The BBC Announced today that David Tennant and Billie Piper will be returning to lend a hand to Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman for the special 50th Anniversary story later this year. Last seen as the Doctor on January 1, 2010, this will be the first time Tennant has reprised his role as the tenth Doctor. During his reign as the Time Lord, Tennant appeared in three series as well as several specials. He was first revealed as the Doctor in the 2005 series finale, “The Parting of the Ways”. Meanwhile Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler for two series following the reboot in 2005, will appear in the show for the first time since featuring in Tennant’s last episode, “The End of Time” in 2010.
Additional info includes the announcement that veteran actor John Hurt will also appear in the special episode, but his role has not been revealed. Best known for his roles in The Elephant Man, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Hit, An Englishman in New YorkI, Claudius, Hurt recently lent his voice to the hit BBC series Merlin.
Also announced is an all-new special, Doctor Who: The Companions, premiering Sunday, March 31, at 7:00 PM. As the Doctor’s newest companion, Clara Oswald, steps into the TARDIS, take a look back at previous companions that have won over the Doctor’s hearts. Along the way, companions old and new talk about how the show has changed their lives, and how they’ve never quite managed to leave the TARDIS behind. Matt Smith and David Tennant are joined by fellow contributors including John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) and Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith).