Why no alternate Doctors?

[F. King Daniel]

The Doctor has visited alternate timelines before, and he's met his own past and future incarnations too. But he's never met an alternate timeline version of himself (at least not in the modern TV show or the scattered handful of older ones I've seen) and I'm curious if there's a reason why? It seems like a huge untapped well of potential stories.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I'm all for that. I actually want the Doctor to meet a legitimate future Doctor, like The Next Doctor except a real one, and not a person who took his memories. Since that can't realistically happen, an alternative timeline Doctor could be used as a substitute. Have a Doctor we have not seen before appear – like The Day of the Doctor did – and have an adventure with the Doctor.

Alternative Doctor would be cool. Like computer simulated Doctor, he/she would still be the Doctor, so we'd have one more take on it.

But I still do prefer the next incarnation is announced through his/her appearance in a multi-Doctor episode. For starters, the actor playing the new Doctor is not considered a spoiler, so I can't really ever watch the announcement without being spoiled for it, so if it it happened during an episode I would for the first* time in my life be surprised by the identity of the new Doctor. And there's literally zero chance they are going to put off the announcement until the regeneration scene, so an episode before the regeneration would work. It would be doubly hilarious if the announcement was after the multi-Doctor episode, though. Trolling FTW.


* OK, second. I didn't know the Doctor regenerated when the Ninth died. But I hated Tenth at first. And I think Rose also hated him.

 

[Lonemagpie]

It has been toyed with occasionally in books, comics, and audios, but yeah, would be nice to see in the show at least once.

 

[captainkirk]

In Doomsday the Daleks from the alternate universe were afraid of the Doctor, but didn't recognize Ten, so he apparently doesn't exist in that universe (at least until the clone). Presumably the Doctor in that universe looks different or hasn't reached 10 regenerations yet. So there have been opportunities to do it on screen, it's just that no one seems willing to do it.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Wasn't the leader of the alternate Earth in 'Inferno' supposed to be the Doctor of that universe?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wasn't the leader of the alternate Earth in 'Inferno' supposed to be the Doctor of that universe?

That's been the suggestion (and the often-seen posters were him), but there's no on-screen evidence to support that. I don't remember if that was a musing from writer Don Houghton, script editor Terrance Dicks, or Barry Letts, or if it was just fan speculation.

 

[ChristopherPike]

I could certainly go for an alternate history where the Time War never happened... at least not the way we saw... and instead of regenerating Hurt thru Whittaker, he's still the Paul McGann incarnation.

 

[diankra]

That's been the suggestion (and the often-seen posters were him), but there's no on-screen evidence to support that. I don't remember if that was a musing from writer Don Houghton, script editor Terrance Dicks, or Barry Letts, or if it was just fan speculation.

It's from the Virgin novel Revelation.

 

[Professor Zoom]

In Doomsday the Daleks from the alternate universe were afraid of the Doctor, but didn't recognize Ten, so he apparently doesn't exist in that universe (at least until the clone). Presumably the Doctor in that universe looks different or hasn't reached 10 regenerations yet. So there have been opportunities to do it on screen, it's just that no one seems willing to do it.

They weren’t from an alternative universe. They were from the “main” universe. They had fled the Time War in the Void Ship.

They didn’t recognize 10 because the last Doctor they knew was the War Doctor. (That bit is a little retro active continuity).

What if there were alternative universe Daleks who were good. And the Doctor was evil. You know, sort of like a reflective surface. A funhouse. A mirror universe, if you will.

 

[The Wormhole]

In Doomsday the Daleks from the alternate universe were afraid of the Doctor, but didn't recognize Ten, so he apparently doesn't exist in that universe (at least until the clone). Presumably the Doctor in that universe looks different or hasn't reached 10 regenerations yet. So there have been opportunities to do it on screen, it's just that no one seems willing to do it.

As already said, those Daleks weren't from the alternate universe. Indeed, when "Pete's World" was first introduced earlier in the Cybermen story, RTD addressed fan questions about the existence of Time Lords or a Doctor native to that universe, and RTD stated that the Time Lords are unique to our universe and there aren't any in other universes, by extension, no alternate Doctors.

Granted, RTD's not in charge anymore, and it remains to be seen what Chibnall's views on this matter are, but considering in over fifty years the closest thing to an alternate Doctor is what some sources say about the Dictator in Inferno, and even that's been debunked in the recent Lethbridge-Stewart novel series, I don't think there's any desire to bring in Doctor(s) or Time Lords from any alternate realities.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

It's from the Virgin novel Revelation.

Ah, thanks for the clarification.

As already said, those Daleks weren't from the alternate universe. Indeed, when "Pete's World" was first introduced earlier in the Cybermen story, RTD addressed fan questions about the existence of Time Lords or a Doctor native to that universe, and RTD stated that the Time Lords are unique to our universe and there aren't any in other universes, by extension, no alternate Doctors.

Granted, RTD's not in charge anymore, and it remains to be seen what Chibnall's views on this matter are, but considering in over fifty years the closest thing to an alternate Doctor is what some sources say about the Dictator in Inferno, and even that's been debunked in the recent Lethbridge-Stewart novel series, I don't think there's any desire to bring in Doctor(s) or Time Lords from any alternate realities.

Conversely, Big Finish has demonstrated the possibility of alternative universes with different versions of The Doctor, as seen in Zagreus, where it's suggested the various novel and comic lines are different universes (I think, I'm basing that on memory and I can't find collaboration on that idea) and Gallifrey: Disassembled, where an alternate version of The Sixth Doctor is encountered.

I think the idea has potential, but I don't want it to be some gimmick. If Chibnall or some future showrunner used this idea, I would like to see thought put into the whys and hows The Doctor is different from our Doctor instead of just being different for different's sake.

 

[Green Lantern]

Would be a cool idea to have a dark evil parallel universe Doctor, surprised that hasn't been quite done. Maybe just have the same actor, or maybe due to establishing with Capaldi that the Doctor sort of subconsciously chooses his/her face cast someone else...basically just an evil Doctor (I'd rather see the Valeyard return though).

 

[Marc]

What if there were alternative universe Daleks who were good. And the Doctor was evil. You know, sort of like a reflective surface. A funhouse. A mirror universe, if you will.

The first part at least has been done with one the BF Dalek Empire series (the 2nd iirc) but other than a standalone story there Doctor hasn't gotten a mention in the DE series.

 

[Samurai8472]

Journey's end did seed an alternate world doctor but he has one heart, can't regenerate and has to grow his TARDIS

I'm all for that. I actually want the Doctor to meet a legitimate future Doctor, like The Next Doctor except a real one, and not a person who took his memories. Since that can't realistically happen, an alternative timeline Doctor could be used as a substitute. Have a Doctor we have not seen before appear – like The Day of the Doctor did – and have an adventure with the Doctor.

I would like a paradox where the outgoing doctor get's note's from the next doctor or story plot details all through the season

The season finale has the previous doctor regenerate and basically redo what he did at the series premiere

 

[Marc]

Journey's end did seed an alternate world doctor but he has one heart, can't regenerate and has to grow his TARDIS

and is stuck with Rose Tyler

 

[Tosk]

I always kind of wanted a secret new Doctor. A companion or hanger on during a Doctor's last few stories who turns out to actually be the next Doctor helping out.

 

[captainkirk]

They weren’t from an alternative universe. They were from the “main” universe. They had fled the Time War in the Void Ship.

Were they? I don't remember that part. I thought they were fleeing the Time War in their universe.

RTD addressed fan questions about the existence of Time Lords or a Doctor native to that universe, and RTD stated that the Time Lords are unique to our universe and there aren't any in other universes, by extension, no alternate Doctors.

That makes no sense. Given that the Timelords have been shaping history since the dawn of time, if they didn't exist everything would be completely unrecognizable.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Were they? I don't remember that part. I thought they were fleeing the Time War in their universe.

That makes no sense. Given that the Timelords have been shaping history since the dawn of time, if they didn't exist everything would be completely unrecognizable.

The Doctor recognizes them as the cult of Skaro.
The Cybermen detected the void ship when they tried to leave Pete‘s world. That‘s why they ended on our world, they followed in it‘s wake.

Regarding the Time Lords, maybe they are not as important to the universe as they would have us (and themselves) to believe.

 

[F. King Daniel]

It's occurred to me that perhaps they haven't featured AU Doctors is because they feared it would cheapen the ongoing (until Day of the Doctor, at least) time war/gallifrey plotline. If there's an alternate Doctor or infinite Doctors which we can meet, there's another Gallifrey or 10 trillion trillion out there too, so his life-defining choices are a little less meaningful.

 

[inflatabledalek]

It's worth noting the Daleks in Doomsday are the guys who made the montage of Doctors that the Cybusmen stole and got shown off in The Next Doctor. Though for some reason they never got a good photo of the War Doctor (but did manage one of Eccles despite him only ever meeting Daleks from after the way!). Odd that.