Are regenerations still capped at 12?

[Green Lantern]

Brendan Moody wrote:

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Mark Gatiss is writing a docudrama about the origin of Doctor Who for next year. That's the only "prequel" that's been announced, not anything like an in-universe story about the Doctor stealing the TARDIS.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me

[DWF]

If the Doctor's life continues beyond the regeration limit it'll be up to whomever's in charge of the show at the point. I find it's best not to think of such matters and just to enjoy the Doctor as is. For right now now gives the Doctor's life and odd sense of realism, not knowing how long he'll live now it a good thing to me anyway.

[Australis]

I think we'll find out when 13 dies.

I'm expecting the next words after that event will be:
"Well, that was unexpected!"

[MacLeod]

^Yep something along those lines.

[Mr Awe]

Alidar Jarok wrote:

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Yeah, that's my thought. Mention, make it a real plot point, find a workaround.

Thirded! Maybe interject some mystery. Let it be a surprise to the Doctor, and he's not sure how many more he has left.

However, they do it, agree that it shouldn't be swept under the carpet but deal with it directly. But, I certainly do want the show to go on!

Mr Awe

[Mr Awe]

Starkers wrote:

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I’m surprised they didn’t make more of a big deal of River using up her regenerations on him, since as far as we know she’d only regenerated three times there’s 9 more incarnations there! Frankly however much I loved the show, I doubt it can really go beyond 20+ Doctors.

Well, there's another interesting question! Even if regeneration isn't capped, realistically, how many Doctors will there be? Undoubtedly, the show will be cancelled at some point.

The original series had 26 seasons. The newer ST franchise ran various incarnations for 18 years. Somewhere around there seems to be the maximum length a franchise/series can go. If you split the difference and figure that the new series of Who will go 22 years, that means we'd have 15 more years from now.

If you figure an average of 4 years per actor, you've got 3 more Doctors, for a total of 14. If one of the actors remains for several years longer than average, the series could end naturally with 13 Doctors.

Highly speculative, but agree that it would be nearly impossible to get to 20! Of course, the series could stop and then be restarted. That's been known to happen!

Mr Awe

[MacLeod]

^Erm if you keep to the 12 regenerations limit, you've only got 2 more to go. A Timelord has 13 lives.

And yes while DW was cancelled after 26 years, if reports are accurate, the BBC One controller at the time didn't like it, it was scheduled against Coronation Street, so it would appear that it was scheduled to make sure it's ratings dropped to a point at which it could be cancelled.

[Mr Awe]

^^Yeah, it's unlikely 2 Doctors would last that long. Not impossible but unlikely.

Mr Awe

[Nick Ryder]

Well how many Doctors we gets depends on how long BBC wants to keep doing the show. For now it's got enough of a fan following, will that change? Or will the Doctor after Matt Smith leaves be the one that breaks the camel's back? Or will it be time to 'reboot'? I still find it amazing that Dr Who has been on the air semi-continously since even before Star Trek so that's astonishing in and of itself. I mean 50 years is unheard of for anything SF/F. (Yes I know there was that gap but even so there was still 'official' Who media out, just not an active show. Plus maybe it was a good thing it went on a sort of indefinite "hiatus", nuWho benefited from more modern film making techniques, special effects and hey it gave a Star Trek-less world another bit of sci-fi media to latch onto again.

I'm just curious though, has it been brought up in the current modern era that he's only got 13 regenerations? I mean, did Ecceleston or Tennent or Smith ever say that he's got 13 lives? Now that's technically the last of the old Time Lords, maybe some of the old rules no longer apply. Tennant sorta proved that when he declared himself Time Lord Victorious. So... who knows.

Although I do feel like, especially with Smith's Doctor, that he's starting to 'feel his age' a bit. Granted a good mystery can break him from his funk, but even so... to paraphrase Yoda when over 900 years old you reach, feel as good you will not hmm?

[Sindatur]

Nick Ryder wrote:

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I'm just curious though, has it been brought up in the current modern era that he's only got 13 regenerations? I mean, did Ecceleston or Tennent or Smith ever say that he's got 13 lives? Now that's technically the last of the old Time Lords, maybe some of the old rules no longer apply. Tennant sorta proved that when he declared himself Time Lord Victorious. So... who knows.

In the Doctor Who spinoff The Sarah ane Adventures there was (A possible throwaway) line asking the Doctor how many Regenerations he had and he responded 512 (or something over 500). Thi may have been a real reply, or may have been a joke.

River has shown us concern about how much Regeneration energy the Doctor has, so, there certainly is a limit she believes he's close to.

[Nick Ryder]

Although didn't River give the Doctor some of her own regeneration energy or something? If so... wouldn't that kind of set his own clock back as it were?

[The Wormhole]

Aside from that bit in SJA, no the regeneration limit has never been mentioned in nu Who.

[Sindatur]

Nick Ryder wrote:

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Although didn't River give the Doctor some of her own regeneration energy or something? If so... wouldn't that kind of set his own clock back as it were?

That's certainly one possible "out" for the writers when they hit that 13th Regeneration and want to continue and also a way for The Doctor to legitimately be surprised when Matt Smith's second sucessor lays down to die a final death and instead pops back up as Doctor #14 "Well that wasn't supposed to happen....Ooh, and I'm finally Ginger "

[Takeru]

Isn't this entire discussion pointless? The limit was always meaningless, there are many reasons to end the show, "We reached the limit of regenerations that was arbitrarily decided on decades ago" is not one of them.

Personally I'd prefer if the limit is never mentioned again, or if they outright contradict the old show, what I don't want is an explanation, this is one of the cases were "screw continuity" is the only right solution to the "problem".

[Sindatur]

Takeru wrote:

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Isn't this entire discussion pointless? The limit was always meaningless, there are many reasons to end the show, "We reached the limit of regenerations that was arbitrarily decided on decades ago" is not one of them.

Personally I'd prefer if the limit is never mentioned again, or if they outright contradict the old show, what I don't want is an explanation, this is one of the cases were "screw continuity" is the only right solution to the "problem".

Why are you opposed to the Doctor having to face his own mortality, and actually face that he will die? The character wouldn't know he was indeed going to Regenerate. Lots of stories could be spun from both his belief he really could die and and also from his renewed appreciation for life after unexpectedly Regenerating