Kit Connor as Nick Nelson and Joe Locke as Charlie Spring facing each other in Heartstopper
(Netflix)

‘Screamed so loud:’ Heartstopper and Doctor Who had an unexpected crossover that has fans going wild

A new episode of Heartstopper features a surprise appearance from an icon of British TV. In episode five of the much-awaited season three, Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) sit down to watch some Christmas TV, and this turns out to be the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Runaway Bride.”

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Heartstopper fans are loving it, because in the comics by Alice Oseman Nick is specifically said to have a crush on David Tennant. (Kit Connor is a Tennant fan, too, telling Radio Times recently that that era of Who is his favorite one) Fans are really pleased to see that detail recreated in the TV show.

The official Doctor Who X account has gotten in on the action too by referencing the Heartstopper scene in a new post with the David Tennant clip.

The appearance of the clip in Heartstopper does raise some interesting questions though, because plenty of Heartstopper actors have also appeared in Doctor Who! What will Nick and Charlie think when they get through to season five and see Olivia Colman, aka Nick’s mother, portraying a villain? And recently Yasmin Finney, who plays Elle in Heartstopper, played a pivotal role in Who as Donna’s daughter Rose Noble. But best not to think about how the two shows coexist and just enjoy the moment.

Heartstopper season 3 is doing incredibly well with critics. It scored a perfect 100% on RottenTomatoes, a high achievement for any show, and fans of the original comic love it just as much as they’ve loved the previous seasons. Season 4 isn’t officially greenlit yet but it’s sure to happen, right? Maybe Nick and Charlie can watch “Rogue”, the Doctor’s first onscreen queer romance, next!


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Sarah Barrett
Sarah Barrett (she/her) is a freelance writer with The Mary Sue who has been working in journalism since 2014. She loves to write about movies, even the bad ones. (Especially the bad ones.) The Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and the Star Wars prequels changed her life in many interesting ways. She lives in one of the very, very few good parts of England.