New Doctor Who assistant announced

[Richmond Clements]

That's why he's the mayor!

[dweezil2]

I met this fanatical Who fan once, he was an absolute deranged   nutter! He stalked the actress Sophie Aldridge(Ace)and she had to put a restraining order out on him apparently. And woebetide any who'd dare to criticise Sylvester McCoy's excruciating run.
Extreme fandom is a really frightening place.

[Peter Wolf]

I/we only have to start talking about OG and it announces its closure.

A bit like a kiss of death.

It might be worth trying this again with something different.......

 

[The Legendary Shark]

I/we only have to start talking about OG and it announces its closure.

A bit like a kiss of death.

It might be worth trying this again with something different.......

 

The Tax Office?

[Peter Wolf]

I/we only have to start talking about OG and it announces its closure.

A bit like a kiss of death.

It might be worth trying this again with something different.......

 

The Tax Office?

They arent top of my list just now unfortunately as i am busy with various other organisations and individuals.

[Sefton Disney]

Scooby Doo And The Samurai Sword sounds pretty cool...

When I heard the new companion was a redhead, I got quite excited - I thought they might have brought Leela back.

But, alas, she looks like another non-threatening teenager who can uncritically idolize the Doctor and fall in mawkish puppy-love with him.

Given my well-documented fondness for red hair and Scottish accents, I should be looking forward to this much more than I am, but... well, I'll probably give the next series a go because Steven Moffat has written some good stuff (sorry, Spooky, I quite liked Silence In The Library) but I don't hold out too much hope, especially since they've decided the Doctor is a member of My Chemical Romance.

BTW, I think it's perfectly acceptable to form a provisional judgement of a TV show or film based upon its appearance. After all, the appearence is a physical manifestation of the approach the show might take.

Given the incestuous nature of NuWho casting, I was quite surprised Alan Davies didn't get the job. I think he might have been good.

Was Bill Nighy ever a serious contender, or just a fan suggestion? He could have been wonderful!

The Doctor has to be an older man, IMO. It's what gives him the air of well-worn authority that makes the character work. And before Tennant, how many Doctors were especially young-looking?

I loved the ending of Family Of Blood for exactly the reason mentioned above. It gave the Doctor an air of chilling authority and power without betraying the character. And I love, love, love the idea of the Doctor being soundly beaten and having to live with the (sometimes very bloody) consequences of his actions. That would return Doctor Who to the level of drama, rather than CBBC pantomime (which is what RTD has steadily turned it into).

[Richmond Clements]

But, alas, she looks like another non-threatening teenager who can uncritically idolize the Doctor and fall in mawkish puppy-love with him.

Come on now! Let's be sensible about this.
We know nothing about her! How can you possibly extrapolate this- or anything at all- form one publicity photo?

[Sefton Disney]

I'm not extrapolating from a single publicity photo.

I'm inferring it from all that has gone before, mostly the way RTD has made a complete mess of Doctor Who.

At least, I think I'm inferring it. I have a lot of trouble with all that deduction/induction business. I've only got a Philosophy degree, give me a break!  

[DavidXBrunt]

How did you feel about Sally Sparrow though? Or Madame De Pompadour? River Song?

[Sefton Disney]

Someone like River Song - an older woman, independent and the Doctor's intellectual equal - is very much the kind of companion I would like to see.

Although I am hugely biased, since I have a massive crush on Alex Kingston, ever since I saw her in Moll Flanders!

[TordelBack]

Mmmmm... Madame De Pompadour.  There's one mantelpiece I wouldn't mind looking at.

[Paul faplad Finch]

How did you feel about Sally Sparrow though? Or Madame De Pompadour? River Song?

All great characters and all testaments to Moffets gift for creating memorable characters every time out. Amongst the many reasons I got excited when Moffets appointment was announced was that I immediately jumped on Sally Sparrow as a possible companion. I realised quite quickly of course that it was highly unlikely to happen but it was a nice little daydream for five minutes.

One thing I hope we do get from Moffet though is the long overdue explanation of Jacks lost memories. Someone said, I think it was Chris Chibnell, in an interview that Torchwood wouldn't touch it because "that's Stevens story to tell." Well, there'll never be a better time.

[Sefton Disney]

It took me a while to remember who Sally Sparrow was but, once I did, I agreed with faplad.

One of the points I was trying to make with my original post was that, if you look back over the history of Doctor Who, there's been a pretty wide range of companions - male and female, younger and older - and some who really didn't want to be there at all. They might not all have worked, but they weren't just hero-worshipping dollybirds. Given RTD's mouth about making Who inclusive and representative - especially his rather snide comments about Primeval being "too white" - I think it's pretty shoddy that NuWho hasn't given much space to older characters (other than cute old grandads) or characters like Romana and River Song, older women who are very much the Doctor's intellectual equals.

I also have very real problems with what I refer to as the "hero-worship" of the Doctor. IMO, it completely cuts against the original conception of the character. Sure, he's a savant, he stands up for the underdog and saves the day, but my memory was always that the Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker Doctors always rejected any kind of hero-worship and always reminded the people they helped that it was their fight and their sacrifice. Given what I perceive to be the anarchic, anti-authoritarian, humanist slant of the older shows, I find the transformation of the Doctor into some kind of Messiah figure really hard to swallow. Almost offensive, on occasions.

And I think the Doctor has to be played by an older actor, simply to give the right feeling of weight and experience to the character. (I realise it doesn't really make much logical sense to regenerate to "middle age", but I think it's a vital dramatic device.)

Having said that, Steven Moffat has written some excellent stuff, so I will give the next series a chance.

Here endeth the lesson. Selah! Sorry the posting's a bit long, but I really wanted to make myself clear.

[Proudhuff]

well said Sefton! you articulate excactly how I feel about the whole slide into CBBCland and the media obsession with youth. Diversity only seems to apply if your young and pretty.

PS my theory is that the Dr will get younger and younger until the 'final regen'  where he will be reborn and then start getting older again  

[The Monarch]

spoiler alert....spoiler alert [spoiler:3pw8nweg]holy plot device of rassilon batman!!!![/spoiler:3pw8nweg]

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