h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's the age old question...who could play the role and make it a success?

Should we give McGann another go? Should we bring back Sylvester McCoy? Or Tom Baker? Or are there other thesps out there who you think are worthy to take ownership of the infamous blue box?

I'd like to see somone unexpected, preferably a reasonably fresh face. Not some hoary old hack from the annals of British theatre.
Unless, of course, they can persuade Eric Sykes or Spike Milligan to do it...

Eric Idle would be good, if he wasn't swanning about by a pool in Hollywood.

I've gone through a list somewhere else, so I won't do all of it, but I'd like to see Samuel L. Jackson try it, or failing that Lawrence Fishburne. There was a lot of fan discussion in the mid eighties about the next regeneration (whichever one it was) being a woman. I don't remember anyone ever suggesting the Doctor could have regenerated black, or asian, or oriental or anything other than a white middle class English thesp. Obvious problems, but surely someone can do it who didn't go to RADA?

H.

I must say, like the idea of Neil Gaiman's Death being anything other than English, the thought of a non-British Doctor makes me shudder, especially if it's going to be someone like Samuel L. or Fishburne, because they would immediately be bigger than the programme itself.
I do seem to remember the name of Beryl Reid being mentioned at one point when the BeeB weas being particularly deranged...

I can't see Samuel L as The Doctor...

"The Sonic Screwdriver. When you absolutely have to fuse every alien death robot in the room. Accept no substitute!"

(actually...that might work).

Laurence Fishburne, however, would be outstanding. That's genius casting right there. I mean, if an English Icon has got to be played by an American then let it be the man who seems capable of infusing even the daftest parts he plays with a quiet dignity and stoicism. I seriously rate the man as an actor. Can't you just see him?

However...The Doctor is an English Icon. His "nationality" is pretty much quintessentially linked to his character in that he should always seem slightly out of place. That's a talent only the English really have.
As to skin colour...who cares (no pun intended)? As long as the actor can act...

I think, English male is about as far as I'd go. Acting would be a nice bonus though. Though by no means essential.

Greetings. This is CYBERHUMAN. I really disliked the 8th Doctor (Paul McGann) as he was too adventurous, too hotheaded and basically he didn't use any of the Doctor's brilliant scientific knowledge to outwit his enemy (the Master).
Personally I liked the 7th Doctor as he was mysterious, nutty, a scientific mastermind and I loved Sylvester McCoy's performance. I'd really like him to come back to the role.

McGann's not to blame for the duff storyline and script. I thought he was pretty good given what he had to work with, but I know what you mean. His only video outing as The Doc was kinda disappointing for me, too. I'm told that his portrayal settles down in the Big Finish productions

Sylv. is doing rather well in terms of Big Finish audio productions, so he has returned to the role. How did people feel about Death Comes To Time?

Never judge a book by its cover, or a DW story by a brilliant first episode (and DCTT's wasn't brilliant, either).

As the Doctor? Jim Broadbent, Dylan Moran, Hugh Grant, Denzel Washington, Chow-Yun Fat, Sammo Hung...

(Off-topic - I've always thought of Death as a bright, well-spoken Valley Girl...)

I have to say that while I adore both Chow and Sammo, I can't think of two people I'd rather less see play the Doctor. Yuen Biao, on the other hand...

What's wrong with Chow? Baker had his scarf and jelly-babies, Troughton his recorder, McCoy his umbrella... Chow would have his pump-action shotgun. Where's the problem?

Let's take this a step further: Gamera as the Doctor. Obvious, huh?

Only if Mothra gets the part as an assistant

Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with Chow, just that the minute I thought of him it seemed wrong. I'm open to persuasion...

I admit it would be rather pleasant to see The Doctor stop thinking his way around situations and just demolish his opponents in a dazzling display of physics defying martial arts and/or gunplay.

Yeah, Chow works for me too...so that's three votes

I was only joking about the shotgun. I seriously think that Chow has the range and ability to be an outstanding Doctor, even acting in a foreign language (as he did in Crouching Tiger).

(I don't think he actually has any proper martial arts qualifications.)

Sorry guys, the shotgun is surely way out. The Doctor abhors guns. If you don't carry a gun people will see that you mean them no harm, and be friendly. 9 times out of 10...8 times out of 10.. well six times...

The martial arts are OK, though. Even if he has no formal qualifications, Sammo has got be more convincing than Jon Pertwee...heeeyaaa

The shotgun wasn't a serious suggestion. The Doctor's attitude to guns has always struck me as rather ambivalent anyway - he doesn't carry one, sure, but I can think of many crunch situations when he's grabbed one that's lying around and started blazing away with it.

Chow doesn't have any martial arts qualifications. But Sammo went to opera school in China and trained very hard indeed... it's just his English that lets him down a bit...

Let's be fair, Chow's English is only fair to middling.
Still think I'm going to press for Yuen, though. His English may be non-existent, but he does have a good line in playing slightly otherwordly characters-Iceman Cometh springs to mind, for example...

This is CYBERHUMAN. I liked the idea of Doctor Who returning to us fans over the Web. Although I haven't actually seen "Death Comes to Time," I am told it is quite good and Doctor Who has at last come back with style! It is great that Doctor Who is travelling through time over the Internet. Which is better I wonder, the TARDIS or the World Wide Web?

Personally, I'd like to see Doctor Who return to our TV screens for another series (or even more than one!), with either McGann, McCoy or one of the other former Doctors continuing their roles. Did you see when Doctor Who returned with "Spearhead from Space" and "Doctor Who and the Silurians" (Jon Pertwee) about two years ago? I liked that and I wish they would create a new series or couple of series or show some of the old series. What do you think?

My choices for the doctor...

Alan Rickman. He's brilliant. He could give the doctor back some mystery and gravitas, a la Mr Hartnell. And if you don't think he can be light & funny enough, watch Galaxy Quest.

Or how about Johnny Vegas? Fat, bumbling, and you don't even realise he's intelligent until far too late.

Toby Hadoke. Most of you will never have heard of him, but he's an actor who gets on TV sometimes and he'd be dead chuffed to even be considered for the role, coz he's a HUGE fan of Dr Who. Toby played the vicar who conducted the wedding of Curly Watts in Corrie, and he's got a part in the upcoming remake of the Forsyte Saga. He's also a very funny comedian and a mate.