2008 (production)


 * The announced 2008 production hiatus sparked speculation over whether David Tennant would continue in Doctor Who. Published reports ranged from suggestions Tennant would leave at the end of Series 4 to ones he had negotiated a deal with the BBC to keep him on the series through Series 5 in 2010 or longer. This speculation ended in October with Tennant's announcement about his future on the series.
 * 11 January - Russell T Davies began writing the script for Journey's End.
 * 12 January - Steven Moffat informed Russell T Davies he had begun writing the first episode of Series 5
 * 8 January - According to BBC News, a "long-standing back injury" forced David Tennant to miss several performances of Hamlet at London's Novello Theatre. Ultimately, Tennant underwent back surgery. This affected not only Hamlet, but also the production of Doctor Who.
 * 10 December - Although the announcement wasn't made for several weeks, Russell T Davies was informed that Matt Smith had been cast as the Eleventh Doctor.
 * 24 December - A little-known actor named Matt Smith attended a secret photo shoot; it was so secret, in fact, that the hairstylist and photographer were not informed what it was for. Later, an image of the TARDIS was digitally added to the photos, which were issued on 3 January 2009 to announce Smith as the actor to play the Eleventh Doctor.