Peter Davison recalls David Tennant telling him off over a TARDIS lever during Time Crash
Peter Davison told The Whoniverse Show that his son-in-law David Tennant scolded him for pulling a TARDIS lever while they filmed the 2007 Children in Need mini-episode Time Crash.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor in Doctor Who, has said his son-in-law David Tennant told him off while they filmed the 2007 mini-episode Time Crash. Radio TimesN “recently opened up about filming Time Crash, the mini-episode for Children in Need” Read at Radio Times ↗ Digital SpyN “Doctor Who legend Peter Davison has revealed he got a telling off from son-in-law David Tennant” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 2Davison made the remarks on The Whoniverse Show. He said he loved pressing the buttons on the TARDIS set because the sound department then had to add a noise for each press. Radio TimesN “"I always loved pressing the buttons on the TARDIS set because it meant the sound department would have to add the noise every time you press a button,"” Read at Radio Times ↗ Digital SpyN “Speaking to The Whoniverse Show about filming the special episode” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 2Davison said he started out alone on Tennant's set, pressing every button and pulling every lever. Apparently he pulled one lever that Tennant had decided had a special function, and Tennant told him off, saying "You can't pull that lever!". Davison added that they had "a really nice time doing it". Radio TimesN “apparently I did pull one lever that David had decided had a special function... so he told me off a bit about that.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Digital SpyN “'You can't pull that lever!' But we had a really nice time doing it.” Read at Digital Spy ↗
Centre · 2Tennant is married to Davison's daughter, Georgia. Davison played the Fifth Doctor from 1981 to 1984, more than 20 years before Tennant debuted as the Tenth Doctor. Digital SpyN “Davison played the Fifth Doctor from 1981 to 1984, over 20 years before Tennant made his debut as the Tenth Doctor.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Radio TimesN “who's also the father of Tennant's wife, Georgia” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 1According to Digital Spy, Davison said he was surprised but "very happy" to receive the Time Crash script and called filming it a "joy". Digital Spy also says the episode was the first time a classic Doctor had appeared in the revived series. Digital SpyN “marked the first time a classic Doctor had appeared in the reboot series, and the actor said he was surprised but "very happy" to get the script” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 1Davison has reprised the Fifth Doctor several times since. Radio Times lists Dimensions in Time (1993), Time Crash (2007), The Power of the Doctor (2022) and Tales of the TARDIS (2023). Tennant returned as the Fourteenth Doctor for the 60th anniversary specials in 2023. Radio TimesN “Dimensions in Time (1993), subsequent special Time Crash (2007), Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who swan-song The Power of the Doctor (2022) and the BBC iPlayer series Tales of the TARDIS (2023)”“Tennant returned to the show as the Fourteenth Doctor for the 60th anniversary specials in 2023.” Read at Radio Times ↗
Centre · 1Digital Spy adds that the BBC has issued a tender for a multi-episode Doctor Who series, including specials, for transmission in 2028/29. Digital SpyN “a multi-episodic series (including specials) for transmission in 2028/29” Read at Digital Spy ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Light, affectionate anecdote about a father-in-law and son-in-law who are both former Doctors, led by the telling-off quote.
- Emphasis
- Radio Times adds Davison's other Doctor Who returns and an earlier quote on the show's place in his life. Digital Spy adds Davison's reaction to the script and the BBC's 2028/29 tender.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet says when The Whoniverse Show interview was recorded. Neither gives Tennant's side.
- Charged language
- “legend”“a good telling off”
- For example
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“giving his father-in-law a good telling off in the console room!” — Radio Times
“Doctor Who legend Peter Davison has revealed he got a telling off” — Digital Spy
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Davison said Tennant told him off for pulling a lever on the TARDIS set during Time Crash.
- Time Crash was a 2007 Children in Need mini-episode featuring the Fifth and Tenth Doctors.
- Tennant is married to Davison's daughter Georgia.
- Davison spoke on The Whoniverse Show.
Peter Davison person
Recalls the episode fondly, joking that he pressed every button and pulled every lever, and says he and Tennant had a really nice time.
“But we had a really nice time doing it.” — Radio Times
David Tennant person
Appears only through Davison's account: he had decided one lever on his TARDIS set had a special function and objected when it was pulled. Neither article quotes him directly.
“'You can't pull that lever!'” — Digital Spy
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Doctor Who legend Peter Davison reveals why son-in-law David Tennant "told him off" in the TARDIS
Sympathetic Playful fan-oriented piece built around the family connection and Davison's quotes, with extra Doctor Who career context.

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Doctor Who star Peter Davison reveals why son-in-law David Tennant once told him off in the TARDIS
Sympathetic Short, light retelling of the anecdote with added detail on Time Crash and the BBC's tender for the show's return.

Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 2 Oct 08:00 First Radio TimesN Doctor Who legend Peter Davison reveals why son-in-law David Tennant "told him off" in the TARDIS
- 4 Oct 11:35 +51h 34m Digital SpyN Doctor Who star Peter Davison reveals why son-in-law David Tennant once told him off in the TARDIS
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.