Okay, it’s official. David Tennant is stepping down as Doctor Who, and will not be returning as the TARDIS Timelord when the regular series eventually returns. This doesn’t really come as a surprise to anybody, of course. After all, the next season was basically delayed so that Tennant could pursue other projects, and it sounds as if he’s decided to keep on doing that. In the new season’s place, we’ll be getting 5 one-off episodes throughout 2009 and into 2010, including the usual Christmas special, all of which Tennant will star in.

Exactly how and when the switchover to the new Doctor will happen, and who it will be, are still unknown. Among those in the early running are James Nesbitt (Jekyll from Jekyll), David Morrisey, and Paterson Joseph (Benjamin from Jekyll) — who would be an interesting choice as the first black Doctor. (Note: Jekyll was created by Who’s new head writer, Steven Moffat.) I’ve definitely loved Tennant’s run with the role, but won’t mind seeing what somebody else can do. After all, it’s the unique nature of The Doctor to die and be reborn every so often, right?