David Tennant’s iconic brown coat, which became a defining element of his tenure as the Tenth Doctor, was actually his single condition for accepting the role in Doctor Who. The actor recently revealed this surprising detail during a conversation with showrunner Russell T Davies on his podcast David Tennant Does A Podcast With…. The revelation offers new insight into how one of the most beloved incarnations of the Time Lord came to be, and how Tennant had a clear vision for his character’s aesthetic from the very beginning. While fans have long celebrated his performance for its emotional depth and charismatic energy, it turns out that Tennant’s initial concern was making sure he had the right outerwear, a request that Davies immediately granted.
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“That was the night to find out if you’d be interested,” confessed Davies during the podcast, referring to their first meeting regarding Doctor Who, which took place at an informal dinner party at Davies’ house along with producer Julie Gardner. What seemed like a casual gathering was actually a carefully orchestrated opportunity to gauge Tennant’s interest in the role. “That’s the only reason you came out,” Davies admitted on the podcast, revealing how the production team had already set their sights on Tennant before formally offering him the part. The evening included watching old Doctor Who VHS tapes, which prompted Gardner to ask Tennant if he “would ever be interested” in playing the Doctor. When Tennant questioned Davies about “how stage-managed” the night was, the showrunner candidly confirmed it was “completely” planned for that purpose.
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“There was a pause,” Davies explained during the conversation. “And you said, ‘I want a coat down to there’. And I was like, ‘we got it’.” The rest is history, as Tennant became one of the most beloved iterations of Doctor Who, a role that comes with life-changing responsibility. “I remember midway through your run, sitting in Cardiff Bay one day having a coffee, and I think it was a Saturday, and you ran through Cardiff Bay—you must have needed milk from the Tesco—with your baseball cap down,” Davies recalled. “You were like a hunted ferret, and you scampered through keeping your head down. I thought, ‘I did that to him’.”
The long brown coat that David Tennant requested became an inseparable part of the Tenth Doctor’s identity, much like Tom Baker’s scarf or Matt Smith’s bow tie in their respective eras. The coat, paired with pinstripe suits and Converse sneakers, created a distinctive look that balanced the character’s alien nature with an accessible, contemporary style. This costume choice proved so successful that it remained largely unchanged throughout Tennant’s tenure, becoming instantly recognizable to audiences worldwide and helping to establish Doctor Who as a global phenomenon during the show’s revival era.
David Tennant’s Doctor Who Legacy Continues to Influence the Series Today
David Tennant’s influence extends well beyond his initial five-year run as the Tenth Doctor, with his recent return for the 60th anniversary specials cementing his status as a foundational figure in the show’s modern era. Tennant’s brief stint as the Fourteenth Doctor in 2023, reuniting with Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, served as both a nostalgic celebration for longtime fans and a bridge to the new era under Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. The special episodes, which marked Russell T Davies’ return as showrunner, demonstrated the enduring appeal of Tennant’s portrayal and his continuing importance to the Doctor Who legacy.
The upcoming second season featuring Gatwa’s Doctor, continues to build upon the foundation established during Tennant’s era. The recently released trailer shows Gatwa’s Doctor meeting his new companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) after bidding farewell to Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) at the end of the previous season. While the show continues to evolve with new cast members and storylines — including a unique animated threat in the form of Alan Cumming’s Mr. Ring-a-Ding character — it remains connected to its past through the creative vision of Davies and the standards set by performers like Tennant.
Despite reports suggesting Doctor Who might face an extended hiatus, the BBC has clarified that decisions regarding a third season will be made after the second airs, leaving the future somewhat uncertain.
Season 2 of Gatwa’s Doctor Who is set to premiere on April 12th.
Do you think David Tennant might return to the role of the Doctor in future productions? Would you like to see more of his Doctor? Let us know in the comments!
