WHO WILL BE THE NEXT WHO?

[LARF]

Cheers Lisa we aim to please.

I think Who would be very interesting if the Doctor changed every series:

1. It would keep the concept fresh.
2. You could have major hype about who's going to be the next doctor
3. Merchandising could be revitalised each season, thus maintaining revenue from external sources, and ultimately better special effects and no dodgy photoshopped doctors :-)

[thinky]

David Tennant was fantastic in the very-recent-but-on-BBC Casanova... although a geeky looking sort, my wife admitted to having 'funny feelings' about him

anyway, that's not the point - he was excellent and has that touch of madness that suits the who role

btw, i reckon it would be tops to have a different actor every series, rounding it off with an Xmas special leaving everyone thinking "how will it happen this time?"

thinky

[Richmond Clements]

Do you think if instead of filming 13 episodes in a row like this series he would of been more likly to stay longer if they did 2 to 3 parters that were staggered so that he could go out and do other roles?

Just what I was thinking. Do it in a more Jonathan Creek style of maybe three or four big shows a season.

[The Amstor Computer]

Nah, sorry - count me out of the one-season Who.

Part of the appeal of Doctor Who - for me at least - is the different interpretation each new actor brings to the role of The Doctor, but I think changing him every single season would wear very thin, very quickly.

I'm not necessarily looking for an actor to hold the role as long as someone like Tom Baker, but I think a 3-5 season run would be a nice average length. Shorter runs - like Eccleston - would be cool, as would longer ones - like Baker - but I think going for a yearly switchabout would be a big mistake.

Lisa's point about actors being professionals with other commitments is a good one, but I think it's also worth noting the number of actors who happily take on genre roles for season after season - it's perhaps not always realistic to expect any actor to tie themselves to a single role for several years, but it's certainly not unheard of & I don't blame people for expecting more and being a little upset, especially after what seems to be a cracking performance so far.

Anyway, onto the real discussion:

No Izzard!
No Richard E Grant!
No to David Tennant! (good actor, but I don't think he'd be right for the role - and I'd like a Doctor who didn't look younger than me!)

Baffled as to Who I would choose, as I was pretty bowled over by Eccleston and at the moment I'm not sure who could take over from him...

[Leigh S]

The typecast thing - were Dr Who actors really typecast?

Hartnell - too ill to do any more

Troughton - did a few things - nothing Who sized, but how often do Who sized parts come along?

Pertwee - went on to do Wurzel Gummidge (for which hes just as well known), and more importantly, Whodunnit!

Baker - Ok, he typecast himself by doing it for 7 years and actually being the Doctor

Davison -a rich and varied career post Dr Who

C Baker - a lot of theatre - I cant see what else he would have done anyway, Who or not

McCoy - least said the better

If Ecclestone had done another series, he'd have been able to walk away quite easily and do a Davison at the very least, having proven he could do more than sour.  Leaving early has more potential pitfalls than doing another seires I would have thought... unless he has something really irresistable in the wings - it will be interesting to see what his next project is (miserable northerner?)

I sometimes suspect that typecast is often used as an excuse for "not having as big a success as previously"

The worst part of him leaving is seeing REG, Nighy, Atkinson, Davies  and other horrors looming on the horizon again...

[Richmond Clements]

Fourthly (and to make the points above even clearer as an actor myself) having 10 months of your acting proffession dedicated soley to playing one role seriously hinders any other interesting job oppurtunities that may come along( Think about it.You work playing the same role for 10 months of the year. What oppurtunity are you going to get to play anything else? Even a 4 week theatre run in the proverbs takes 3 months out of your acting life!)

Mmmmmm. Yeah, part of me sees what you're saying here. But another part says: so what? Most of us have been working in the same job for years, and not because we want to, but because there's no other choice. I'd love to be able to quit a job after only 10 months if I was getting bored with it.
And the 'typecasting' thing doesn't really wasj with me either. Thinking of George Clooney or Bruce Willis for example; two television actors with highly sucsessful series and recognisable characters behind them, and they have managed to avoid it.

[The Amstor Computer]

"This may mean he'll stick it out for two seasons, but to be perfectly honest I cant see any decent actor worth their salt staying for more"

Sorry - had to pick this one up... several bloody good actors have already played The Doctor for a lot more than two seasons. A longer commitment to a genre show doesn't necessarily mean that an actor is worth less than someone who moves from one thing to another - and vice versa, of course.

[Quirkafleeg]

Well look on the bright side... at least this gives a chance for Hasslehoff and the rapping Tardis again!

[Mike Carroll]

Arrgh! Eccles is leaving?! Well, I guess I don't blame him. I mean, it took him YEARS to get past being typecast as a character from The Goon Show.

So who should take over? Well, I think that Judge Dredd would make a great Doctor Who!

Er... No, wait a minute... I think I'm getting my forum debates mixed up here!

According to my missus, the ideal candidate for Doctor Who is Anthony Stewart Head. But that's mostly because she fancies him.

My own prefered choice is Richard Coyle (Jeff in Coupling, and Strange in Strange).

-- Mike C

[IndigoPrime]

:: I think Who would be very interesting if the
:: Doctor changed every series:

I actually think that could work well conceptually, too, and reckon it'd help keep the series fresh and interesting. That said, I just finally watched the first show, and Eccleston was surprisingly good, so it'll be sad to see him go.