The Fifteenth Doctor opened up about the heartfelt moment opposite David Bradley’s William Hartnell in the amended docudrama.
It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for Doctor Who fans. Not only did we get our first 60th anniversary episode, The Star Beast, over the weekend, we were also treated to a very special moment in a new airing of An Adventure in Space and Time.
The docudrama was released for the series’ 50th anniversary in 2013, and featured Matt Smith (who was playing the Eleventh Doctor at the time it aired) alongside First Doctor star William Hartnell (as played by David Bradley) in an emotional final scene.
Last week, the programme was repeated on BBC Four to celebrate Doctor Who Day ahead of joining the back catalogue – with a big change. The final scene now includes incoming Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, with the actor himself reacting to the footage on Instagram.
“1-15. William Hartnell to lil ole me,” he wrote. “Feeling very blessed to be joining the legacy of this beautiful show…I’m late (as always) but a very happy Doctor Who day.”
The post featured pictures of the heartwarming moment, which sees the Fifteenth Doctor wink at his predecessor.
Another talking point among fans following the new version of An Adventure in Space and Time, was that some parts of the original had been cut.
RadioTimes.com understands this is due to the same rights issue that prevented the first Doctor Who story from being released on BBC iPlayer with the rest of the back catalogue on 1st November.
Read more:
- Doctor Who to get in-vision commentary with David Tennant and more
- Heartstopper fans delighted by Kit Connor cameo in An Adventure in Space and Time
Gatwa is set to take over from Tennant following the 60th anniversary specials, which come to an end on 9th December. Following the regeneration, Gatwa will lead the Christmas Day episode ahead of the new season’s arrival in the new year.
Tennant’s return on Saturday night, which saw the Nobles make a welcome comeback too, became the biggest drama launch of 2023 with an overnight audience of 5.08 million. It certainly bodes well for the show’s new era.
An Adventure in Space and Time is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Doctor Who continues next Saturday (2nd December) at 6:30pm on BBC One. Previous episodes are available on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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