Apparently my finger is squarely on the twin pulses of the 12th Doctor casting situation, because when I stared into the untempered Vortex and asked myself who the next Doctor should be the very first name that came to mind was the unpronouncable one belonging to Chiwetel Ejiofor (CAUTION: His name is a killing word). So is this how we’re doing things now? I just DECIDE on the ways in which I want the universe to be awesome and the pieces all start to fall into place like so much reverse JENGA? I am 100% OK with this.
I have a store where I sell books and shirts. If you buy that stuff I can pay my mortgage and feed my family like a regular dude with a real job.
It was probably right around the moment someone said, “Hey, maybe not a lanky white dude for The Doctor this time?” that C.E.’s intensely impressive talent, range and ability to say something softly, calmly and so terrifyingly serious that you know he means business and is NOT to be trifled with began to stick in my brain as a potential successor to the Sonic Screwdriver. Imagine the simple, calculated and honest way The Operative from Serenity explained to people how they had failed to meet his expectations and exactly how they were going to die… now apply that same badassery and emotional weight to a “Doctor speech.” That shit is chilling. I want that in the blue box.
How badass would it be if A) he was cast as the Doctor and B) a few years from now they just go ahead and use his actual name as the name of The Doctor? It sounds Gallifreyan enough for me.
- John Barrowman Joins Others In Not Being Devastated By Matt Smith Leaving Doctor Who
- Neil Gaiman explains why the new Doctor shouldn’t be someone famous
- Wil Wheaton Seems to Know Who the 12th Doctor Will Be
COMMENTERS: Dream-cast The Doctor and his next companion.
Comments (85)
I do not like this news/rumor:
http://io9.com/is-this-the-face-of-our-new-doctor…
90percentgeek· 103 weeks ago
Really? Why? I know it’s not who you might have wanted (if indeed he gets the role) but in everything I’ve seen him in (especially Black Mirror) he was a very good actor. And the Doctor role (like Neil Gaiman said) is very much about being pleasantly surprised by what a guy you didn’t expect in the role is able to bring to the character.
Plus I get a sort of Sylvester McCoy vibe off the guy!
TheWatcher· 103 weeks ago
I hate to tell you this, but the original source of the Chiwetel Ejiofor rumour is the Daily Mail. Over here in Old Blighty, The Daily Mail has a reputation for being less than accurate. Much less than accurate, actually.Franky, I rate the chances of me getting the part over The Daily Mail getting it right.
Paige· 103 weeks ago
Damn it.I’m not touching the 12th Doctor discussion (well I am, but I want no part of it), but Chiwetel Ejiofor actually would be a great Doctor.
TheWatcher is actually being a bit too kind here with “less than accurate”.Basically, imagine Fox News as a newspaper, only a bit more racist and ring wing, with less of a grasp on morals and ethics, and a really creepy obsession with young women.
And above all a total and utter disdain for anything remotely resembling anything that might even be mistaken for a fact.
Oh, and in DailyMailLand everything either gives you or cures cancer, too, for some reason.
Without wishing to Godwin myself, in the 30’s the Mail ran an editorial praising Hitler and the blackshirts
But since then it’s drifted a bit more to the right.
Ejiofor’s name was bandied about when they were speculating on who’d replace Tennant, as well. It would be cool to see him in the role though, nevertheless.As an aside, Moffat said that when they were casting 11, they were looking for someone 40+ for the role, but Smith auditioned for Watson on Sherlock, and Moffat decided he wasn’t a fit for that role, but he’d found his Doctor.since I’m not even on the right rock, I’ll throw my two cents in and say I’ll just wait until the person gets announced. Both Tennant and Smith said they had some time in between being selected and finally being announced so probably the same situation here.If you’re going to go with a far-out prediction, you can’t beat the one proposed by other webcomic Capes N Babes: http://www.capesnbabes.com/2013/06/07/873-doctor-…
Roger Daltrey!
not just for the obvious “Who” wordplay, but also…
(1) he used to have the same hair as Tom Baker… and has more of it left
(2) instead of “alons-y” or “geronimo” he can just yell “YEEEAAAHHH” (if CBS will let him)
(3) I remember him guesting on several episodes of “Sliders” as what was essentially an Evil Time Lord. He was the best thing on the show at the time (not that difficult, I know).
Just sayin’
Faye· 103 weeks ago
It’s probably going to be some unknown. This sort of casting rumour isn’t a new thing, though.Just watch Curse of Fatal Death (Comic Relief themselves have put it up here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do-wDPoC6GM ) – the Doctor blows through half a dozen regenerations in 20 minutes, and just about every actor to play the Doctor was rumoured to be ‘the next Doctor’ at one point or another. (Joanna Lumley was rumoured for Five, for example.)
If you don’t want to watch, the Curse of Fatal Death Doctors were: Rowan Atkinson, Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumley.
Tom· 103 weeks ago
Joanna Lumley would have rocked actually. And for those who don’t know who she is, she was Patsy on AbFab.90percentgeek· 103 weeks ago
Why wouldn’t you want to watch Curse of the Fatal Death – it was awesome! And of course Richard E. Grant finally got to go on and play a villain in mainstream Doctor Who!I don’t mind as long as they don’t cast Billie Piper *ugh*http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-2274….Someone confirm for me: will this be the last Doctor? I haven’t watched since the Tom Baker days, but I seem to recall that 12 incarnations was the most any Time Lord could have.That would be a real shame, as I see how much geek-joy the franchise brings to people I care about on a daily basis, and I would hate to see that end.
nenslo· 103 weeks ago
They’ll find a way round it. To be honest the first thing they should do is cut the late 90s TV movie with Paul McGann from the canon.
Bryce· 103 weeks ago
I’m pretty sure they already have. The Doctor sure as Hell ain’t half-human.Faye· 103 weeks ago
I think last but one – the first regeneration was One into Two, so the twelfth regeneration will be Twelve into Thirteen.The limit is because regeneration is a kind of mutation, and can lead to defects later down the line. It’s like making photocopies, a copy of a copy of a copy isn’t going to be as clear as the original.
When the Doctor does his funny ‘still got legs!’ thing, it’s not a joke, regeneration could seriously mess him up some day, and there’s no ‘undo’ on that. See also: Each Doctor being less mentally stable than the predecessor.
scarlettb· 103 weeks ago
Back in the day, the Master had reached the end of his regenerations, and he got a new set from the Time Lords for, like…helping out with something. (I am less than clear on the details.) So I have always thought of regeneration limits as more of an administrative ruling, to prevent Time Lords from just regenerating limitlessly, than a biological restraint. Now that there ARE no other Time Lords, I assume said limits would be revoked.
lou· 103 weeks ago
The Time Lords gave the Master more lives because they needed him to be a super-soldier or something for the Time War, but he wussed out and high tailed it to the heat-death of the universe.
Hotsauce· 103 weeks ago
They’ve already said “meh, that’s just something the Doctor said. The Doctor makes shit up all the time.”I’m half thinking they’ve gotten around that a bit already.. where River gave him her regenerations to bring him back after killing him.. so it’s possible that has already given him some extra lives (which he might not “know” about until it comes into play…)
so we will have to wait and seenenslo· 103 weeks ago
The showrunners won’t go for anyone obvious, so if someone’s touted in a news article as “being in the running” then you know for certain they’re not.
Big John· 103 weeks ago
From what I recall back in the 80s, Time Lords had 12 regenerations. However, The Master was able to get around it and weasel himself another 12 through his dastardly deeds. That said, they haven’t mentioned it at all in the new series and it wouldn’t be the first time cannon got changed without any other explanation.Also, I don’t think they ever really established if the “12 regenerations” limit was a physical thing or something enforced by the Time Lords themselves.If it’s the latter, with the Time Lords all gone then they could just use that as an excuse to ignore the limit.
Oh, and it was mentioned in the Sarah Jane spin off series, I think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9D-2HJMD9sAlthough I’m not sure if “507” is supposed to just be the doctor being glib.
Faye· 103 weeks ago
That “507” could be interpreted as ‘I am crawling backwards through an air duct, please stop asking me things.’, so I dunno.It’s possible, but I don’t think the 500th Doctor would resemble a Time Lord at all by that point. See above, re: mutating regenerations.
Or see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawdryn_Undead – the guy with the brain outside his head suffers from unlimited regenerations.
First of ALL,
First of ALL,
Its called math bitches: 12 Regenerations ( 12.5 so far ARE CANNON )
means 13 Doctors.Although with the new insertion of SAD doctor, between 8-9 … we are going on 13 )
12.5 Regenerations = A regeneration crises after = Evil Doctor= The ValeyardOf course between body stealing and the Elixer Of Life , the Master earned and scammed 5 extra lifes…
WE already know the Valeyard goes breaks the OLD time lock on Gallifreys past,
or maybe he’ll take the RegenerationEnergy from Donna Noble, and blood from Jack , and make himself TImeLOrd Victorious for realz…Even the new Bad timelords will give him a new set for breaking them out.
Lani· 103 weeks ago
In my dreams the next Doctor and companion are Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Doesn’t matter which one is which, but that would be wonderful. They’re really the only white males I’d be okay with. I’m hoping for a female Doctor.lou· 103 weeks ago
Hugh Laurie would be a badass Doctor, if he brought in the same attitude as House.Now I’m imagining a Bertie Wooster Doctor. In some ways it’s appropriate, but mostly quite strange.Rikonius· 103 weeks ago
If they put Fry and Laurie in, then I think I’d rather see Fry as the Doctor and Laurie as the Master.
Ceri· 103 weeks ago
I’ve had this discussion with FB friends and on a message board, and the consensus was that it’ll be somone as unknown as Smith was before DW.
That said, the two names floating around that got me excited were: 1. Olivia Colman (probably only known outside the UK for playing Margaret Thatcher’s daughter Carol in The Iron Lady, but she is a brilliant comedic actress with dramatic chops) for the first female Doctor – but she was in The Eleventh Hour as the mother who got possessed by Prisoner Zero, so I’d say her chances are slim to none.
2. Julian Rhind-Tutt, who has almost exclusively been on TV in Britain (he’s had a few small movie parts) and thus is known, but not really famous. He has done comedy (Green Wing) and drama (The Hour), and, most importantly: he’s a Ginger! A sexy Ginger at that!Faye· 103 weeks ago
Just noting here, a previous role in the show doesn’t rule out a recurrence. Sixth Doctor actor previously played a Gallifreyan guard captain, who shot at Five.Shayz· 103 weeks ago
As Faye said, on the previous role thing, because Karen Gillan appeared in one of the episode during season 4, The Fires of Pompeii as one of the Seers (or whatever they were), before she later became Amy Pond.Ceri· 103 weeks ago
I don’t know about Six shooting Five, but Karen Gillan was pretty much unrecognizable in Fires of Pompeii, and any resemblance could have been explained by making her Amy’s distant ancestor. Which works for a companion, but the Doctor is a different animal, and Olivia Colman was pretty recognizable (and memorable, if only for the creep Prisoner teeth) in Eleventh Hour.I did a piece on my website, with my top six choices for the next Doctor:
http://www.zekefilm.org/2013/06/01/opinion-time-f…
UnderTheDark· 103 weeks ago
Oh, Siddig would be brilliant! And close enough in stature and demeanor that the change wouldn’t be too jarring for the delicate sensibilities of life-long Who fans ;pShocking plot twist: Wil Wheaton knows who it is because Wil Wheaton is going to be the 12th Doctor. Also, the Doctor’s real name is Wesley Crusher. And Stand By Me takes place on Trenzalor.The dead body he finds is… HIS OWN! TIME TRAVEL AAGHAGHAGHAGHAGH!!!!Rikonius· 103 weeks ago
On a more serious note, I think that Chiwetel Ejiofor would rock as the Doctor, and I like him a lot more than Idris Elba for the role.
I think Elba is cool, but I think he has too much of a physical presence for the role. I think the Doctor should be scary in a more nerdy manner, and I don’t see Elba pulling that off.I have always said that at some point the Doctor or a companion should be Scouse (i.e. from Liverpool). The Brits here (I’m American, but lived in Liverpool for a while) understand why this would be hilarious.A Doctor with kinky boots. I could see it!I always thought Eccleston’s leather-jacketed look had more sense than the typical Doctor’s look.Bryce· 103 weeks ago
If we’re going for a dream Doctor, I’d throw my vote for Sir Patrick Stewart. Back to the first Doctor’s stubborn old grandpa vibe.
Liam· 103 weeks ago
I would like to see Bill Nighy as the Doctor. He was the museum guide in “Vincent and the Doctor”.I’m totally here for a DW that isn’t some pasty white British dude. Idris Elba is a great suggestion, though Chiwetel wouldn’t be a bad pick either.90percentgeek· 103 weeks ago
I don’t mind what colour skin he has, but the Doctor has to remain British!
Candace· 103 weeks ago
Speaking as an American, I actually have to agree with you there. I can’t even imagine a non-British actor as Doctor Who. Regarding recent speculation, I think it might be kind of fun/funny for the Doctor at some point to “wake up” as a woman (which I think is highly unlikely), but even then, the actress would have to be British, or it just wouldn’t feel right.
anxiety.junkie· 103 weeks ago
My best friend is convinced that it isn’t just MS leaving, but they are going to end the series entirely. But she’s still bitter about the lack of a new season of Torchwood, so I think she’s projecting. I hope she’s projecting. 😛
Bron· 103 weeks ago
Its a pity in my mind that meera syal has already had a fairly prominant role in one episode as she’d make a fairly awesome doctor who.Firstly I think we need an older doctor, someone who is more like your favourite teacher (I imagine like one of those older slightly mad science ones or maybe art or drama if you think about them (my english teachers all were ex-steel workers who were insane chain smoking nutters for some reason)) or an eccentric but fun relative when you were a child.
Secondly the female thing. The doctor mentions in “the doctor’s wife” that one of his friends a fellow timelord always had a specific tattoo put somewhere on his or her’s body. This does mean that timelords can change gender canonically. Also add into this the fact that the doctor has been seemingly having more and more violent regenerations and it could be seen as the doctor trying to repress a change he doesn’t want. Maybe he isn’t a fan of being female? Maybe he knows that a female form of the doctor is the precurser of something bad he doesn’t want to happen?
90percentgeek· 103 weeks ago
In fact, as difficult as it is to fit the scene in canonically, Romana’s regeneration scene during Tom Baker’s tenure featured her trying on several different forms including that of Tom Baker (which he heartily approved of as he said he liked the look of that form). So we know a Time Lord can switch gender. The question is, which actress should take on the role?Faye· 103 weeks ago
The form the Doctor approved of was a repeat of the first one she tried, just dressed like him – not actually regenerated into him. Romana just hid her actual face behind the scarf and hat.I don’t like the idea that it’s Rory Kinnear, though I do like him. I DEFINITELY want it to be Idris Elba.I really liked this comic. No opinion on Doctor Who casting, just really enjoyed reading this.
Orion M· 103 weeks ago
I’d love Chiwetel, but I’d only love him after my crushing post-Matt Smith depression ended.Matt Smith is leaving Doctor Who. I’LL NEVER BE HAPPY AGAIN.
(Just like I would never be happy again after I got to the end of Eccleston’s run, actually. Tennant I didn’t mind leaving, it may be sacrilege in some quarters, but I wasn’t all that impressed by the end of his time.)
Tennant left no scenery unchewed. His turn at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Firewas more understated than his last season as the Doctor.I never really *like* Ejifor. His talent astounds me, and when I’m watching him on stage and in movies I’m always really impressed. But I’ve never seen him in a role where I found myself thinking, “I’d like to hang out with him.” I think the Doctor needs to prompt that.
I like Rory Kinnear, and the Naveen Andrews suggestion someone put up, though.90percentgeek· 103 weeks ago
The wierd thing for me is Ejifor is my friend Will’s uncle. I’ll never be able to look at Will again knowing he’s part Time Lord!
I don’t mind who they cast as the Doctor really (no pun intended) as the last 3 choices have all been excellent and have been ‘the best Doctor ever’ for me, so I’ll probably enjoy whoever gets the job. I just don’t want them to do it for reasons of political correctness. “Ooh, we’ve not had a black Doctor, lets fix that!” or “It’s time we had a woman Doctor!” It shouldn’t be about skin colour or gender, just a question of who has something to contribute to the character. As long as they’re British!We’ve had a half serious/half clownish broken man in Ecclestone. Then we had the loveable geek with a core of steel in Tennant. Finally Smith gave us a goofy toddler who’s actually a lot cleverer than he let on. What type of Time Lord should the next one be?
scribly· 103 weeks ago
All wishful thinking. Sadly enough we all know it’s going to be Jeremy Clarkson who’s going to “drive” the TARDIS from now on…Candace· 103 weeks ago
Holy crap, I never thought of that, but Jeremy Clarkson could actually be a great Doctor! I can just picture him with that evil twinkle in his eyes…I doubt he would take the role, though.Ceri· 103 weeks ago
I can just see him wildly flipping switches in the TARDIS’ control room while it spins through time and space: “MOAR POWERRRRRRRRRRR!!!”
AmyLynn· 103 weeks ago
As far as the 12 regenerations go, I remember River being concerned about him using up his regeneration on her. She spoke as if it were a quantity of energy that could be used up, not a power that could only be used a specific number of times. The writers could have added that in to redirect our attention though.
Poodles McGee· 103 weeks ago
Doctor: Wil Wheaton
Companions: Several webcomic artists/writersI’m not kidding. I’ll take hostages to make this happen.
I also pegged Chewie (official nickname, yet another selling point!) for my Doctor Wish List, along with Rhona Mitra, David Morrissey, Andrew Scott, and Damian Lewis – the whole thing’s right here at http://bigfanboy.com/wp/?p=18969. That said, I’m steering clear of anything resembling a rumour on it, and will try my damnedest to be surprised on 23 November. Like THAT’LL happen.
Jingy· 102 weeks ago
“I also begged Chewie…”
The last time I heard a sentence starting like that, it was from someone accounting their comicon- sexcapades.
Bron· 102 weeks ago
No just…. just no……I dont think an American doctor would work for British audiences and we are still the primary market so that would be insane to do. Sorry.
An American actor could work but only if he could do a British accent that was fantastic which I can’t really remember seeing yet.
Bean· 103 weeks ago
I’d just like to say that I am 100% supportive of the idea of Hugh Laurie or Stephen Fry as the Doctor. Whoever they cast, I’d really like it to be an eccentric older person.This is probably somewhat hypocritical of me to say, since David Tennant is ‘my’ Doctor, But enough with the Young Actors. If I wasn’t so attached to David Tennant, Christopher Eccelston would be my favorite.
Bron· 102 weeks ago
I agree with the older, I think we need an eccentric curmudgeon type doctor again.I would stop watching if it was Steven fry though, I just find him incredibly annoying.
I think that Hugh Laurie would also be a mistake he is just too well known it would be Hugh Laurie not the doctor.. I love him but I think wrong for the role.
kam· 103 weeks ago
have i missed something but i thought that john hurt was number 12? or is he number 0?Ceri· 103 weeks ago
No, he’s supposed to be an earlier regeneration, presumably from the Time War – the one who broke the promise. At least that’s what my insanely knowledgeable DW-geeky friends say. They’re placing him between 8 and 9 (which should throw off the whole counting system, but I guess that’s all very wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey).
We’ll find out in the 50th anniversary special, I guess!I’d like to see Hugh Laurie as the next Doctor… Just think of the snarky humor he could bring to the role! Doctor Who, KING of sarcasm!Ceri· 103 weeks ago
Which would make my “Who, M.D.” t-shirt almost prophetic!
And if Stephen Fry gets to be his companion (like some others already suggested), we’d have Jeeves & Wooster all over again!BaneDeadpool· 102 weeks ago
The new Doctor needs to be a lesser known name. They need to be the Doctor, not a ‘whats-his-name from whatever that movie or show was who is now the Doctor’. Also, I think a cool take would to have the Doctor regenerate as a ginger woman.
Pat· 102 weeks ago
Tim Roth is one I hadn’t heard mentioned in any of the speculation (until this thread), but I think he could do a really good job. His character in Lie To Me had moments of out-there-weirdness/zaniness and a LOT of intensity too. And then we’d have a Doctor who’d fought the Hulk and lived, and should therefore fear nothing anyway!
Chaucer59· 99 weeks ago
I was deeply disappointed when David Tennant left (no, NOT my first Doctor–that was James Baker). I don’t think anyone before or since has so embodied The Doctor as Tennant. Matt Smith is just so…meh. I think it’s truly sad that so many outstanding scripts were wasted on an actor with less charisma than a sea cucumber and less range than WilliamI agree wholeheartedly with Ejiofor. He’s a brilliant choice and can go from loving to menacing and back again with aplomb. If not a black Doctor, what about a sex change? I can see it now: the Doctor Who page 3, the Doctor Who Playboy spread, the Victoria’s Secret Who line.
Everybody stop and listen to me right now!I decided it would be awesome if, perhaps for a double-ep season finale, they fire through like 4 Doctors by the closing credits. Fall off a building, shot in the face, cut in half by a band saw, whatever. Nothing ups the stakes in a plot like the main character repeatedly paying the ultimate price to save humanity/the universe/the Queen Mum.
That would also give them the opportunity to give a few British actors the ability to play the big guy, if only for 15-30 minutes. Hows about Sir Ian Magneto with a sonic screwdriver? Companion looking on in horror at his repeated grisly deaths…
This is the greatest suggestion I have ever made on the internet. Seriously, think about it.
I realize this is somewhat irrelevant now, but honestly Simon Pegg would make a much better Master than Doctor imho.
I still think Don Warrington would make an incredible Doctor.
I was deeply disappointed when David Tennant left (no, NOT my first Doctor–that was James Baker). I don’t think anyone before or since has so embodied The Doctor as Tennant. Matt Smith is just so…meh. I think it’s truly sad that so many outstanding scripts were wasted on an actor with less charisma than a sea cucumber and less range than William
I agree wholeheartedly with Ejiofor. He’s a brilliant choice and can go from loving to menacing and back again with aplomb. If not a black Doctor, what about a sex change? I can see it now: the Doctor Who page 3, the Doctor Who Playboy spread, the Victoria’s Secret Who line.
I realize this is somewhat irrelevant now, but honestly Simon Pegg would make a much better Master than Doctor imho.