David Tennant returned to our screens last week with Gracepoint. If your obsession’s been rekindled and you need more of him NOW, here’s our top ten picks from his brilliant back catalogue.

Gracepoint – the U.S. version of ITV’s hit drama Broadchurch – premiered last week on Fox. To be honest, we’re not exactly sure why an American adaptation starring the same leading man was considered the best way to go, but it does mean we get David Tennant back on our screens, so we’re calling it a win.

If you’ve missed David Tennant but you just aren’t keen to watch him repeat the Broadchurch mystery with an American accent; if two regenerations on the TARDIS isn’t quite the same and you’re still nostalgic for his superb turn as the Doctor; or if you’re loving Gracepoint and you’re simply hungry for as much lanky Scotsman as the internet can provide, here are ten slightly lesser known (but equally awesome) projects from Tennant’s back catalogue for you to binge on.

‘Takin’ Over The Asylum’

Let’s start at the very beginning. David Tennant’s first starring screen role was as Campbell, a young manic depressive patient at the fictional St Jude’s in BBC Scotland’s Takin’ Over The Asylum. This show, a six-part drama, follows a hospital radio station and the lives of the characters that contribute to it. Campbell, a young patient at St Jude’s, befriends Eddie McKenna, a double glazing salesman and amateur DJ who runs a radio station for the hospital, and becomes Eddie’s biggest supporter and contributor.

Anyone who’s ever felt all wibbly over Tennant will melt watching him as Campbell – 22 years old, floppy-haired, rubber-faced, sweet, earnest and vulnerable. Through the course of the six episodes, filled with plenty of black humour and fantastic music, we see Campbell’s and Eddie’s roles begin to reverse as Campbell gains control of his life and Eddie is forced to face his own problems.

Takin’ Over The Asylum perceptively addresses the issues surrounding mental health and the prejudices faced by sufferers in society, and it marks not only Tennant’s first major television part, but his first major portrayal of a character struggling with mental illness – a theme he has since re-visited several times over the course of his career.

‘L.A. Without A Map’

In L.A. Without A Map, Tennant’s character Richard, an undertaker and obituary writer in Bradford, meets aspiring actress Barbara (Vinessa Shaw) as she passes through his small town. The two form a connection in their short time together, which causes such an emotional upheaval for Richard that he decides to follow Barbara to Los Angeles unannounced. Everything goes pear-shaped for Richard pretty quickly – to start with, Barbara has told all her friends that the man she met was a famous British writer and also, she has a boyfriend in LA.

After some ups and downs, Richard and Barbara establish their relationship as Richard tries to build a life in California. Things do not stay calm for very long and the naive Richard learns about the seedy side of Hollywood. The movie is a classic – if slightly bizarre – take on the little fish big pond trope – a small town boy goes to the big city for love and has to find his way. It does take a few very strange turns, but it’s definitely worth a watch, if only for the scene where the forlorn Richard shares his woes – and a bucket of chicken – with Johnny Depp (cameo-ing as himself) in a Los Angeles cemetery.

‘Bright Young Things’

The “Bright Young Things” was a nickname given by the tabloids to a group of young aristocrats in 1920s and 30s London, who became infamous for their bohemian ways and excessive lifestyle. This film, an adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s novel Vile Bodies, takes a satirical and fictionalised look at this carefree scene during the interwar period.

The story follows the lives of novelist Adam Fenwick-Symes (Stephen Campbell Moore) and his fiancée Nina Blount, who belong to the young and decadent community, despite some periods of financial struggle. Amidst all the champagne, furs and newfangled electric lighting, David Tennant plays Ginger Littlejohn, Nina’s former boyfriend, who worms his way back into her life, much to Adam’s horror.

Bright Young Things is a great watch for any fan of the BBC or the British film industry at large – it’s the screenwriting and directorial debut of the legendary Stephen Fry, and, along with Tennant, it stars a plethora of well – known U.K. actors including James McAvoy, Emily Mortimer, Imelda Staunton, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Michael Sheen and the late, great Peter O’Toole.

‘Blackpool’

Blackpool is the kind of show that makes us eternally grateful for the BBC, because there is no way it would ever get made by any other network. It’s basically Broadchurch meets Glee – David Tennant stars as Detective Inspector Peter Carlisle, the officer in charge of a murder investigation in a Blackpool arcade, which is all well and good, but the comedy-drama is interspersed with a variety of musical moments, where the characters sing and dance along to various pop songs in slight, shall we say, diversions from reality.

The six-part series also starred David Morrissey – Doctor Who fans may remember him as Jackson Lake, the Victorian-era man who believes he is the Doctor in “The Next Doctor” Christmas special – as Ripley Holden, the arcade owner who DI Carlisle dislikes on sight. Carlisle is determined to prove Holden is the murderer and along the way falls in love with Holden’s neglected wife, Natalie.

There’s no real way to properly explain Blackpool, but it might be a work of genius, so get your hands on a copy ASAP.

‘Casanova’

David Tennant stars in the title role of this adaptation of the memoirs of the famed 18th century adventurer and lover Giacomo Casanova. Casanova is an important one for Tennant fans, as this three-part TV serial was written and created by Russell T Davies, and it was Tennant’s work here that led Davies to cast him as the Tenth Doctor.

It’s interesting to pick out the shades of Tennant’s eventual Doctor in his portrayal of Casanova, because they’re definitely there, despite the fact that Doctor Who is very much a family show and the legend of Casanova isn’t exactly famed for being family-friendly! This production, while quite camp and not too graphic, does manage some real darkness – particularly in the final segment, where Casanova realises just how horribly his own influence has affected his son, who is by that point a young man.

In real life, Casanova eventually became so infamous that his name is now synonymous with “womanizer,” but it’s impossible to hate Tennant in this antihero role – especially when he’s all smirks and eyeliner.

On page 2: Tears of laughter and anguish this way!

Recovery’

In Recovery, David Tennant takes on the difficult role of Alan Hamilton, a happy family man and head of a construction firm who receives some severe brain injuries, including memory loss, in a road accident. This isn’t your basic or sweet Hollywood amnesia rom-com, though – it’s a very raw look at what actually happens in these circumstances – the behavioural changes, the loss of hope, the grief of a family and the tragic, but truthful, lack of recovery.

In this TV movie, Tennant is reunited with Sarah Parish, who also played his love interest in Blackpool. Both Tennant and Parish’s work in this film has been highly praised by critics – Recovery received rave reviews, with many writers and fans calling it the best thing Tennant has ever done. This one is a night-ruiner, but it’s also a must-see.

‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’

We’re not including Doctor Who in general on this list, because, come on, you’ve all seen it, and how would we begin to summarise his entire tenure as the Tenth Doctor in just a few lines? Everyone knows that David Tennant was one of the greatest Doctors ever. What you may not know, however, is that, coinciding with his departure from the series, he hosted a Doctor Who themed episode of the BBC’s beloved music quiz show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

Tennant’s guest-host – along with Catherine Tate and Bernard Cribbins as panelists – has gone down as stuff of legend both in the Doctor Who fandom and in Buzzcocks history. From the hilarity of just how little Catherine Tate knows about anything to do with the TARDIS, to Noel Fielding being so enamoured by Bernard Cribbins that he asked him to come and write for The Mighty Boosh, to David Tennant’s rampant defence (and singing) of Coldplay, this is maybe the most memorable episode of one of the best panel shows of all time. You’ve probably seen it gif’d, but watch the whole thing – it’s absolutely worth it.

‘Single Father’

And here’s some more trauma, hooray! In Single Father, a four-part miniseries, David Tennant plays Dave, a man attempting to piece his life back together and care for his children after the sudden death of his wife Rita.

Suranne Jones stars alongside Tennant as Sarah, the best friend of Dave’s wife with whom he is uncertain about pursuing a relationship. Jones portrayed Idris – the TARDIS consciousness in human form – in Neil Gaiman’s award-winning Doctor Who episode “The Doctor’s Wife.” Given that “The Doctor’s Wife” was originally designated as a Tenth Doctor episode, it’s cool to watch the pair on screen and imagine how Ten and Idris may have interacted.

However, TARDIS ladies aside, Single Father stands on its own two feet as an emotional drama showing the harsh, unsentimental reality of what life after a tragedy can be like, especially when secrets from the past are revealed.

‘Twenty Twelve’

We’ve had a pretty eclectic list so far, we admit, but why stop now? Here’s a David Tennant project just that little bit odder. Twenty Twelve was a two-season spoof mockumentary series following the organisation of London’s 2012 Olympic Games.

We can’t tell you too much about Tennant’s character in Twenty Twelve, because he doesn’t quite have one – he actually provides the voiceover for the “documentary” as the camera crew follows the trials and tribulations of the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission in the lead-up to Games. However, we can tell you that the show itself is hysterical – though not for those who can’t handle The Office-style second hand embarrassment – and that Tennant’s vocal presence certainly contributes a huge amount to the tone of the show.

Plus, the lead character Ian Fletcher is played by Hugh Bonneville, so if you’ve ever wanted to watch the Earl of Grantham attempting not to lose his cool over things like synchronised swimming, here’s your chance.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

Before David Tennant rose to superstar status as the Doctor, he was making his name not only as a working screen actor but also in as a major player in Britain’s theatre community. The actor describes stage work as his “default way of being,” and in 2008, he re-joined the Royal Shakespeare Company for several productions including the titular role in Hamlet (leading the Guardian to dub him “the greatest Hamlet of his generation” – a filmed version of this performance was produced by the BBC.)

In 2011, the hottest ticket in the West End was for Much Ado About Nothing, which saw Tennant return to the London stage as Benedick opposite Catherine Tate’s Beatrice. This deft and mindblowingly funny adaptation of a classic Shakespearean comedy is next-level brilliant and completely accessible for everyone, from purists to those who might have struggled with understanding ol’ Billy Shakes in the past. Luckily, it’s available to watch or buy – officially, no bootlegs! – via Digital Theatre, for which thousands of fans must be ever-grateful.

Catch David Tennant in Gracepoint, Thursdays 9/8c on Fox.