David Tennant's Doctor Who news...

[fajrdrako]

So now the official announcement has been made: David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who at the end of the 2009 specials. Not surprising, really, but... I can't help agreeing with his assessment: "Better to leave when people will still miss you, than outstay your welcome." Yes. And he no doubt has other things he wants to do, especially after good reviews as Hamlet and Berowne.

Am I disappointed? No. I came into Doctor Who when Eccleston had already left, so I had no chance to be devastated when he quit. I already liked Tennant. Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant have been so good in the role, I can't imagine who will be as good to follow in their footsteps, but at the same time I have enough faith in the people behind the show - well, in Steven Moffat, and is Julie Gardner still around? - to hope that the quality will remain high. This is optimistic; with so many people changing over, is there really much hope that it won't lose it edge and sparkle, that it won't become more like all the mediocre TV shows out there?

Seems to me the quality is more likely to fall when the creators are losing their impetus and enthusiasm - look at the sad case of X-Files. Better to have new and fresh people who love it and won't be doing the same old thing.

And it's great to give Steven Moffat a fresh start with a new Doctor.

So: who do I want as the next Doctor? Russell T Davies said he wanted Russell Tovey, which I think is a terrible idea - I don't like him at all. But I would have said that about Catherine Tate as Donna before series 4, and look how good she turned out to be. On the other hand, I don't trust Russell T Davies' taste or judgement: he thinks Burn Gorman is sexy.

The BBC site mentions possibilities: Paterson Joseph, whom I like a lot, but who has already been on Doctor Who in another role - I don't think the new Doctor should be someone the Doctor has actually met, along with the viewers. The same for their other picks, David Morissey (who will have been seen in the Christmas special in two months) and John Simm. Besides which, I think Simm would be awful - I'm not nearly as impressed with him as everyone else seems to be. Their other suggestion is James Nesbitt, whom I don't think I've ever seen.

My choices for the Eleventh Doctor are:

1. Robert Carlyle - my first pick. I think he'd be magnificent; he has charm and scope and sexiness and he's a terrific actor in the myriad ways the role calls for. I can believe this man is an alien while simultaneously believing that he is the ultimate in humanity.
   
2. Peter Woodward, for all the same reasons as Robert Carlyle.
   
3. Eamonn Walker, since they've been talking about making the Doctor black, and he is both talented and attractive.
   
4. Shaun Parkes, whom I adore, though be breaks my rule of not using actors who have already been on the show
   
5. Michael Praed. He has, among other talents, a great voice.
   
6. Sean Pertwee. Added to his considerable abilities, there's something delicious about having the son of one of the actors who played the Doctor take over the role.

But they aren't going to ask me, are they? And what the Doctor will be like is up to Steven Moffatt: he won't be the same as Nine or Ten, though he'll have some elements in common.

We shall see. Meanwhile there's plenty of fodder for speculation.

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't know Adrian Lester's work well, but I saw him in As You LIit It and I thought he was stunningly good.

Bill Nighy would be marvellous.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Bill - yes! It would be nice to have an older doctor again! (Mind, I can think of several older actors it would be nice to see…!)

Adrian Lester – yes! He's lovely! Especially if it stops them making any more Bonekickers!!!!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Mind, I can think of several older actors it would be nice to see…!

Who are you thinking of?

I forget what Bonekickers is.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Jonathan Pryce was fun as the Master in the Children in Need spoof! He'd be a great doctor!

Bonekickers was an appalling fantasy-tinged adventure series earlier this year, about a team of archaeologists who destroy every significant artefact they find. The historical elements (which it was claimed would be 'educational'!) were inaccurate to the point of farce, and grotesquely pc-ified. Had it been played for laughs, it might have been amusing; but it was played in deadly earnest.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

And Richard E Grant would be brilliant!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh dear: I've never liked Richard E. Grant in anything. Yet. Well, maybe Withnail and I.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Bonekickers sounds scary - even the title! I was watching a science programme the other day, and thinking how much better it was than most of the history shows. Then I wondered if it was just that I was ignorant of science, that it seemed to be more accurate. But I don't think that's it: I think they really did get experts (not crackpots) and had good material, that they were reporting facts as facts and speculation as speculation.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

This was fictional drama, but it violated real history beyond anything that was justifiable dramatically, and the BBC even bleated about the historical content being 'educational'. Its victims included: Arthurian legend, the Templars, Boudicca, the American War of Independence, & c. The present-day female characters were especially bad: a shrill harridan, a drippy young girl, and an insane mother.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It sounds well worth avoiding.