In the interest of full disclosure, I am a big Doctor Who fan. Ever since I discovered Tom Baker fighting a minotaur on late night PBS in college, I have been hooked. So when BBC America announced that they would be holding a Doctor Who panel at Comic-Con, I eagerly stood in line for hours with the hundreds of other fans. They could have simply had a model of the TARDIS on stage and I would have been happy, but it being Comic-Con, there was so much more!

The panel included executive producer Julie Gardner, director Euros Lyn, writer and executive producer Russell T. Davies, and the 10th Doctor himself, David Tennant, and was attended by an extremely enthusiastic capacity crowd. There were more than a few Doctor costumes out there. When Tennant came out wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with a sequined Stormtrooper helmet, the crowd went wild and then promptly started calling for him to take his shirt off. Being a stage actor, Tennant played the crowd, raising his arms and saying it was “too bad no one knows Doctor Who in America.”

The event had a bit of a melancholy feel though as it focused on the last four hours of programming of Tennant’s tenure before Matt Smith takes over as the 11th Doctor next year and Russell T. Davies departs from the series. Davies said that Doctor Who was “the most beautiful and brilliant time of my life,” while Tennant added that there were “so many brilliant memories.” Tennant did say that it could be a little overwhelming to be part of a show that is such a part of the British culture. “You find your face on cakes, t-shirts, children’s pants. They don’t prepare you for that in drama school.” When asked what advice he has for Smith, Tennant said that Smith is “going to be brilliant…it’s annoying.” He added that everyone who has worked with Smith has nothing but praise for him and that Tennant had nothing to say that Smith doesn’t already know.

As a special award, the Guinness Book of World Records announced during the panel that Doctor Who is not only the longest running science fiction show, but also officially the most popular. Davies accepted the award and said that “now there will be a sci-fi war. ‘Supernatural’ (referring to the panel going on next door) can eat it. ‘Supernatural’ can eat me.”

When asked about a Doctor Who movie, Gardner said there was no announcement as rumors had predicted, but that the crowd interest “made them think about it.” Tennant chimed in that there was a new rumor a day at Comic-Con. “Apparently I’m playing the Hobbit, though no one has contacted me about it.” When asked about future guest appearances on the show, Tennant did say that it is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013, but that, “that is not an announcement, don’t go Twittering that. Not yet.” Gardner did announce, however, that Tennant’s Doctor will feature in two episodes of the upcoming “Sarah Jane Chronicles” on BBC and BBC America. We were shown the teaser for tonight’s airing of the “Planet of the Dead,” for the two-part “Waters of Mars” airing in October, and for the first time ever, the trailer for the finale coming Christmas 2009. All I can say for you Doctor Who fans out there, the Master comes back. Also, according to all of the panelists, prepare to cry.

So it is yet another end to a Doctor. Talking about watching Tom Baker’s last episodes as an eleven year old, Tennant said how hard it was since he idolized him and wanted to be
him. “But then Peter Davison came and in three weeks I thought he was the best Doctor ever. That’s how it should be.” We will just have to watch the last of the 10th Doctor and be excited for things to come.