Issue 3 Preview - Interview With A David Tennant Fangirl
Issue 3 is coming very soon. In the meantime, we can bring you a preview of what could prove to be the most controversial article we've ran in our short history, as we interview some David Tennant Fangirls on the man, his role and the aftermath of his departure. (Actually, it's not that controversial. But if it's good enough for Heat Magazine, it's good enough for us!)
We have more interviews with a few DT fangirls in Issue 3, but as a preview, here is a interview that we enjoyed! Thanks to McFangirl for her views!
How did you discover Doctor Who? The first time around was at about age six (1981). It would come on after Saturday morning cartoons. The opening sequence with Tom Baker's head and the psychedelic look/sound of it was just plain creepy and scared the crap out of me! Add to that the fact that I had never in my life heard a person speak British English before and quite frankly, I don't think I was ever able to sit through an entire episode. All this before any monsters ever graced the screen!
The second time around was a complete accident on my husband's part. He came in, sat down, grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels while I was reading something. He stopped on SyFy and started watching "some British sci-fi show called Doctor Who". It was about a quarter of the way into The Sontaran Stratagem. I remember saying "Doctor Who? I remember watching some of that when I was little! Looks like they remade it or something. Huh...". Next thing I know, the Doctor is making fun of General Staal the not-quite-so-undefeated-but-nevermind and we laughed so hard we knew this was going to be a really good show! Long story short, the next Saturday night couldn't come soon enough! And the next one, and the next one and...
At this juncture, there is something I'd like to address before moving on the the next question. During that first episode we caught, right through to the end of Series 4 (give or take a couple of Series 3 episodes), what we saw in David Tennant was a brilliant actor with undeniable charisma that had us totally believing he was this wonderful, self-sacrificing alien who traveled around the universe in a time machine. It wasn't until ten (somewhat out of order) episodes later, during the scene where the Doctor is checking out his new incarnation's outfit out in the mirror in The Christmas Invasion, that I was completely swept off my feet by David Tennant. I became a Doctor Who fan way before I fell in love with David Tennant, the actor. I wasn't just watching the show for the hot guy.
Why do you think Fangirls like David Tennant so much?
Your question alone makes me smile; you are acknowledging that women adore David Tennnant. I think that at first glance, the draw is his charisma. Let's be honest, David is not your stereotypical hunky actor but yet there is something about him that even many a heterosexual man can sense. That something is charisma.
Charisma aside, he's extremely sexy (Those eyes! That hair!) and a beautiful person both inside and out. He's the anti-hunk - the geeky girl's pin-up boy! He's the anti-celebrity - he owns the car I almost bought, for goodness sakes, and doesn't have anyone telling him how to dress.
David doesn't have a big ego; he's as humble a human as they come. He never tries to be someone he's not and actually embraces his geekiness! How refreshing is that?!
What’s your favourite Doctor Who episode with David as The Doctor?
Favourite? Hmmm... Not sure exactly what that implies. Favourite as in the one I like the most or the one which I think came together the best or the one in which I thought Tennant hit it out of the park or how about the one in which Tennant looked the hottest?
I'll go with my two standard response episodes because they tend cover almost every facet mentioned above & then some but somehow always manage to end up in a tie - The Runaway Bride and Utopia. As for the one in which I thought Tennant did the best acting, that is also a tie but this time between three episodes - The Waters of Mars, The End of Time, Part 1 & Part 2.
Do you think David left Doctor Who too early, or do you think the time was right for him to try other roles?
I think David left the show at the right time. He left when he was still loved the world over and he was given the biggest & best send off ever. Even the U.S. got a chance to see him off via the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con! To change gears a bit, I don't know if David would've be a good fit for the team that's currently running Doctor Who so I'm really glad he decided to leave when Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner both moved on.
As for David trying different roles, he had been trying different roles while he was starring in Doctor Who. He now has time to do far more though and for that I am very grateful. I'm always thrilled to see him take his talents (and hair!) in different directions!
On a side note, I wanted to touch upon his "failed U.S. TV pilot", Rex Is Not Your Lawyer. The U.K. media twisted and completely distorted the reality of the situation. They made it out to look like Tennant didn't have what it took to anchor a series in the U.S. which is grossly inaccurate. The truth of it is that the majority of pilots made in the U.S. for TV are NOT picked up and of those that are picked up many are dropped several episodes in. The fact that the pilot did not make the cut is completely insignificant and does not bear any weight on Tennant's talents from American TV-viewing point of view.
“I don’t want to go” Lovely last line or a bit or a wimpy end to David’s reign as The Doctor?
I think the line, not only the way it’s written but also in its delivery, was fitting. This was a man who had struggled with his demons for a long time and would often be seen going back and forth between happy-go-lucky moments and dark moments. He loved being himself and loathed it at the same time. In the end, he accepted his inevitable fate bravely while one last time giving us a glimpse of that emotional depth and vulnerability that heavily characterized David's Doctor.
Russell T. Davies wrote the Tenth Doctor's final scene in a way that allowed us to empathize with him. We went along on the emotional ride towards his regeneration and the last line was our prize because, much like this Doctor, we didn't want him to go either. It brought David's era to a close brilliantly and allowed us to share that last moment with David himself who loved this job more than any other job in the world.
What’s your favourite other David Tennant role and why?
My other favourite David Tennant role would have to be Detective Inspector Peter Carlisle in Blackpool. Much like the Tenth Doctor, this character was given the opportunity to become well-developed which of course has to do with the fact the series was six episodes long. I think Tennant really benefits from taking on long-running series and/or feature-length films because it gives him the chance to really sink his teeth into a character and reveal different facets of the same person. He's a genius at it! David's native Scottish accent was also a major draw not only for the knee-weakening factor but simply because it makes the character that much more believable being an extension of David himself
Would you call yourself a ‘David Tennant Fangirl’ rather than a ‘Doctor Who Fangirl’?
I think it's fair to call me both - sort of. I call myself a David Tennant fangirl but refer to myself as a Doctor Who fan. Why the difference? I no longer obsess over the show the way I used to when David was the Doctor. That passion is now channelled into following David's career and enjoying his new work.
Yes, I began loving the show first but soon realized that the actor was far more than just "the current Doctor Who" as the media would erroneously refer to him. He is easily the most talented British actor of my generation and I am proud to be his contemporary and fangirl! Likewise, Doctor Who is much more than just the Tenth Doctor but for me it has lost a great deal of its appeal since David's departure. That's not to say I don't run to watch it now but I think David's portrayal is what made the show so special for me and it has definitely lost that magical spark in my eyes.
What do you think of Matt Smith and the view shared by some fans that David was ‘irreplaceable’ as The Doctor?
I think I already addressed the first part of this question in the last response so I'll move on to the 'irreplaceable' part.
Yes, I think David was irreplaceable. Why? Because no other actor who's played the role before or since him to date has wanted to have this role his whole life. The passion and soul that David brought to his portrayal as the Tenth Doctor is unlike anything I've seen before in any actor/character relationship on any show. I never felt like I was watching an actor doing a fantastic job; I always felt like I was watching the living, breathing man from Gallifrey and that's something I don't think any other actor will ever be able to even attempt to replicate.
To me David Tennant IS the Doctor, not an actor portraying a character.
While I'm on the topic something rather interesting was experienced by many Tennant fans while viewing his latest work, Single Father. There is a scene in one of the episodes where David's character, Dave, delivers two phrases that sound exactly like the Tenth Doctor. David was clearly not attempting to bring the Doctor into this completely different character/production but it happened. I gasped and teared up during that scene. It served to reassure me that the Tenth Doctor is alive and well within David. I think the Tenth Doctor really was far more 'David' than I think even David himself would ever be willing to admit.
You’ve been body-swapped into Rose’s scruffy apparel for the day. Where would you go with the 10th Doctor, in the TARDIS and why?
Ewww! Becoming Rose would be a nightmare! Heh heh...
Where would I go? Does the TARDIS have to go somewhere? Couldn't we just do something in the TARDIS instead? HAH!
Maybe we'd go to an orphanage, defeat some creature and finish off by placing every child with loving, patient and understanding parents. I'm not joking but I know that wouldn't make for a very exciting episode. Hmmm... Oh, I know! We would go befriend a young Scottish boy named David McDonald and all three of us could work together to fight off some menacing creatures and save the world! That would totally make that young lad's day!
And finally…If you could dedicate a song on the radio to David, what will it be?
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