The Doctor and His Regenerations

[Captaindemotion]

^That's interesting. I've always thought that what was great about Baker was the way he was almost the perfect amalgam of his predecessors, for the reasons set out by Terence Dicks and quoted by CE Evans. Evidently everyone sees their own perspective on each Doctor.

 

[ClayinCA]

It's hard to realize this now, but at the time Tom Baker was cast, there was a fair amount of trepidation over how well he'd be accepted; he was following the then-longest running (and arguably most popular) Doctor ever, and it was the first time the new Doctor would be played by a comparatively young man (he wasn't much past forty when he was cast). The party line put about at the time is, I think, where the above-quoted Terrance Dicks line comes from; there was a conscious effort to sell the nascent Fourth Doctor as a combination or summation of the previous three. Soon enough, however, when it became apparent that Baker's magnetic and charismatic performance was extremely popular in its own right, the need for such descriptions was eliminated.

 

[Bacl]

I think that it was a mistake, and perhaps somewhat arrogant and insulting, for David Tennant's Doctor to say that regeneration was like death, with a new man moving on.

David Tennant's first episode has him saying, "I am him. I am literally him. Same man, new face, well...new everything."

New everything means new personality and new way of looking at things. You are not the same man (or woman) you were at 18 as you are at 50. Your clothing choices are probably fundamentally different, and you might even like different food and drink (remember what you used to drink at 21? Still enjoy that crap at 42? Think 21 year old you would like the booze you enjoy at 42?)

But you are still the same person, just different.

Each Doctor has always insisted that regeneration is just a change of shape. Heck, most even insisted, despite evidence to the contrary, that the change was purely superficial. In fact, the 7th Doctor irritably snapped at Glitz "The change is purely superficial" when talking about his regeneration.

I think having 10 upset about regeneration is fine. But instead of the, "No! I'm the greatest! The next guy isn't me!" attitude they took, I'd have preferred something tied more into Donna, whom he called his best friend. Donna was someone he hated at first, but grew to be best friends with. Everyone else except Wilf seemed to HATE Donna too. Imagine the Doctor saying something like, "But even if I do regenerate my personality changes too. I like different clothes, different food....see things differently, you know? [looks at Donna through the window] What if I don't love then what I love now? What if what interests me now later bores me? I don't want that to happen."

That'd have been deep, and just fine. What I didn't like was the attitude that David Tennant was the best Doctor ever, and that RTD was the greatest writer, and that it will never be the same again. I felt that was showing in the End OF Time.

I also HATE that his last words were "I don't want to go." Puh-lease! Give me the 10th Doctor that I loved in the end.

You know what 10's last words should have been? "Allon'si! (let's go!)"

I'd have liked to see him, despite his fear, meet this new challenge head on, and with excitement.

 

[Shatnertage]

^^^It could have been worse. His last words could have been "Carrot juice."

 

[TyberiusDeAngelo]

I think having 10 upset about regeneration is fine. But instead of the, "No! I'm the greatest! The next guy isn't me!" attitude they took, I'd have preferred something tied more into Donna, whom he called his best friend. Donna was someone he hated at first, but grew to be best friends with. Everyone else except Wilf seemed to HATE Donna too. Imagine the Doctor saying something like, "But even if I do regenerate my personality changes too. I like different clothes, different food....see things differently, you know? [looks at Donna through the window] What if I don't love then what I love now? What if what interests me now later bores me? I don't want that to happen."

I agree that would have been much better, IMHO.

 

[C.E. Evans]

It's hard to realize this now, but at the time Tom Baker was cast, there was a fair amount of trepidation over how well he'd be accepted; he was following the then-longest running (and arguably most popular) Doctor ever, and it was the first time the new Doctor would be played by a comparatively young man (he wasn't much past forty when he was cast). The party line put about at the time is, I think, where the above-quoted Terrance Dicks line comes from; there was a conscious effort to sell the nascent Fourth Doctor as a combination or summation of the previous three. Soon enough, however, when it became apparent that Baker's magnetic and charismatic performance was extremely popular in its own right, the need for such descriptions was eliminated.

Actually, Terrance Dicks' desciption of the Fourth Doctor came during the 20th anniversary of the program, when Davison had the role, so it was in hindsight.

 

[ClayinCA]

Oh, interesting. Well, my mistake, then.

 

[I am not Spock]

How I explain Ten being cranky, and not wanting to go? He is old. The Doctor is a very old, jaded, experienced guy now.