You’d Never Believe Which Role Got David Tennant His Big Doctor Who Break

But none of it would have been possible if it weren’t for one show that put the actor on Russell T. Davies’ radar.

Before getting cast as the Tenth Doctor in 2006, David Tennant was a relatively unknown actor, who mostly did theater work. Then-showrunner Russell T. Davies spotted the aspiring star in 2005’s Casanova, a British comedy-drama series that followed the famous Giacomo Casanova.

The show actually wasn’t that different from Doctor Who ’s production – half the faces were the same. Julie Gardner, who would later become an executive producer of Doctor Who, commissioned Casanova from Davies and then offered him the position of the chief writer on Doctor Who.

Tennant’s longtime colleague Nina Sosanya, who played Bellino in Casanova and two separate roles in Good Omens, would also go on to guest-star as Trish Webber in 2006’s Doctor Who episode Fear Her opposite the actor.

Other cast members, consisting of Laura Fraser, Shaun Parkes, and Matt Lucas, would later stop by the biggest British sci-fi series as well. Parkes would join Tennant’s Doctor in 2006’s two-parter, featuring Satan himself, as Zachary Cross Flane.

Fraser would appear in 2020’s episode Orphan 55 as Kane, though it would be well past Tennant’s era as the Doctor – instead, she would meet Jodie Whittaker ’s incarnation.

The same is true about Lucas, who would have a much bigger role alongside Peter Capaldi ’s Doctor as they go on time-traveling adventures.

Anyway, 2005’s Casanova, starring David Tennant in the titular role, only has three episodes, and what episodes they are! With a fair amount of drama, a dash of that signature British humor that we all love, lots of passion (literally and figuratively), and a young Tennant who portrays the world’s greatest womanizer – the show has it all.

Watch it now, thank us later.