In his five year tenure as the 10th Doctor, David Tennant defeated the Daleks, Cyberman, The Master,  werewolves, witches, and all manner of aliens bent on mayhem. But he's met his match with executives for NBC, who passed on picking up his pilot, "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer".

 

The show's clever premise involves a defense lawyer who begins to suffer debilitating panic attacks in the courtroom.  Unable to defend his clients himself, he coaches them on how to represent themselves in from of a jury. The comedy/drama was slated for a possible March air date, in one of the 10pm time slots previously occupied by Jay Leno. NBC then pushed it to a possible Fall debut, but that now appears in serious doubt. It's being reported on numerous news sites that the sets are being taken down, not exactly a promising sign.

 

Tennant had hoped to follow the path blazed by Hugh Laurie and Tim Roth, British performers who found success on American television. The pilot featured a talent supporting cast of Jerry O'Connell, Jane Curtin, and Jeffery Tambor, and the show's creators were hoping to use Tennant's popularity from "Doctor Who" to attract fans of his five year turn in the TARDIS. With NBC losing interest in "Rex", David Tennant's first post-"Doctor Who" role seems to have gone south.

 

There is a glimmer of hope, as the network hasn't officially pulled the plug, just put it on hiatus. NBC is also claiming the sets are not permanently being dismantled, just place in storage and would be available if NBC officially puts the pilot on the Fall schedule. Although only the pilot has been shot, there's still time to shoot additional episodes before a September or October bow.

 

Although Tennant left "Doctor Who"  in a highly publicized finally, he may not be gone for good. Rumors had been flying about a "Doctor Who"feature film, and an official announcement was expected to be made during the 2009 San Diego Comicon. San Diego came and went with no news, but that doesn't mean the project is DOA. In a recent interview, Billie Piper let slip that the BBC was developing  a script for a theatrical release. With Tennant recently voted the most popular Doctor, beating out longtime favorite Tom Baker, it would make sense to build a film around an adventure of the 10th Doctor that predated "The End of Time" finale. He could film a "Doctor Who" movie every year or two, allowing him to pursue other acting opportunities and still give fans a big budget adventure of their favorite sci fi character. While it makes sense, this is still mostly conjecture as BBC has not officially announced bringing "Doctor Who" to the big screen.         

 

While the fate of "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer" is officially unknown, "Doctor Who" returns in March sporting a makeover. Producer Steven Moffat takes the creative reins, giving the TARDIS interior a sleek new look  with a new actor inheriting the title role. With Tennant mentioning he would be willing to return during interviews for "The End of Time", we may not have seen the last of the 10th Doctor.