetime. With Ncuti supposedly stealing the role in a charismatic audition for Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, his casting couldn't be any more exciting.
That being said, this story involving David Tennant getting first crack at the wardrobe choices does seem like it could be accurate. Again, bi-generation is something new, so the rules aren’t quite set in stone. Not to mention, when Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor regenerated, that whole scenario led to an entirely different costume altogether. Even with all of the charm in the world, shooting schedules can't be helped, and in this case, it meant the new Doctor didn't get a choice in which pieces of the time lord's wardrobe he got.
In case you want a refresher, or if you haven’t seen the moment and don’t mind spoilers, here’s “The Giggle’s” bi-generation sequence. But if you’re looking for a cue to head to your Disney+ subscription and catch up on some Doctor Who, consider this text as such a signal:
With the 60th anniversary now concluded, and Russell T. Davies officially proclaiming “the age of Ncuti,” the series newcomer will be wearing the pants from now on. And based on what we’ve seen in the glimpses of the Fifteenth Doctor’s wardrobe in this year’s Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road,” those pants are a sharp blue addition to the world of Doctor Who costumes.
At the same time, it's still funny that even in his second time around, David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who with another funny story to add to the series' decades of history. While he may be outgoing yet again, it's clear that fans and creatives alike still love his take on The Doctor. This means there will probably always be a chance that we'll see him again, but only after the age of Ncuti has properly kicked off.
The Doctor will return on the 2023 TV schedule at Christmas in "The Church on Ruby Road." In the meantime, if you want to catch up on the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials, Disney+ is the place to be. Or if you want to watch the Ninth through Thirteenth Doctor's adventures use a Max subscription to catch those tales of adventure.
