Russell T Davies & David Tennant Interview

David Tennant and Russell T Davies have been interviewed by IESB. Read an extract of the interview below;

Russell: The finale is a personal epic. The Waters of Mars all takes place in a very small location. And then, that final story becomes epic, almost like a fairytale. But, it's really intimate, at the same time. It's got funny little aliens with green spikey faces, running around.

Q: The Doctor has had pretty steady companions for a few series, and then for the specials the Doctor has been solo with new companions. How was it to shoot those specials? How did that change the dynamic on the set for you?

David: It's been slightly different in each one. In the first one, we had Michelle Ryan who, for all intents and purposes, was the companion, and she was fantastic. Although she was a very distinct character, she was in the mold of the traditional young, beautiful woman, who is also feisty. Bu, in the next special, the closest thing we have to a companion is Lindsey Duncan, who is an older woman, which is not something the show has done before. And, she probably thinks she's more in charge than the Doctor is. In many ways, she is, actually. So, that's a different dynamic. And then, coming into that final two-part story, although Catherine Tate is back and Donna is a big part of that story, the companion really is Bernard Cribbins, and that is the first time the Doctor has had an 80-year-old man as his sidekick.

So, it's been great to get to play these different facets of the character. The Doctor himself is also slightly on the run from himself, and on the run from the inevitable, so he's trying not to get too close to anyone. So, it's important that there is a revolving door of confidence for him. But, getting to see Bernard Cribbins in that final story is so brilliant and moving. He's just such a great actor, and that was a great finish to the story, for me. You get these wonderful scenes of these two old men. The Doctor is a lot older than Wilf, and yet the two of them get to sit down and discuss life in a way that we've never seen the Doctor be able to do before. It's just a way of reinventing the wheel with this character, who has been around since 1963, and yet we are still managing to find a new aspect of him.

Q: After Planet of the Dead, will the remaining episodes all be ramping into the next regeneration? How do you dramatically play a progress towards a death where the character knows not really a death, having been through multiple regenerations?

Russell: Yes, the Doctor is heading for his next adventure, called The Waters of Mars, in November in Britain. It should be shown soon after on BBC America. I think this Doctor likes being this Doctor. He's raging against the dying of the light. And, that's the beat that we play. That's the story. He knows that the sands of time are running out. He's been told. And, the bell is tolling for him, and he doesn't want to go quietly. That's how we play that.

Read the full interview here.