The Tenth Doctor Enters the TARDIS for the Last Time

[Gobear]

According to the BBC, David Tennant is quitting Doctor Who. He'll complete the four special episodes for 2009, but Season 5 will have a new Doctor.

FTFA: "Tennant will appear in a Christmas special, titled The Next Doctor, before filming four more specials in January.

"They'll be the four last stories that I do," he said. "

[HGervais]

I'm sad to see him go as well Gobear. Tennant was the best of all possible Doctors. I'm a little surprised he is leaving but then again I'm not. Given the success he has enjoyed with Hamlet, his open desire to make films and the logic of bowing out with RST it makes a lot of sense but part of me thought Tennant's often expressed love for the show would keep him around at least one more series. Still, maybe it all for the best and I would be curious to know what Moffat really thinks about the departure. I guess the endless speculation can now begin as to who Doctor 11 will end up being. I also guess this closes the door on seeing more of Dr. River Song which also makes me sad.

[Dave Ryan]

I never thought I'd think that there could possibly be a better Doctor than Tom Baker.

Until David Tennant came along.

[the5thghostbuster]

It sucks, but as always, the show will go on. I just doubt we'll evr have as big a fan boy as Tennant in the role

[HGervais]

No one asked but hey.....my choices for best Time Lord 10 through 1.....
10.Paul McGann
9.Colin Baker
8.William Hartnell
7.Sylvester McCoy
6.Christopher Eccleston
5.Peter Davison
4.Jon Pertwee
3.Patrick Troughton
2.Tom Baker
1.David Tennant

McGann simply didn't play the Doctor enough to warrant any higher...Colin Baker's run suffered from Eric Seward and not enough time for their concept of his Doctor to mellow out and become you know, likeable. Hartnell is a little too gruff at times for me. McCoy I like the more I see of him. I don't think Eccleston spent enough time in the role to really make it his and Davison suffered from too much bad writing and John Nathan-Turner trying to update the show too much. Pertwee has grown on me, Troughton I just like as an actor a whole lot and think that what he did with the role was pretty interesting while the Tom Baker & David Tennant ranking could just as easily be flip-flopped depending on my mood. Anyway, long story short....Moffatt has some big shoes to fill when he casts Doctor number 11. Personally I could live with James Nesbitt but would really love to see Bill Nighy.

[Dark Knight]

I heard a rumor that in one of the upcoming 4 specials that McGann will return as the Doctor and it will be dealing with the Time War.
But then another rumor shot that one down.
I think that it would be cool though.

[HGervais]

Damn right it would be. Give me a six part Time War that starts out with McGann for the better part of the show and finishes with Eccleston having to sacrifice his own people.

I heard a rumor that in one of the upcoming 4 specials that McGann will return as the Doctor and it will be dealing with the Time War.
But then another rumor shot that one down.
I think that it would be cool though.

[the5thghostbuster]

No one asked but hey.....my choices for best Time Lord 10 through 1.....
10.Paul McGann
9.Colin Baker
8.William Hartnell
7.Sylvester McCoy
6.Christopher Eccleston
5.Peter Davison
4.Jon Pertwee
3.Patrick Troughton
2.Tom Baker
1.David Tennant

McGann simply didn't play the Doctor enough to warrant any higher...Colin Baker's run suffered from Eric Seward and not enough time for their concept of his Doctor to mellow out and become you know, likeable. Hartnell is a little too gruff at times for me. McCoy I like the more I see of him. I don't think Eccleston spent enough time in the role to really make it his and Davison suffered from too much bad writing and John Nathan-Turner trying to update the show too much. Pertwee has grown on me, Troughton I just like as an actor a whole lot and think that what he did with the role was pretty interesting while the Tom Baker & David Tennant ranking could just as easily be flip-flopped depending on my mood. Anyway, long story short....Moffatt has some big shoes to fill when he casts Doctor number 11. Personally I could live with James Nesbitt but would really love to see Bill Nighy.

Ah yes, the fav Doctor's list. My selections:

1: Sylvester McCoy
2: Christopher Eccleston
3: TIE - David Tennant / Patrick Troughton
4: Colin Baker
5: Peter Davison
6: William Hartnell
7: Tom Baker
8: Paul McGann
9: Jon Pertwee

[dhanarajesh1]

Nice collection of list

[Kenneth Morgan]

I thought Tennant did a fine job, balancing the humor and drama of the part with great success. I just had a problem with some of the material he had to work with. The "lonely, lovelorn Doctor" plotline was driven right into the ground, past the Earth's crust and into the mantle (like McCoy and the Cartmel "The Doctor Controls the Universe" theme). And "Love & Monsters" was close to "Spock's Brain" territory. Still, "School Reunion" more than makes up for it. He had a good run and 3-4 years tends to be the average.

As for the next Doctor, I just hope the next actor (or actress) they cast is selected based on acting ability rather than marquee value. The show has been very good about that, though, so I'm not too worried.

Side note: One good thing about the audio stories is that they've allowed past Doctors Davison, Colin Baker, McCoy and McGann to really expand on their characters in ways the TV series didn't offer. Actually, now McGann has more stories than Eccleston and Tennant combined.

[HGervais]

Side note: One good thing about the audio stories is that they've allowed past Doctors Davison, Colin Baker, McCoy and McGann to really expand on their characters in ways the TV series didn't offer. Actually, now McGann has more stories than Eccleston and Tennant combined.

Very true....hmmmmm.....maybe we will get those 10th Doctor/River Song adventures one day. Tennant hasn't exactly been shy of doing all things Doctor related....maybe he can be convinced to start working with Big Finish.

[the5thghostbuster]

Side note: One good thing about the audio stories is that they've allowed past Doctors Davison, Colin Baker, McCoy and McGann to really expand on their characters in ways the TV series didn't offer. Actually, now McGann has more stories than Eccleston and Tennant combined.

Very true....hmmmmm.....maybe we will get those 10th Doctor/River Song adventures one day. Tennant hasn't exactly been shy of doing all things Doctor related....maybe he can be convinced to start working with Big Finish.

The only problem is that the BBC has refused to give the licence for the new series to Big Finish, which is why they have not been able to make any reference to the new series (well, not directly) thus far. I hope for it to happen one day though, so as to hear the lost adventures of the Ninth Doctor

[Kenneth Morgan]

Side note: One good thing about the audio stories is that they've allowed past Doctors Davison, Colin Baker, McCoy and McGann to really expand on their characters in ways the TV series didn't offer. Actually, now McGann has more stories than Eccleston and Tennant combined.

Very true....hmmmmm.....maybe we will get those 10th Doctor/River Song adventures one day. Tennant hasn't exactly been shy of doing all things Doctor related....maybe he can be convinced to start working with Big Finish.

The only problem is that the BBC has refused to give the licence for the new series to Big Finish, which is why they have not been able to make any reference to the new series (well, not directly) thus far. I hope for it to happen one day though, so as to hear the lost adventures of the Ninth Doctor

It's a shame that this is a problem, particularly since, as I understand it, Eccleston would be interested in doing some audio stories.

Still, the fact that the possibility exists makes me glad the U.K. didn't let audio drama pass away like the U.S. did ("Star Wars" and "Unshackled", notwithstanding).

[HGervais]

An interesting insight to what might be Moffatt's thinking on casting Doctor 11 from Gallifrey One:

An article appearing in The Sun quotes comments incoming showrunner Steven Moffat made to Doctor Who Magazine in 1999, using them to suggest that the casting of the next Doctor could go to an older actor.

Moffat is quoted as saying: "Although I loved Peter Davison and Paul McGann, probably the best two actors in the role, I don’t think young, dashing Doctors are right at all.

"He should be 40-plus and weird-looking — the kind of wacky grandfather kids know on sight to be secretly one of them."

The article also speculates that the next lead actor will be well-known, quoting Moffat as having said: "Any actor with the ‘right stuff’ is unlikely to be a complete unknown."

David Tennant continues in the role of the Doctor through the 2009 television specials and a new Doctor will be introduced when Moffat takes the reins in 2010.

Bill Nighy please.

[Dark Knight]

I saw this in a talk back on aintitcool.com:

"Doctor Who will become Doctor Two this Christmas, when the Time Lord meets a future version of himself. Show creator Russell T Davies revealed: “The real heart of it is the beginning. The Doctor arrives, hears a damsel in distress, he steps forward to save her when this other man swings in, dashing, brilliant, amazing, clever, witty, saves the day. The Doctor says: ‘Who are you?’ The man says, ‘I’m the Doctor!’ The Doctor becomes his companion. There will be a beautiful woman too, of course, but really it’s the Doctor paired with a new Doctor". David Morrissey plays Time Lord No 2 in the festive episode called The Next Doctor. Russell added the next series of the hit BBC1 show would be sexier under new lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat. Russell, who is stepping aside, added: “Look at Steven — he’s a writer clearly driven by sex.”

So it's possible that this guy Morrissey could be the "Next Doctor", or this could maybe not. Some are speculating he will be. I'm thinking it's just for this special and is just a tease to make the fans, well, speculate.

[the5thghostbuster]

Side note: One good thing about the audio stories is that they've allowed past Doctors Davison, Colin Baker, McCoy and McGann to really expand on their characters in ways the TV series didn't offer. Actually, now McGann has more stories than Eccleston and Tennant combined.

Very true....hmmmmm.....maybe we will get those 10th Doctor/River Song adventures one day. Tennant hasn't exactly been shy of doing all things Doctor related....maybe he can be convinced to start working with Big Finish.

The only problem is that the BBC has refused to give the licence for the new series to Big Finish, which is why they have not been able to make any reference to the new series (well, not directly) thus far. I hope for it to happen one day though, so as to hear the lost adventures of the Ninth Doctor

It's a shame that this is a problem, particularly since, as I understand it, Eccleston would be interested in doing some audio stories.

Still, the fact that the possibility exists makes me glad the U.K. didn't let audio drama pass away like the U.S. did ("Star Wars" and "Unshackled", notwithstanding).

Agreed. And Stephen King claims that the audio play is dead

[HGervais]

Teaser trailer for the 2008 Christmas Special right here.

[Boba Fett]

Teaser trailer for the 2008 Christmas Special right here.

I have to agree with those two comments hoping for original Cybermen and not the alternate universe ones.

[HGervais]

The first two minutes or so of the 2008 Christmas Special, "The Next Doctor", right here.

[Dunnyman]

David Tennant continues in the role of the Doctor through the 2009 television specials and a new Doctor will be introduced when Moffat takes the reins in 2010.[/color]

Bill Nighy please.

OK, forgive a total newbie when it comes to Doctor Who (just finished episode 5 with Eccleston), but Bill Nighy would be ever so cool.
The likes: The ever-so-Britishness of the show, the outlandish plots (the end of the Earth, and it's a party?, Charles Dickens and the living dead?), the silly/serious switches, Billie Piper, the still very moderate budget (I understand the early shows were really done on the cheap), good TV doesn't have to cost millions.
The dis-likes: The music, cheesy synthesizers don't do it for me. The, uh, less than stellar acting from a few of the guests, which is sad because the guy who played Dickens was outstanding, but it seems like most of the bit players are pretty weak, like her mother. And finally, from what I understand Eccleston is only on board for four more episodes and he was done with the role? WTF? He seems really good in it, and his sense of humour seems perfect for it. I guess I'll have to see if the next guy is all that and a bag of crisps......
Now if I can find a place that rents the earlier ones, Scarecrow has some of it, but it's mostly VHS, and you have to put a deposit on OOP VHS.

[Steve T Power]

The first two minutes or so of the 2008 Christmas Special, "The Next Doctor", right here.

That was awesome.