Doctor Who Drama: David Tennant Blocks J.K. Rowling's Cameo

Did you know that Doctor Who star David Tennant had his reservations about having JK Rowling make an appearance in the beloved BBC sci-fi series? Back in 2008, reports surfaced that the 10th Doctor, played by Tennant, "scuppered" a plan by writer Russell T Davies. Russell had a vision of bringing the Harry Potter author into a Christmas special, but David wasn't on board.

Russell, the original showrunner and head writer of the Doctor Who revival from 2005 to 2010 and returning in 2023, aimed to feature a huge name who could rival the previous year's star, Kylie Minogue. However, David took issue with the idea, fearing it would transform the series into a "spoof." This notion comes from a series of emails published by Russell, who noted that the plan for JK Rowling was ultimately set aside to "keep him happy."

In his concept, Russell imagined a scenario where JK Rowling's imaginative world would come to life, and the Doctor would find himself facing a snow-covered realm filled with wizards and witches. He recounted in the emails, "David doesn't like the JK idea. He thinks it sounds like a spoof, so we've paused slightly, wondering whether to win him round or just abandon something that he's not going to be happy with. We've got to keep him happy. He keeps us happy."

Interestingly, Russell had earlier approached JK Rowling to write an episode but she "politely declined." The dynamic between David and JK Rowling is complex, as David has firmly positioned himself as a trans ally, while Rowling has gained notoriety for her anti-trans comments. It’s worth noting that David even appeared in 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Earlier this year, Rowling criticized the Good Omens star, accusing him of being part of the "gender Taliban" after he shared a quote from an interview at the British LGBT