Actor David Tennant conquers TV

David Tennant has starred in TV shows such as People Like Us

Actor David Tennant has been named the new Doctor Who after a meteoric rise in television and theatre.

As the latest series of Doctor Who began, lead writer Russell T Davies was also enjoying TV success with his version of Casanova, starring Tennant as the infamous lothario.

The highly acclaimed Casanova role came soon after the 33-year-old actor from West Lothian played Detective Inspector Carlisle in quirky musical drama Blackpool.

And he was then cast as Briscoe in The Quatermass Experiment for a live BBC TV production of the classic 1953 sci-fi drama.

Tennant played Casanova in the series by Russell T Davies

But Tennant's sudden breakthrough comes after years acting in films, theatre and on television.

Having graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he joined the groundbreaking and political 7:84 Theatre Company.

Small parts in acclaimed productions such as the 1996 movie Jude, based upon Thomas Hardy's novel Jude the Obscure and starring outgoing Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston, led to larger roles in films such as in Stephen Fry's Bright Young Things.

He has also appeared on stage in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet, The Rivals and The Comedy of Errors.

Tennant was cast as Briscoe in The Quatermass Experiment

Tennant was also nominated for a best actor Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for his 2002 performance in Lobby Hero at London's Donmar Warehouse and New Ambassador's theatres.

A lifelong Doctor Who fan, Tennant voiced the character of a janitor in the BBC internet adventure Scream of the Shalka in 2003, in which the Time Lord was played by Richard E Grant.

He also appeared in BBC Two comedy People Like Us, playing an actor.

Later this year, Tennant will return to the big screen to play Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.