Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant reunite and look back on the shock Doctor Who regeneration between the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Doctors seen in the final moments of “The Power of the Doctor.” Whittaker made her Doctor Who debut in the final moments of the 2017 seasonal special “Twice Upon A Time”, becoming the first on-screen female incarnation of the Time Lord in the main series. Whittaker would be followed by Tennant, who, despite his prior appearance as the Tenth Doctor, would take on the role of the Fourteenth Doctor across the series’ 60th Anniversary celebrations.
While Ncuti Gatwa has wrapped his first season as the Fifteenth Doctor, his two immediate predecessors reunited to look upon their shared Doctor Who history when Whittaker and Tennant made guest appearances on BBC Radio 2 (later reported by RadioTimes). Whittaker recollected that the Thirteenth Doctor’s regeneration into the Fourteenth Doctor was a notable highlight of her tenure that had to be kept under tight wraps:
Jodie Whittaker: “It was a moment! It was a very well-kept secret.”
Tennant also admitted that he had a recording of the call in which Whittaker was informed that her tenure would be followed by his return to the Time Lord. However, both Whittaker and Tennant agreed the recording couldn’t be played at that time, as the language Whittaker used wouldn’t be appropriate for radio.
David Tennant: “I’ve still got a recording of the phone call where I phoned Jodie to tell her that she was going to regenerate into me. I can’t play that at this time in the morning!”
Whittaker: “What the… fill in the blank.”
How Doctor Who’s Surprise Regeneration Unfolded
Fans Were Left Guessing For Several Months
For a brief period in 2021 and 2022, it was uncertain just who would follow Whittaker once she and showrunner Chris Chibnall departed from Doctor Who following “The Power of the Doctor”, even when Russell T Davies was confirmed to be returning to showrunning duties for the 60th Anniversary celebration and beyond. As such, speculation over who would take on the role would persist in the 11 months between confirmation of Whittaker’s departure and Tennant’s return announcement.
Despite this, even after Tennant and Catherine Tate’s return was announced in May, it was unclear whether Tennant would be reprising his role of the Tenth Doctor. Both he and Gatwa were simply referred to as “The Doctor” in their respective casting announcements, with no hints or indications towards any numbering. As such, viewers were left waiting until “The Power of the Doctor” aired for answers.
Our Thoughts on Doctor Who’s Surprise 2022 Regeneration
Unfortunate Aesthetic Decisions DidSsomewhat Hamper The Effect Of The Twist
While unprecedented in the modern era where incoming Doctors had been confirmed with their own announcements, “The Power of the Doctor’s” surprise regeneration was undoubtedly a success. Following a heartwarming final speech by the Thirteenth Doctor looking over a sunset, viewers were taken by surprise as Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor emerged from the regeneration process. Much like most fans, the Time Lord himself was left confused by the process, ending Whittaker’s run on a cliffhanger that kept viewers theorizing for over a year.
Despite this, it wasn’t a flawless Doctor Who plot twist, as while Tennant’s return was explained in a story that tackled the Doctor’s history and role in the universe, it also carried poorly thought-out design choices. While Davies hoped to get ahead of bad-faith tabloid coverage of the process where Tennant donned Whittaker’s attire by having his Fourteenth Doctor’s clothing change along with his body, many fans felt the decision contradicted the ideas behind Whittaker’s non-binary costume design. Nevertheless, in terms of the story, Doctor Who’s 2022 regeneration twist stands out as one of the show’s most memorable moments.