# Who do you want the 12th Doctor to be?



## Thief Noctis (Jan 6, 2012)

I'm not fussed really. I don't want it to be an exceptionally old actor, but there's no reason it needs to be an exceptionally young one either. I'd say anyone in the range of 30-45 would be pretty good. They always go with unknown British actors, so that's something to look forward to. I really can't imagine it's going to be someone many people know, so there's not much point in trying to guess. You'd have been hard pressed to find someone who knew about Matt Smith before he became the Doctor.
While I'd love Bennybatch as the new one, he's too well-known and it'd be odd seeing him in a popular TV show that isn't Sherlock.

I'm glad Matt's had a good run though. While David is still my favourite, Matt is a very close second (especially because my Nan knows his Mum; Matt wrote a Birthday card for me sighed both Matt AND the Doctor with kisses, it made my Birthday amazing).

On a side note, if there's one thing I _definitely_ do not want, it's a female doctor. If the series had started with a female Doctor, fine. But having been male all this time, I don't want it changed.


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

Peter Capaldi.






A HUGE relief. An older Doctor again - and the same age as Hartnell when he began.


----------



## Bewilderebeest (Jun 22, 2013)

Epic Fail.

I hope they can win me over but I secretly hope Capaldi is a red herring.


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

Bewilderebeest said:


> Epic Fail.
> 
> I hope they can win me over but I secretly hope Capaldi is a red herring.


It would be an exciting departure for the show! They've talked about making the Doctor a woman. But a fish... And yet it could work. After all, if they want to bring back the idea of the old man who's forgotten how to pilot the ship - what better way than making him a creature with a 3 second memory? Brilliant way of getting rid of the continuity baggage too. ('What are those monsters, Doctor?' 'Those are the... Mmm: fish flakes!')

But it's unlikely, somehow.


This is a red herring:









This is Peter Capaldi:










Notice any difference? Although here's a fish man from 1960s Doctor Who:


----------



## Lemmy Caution (Jun 12, 2010)

Didn't Peter Capaldi also appear in Torchwood? I think it was in season 3.

He's a good actor, I think he'll do fine as the new Doctor.


----------



## shifty (Aug 4, 2013)

Lemmy Caution said:


> Didn't Peter Capaldi also appear in Torchwood? I think it was in season 3.


Yes. He was John Frobisher in all five episodes of Children Of Earth. His character ended up shooting his wife and daughters, before shooting himself.


----------



## Bewilderebeest (Jun 22, 2013)

Cosmic Hobo said:


> It would be an exciting departure for the show! They've talked about making the Doctor a woman. But a fish... And yet it could work. After all, if they want to bring back the idea of the old man who's forgotten how to pilot the ship - what better way than making him a creature with a 3 second memory? Brilliant way of getting rid of the continuity baggage too. ('What are those monsters, Doctor?' 'Those are the... Mmm: fish flakes!')
> 
> But it's unlikely, somehow.



Um, no. _This_ is a red herring:

Red Herring: (noun) something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand; a misleading clue.


In other words I'm saying that I hope they have just put Capaldi's name out there as misdirection.


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

Bewilderebeest said:


> Um, no. _This_ is a red herring:
> 
> Red Herring: (noun) something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand; a misleading clue.
> 
> ...


Yes, I do know what a red herring is. (I even know what Five Red Herrings is.) 
But let's not rise to the bait.
To get back to the matter in hand (our sole concern): you think there's something fishy about Capaldi?


----------



## Bewilderebeest (Jun 22, 2013)

Well, I bite, just for the halibut mind you.

I was hoping for a younger (looking perhaps) actor than Matt Smith because imo it only makes sense that as a Time Lord grows chronologically older his appearance would get younger (with each regeneration). I think if the show hadn't had that giant hiccup after Sylvester McCoy we would have seen that progression. In fact they were keeping to that line fairly well up until this new announcement.

Proceed to put my head on a pike now.


----------



## shifty (Aug 4, 2013)

Cosmic Hobo said:


> Yes, I do know what a red herring is. (I even know what Five Red Herrings is.)
> But let's not rise to the bait.
> To get back to the matter in hand (our sole concern): you think there's something fishy about Capaldi?


Matt Smith viewed The Tomb Of The Cybermen and was enthused by the Mighty Trout.


----------



## shifty (Aug 4, 2013)

Bewilderebeest said:


> Well, I bite, just for the halibut mind you.
> 
> I was hoping for a younger (looking perhaps) actor than Matt Smith because imo it only makes sense that as a Time Lord grows chronologically older his appearance would get younger (with each regeneration). I think if the show hadn't had that giant hiccup after Sylvester McCoy we would have seen that progression. In fact they were keeping to that line fairly well up until this new announcement.
> 
> Proceed to put my head on a pike now.


Steven Moffat was thinking of an older Doctor before (he discussed it in Doctor Who Magazine before he was showrunner) but Matt Smith nailed it in his audition...but Jon Pertwee was older than Patrick Troughton.


----------



## Bewilderebeest (Jun 22, 2013)

Once again, appearance, not chronological.


----------



## MatchaBlizzard (Sep 20, 2011)

The new doctor is usually someone relatively unknown when they take the role (exceptions being 2, 9, and maybe 5 & 10). I like that.
I prefer it to be someone who can step into the character freshly without the baggage of being that-guy-who-was-in-that-thing.


----------



## shifty (Aug 4, 2013)

MatchaBlizzard said:


> The new doctor is usually someone relatively unknown when they take the role (exceptions being 2, 9, and maybe 5 & 10). I like that.
> I prefer it to be someone who can step into the character freshly without the baggage of being that-guy-who-was-in-that-thing.


Troughton was able to hop from part to part and seem different in different things.



Thief Noctis said:


> They always go with unknown British actors,


...but Peter Davison and David Tennant were already leads on popular shows and Tennant had already done several Doctor Who and Doctor Who-related audio dramas...and had recently played Casanova for Russell T Davies. 

Jon Pertwee was a lead on The Navy Lark from 1959-1977 and familiar from film/tv/radio and known for his vocal characterisations.

Patrick Troughton was an Olivier-trained actor and had had an extremely lengthy and prolific CV in tv/radio/theatre/film spanning around 20 years before Doctor Who that included TV lead roles (Paul Of Tarsus/Robin Hood/The Old Curiosity Shop), film work with Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee... and guesting on lots of popular TV shows like The Adventures Of Robin Hood (multiple times within a matter of weeks as different characters), Danger Man (twice) and The Saint (twice). 

Hartnell starred in the very first Carry On movie and was remembered from a film he did with Richard Harris. 

Colin Baker had been familiar as Paul Merroney (the man they loved to hate) on the very very popular BBC show: The Brothers and other tv roles. 

Sylvester McCoy had been a regular on Vision On, Eureka! and Jigsaw. 

Christopher Eccleston had had multiple lead roles and David Tennant challenged him in the film, Jude.




Bewilderebeest said:


> Once again, appearance, not chronological.


Oh, I think 2 seems and looks much younger than 3.


----------



## The Wanderering ______ (Jul 17, 2012)

Robert Downey Jr.


----------



## Thief Noctis (Jan 6, 2012)

shifty said:


> ...but Peter Davison and David Tennant were already leads on popular shows and Tennant had already done several Doctor Who and Doctor Who-related audio dramas...and had recently played Casanova for Russell T Davies. Jon Pertwee was a lead on The Navy Lark from 1959-1977 and familiar from film/tv/radio and known for his vocal characterisations. Patrick Troughton was an Olivier-trained actor and had had an extremely lengthy and prolific CV in tv/radio/theatre/film spanning around 20 years before Doctor Who that included TV lead roles (Paul Of Tarsus/Robin Hood/The Old Curiosity Shop), film work with Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee... and guesting on lots of popular TV shows like The Adventures Of Robin Hood (multiple times within a matter of weeks as different characters), Danger Man (twice) and The Saint (twice). Hartnell starred in the very first Carry On movie and was remembered from a film he did with Richard Harris. Colin Baker had been familiar as Paul Merroney (the man they loved to hate) on the very very popular BBC show: The Brothers and other tv roles. Sylvester McCoy had been a regular on Vision On, Eureka! and Jigsaw. Christopher Eccleston had had multiple lead roles and David Tennant challenged him in the film, Jude.


I've unfortunately never seen Classic Who so I wasn't referring to those Doctors. As for David Tennant, I'd never even heard his name before he became 10. I can't read that huge block of text without zoning out, but you've made your point. I'm only 17 so I wasn't around when all those things aired, therefore would be unlikely to know about them.
I'd never heard of any of the Classic Doctors before I got in DW either, though, regardless of what things they used to be in. Only thing I know in that whole post is the last sentence haha.


----------



## Bewilderebeest (Jun 22, 2013)

shifty said:


> Oh, I think 2 seems and looks much younger than 3.


Opinions differ. :wink:


----------



## shifty (Aug 4, 2013)

Thief Noctis said:


> I've unfortunately never seen Classic Who so I wasn't referring to those Doctors. As for David Tennant, I'd never even heard his name before he became 10. I can't read that huge block of text without zoning out, but you've made your point. I'm only 17 so I wasn't around when all those things aired, therefore would be unlikely to know about them.


There are clips of David Tennant with Doctors 7 and 6, found by entering "Doctor Who Colditz" or "Doctor Who Medicinal Purposes" on youtube.


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

shifty said:


> Matt Smith viewed The Tomb Of The Cybermen and was enthused by the Mighty Trout.


I wonder what he'd make of Fury from the Deep. If only the BBC hadn't wiped it. Ecod! But let's not carp or be crabby. We can still watch The Mind Robber - written by a ling.

(We're having a whale of a time here, folks!)


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

shifty said:


> Troughton was able to hop from part to part and seem different in different things.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Tom Baker said:
"It’s always struck me that, when you’re replacing big heroes, it’s important to… well, obviously it’s important to get someone who’s good at it, but also to get somebody who’s unknown. Otherwise it just gets in the way, doesn’t it? I mean, I’d been in the theatre a bit, but I was completely unknown.” (Tom Baker official website - Dr Who - Doctor Who Magazine Interviews - Doctor Who Magazine 411 July 2009 Interview)

Traditionally, the Doctor is a part for (slightly mad) character actors, not traditional leading men.

A lot of them were respected but not famous (faces that the audience might recognise, but not Big Name Actors): Hartnell (mostly supporting roles), Troughton (in a weird way, everywhere but nowhere - a chameleon, seldom playing the same sort of part), Colin Baker (The Brothers was 7 or 8 years before he played the Doctor), McGann, Matt Smith (up & coming).

Tom Baker was fairly unknown, & thought of himself as "a good company man who would play good supporting character parts", had done film & stage work, & was unemployed & working on a building site. McCoy had done some TV work, lots of comic acting & experimental theatre, but wasn't well known before playing the Doctor.

Pertwee was a very well-known comic actor (but played against expectations by doing it straight). Davison was a household name. Christopher Eccleston had an international career, but not a household name in the same way as e.g., Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes, or Liam Neeson. 

In fact, arguably the only "star" Doctor is David Tennant.


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

Originally Posted by *shifty* 
_Oh, I think 2 seems and looks much younger than 3.
_


Bewilderebeest said:


> Opinions differ. :wink:


Well, 2's more of a giddy schoolboy - a seemingly younger at heart Doctor, an anti-Establishment figure - hiding aeons of knowledge & a dark side not really seen until McCoy. 3 is more serious, looks older - & increasingly looks like Margaret Rutherford.


----------

