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

"it beat Ant and Dec."

We'll see if it does next week, when their star guest is going to be Tony Blair, apparently. I'm not kidding!

H.

How disturbing. The leader of the United Kingdom arsing about on a Saturday night kids' programme. Can they cover him in gunge of some sort? Please?

OK, so lets assume that one episode was a flash in the pan and the whole thing is obviously doomed to fail anyway, Ecclestone's decision makes no odds at all.

Seriously, what makes you think that the British public will give a fig about this and suddenly stop watching? Wy does Ecclestone owe ANYTHING to ANYBODY?

The show will sink or swim on the merits of what it is like THIS SERIES. No one in their right minds whilst making the decision 'Shall I watch Dr Who tonight' is going to follow that with the corolary 'Nah, Ecclestone's not going to be in the next series, I can't be arsed.'

Except, of course, the alleged 'fans' of the show. Most of whom I wouldn't let into the same town as me, let alone the same room.

Some possible candidates for the Dr:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4396295.stm

Does Ecclestone 'owe' the viewers anything?

Well, no but he did specifically want the part. He wanted it so much that he e-mailed Russel T Davies asking for it.

My other Ecclestone thoughts will go on the garrotting thread (seems to be becoming a traditional thread title now. Can we start having garottee of the week?

Back to who should be the next Dr based on the list in the link above:

David Tennant
Bill Nighy
Richard E Grant
David Thewlis
Alan Davies

and wanting a bit more continuity in a Dr being the same actor for more than one season, I would say that knocks out Nighy, and REG for starters. I agree that *may* Tennant use it as a stepping stone.

Thewlis: not sure - is he more a theatre, TV play actor?

Davies: my favourite for longevity - he stayed the distance with Jonathan Creek - he was touted last time and I think he would do more than one series and he would be a good doctor.

However, based on Ecclestones performance/the writing is the Dr more serious now? Well, a bit! but not that much I have to say so could Davies actually pull off some 'serious' acting? Most comedians can so I do not see why not.

I really sit down for the next series watch an actor play the part and then leave the stage shouting 'NEXT!'.

As I said in another thread somewhere they are running out of regenerations.

Alfster I *really* don't think that's a problem. Say five years down the line, I cannot see this conversation happening:

Doctor Who producer: [current actor] wants to leave the show, oh damn, he's the 13th Doctor!
BBC Bod: What ratings did the last season average?
Doctor Who producer: 9.5m
BBC Bod: What a shame, still, can't be helped, an entirely fictional constraint thought up over 20 years ago means we'll have to cancel one of biggest successes in recent years.
Doctor Who producer: Poot. How about bringing back Moonbase 3?


Besides which, the Time Lords offered the Master a new regeneration cycle in The Five Doctors...

KerrAvon...HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH DR WHO CANON!!!!!! HE HAS GOT TWELVE REGENERATIONS AND THAT IS THAT!!! SHAKES HEAD.

I actually asked the question yesterday as I knew they wouldn't cancel a ratings winning program but not being a Hoovian geek (like you - compliment there) I did not know whether there was an escape plan. Thanks for answering it.

And I agree the conversation you proposed would never happen - do you think any BBC bod would even have any knowledge of Dr Who history and laws etc?

When was the constraint thought up? And also isn't it interesting that such a constraint was a) thought up b) thought up because they probably did not think the series would get into (potential!) trouble over it and c) it may well bite them on the bum a bit soon but it should also be one fine story that persuades the Timelords to give the Doctor a new regeneration cycle.

"When was the constraint thought up?"

Like most of the rest of Time Lord canon (the Panopticon, the Matrix etc.), it dates back to "The Deadly Assassin", 1976, Tom Baker, and the only story the Doctor ever did completely solo, no companion.

H.

It was first mentioned in Deadly Assasin, a Tom Baker story from 1976. Getting on for 30 years ago, in fact. It was a plot device really, to give the Master his motivation for returning to Gallifrey (that isn't the time when the Time Lords offered him a new one, by the way. That comes later, in The Five Doctors).

So we were on Doctor 4 at the time, so I don't suppose Robert Holmes thought about it.

Naughty Hoo. Not the Matrix. The APC Net .

Based on the 12 regenerations thing if the series hadn't been cancelled in 1989 it'd be finishing forever about now anyway (assuming about 3 years per Doctor).

Looking through that list of names for potential Doctors, and the comment that the Cassanova chappie is the only name being considered at the moment, does the age of the actor matter?
i mean I know that 'in-story' it doesn;t, but to you, yourself, now, would a 33yr old doctor be acceptable? I must admit I'd prefer the actor to be a bit older than that. the character 'feels' better to me when acted by someone the other side of 40.

Dr Who can only have 12 regenerations? Wouldn't a new Doctor come along then?

As I've said in other threads, Tennant is too young and sweet-looking for my liking. Later thirties at the earliest please.

ah, glad it isn't just me that thinks that!

<>

Nope... this ain't James Bond y'know!

Just watched the news at one. The words 'BBC have confirmed they are in talks with David Tennant' leads me to believe two things;

1) Ecclestone had made this decision and communicated to Davies and others some time ago

2) David Tennant WILL be the Doctor for the second series barring a very unforseen circumstance.

Um. Well I hope he doesn't wear his Cassanova costumes.

I'd quite like to see the next Doctor wearing something from the 1940s... it'd be more contemporary than the traditional Doctor's traditional costume while still being an anachronism whenever he visits modern day Earth.

a demob suit perhaps?

Well, he was with the Phillipino army at the final battle for Reykjavik...

H.