The Next Doctor speculation thread. (Spoilers, and sadness, inside.)

[Kheldarson]

I <3 that fanfic! One of the best written ones I've ever read.

[Seraph]

Rumor has it, Chiwetel Ejiofor has been shortlisted for the part - he'd be the first black Doctor.

Annnd Browncoats all over the net would immediately start speculating on a Who/Firefly crossover, given that The Doctor would be The Operative.

Nevermind that there was already a fanfic crossing over Firefly with Who. (And done very well.)

/mind explodes

OH YE GODS NO.

[RayvenQ]

Is it too much to hope for Brian Blessed? (Frankly, I just want to hear him say Wibbley Wobbly Timey Wimey )

[Jay 2K Winger]

Is it too much to hope for Brian Blessed? (Frankly, I just want to hear him say Wibbley Wobbly Timey Wimey )

Probably. But I wouldn't be opposed to having BRIAN BLESSED (you have to say it right) guest star on Who.

[KatherineB]

Personally I would love Sue Perkins as the female Doctor, but yes, Brian Blessed would be awesome and hysterical!

[Draper Mel]

I thought Matt Smith grew into the role brilliantly. He has an amazing ability to play young and old at the same time, so even though he's young and energetic, you sometimes see the weight of all the Doctor's 900-odd years in his eyes.

No idea who I'd want for the next Doctor. I'll just wait and be surprised.

As to the John Hurt rumor, it was my impression from something I'd read that John Hurt's Doctor is actually the 8th Doctor (played by Paul McGann in the feeble attempt at an American reboot back in the 90s). We'll find out in the 50th anniversary special (yay, DT returns as Human Doctor!)

[RayvenQ]

Personally I would love Sue Perkins as the female Doctor, but yes, Brian Blessed would be awesome and hysterical!

I'm imagining the doctors speech from Blink as read by Brian Blessed, in his normal shouty voice of course.

[Tama]

I wish they could get Jeff Davis. I remember that on Whose Line he had this...well, it was adorable, quality like Matt Smith had. But he's not British.

John Hurt as the new Doctor would be...wow. Considering that this is potentially the last incarnation...

[KatherineB]

It's interesting that I have literally just finished watching John Hurt's Who Do You Think You Are, and all the way through I was thinking how softly spoken and gentlemanly he was throughout. I wondered how he might manage some of the major confrontation scenes. Then he got right to the end and all but bit the head off the interviewer when the latter asked a question Mr Hurt didn't like (politely, but still). Wow! Oncoming Storm, I salute you, sir!

(Seriously, watch it here.)

[sstabeler]

on the point about the Doctor's regenerations: a) River Song gave the Doctor her remaining regenerations, giving the Doctor another 10 (she had regenerated twice) and b) I remember reeading somewhere that someone high up in creating Doctor Who said the Doctor had more than 12 regenerations ( he suggested over 400!) so I suspect Doctor Who will keep regenerating however many times nessecary.

[KatherineB]

on the point about the Doctor's regenerations: a) River Song gave the Doctor her remaining regenerations, giving the Doctor another 10 (she had regenerated twice) and b) I remember reeading somewhere that someone high up in creating Doctor Who said the Doctor had more than 12 regenerations ( he suggested over 400!) so I suspect Doctor Who will keep regenerating however many times nessecary.

In the SJA ep Death of the Doctor it was stated that a Time Lord can regenerate 507 times. I have since seen people say that a) that won't count because RTD is not DW showrunner anymore and b) RTD has said he was only joking anyway.

[sstabeler]

I'm pretty sure the Doctor has River Song's regeneratios still, though, so my oint about the Doctor not running out of regenerations anytime soon is still true. Plus, the BBC aren't going to cancel Doctor Who anytime soon, since it still has such a huge following. That requires more than 12 regenerations. ( I'm guessing that they justify it by bringing up River Song's regenerations, which give the Doctor an extra 10 IIRC and past that, either the Doctor discovers how the Time Lords could grant extra regenerations (they offer an extra regeneration to the Master once, and Romanova was quite free with her regenerations for someone limited to 12. ( she regenerated in rapid succession to change her appearance. That would seem to be a bit of a waste...) or they just have him regenerate without explaining where the extra regenerations come from. Maybe the Doctor can use the regenerations of the Time Lords lost when Gallifrey blew up or something.

[DaDairyDruid]

i remember reading somewhere that 1) with training a Time Lord can controll their regenerations so as to minimize the transition (keep a similar face, etc.) and 2) during the first day or so a time lord can adjust their body somewhat (Tennant regrowing his hand for example) the doctor does not have complete mastery of these which explains why he ends up "stuck" as his new body. Romana may have been adept at this and so the multiple bodies were adjusting the "fit" of whichever regeneration that was, and not multiple regenerations. It is also worth noting that "most" time lords did not go galavanting around the multiverse so tend to last millenia in a body before feeling the need to regenerate. so even if Romana did use up half a dozen regenerations it probably would not have affected her much as she was an academic.

[Dracalous]

My vote (if we got to vote) would be for Helen Mirren. I think she'd be perfect as an intense Doctor. My fave so far has been the Ninth, and I've always missed his intensity and sorrow at the wrongs he can't right. Smith has done an amazing job at combining the loneliness of Chris Eccelston with the whimsy of Tom Baker.

And it wouldn't hurt that Mirren would give guy whovians a Doctor to romanticize...

[Alpha Strike]

Re River Song's Regenerations:

No doubt that if the writers need the Doctor to have more regenerations, they'll find a way to make it happen. That being said, I thought that when River Song kissed the Doctor, she was using the energy from her regenerations to save the him from final death, not passing them along like so many party favors.