Who should be the next Doctor?

[ray gower]

Still think Rowan Atkinson would be a good Master, with the rubber face.

Cleese would definitely be eccentric enough.

If he were 10 years younger then Christopher Lee might have been a good name to throw at the pot.

Who came up with Sean Bean! Who ever he/she was has a problem

[gr8scott]

Originally posted by Tabitha
What about, as a younger candidate, Hornblower, you know Ioan Gruff-something?

Yes, Ioan Gruffudd would be great.

[Dave]

According to 'Dreamwatch' #104, UK personality Lionel Blair has set his sights on Dr Who, declaring that he wants to star as the Time Lord in any future TV production.

He would play the part the same way as Jon Pertwee, his favourite Dr Who.

The 71 year old entertainer also said he would like to be a James Bond villain.

[ray gower]

Not sure if I should scream or collapse laughing at that little titbit!

Even as a Bond bad guy it would have to be some thing like Doctor Noah in Casino Royale. Which is a pity. David Niven was a good James Bond!

[ray gower]

How about a corbulant Doctor?

Somebody like Robbie Coltrane or Richard Griffiths?

Both manage to apply an underlying humour to whatever role they play, even when portraying something very serious, which reminds me most definitely of both Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee.

[Dave]

Some of the suggestions are getting silly now...

The 'Metro' free newspaper this morning had a letter from someone suggesting Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen.

(He is an interior designer on various UK TV reality room make-over shows. He wares flares, ruffs, & kipper ties among other things.)

They said:

[He] would make a perfect Doctor. Not only has he got his own outrageous wardrobe, he could also give the Tardis a make-over.

[ray gower]

With Carol 'Smiley' Smiley, 4 tons of MDF and a pot of paint that doesn't dry for his sidekicks. Can see it now. :rolly2:

The Beeb always wanted to kill the show.

With an eye on the general observation that the best Doctors have always been naturally 'larger than life' I wonder if Stephen Fry could cut the mustard

[Dave]

I just read this:

from Ananova
Tom Baker fancies Eddie Izzard as the new Dr Who

Tom Baker says Eddie Izzard would make the best Dr Who in the BBC revival of the classic sci-fi series.

The 69-year-old actor, who played Dr Who from 1974 to 1981, told TV Plus: "I think Eddie would be good as he's so strange, he looks like he has secrets. There is a benevolent alien quality to him.

"I don't know Eddie but I'm a great admirer of his work. I love his audacity for doing stand-up in France though he only spoke schoolboy French."

He would also like to see former Page Three girl Melinda Messenger as the Time Lord's assistant.

He said: "Melinda would be good as she can scream and has bosoms. It doesn't really matter if she can act."

The BBC revival, likely to be made in 2004, comes 14 years after Dr Who was axed.

Front runners for the part of the Time Lord, which celebrates its 40th birthday next month, are Alan Davies and Richard E Grant.

Baker says fans have asked him to step back into the role that made him famous but that he thinks such a comeback unlikely.

He added: "If I'm asked, I would like to play Dr Who's arch enemy The Master. I want to play the villain instead of the goodie. Then the Doctor could say lines to me like: "You look very familiar"."

The new series will be written by Russell T Davies, creator of the Channel 4 drama Queer As Folk and the acclaimed ITV drama Second Coming.


Story filed: 14:09 Wednesday 1st October 2003

I don't think Tom Baker is being completely serious there, but then he never is about anything.

If we just want a comedian, then Rowan Atkinson would be better. I think it needs something else.

Actually, the more I've thought about it, the more I like Ray's idea of Stephen Fry.

[ray gower]

To follow up on the Eddie Izzard scheme of things, this appeared in SAD magazine

Eddie Izzard In New Doctor Who Shock
In a shock announcement the BBC has finally announced plans for a new home-grown series of Doctor Who, quashing all rumours of American finance deals and animated series.

Top BBC executives have been in high-level (fourteenth floor) drinks parties for six months to discuss casting and general production details and have at last issued a press release naming transvestite comedian Eddie Izzard as the ninth television Doctor Who.

Costume details are as yet unconfirmed but Izzard himself has expressed a desire to dress in designer clothes, including PVC trousers and Jean-Paul Gaultier jacket. A move from Davisons frock coat to an even more eccentric frock has also been mooted. In a move reminiscent of Patrick Troughtons recorder, Izzards Doctor will attempt to play the clarinet.

Six stories have been planned one of which may marry material from an old William Hartnell adventure to new footage starring Izzard using technology which the BBC will be last to begin using. The new story The Mascara of St. Bartholomews Eve, may feature the ninth Doctor giving Dodo fashion tips before she enters the TARDIS for the first time. These will be completely ignored. A story entitled The Basque of Mandragora is also in the planning stages, as is a Foundation trilogy which the press release goes on to say will feature three linked stories. It is hoped by many Who fans that these will be loosely based on Isaac Asimovs most famous series of novels. Sponsorship by Revlon is coincidental according to an inside source, allegedly a senior hygiene technician.

Media reaction to the news has been wide and apathetic. Some observers have praised the casting as inspired, highlighting the Doctors alien and asexual nature, after being sorely dented by the on screen snog in the Fox telemovie last year. Others have commented that the BBC seeks to gain much needed credibility by casting Izzard in a mainstream BBC series. BBC worldwide has moved swiftly to crush any rumours of Doctor Who make-up kits being brought out onto the market. A spokesman for Mr Izzard has said nothing remotely interesting.

[Dave]

Very amusing!

This thread is becoming a classic!

I've some further ideas:

'The Sun' Newspaper on 6th October, printed:

HUNKY actor Andrew Lincoln is being lined up as the next Dr Who, The Sun can reveal. The star of TV shows This Life and Teachers is on the BBC’s “wish list” of favourites to play the eccentric timelord.

A telly insider said: “Andrew is very hot property at the moment. He would be brilliant as the doctor.” A spokeswoman for Andrew, 30, said: “We have not been approached yet but he would be very interested.”

According to the Planet Who website:

Other sources are tipping actor Bill Nighy to win the part, however, until an official press release is forthcoming it isn't happening!

I think Bill Nighy is probably the best suggestion yet. If we have a vote on this, he's my choice.

[Dave]

I've just been reading the bulletin board at the Outpost Gallifrey website. Most of the posters there seem to think that the shortlist is between Alan Davies, Bill Nighy and Richard E Grant. I still would guess that this is just speculation on their behalf.

Those that know who Bill Nighy is agree with me that he would be excellent. If you don't know who he is, maybe you caught him in the recent BBC 'Canterbury Tales' play as Julie Walter's husband, or in last year's 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet'.

From the discussion there it appears that he is better known abroad than in the UK, even though he does more theatre than TV and film. Alan Davies, who has done little other than 'Jonathan Creek' and stand-up comedy, and Richard E Grant do not seem to be well known abroad.

Maybe this is something that will influence the choice of the eventual actor.

[ray gower]

Personal opinion is that Alan Davies will be a good Doctor, one day, just not yet, or he will become another Peter Davidson.

Ricard E Grant has been a Doctor, all be it in the 1999 Comic Relief episode (The quite handsome tenth Doctor), so perhaps his time has yet to come too?

Which rather leaves Bill Nighy, by default if nothing else, though he is a busy chap for the next 12-18 months according to IMDB

[Dave]

Alan Davies is the bookies' favourite to become the new Dr Who. Bookmaker William Hill is offering odds of 8/1 for Davies to land the role of the doctor. They also have odds on Richard E Grant and Patrick Stewart among others.

[Tabitha]

Hmmm, that Bill Nighy seems to have been everywhere recently. A major role in Love, Actually, that costume drama on the Beeb on boxing day, and a bunch of other stuff too.

He would be pretty good, certainly he can do the eccentric bits without much trouble.

Andrew Lincoln? I quite like him, but he is one of those actors that only really seems to be able to play one role, and my suspicion is that this role is quite similar to his real-life personality. Watchable, but far too bland for the Doc.

If Paul Merton was any cop at 'straight' acting then I think he'd be a good Doctor.

[Dave]

We can scratch Bill Nighy from the list as he's going to be filming 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

http://www.ascifi.com/forums/showthr...865#post447865

Since the announcement of this new 'Dr Who' series, it seems to have gone very quiet again.