The Problem With The New Doctor... *spoilers*

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Who exactly is using that excuse though?

Well, not the producers. They're simply choosing young actors for sound business reasons.

 

[WillsBabe]

Who exactly is using that excuse though?

Exactly? I couldn't say. Although I have read here the argument that an older actor couldn't do the physical stuff. Might have been in a thread back when Tennant announced his departure, in connection with Bill Nighy maybe.

 

[Venardhi]

Umm. . .

There's one other aspect that everyone (including me in my prior post) seems to have forgotten, and that's one of logistics.

Donna Noble set out the Doctor's job description in "The Doctor's Daughter": "There's an awful lot of running involved".

This isn't an innovation that came in with RTD. Go back all the way to Hartnell and there was, indeed, a lot of running involved. Remember Troughton trying to outrun the Cybermen's laser guns on the streets on London?

The fact is the Doctor cannot allow himself to regenerate into someone who isn't physically capable of keeping up with the lifestyle he has set out for himself. Remember in 11th Hour after the duck-pond exchange where the Doctor sets off at a run and hops a fence at full gallop? I can't even see Eccleston doing that. Let alone someone like Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley in the Potter films) or Bill Nighy, both of whom were mentioned as possible Doctors at one time. Could you imagine Troughton or Pertwee or Hartnell recovering after falling through multiple rooms in the TARDIS and landing in the swimming pool, and then climbing out using block and tackle? Possibly Pertwee, but not the others.

In the novels (I'd put a spoiler tag but the books in question are a decade old now) Romana II (the cute blonde with the mischievous grin) purposely regenerated into a harder-edged Romana III because she knew II didn't have the personality to handle the Time War that was coming up. Whether subconsciously or intentionally, the Doctor clearly is trying to skew either younger or about the same age so that he might be able to handle the rigors of being the last Time Lord.

Alex

 

[Starkers]

Who exactly is using that excuse though?

Exactly? I couldn't say. Although I have read here the argument that an older actor couldn't do the physical stuff. Might have been in a thread back when Tennant announced his departure, in connection with Bill Nighy maybe.

The point I've made before is this. Going on age you'd be more inclined to hire Peter Kay (who'd probably have a heart attack 3 episodes in) that Patrick Sewart who's probably fitter in his 60s than most of us are now!

The other issue about the age factor is this, just because you have an older Doctor doesn't mean you can't have young companions, lets face it kids love Sarah Jane, and kids loved Wilf. Get the right actor, whatever his age, and people will watch the show (and I guarentee there'll be a contingent of fangirls/boys who'll fancy the pants off him even if he's 55 and bald And if they don't well maybe they'll like his handsome highlander of a companion?

 

[wildstar]

Now I like Matt Smith.

Firstly, the doctor is 906... why does he keep getting younger in looks?

What do you think?

He's from Ork.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The other issue about the age factor is this, just because you have an older Doctor doesn't mean you can't have young companions, lets face it kids love Sarah Jane, and kids loved Wilf. Get the right actor, whatever his age, and people will watch the show (and I guarentee there'll be a contingent of fangirls/boys who'll fancy the pants off him even if he's 55 and bald And if they don't well maybe they'll like his handsome highlander of a companion?

nuWho plays the Doctor and companion as a couple of sorts - yeah, even Donna in an odd way - and a big age difference is simply icky.

 

[Starkers]

The other issue about the age factor is this, just because you have an older Doctor doesn't mean you can't have young companions, lets face it kids love Sarah Jane, and kids loved Wilf. Get the right actor, whatever his age, and people will watch the show (and I guarentee there'll be a contingent of fangirls/boys who'll fancy the pants off him even if he's 55 and bald And if they don't well maybe they'll like his handsome highlander of a companion?

nuWho plays the Doctor and companion as a couple of sorts - yeah, even Donna in an odd way - and a big age difference is simply icky.

And so Ten/Wilf...

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Which just comes back to: the BBC wants to do the show with young actors to appeal to young people (not children - young adults and adolescents). Moffat may say that he looked for an older actor, but the plain fact is that they cast younger than ever before. It's reasonable to assume that Moffat's openmindedness about us geezers was a minority opinion.

 

[Starkers]

Well I still have to beleive they cast Smith because he was the best choice from those who auditioned. But as I've said, to me smith seems perfect whereas the older Tennant initially seemed too young.

Also worth noting that they hired a young man, but have him dressed and acting like an old man!

 

[Irvy]

The thing to remember is that Doctor Who always has been and always will be a family show. There will always be the child audience who absolutely must be catered for. Once upon a time, I was a part of that audience, sitting on my Daddy's knee on a Saturday evening watching Doctor Who and loving every minute of it. It's never going to be BSG, it couldn't possibly be. That audience is every bit as important as us, and we have to remember that while we grow older, the Doctor never will, and he'll always have that silly, childish streak that makes the kiddies giggle.

 

[Starkers]

But children can empathise as much with an old man as a young one, that's why grand parents are usually so popular. I just don't get why kids today should be any different to kids of 20/30/40 years ago?

And frankly if you're ten then whether the doctor is 28 or 40 is irrelevant, both of those make him an old man!

 

[Rowan Sjet]

Moffat may say that he looked for an older actor, but the plain fact is that they cast younger than ever before. It's reasonable to assume that Moffat's openmindedness about us geezers was a minority opinion.

Maybe, but it's more reasonable to assume that...

...they cast Smith because he was the best choice from those who auditioned.

Afterall, Matt Smith is a very popular Doctor, with practically every review I've read raving about how good he is.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Maybe, but it's more reasonable to assume that...

...they cast Smith because he was the best choice from those who auditioned.

They must be paying scale.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

I think that's definitely likely.