Billie Piper will return to the Doctor Who universe as Rose Tyler in an upcoming audio spinoff series. Piper captured the hearts of Whovians everywhere as Rose Tyler when the series was revived in 2005. She was the regular companions for two seasons, before going on to more great success on screen and stage shows, including Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Penny Dreadful, and Yerma, for which she won a Laurence Olivier Award.
Rose's first exit from Doctor Who was the result of being sent to a parallel universe, which separated her from the Doctor. The pair's tearful farewell and confession of love at Bad Wolf Bay is remembered as one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series. Off-screen, she joins the Torchwood of the parallel Earth to fight incoming alien threats. She and the Doctor briefly reunite when the barriers between universes collapse due to a plot orchestrated by the Daleks. She returns to the parallel Earth with the human-Timelord hybrid "Meta-Crisis Doctor," who was created by the redirected regeneration energy of the mortally wounded Doctor. Both of them have a human life span, and presumably start a relationship together. Piper prompted speculation about her return to the show earlier this year, but whether or not she hops back in the TARDIS, fans will find out where Rose's adventures without the Doctor led her.
Related: Doctor Who: Billie Piper Not Returning as Rose
Piper's Doctor Who audio spinoff will be titled Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon. The story follows Rose's journey through a series of dying parallel worlds, and will act as prequel material for the collapse of universes that led her into the events of Doctor Who season 4. Piper expressed her love for her character and excitement at returning to her story (via DigitalSpy):
"I love how normal Rose is, and yet really extraordinary. She lived a normal average life but she is incredibly curious and has an enormous capacity for love and empathy and is really spirited. She is extraordinary."
Along with Piper, Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall will be returning as Rose's parents Jackie and Pete Tyler Mark, and Mark Benton and Elli Garnett will enter as the Doctor-obsessed extraterrestrial investigatory Clive Finch and his wife Caroline. Russell T. Davies, Doctor Who's showrunner from 2005 - 2010, will act as a series producer. Four parts are planned for the release, which is set for September 2019.
The only major downer is that since the events of the story take place before Rose meets the Doctor again, it doesn't seem likely that David Tennant will be making a voice cameo. However, since Rose's adventure will likely cross paths with Torchwood there may be hope for a surprise appearance from John Barrowman, who expressed interest in returning to the universe as Captain Jack Harkness. The spinoff's success will also be a temperature check of the fans' loyalty and interest in the universe's now classic characters. While Jodie Whittaker's run as the Doctor has been a ratings success so far, the show's direction has remained controversial among some long-time viewers. While the 13th Doctor hasn't been shy about giving shout-outs to her predecessors, the on-screen return of a fan favorite or two may help get the detractors on board.
MORE: Jodie Whittaker & Showrunner Exiting Doctor Who in 2019 According to Report
Source: DigitalSpy