As part of Comic Relief 2023, an untitled Doctor Who scene opened the night's programme, later released on YouTube as Lenny Henry Regenerates into David Tennant, on Facebook as Meet the 9.5th Comic Relief Host… Sir Lenny Henry, and on TikTok as Regeneration loading.... It saw the second live-action appearance of David Tennant as what appeared to be the Fourteenth Doctor, albeit in an unexpected form.

Not fitting in with the timeline established by The Power of the Doctor, however, the parodical skit featured this Doctor regenerating from an incarnation played by Lenny Henry, and who seemed on some metafictional level to be Henry himself, as he was referred to by that name in dialogue. A YouTube Short upload of the regeneration scene identified Henry as playing a tongue-in-cheek "9.5th Doctor", referencing the numbering of Tennant's original Tenth Doctor, rather than the Fourteenth Doctor he appeared to be reprising.

If taken at face value, this is the second time that Henry has played an incarnation of the Doctor, as he also portrayed a Seventh Doctor on his sketch show in 1985, which made him the first non-white actor to ever play the role in a BBC production.

Synopsis[]

There was no better way to kick off Red Nose Day 2023 than with Comic Relief icon Lenny Henry regenerating into none other than the Doctor himself David Tennant.

Plot[]

Lenny Henry is in his dressing room. A woman knocks on the door asking for him. He is told that it's ninety seconds until he's on air. He then looks in the mirror and says "Comic Relief Salford make some noise".

Henry is told he is needed on stage ASAP. He then complains of stomach pains claiming he needs a "Doctor". His hand starts to glow orange with regeneration energy, and he begins to regenerate, turning into a new, Doctor-ish form, with Henry's clothes changing at the same time.

The Doctor remarks that he "knows these teeth" and deduces from context clues that he's meant to be hosting Comic Relief. Checking his watch, he realises that he is even late to that responsibility and dashes off.

Cast[]

• Lenny Henry/9.5th Doctor - Lenny Henry
• The Doctor - David Tennant
• Production assistant - Unknown

Crew[]

to be added

Worldbuilding[]

• Henry references Salford.
• The new Doctor mentions his teeth.

Notes[]

• This minisode is a recreation of the regeneration from the Thirteenth Doctor into the Fourteenth Doctor at the end of The Power of the Doctor, albeit with Lenny Henry in place of Jodie Whittaker.
  • Previously, the Dead Ringers sketch Tony Blair Regenerates paid homage to the Ninth Doctor's regeneration into the Tenth Doctor at the end of The Parting of the Ways by having Tony Blair, played by Jon Culshaw, regenerate into a new incarnation played by David Tennant.
• Lenny Henry had previously played a Seventh Doctor emerging from the Sixth Doctor's regeneration in an untitled sketch.
• In the broadcast of the sketch, She's The Doctor (the Thirteenth Doctor's theme) played during the regeneration, and the 2018-22 theme tune played as the Doctor examined his own body. Both of these tunes were removed in the YouTube upload on "Comic Relief: Red Nose Day".

Continuity[]

to be added