Twenty years ago, David Tennant stepped into the TARDIS for his first full-length Doctor Who adventure, “The Christmas Invasion.” That episode did so well for the sci-fi family show that it kickstarted the well-loved British tradition of the Doctor Who Christmas special — and cemented a fan-favorite duo. The playful, feel-good chemistry of The Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler (Tennant and Billie Piper) solidified their adventures across time and space as a monumental era in Doctor Who history. There have been so many different Doctor/Companion mash-ups throughout the years, but the Tenth Doctor and Rose remain an incredibly beloved pairing that fans are still discussing on the 20th anniversary of their Doctor Who era.
Even though the Doctor is defined by their ability to regenerate — allowing different actors to play the iconic Time Lord over the show’s 60-year-plus history — fans were still concerned when Christopher Eccleston left the show at the end of series 1. Showrunner Russell T. Davies had been hired to bring a new lease on life to Doctor Who after the 16-year gap between the Classic Who of 1989 and the New Who that launched in 2005. Would Tennant and Piper work as well as Eccleston and Piper had during New Who’s make-or-break first season?
But across 13 episodes, Tennant and Piper picked up exactly where Eccleston left off, further developing the simmering tension between the Time Lord from Gallifrey and Rose, a young working-class woman from the Powell Estate.
The Doctor has never been immune to romance, particularly in Davies’ New Who era, where he eventually married the time-hopping criminal River Song (Alex Kingston). First, though, the Doctor fell in love with Rose. Although Tennant and Piper share a natural chemistry on screen, their relationship was portrayed as complex and challenging. While Rose saw herself as traveling with the Doctor forever, and he felt the same, their plan to stay together was ultimately a fantasy.
The Doctor, Rose, and the audiences at home were eventually forced to confront harsh reality during a finale that permanently separated the characters. Their dreams of a life together were shattered, and so were the audience’s hearts. The series two finale “Doomsday” was so tragic that it’s still considered one of the saddest Doctor Who episodes of all time. The characters eventually met again in 2008’s “The Stolen Earth,” and Piper made several cameos throughout the rest of the New Who seasons. But as far as we’re concerned, the Doctor and Rose’s story concluded in 2008’s “Journey’s End.”
That is, until Piper appeared in the 2025 season 2 finale of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who run, “The Reality War,” where Gatwa regenerated into Piper’s Rose. Who fans are still debating that reveal almost a year later, and it’s sparked discussion about whether Tennant will appear alongside Piper for the 2026 Christmas special. Considering Tennant recently appeared as the 14th Doctor, going on a couple of adventures alongside his best friend Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), that doesn’t feel entirely out of the question.
Even so, while Tennant and Piper’s portrayal of the Doctor and Rose remains iconic, the idea of Davies and the BBC weaponizing nostalgia to retain viewers for a series that’s struggling to find its feet in the streaming world feels a lot like flogging a dead horse. Who wouldn’t love to see the Doctor and Rose reunite once more? But should they? The whole tragedy of the Doctor and his companions is that, no matter what they wish, they’re unable to remain together forever, which makes their time together all the more special. The Doctor and Rose have already had their reunion, and it was wonderful. We don’t need to see them do it again and directly undermine what made their separation so heartbreaking in the first place.
Doctor Who is currently facing uncertain, dire circumstances. Disney has dumped Doctor Who completely, Piper still hasn’t been confirmed as the next Doctor, and while a new Christmas special is on the way, we don’t know whether the show has been renewed for a new season. We can see why it’s tempting for Davies to use Tennant and Piper’s natural rapport to entice audiences back. But do we need to bastardize the tragic dynamic of the Doctor and their companion to do so?
My gut says no, but whether Davies or the BBC feels the same remains to be seen. What I do know is that, despite my own love for Tennant and Piper’s era of Doctor Who, the idea of the BBC and Davies trying to recapture that spirit in 2026 fills me with dread.
Doctor Who’s 2005 to 2025 seasons are available to buy via Amazon or Apple. You can watch the two most recent seasons and some specials on Disney Plus.
