The 2008â€"2010 specials of the British science fiction television
programme Doctor Who are five specials that linked the programme's
fourth and fifth series. The specials were produced in lieu of a full
series in 2009, to allow the new production team for the programme to
have enough time to prepare for the fifth series in 2010, in light of
Russell T. Davies' decision to step down as showrunner. The first
special was broadcast on 25 December 2008 with "The Next Doctor", with
the last special, the two-part episode "The End of Time", broadcasting
over two weeks on 25 December 2009 and 1 January 2010.The specials
started production in April 2008 for "The Next Doctor", and filming
for the final special "The End of Time" began in March 2009. Two
supplemental episodes were also filmed alongside the specials. "Music
of the Spheres" was filmed for the 2008 Doctor Who Prom in July 2008,
and the animated six-episode serial Dreamland was produced for the
BBC's Red Button service, which was released over six consecutive days
in November 2009. Midway through the sequence of specials (commencing
with "Planet of the Dead"), production switched to filming in
high-definition.The specials included appearances of one-off
companions, portrayed by David Morrissey, Velile Tshabalala, Michelle
Ryan, Lindsay Duncan and Bernard Cribbins, as well as featuring cast
from previous seasons, including Catherine Tate, Billie Piper, Freema
Agyeman, Noel Clarke, John Barrowman, Elisabeth Sladen and John Simm.
After the fourth series was the final full series to star David
Tennant as the Doctor, and the last with lead writer and showrunner
Russell T Davies, the specials marked their official departure from
the programme, with Matt Smith and Steven Moffat replacing them as the
Doctor and the lead writer and showrunner respectively. Doctor Who (2008–2010 specials) Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter