How David Tennant's Son Would Feel About Following Family's Doctor Who Legacy

Ty Tennant Casualty BBC

As Doctor Who gears up for its (hopefully) stunning Season 12 conclusion, some news has surfaced elsewhere that may excite the fandom far and wide. Ty Tennant, the 17-year-old son of Tenth Doctor David Tennant and grandson of the Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, is making a name for himself in the acting biz. It was inevitable, then, that the press would ask him about his interest in potentially joining the Doctor Who franchise.

Fans now have an answer about where Ty Tennant's head is at concerning all things Who-related. The young Tennant was asked about whether or not he'd ever be interested in taking on the mantle of The Doctor like his father and grandfather. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the young actor isn't going to say no to any job at this point, especially in the Doctor Who franchise, but he also noted that nothing is owed to him simply because of who his family is.

I don't think I would ever decline the offer. Doctor Who is such a massive thing to take on. Whoever is truly right for it will get the role. If I am granted that, I will certainly do my best.

Doctor Who is like a rite of passage for many UK actors, so it's not the biggest shock to learn that Ty Tennant wouldn't turn down any offers to take over as a new Time Lord int he future. The significance of such an iconic role might be a little more meaty than what Ty Tennant is currently ready for, especially given that his father David Tennant was the first (and arguably the best) Doctor of the modern reboot. Not to mention his mother Georgia Tennant played the Doctor's cloned daughter Jenny in Season 4 of the reboot. And as previously mentioned, Georgia's father Peter Davison was the Fifth Doctor during the classic run of Doctor Who.

Obviously, family lineage plays a big part in Ty Tennant fielding that kind of question from the Sunday Post. Plus, there are a healthy number of Doctor Who faithful who proclaim his father is the gold standard for regenerations of The Doctor, so inquiring minds would want to know if the young actor will ever one day jump into the franchise.

As far as whether or not he has the acting chops that his dear old dad has, Ty Tennant is wasting no time making a name for himself at home and in the United States. He's currently in Epix's War of the Worlds TV series as Tom Gresham, as well as the British drama Casualty, which is currently the longest running medical TV series in the world. Audiences may have seen him in the biopic Tolkien, in which he played a young Christopher Wiseman. That's quite a start for a young actor, so it isn't hard to see a scenario where Doctor Who's producers might come knocking on his door at some point.

Of course, Doctor Who is in a new era, with Season 12 even introducing a second female incarnation of The Doctor, so it could be a long time narratively before another male Doctor is brought back into the fold. Ty Tennant could always play a minor role of some kind, of course. As Karen Gillan and Peter Capaldi have proven, it wouldn't necessarily rule Tennant out for a major part down the stretch, either. For now, we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for the series and the young actor.

Doctor Who's Season 12 finale will air on BBC America on Sunday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all speculation following the dramatic conclusion, and for a look at what else is worth watching on television immediately after and beyond.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.