Doctor Who – why does the Fourteenth Doctor look like the Tenth Doctor?

Tonight’s special episode The Star Beast began to unravel the mystery.

By Morgan Jeffery

Published: Saturday, 25 November 2023 at 19:34 PM

Enthused as we might be to have David Tennant back in Doctor Who – and not just for a one-off appearance, he’s fronting a new trilogy of episodes – his reappearance on the show does raise a rather big question that demands an answer. Why does the Fourteenth Doctor look like the Tenth?

This isn’t a time-displaced Tenth Doctor – Tennant is now playing a new incarnation, albeit one who’s revisiting an old face.

Speaking at the launch of The Star Beast, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies explained that the Fourteenth Doctor might look and sound like his predecessor, but he’s subtly different and “slightly more human” in his behaviour.

“He says he loves Donna, which he never said in the old days,” Davies pointed out.

Though this is the first time that Doctor Who has depicted this twist on regeneration on-screen, the idea of the Doctor assuming a face he’s worn before is not unprecedented – fans will remember that the enigmatic Curator (Tom Baker), who appeared in the show’s 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, was heavily implied to be a future Doctor who had taken on a form similar to that of his previous Fourth incarnation.

“In years to come you might find yourself revisiting a few [faces],” the Curator told the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). “But just the old favourites, eh?”

So is it as simple as the Doctor opting – either consciously or unconsciously – to revert to a previous physical form?

The Star Beast saw the Doctor ponder why he resembled “the one in the skinny suit” again, speculating that returning companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) might somehow be involved.