Question about the 2010 series. BIG SPOILER

[ITL]

I'd love to see an older Doctor such as Bill Nighy - a bit less manic shouting and running and a bit more thoughtful gravitas would be great, for me.

But I feel that most of the younger fans would prefer the Tennant vibe, even with a new Doctor.

Anyhoo, it's a moot point. They'll stick with a similar feel to what they have now.

 

[DWF]

Tom Baker was 39 when he became the Doctor and Davison was a mere 29 and I do think that Davison for his short time as the Doctor was a very active one. By the time he was 46 at the end of time as the Doctor, Tom Baker was very difficult to work with and alittle ill in his final season.

Are you suggesting Tom was senile? I don't think his age had anything to do with him being difficult to work with, I think that was just tom Baker's nature coupled with having been in the role far far too long.

No I don't know how you got that from my post, he got sick during that final year and it even straightened out his curly hair. And no he himself said he was impossible to work with by that final season on the Leisure Hive DVD, he simply refused to work with his directors or his co-stars either for that matter.

 

[Tulin]

The one consolation anybody has who suffers from ageism from you lot is that eventually, YOU will experience it, too.

 

[Iamnotspock]

I really don't get this 40 and no further roadblock. Are they seriously suggesting that they'll turn down a guy who is ideal for the role because he's 45? Ridiculous. As for the fitness issue, well let's face it, Patrick Stewart is probably a damn site fitter than men half his age, in fact I'd imagine there are men ten years older than Tennant whose stamnia etc are higher.

I can understand the issue of someone who's 60, maybe even someone in their late fifties.

As another poster said above, my one fear about Moffat is that he'll esentially replace Tennant with another Tennant.

Exactly my point. Exactly...

Which is an understandable fear, but I don't think it's very likely. Steven Moffat is firstly a very experienced TV writer and producer who comes across as extremely articulate and intelligent in interviews and commentaries, and secondly a lifelong Doctor Who fan who knows that the secret of its longevity is that it has never tried to replicate a particular casting success by casting the same type twice.

This man knows his DW, as evidenced by his stories to date - I mean, here is a writer who can terrify small children (and some adults) with the likes of The Empty Child and Blink, and also produce an absolutely spot-on parody of the original series in The Curse of Fatal Death.
I don't think there's any way that he's going to go for another Tennant type for the next Doctor, he's way too savvy for that. If nothing else, DT was cast by RTD and Moffat is going to want to put his own mark on the show and the lead character as every new showrunner has before him.

 

[Tomalak]

No, it's not. That prevents geniuses like Eddie Izzard and Bill Nighy taking a crack at The Doctor, which would be pure brilliance.

Fans have always loved the idea of an Izzard Doctor, but I just don't see it. I think he's one of the best stand-ups of his generation, but having seen some of his straight acting roles, I don't think it would work.

 

[StCoop]

Steven Moffat is firstly a very experienced TV writer and producer who comes across as extremely articulate and intelligent in interviews and commentaries, and secondly a lifelong Doctor Who fan who knows that the secret of its longevity is that it has never tried to replicate a particular casting success by casting the same type twice.

And he thinks James Nesbitt has acting talent; which doesn't exactly fill me full of confidence for his casting ability.

 

[Starkers]

I really don't get this 40 and no further roadblock. Are they seriously suggesting that they'll turn down a guy who is ideal for the role because he's 45? Ridiculous. As for the fitness issue, well let's face it, Patrick Stewart is probably a damn site fitter than men half his age, in fact I'd imagine there are men ten years older than Tennant whose stamnia etc are higher.

I can understand the issue of someone who's 60, maybe even someone in their late fifties.

As another poster said above, my one fear about Moffat is that he'll esentially replace Tennant with another Tennant.

Exactly my point. Exactly...

Which is an understandable fear, but I don't think it's very likely. Steven Moffat is firstly a very experienced TV writer and producer who comes across as extremely articulate and intelligent in interviews and commentaries, and secondly a lifelong Doctor Who fan who knows that the secret of its longevity is that it has never tried to replicate a particular casting success by casting the same type twice.

This man knows his DW, as evidenced by his stories to date - I mean, here is a writer who can terrify small children (and some adults) with the likes of The Empty Child and Blink, and also produce an absolutely spot-on parody of the original series in The Curse of Fatal Death.
I don't think there's any way that he's going to go for another Tennant type for the next Doctor, he's way too savvy for that. If nothing else, DT was cast by RTD and Moffat is going to want to put his own mark on the show and the lead character as every new showrunner has before him.

I hope you're right, and I have a lot of faith in Moffat, but considering his favourite Who is Davison, his comments coming out of Tennant's mouth in Time Crash, and the fact that he says if he'd been in RTD's shoes he'd have hired Tennant too, I worry that the 11th Doctor won't be disimilar enough from the 10th...of course Moffat will also realise that when Davison replaced Baker he was so different that this did affect some fans- same thing with Colin replacing Peter.

Re other comments about the Doctor having to be young and sexy...why? Why can't the companion fill that role? Look at Troughton, is he sexy, quite obviously no (apologies to any Troughton fetishists here) but you have Jamie and Zoe to fill that void. It's not rocket science.

 

[StCoop]

Re other comments about the Doctor having to be young and sexy...why? Why can't the companion fill that role? Look at Troughton, is he sexy, quite obviously no (apologies to any Troughton fetishists here) but you have Jamie and Zoe to fill that void. It's not rocket science.

Because they're not the main character. For better or worse there's a large segment of the audience who watch the show because they fancy Tennant. And when he goes they're going to need to cast cast someone who'll push the same buttons if they want to keep them on board.

 

[Starkers]

Re other comments about the Doctor having to be young and sexy...why? Why can't the companion fill that role? Look at Troughton, is he sexy, quite obviously no (apologies to any Troughton fetishists here) but you have Jamie and Zoe to fill that void. It's not rocket science.

Because they're not the main character. For better or worse there's a large segment of the audience who watch the show because they fancy Tennant. And when he goes they're going to need to cast cast someone who'll push the same buttons if they want to keep them on board.

I see your point, but doubt any Dad ever worried that Billie Piper was Rose and not the Doctor. Surely what matters is the eye candy, not what form that eye candy takes?

 

[Captain Pike]

Tennant has been good, but enough of the young whippersnappers please. Give us an older actor with some real gravitas!

 

[Starkers]

Well when he isn't gurning Tennant is capable of gravitas, but yeah I definitely hope the next actor is a little older and less mental

 

[The]

Re other comments about the Doctor having to be young and sexy...why? Why can't the companion fill that role? Look at Troughton, is he sexy, quite obviously no (apologies to any Troughton fetishists here) but you have Jamie and Zoe to fill that void. It's not rocket science.

Because they're not the main character. For better or worse there's a large segment of the audience who watch the show because they fancy Tennant. And when he goes they're going to need to cast cast someone who'll push the same buttons if they want to keep them on board.

Which exactly why I fear this house of cards they've built The Doctor on in this latest era. Corporate mind will always try to please everyone all the time, and end up pleasing very few if any at all...

 

[Starkers]

Re other comments about the Doctor having to be young and sexy...why? Why can't the companion fill that role? Look at Troughton, is he sexy, quite obviously no (apologies to any Troughton fetishists here) but you have Jamie and Zoe to fill that void. It's not rocket science.

Because they're not the main character. For better or worse there's a large segment of the audience who watch the show because they fancy Tennant. And when he goes they're going to need to cast cast someone who'll push the same buttons if they want to keep them on board.

Which exactly why I fear this house of cards they've built The Doctor on in this latest era. Corporate mind will always try to please everyone all the time, and end up pleasing very few if any at all...

...and that’s how we ended up with Scott Bakula horribly miscast as a starship Captain! The trouble with trying to push people’s buttons is that different things push people’s buttons at different times. Who’d have seen the somewhat curmudgeonly Chris Eccleston as a sex symbol after all? And seriously I know plenty of women whose opinion of Tennant mirrors Donna Nobles, i.e. he’s a thin streak of nothing.

What Moffat needs to do is be brave enough to cast the right man for the job, and take the example of the Bond people casting Daniel Craig- ignoring millions of naysayers (myself included) who were all wrong. Alternatively Moffat might be already in negotiations with Jack Davenport…(although I could live with that because, despite something of a resemblance, I think he’d play the Doctor very differently!)

 

[Iamnotspock]

Steven Moffat is firstly a very experienced TV writer and producer who comes across as extremely articulate and intelligent in interviews and commentaries, and secondly a lifelong Doctor Who fan who knows that the secret of its longevity is that it has never tried to replicate a particular casting success by casting the same type twice.

And he thinks James Nesbitt has acting talent; which doesn't exactly fill me full of confidence for his casting ability.

Well I happen to agree with him on that one. You may not like Nesbitt (and I think he can be a bit smug sometimes) but the guy clearly has talent. If you didn't like him in Jekyll then check out his portrayal of grief in the final episode of Cold Feet, for example.

Starkers, do we know for certain that PD is his favourite Doctor? He's certainly very fond of him but Davison was arguably the last iconic Doctor of the old series before its popularity started to decline, as far as the mainstream audience was concerned, and is the only one of the surviving past Doctors (bar McGann, whose return wouldn't have carried the same weight) who still looks more-or-less like his Doctor. C Baker and Sly McCoy wouldn't have had the same impact, and Tom doesn't look recognisable as the fourth Doctor anymore. Although they explained Davison's ageing, he still looks very much like the same man he was 25 years ago, ie still slim and still very youthful-looking for his age, so that all you really needed was a throwaway line referencing his appearance. They could have approached Tom Baker and still given the same "time differential" explanation for his aged appearance, but while that would've been satisfactory enough in story terms it arguably wouldn't have had the same impact on the viewers.

Also, if PD is his favourite Doctor, that certainly gives me hope that he's not likely to cast a Tennant-alike next time. StCoop, I believe James Nesbitt has already dismissed claims that he's taking over the role, so you've got nothing to worry about there.

 

[Sci]

I hope you're right, and I have a lot of faith in Moffat, but considering his favourite Who is Davison, his comments coming out of Tennant's mouth in Time Crash, and the fact that he says if he'd been in RTD's shoes he'd have hired Tennant too, I worry that the 11th Doctor won't be disimilar enough from the 10th...

That's a bit like worrying that the Tenth Doctor wouldn't be dissimilar enough from the Ninth Doctor just because Russell T. Davies hired both of them -- or, for that matter, worrying that any given Moffat episode won't be dissimilar enough from his previous. The man's work has displayed consistent creativity and diversity. You've nothing to worry about.

As for myself: I prefer an older Doctor than Tennant, but not too old. I want an actor who's right on the verge between looking younger but also looking older. A 40ish actor is about the right age to my mind, because he can straddle the line between seeming genuinely old and ancient and seeming genuinely youthful and exuberant -- a line that any actor playing the Doctor needs to straddle. Tennant is able to straddle the line just barely, but I think it took him some time to get there, and he really does have to fight against his own youthful appearance and energy to generate the sense of ancientness that the Doctor has to have. It's better to have an actor who's in the middle -- old enough that you can really buy that this guy's a haunted 900-year-old, but young enough that you can buy that he'd still be that physically active and energetic. Someone like Christopher Eccleston is, to my mind, a perfect example of an actor who simultaneously could seem ancient and forever yet eternally young. Tennant didn't really start to achieve that until "The Family of Blood."

 

[The]

Well I happen to agree with him on that one. You may not like Nesbitt (and I think he can be a bit smug sometimes) but the guy clearly has talent.

Couldn't agree more. Peronally, Nesbitt would be one of the greater things to happen to Doctor Who...

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Well I happen to agree with him on that one. You may not like Nesbitt (and I think he can be a bit smug sometimes) but the guy clearly has talent.

Couldn't agree more. Peronally, Nesbitt would be one of the greater things to happen to Doctor Who...

Only if Gina Bellman plays his companion.

 

[ClayinCA]

Alternatively Moffat might be already in negotiations with Jack Davenport…(although I could live with that because, despite something of a resemblance, I think he’d play the Doctor very differently!)

Well, I don't suppose I would overtly object to the idea of Jack Davenport as the Doctor ... but if Moffat was going to go with an ex-Coupling actor, I'd prefer to see Richard Coyle in the role. While the character of Jeff was broadly comedic, Coyle's portrayal of the title role of Strange was much more serious, and a melding of the two styles would go over well for the Doctor. Also, I think it'd be nice to have a Doctor who was a character-type, a la Patrick Troughton. I don't know whether Moffat and Coyle are on speaking terms, though, since I believe Coyle pulled out of Coupling Series Four rather late in the day.

And he thinks James Nesbitt has acting talent; which doesn't exactly fill me full of confidence for his casting ability.

Well I happen to agree with him on that one. You may not like Nesbitt (and I think he can be a bit smug sometimes) but the guy clearly has talent. If you didn't like him in Jekyll then check out his portrayal of grief in the final episode of Cold Feet, for example.

Quoted for tons and tons of truth. I know Nesbitt's got his detractors, but I thought he was fantastic in Jekyll, and wonderful in Cold Feet, especially the part you mention.

Yeah, I can't imagine Moffat would cast anyone Tennant-like as the Eleventh Doctor (number 11 already?? Jeez! ); if nothing else, he's a huge fan of the original show, and if his wide experience as a television writer-producer wasn't enough to convince him, his experience as a fan ought to, since the original series never followed an outgoing Doctor with one who was anything like his predecessor.

 

[mimic]

I've been secretly hoping for Idris Elba ever since I discovered he was British, but obviously that will never happen.

 

[The]

lmfao!!! Your avatar is AWESOME!!