▁Production ▁ ▁Development ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁W riter ' s ▁T ale , ▁Russell ▁T ▁Dav ies ▁reve als ▁that ▁the ▁plan ▁to ▁have ▁only ▁spe ci als ▁for ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁was ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁new ▁production ▁team ▁head ed ▁by ▁new ▁lead ▁writer ▁Steven ▁M off at ▁to ▁have ▁enough ▁time ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁full ▁fifth ▁series ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁David ▁T enn ant ▁took ▁this ▁opportunity ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁a ▁stage ▁production ▁of ▁Ham let . ▁For ▁practical ▁reasons , ▁these ▁spe ci als ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁series ▁ 4 ▁production ▁codes . ▁ ▁Russell ▁T . ▁Dav ies ' ▁announced ▁his ▁departure ▁from ▁the ▁series ▁as ▁show ▁runner , ▁head ▁writer ▁and ▁executive ▁producer ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁with ▁his ▁final ▁episode ▁air ing ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁The ▁spe ci als ▁not ▁only ▁marked ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁Dav ies ' s ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁show ▁runner , ▁but ▁also ▁T enn ant ' s ▁reign ▁as ▁the ▁Doctor . ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Television ▁Awards ▁during ▁his ▁speech ▁after ▁winning ▁Out standing ▁D rama ▁Performance ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁series , ▁David ▁T enn ant ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁standing ▁down ▁as ▁the ▁Doctor ▁for ▁the ▁fifth ▁series ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁spe ci als ▁would ▁be ▁his ▁last . ▁ ▁Writing ▁ ▁Dav ies