David Tennant quits Who

David Tennant will step down as Doctor Who when he's completed filming on the four special episodes slated to hit the small screen in 2009-2010, the BBC has confirmed. Tennant will also appear in this year's Who Xmas special - entitled The Next Doctor - before handing over the keys to the Tardis to a new resident for Series 5 …

[Marc Lawrence]

David Who?

David Who?

He exits as Tennant of lost BBC corporation

The logo looks like REG should be relabled BBC

[Anonymous Coward]

Russell Brand for the next Doctor

With a male sidekick for a change... Who's free, oh yes, Ross.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That is all.

[Jay]

Bugger

Pity I was looking forward to the new series with Moffatt's writing and no sodding Catherine (Not Funny) Tate.

So now we get the long, drawn out saga of who is going to be the next Dr Who. Only rivaled by the same process for who will be the next James Bond.

[dervheid]

Well, I suppose recent 'events'...

have rather slimmed down Russell Brand's chances then!

[Martin Bjelk]

Hugh Laurie...

Would that be Dr Whouse, then?

The lab coat, please.

[Elmer Phud]

New Doctor

I reckon it should be Catherine Tate as the new Doctor.

If the technology is that far advanced then regeneration as a female should be a normal occurrence. Tate is now a seasoned Who character and there's no knowing what she and the Doc have got up to - or any assistant for that matter.

Nah, not Rose 'Because I Want To' Tyler, too obvious, too much pandering to the 'any female assistant has to be fuckable' lads mag commentators.

(yes, you do hear the sounds of goats and a 'ricketty-racketty bridge'. fodder for the Twat-O Tron folks)

[Iain]

Confused of Tunbridge Wells

David Tennant quits The Who, Robert Plant quits Eastenders, the BBC is proper going down the pan this time hell in a handbasket daily mail david cameron?

[Lloyd]

Arse

But at least Tate is never going to darken the Tardis door again and Moffat's directing/producing, as long as they get someone halfway decent I don't have a problem.

[Pat]

Who's Who?

Felicity Kendal for the new doctor! That's what I heard.

[Anonymous Coward]

The Next Doctor

Yep, another vote for Johnnie Walker and Sally Traffic here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Someone short.

I mean really short. Imagine a running joke of the Doctor getting in trouble cos he can't reach a high shelf. That way he'll keep getting caught.

[caffeine addict]

Not a Dr Who fan, but...

I thought there was some rule that Dr Who could only regenerate 9 times. Doesn't that make Tennant the last Who ever? So we'll have some awful twin brother stepping out of the shower to find it was all a dream in an alternate reality scenario, yes?

[Blitheringeejit]

Who's next?

Can they afford Maggie Smith?

Or if it has to be a bloke, how about Benjamin Zephania?

Sarah Jane, for my lost youth...

[Anonymous Coward]

Any votes for..........

Ralph Fiennes - make a top Dr who.

[Mark York]

caffeine addict

Time lords have 13 lives, from 12 regenerations.

Flame due to the firey phoenix style of regenerations from the new series.

[Neil Greatorex]

My money is on

Rupert whatshisface from Spooks :-)

[Anonymous Coward]

The rumour mill has spoken

Lots of people are speculating Patterson Joseph.

He can clearly do it, check the Neverwhere videos on Youtube for proof.

[Michael Chester]

@caffeine addict

Time lords have 12 regenerations, however there is precedent for them getting more (the master in the old series, and umm.... the master in the latest series). Plus we still have his daughter out there somewhere if they do eventually run out (possibly kill her off and have her regenerate into someone who would be less annnoyign as a main character)

Paris for the next Doctor!

[Dark Horse]

Dr Who's daughter?

Oooh.. what about the lass from the episode where she was Dr Who's daughter? Can she take over the reigns? I'd enjoy that!

[Anonymous Coward]

@Mark York

Unless plot dictates otherwise (see... well, just about any story with the Master in it).

If they're choosing new actors for the roll, how about Tom Baker, the voiceover guy off Little Britain? Good voice, and I've got a feeling that he'd make a good Doctor.

[Keith Glass]

Here's a concept:

Combine two great British Traditions: Doctor Who, and the Page 3 girl. Of course, the Sonic Screwdriver will now need attachments. . .

[Sarah Bee]

Re: Dr Who's daughter?

Reins. REINS. You'd think someone called Dark Horse would know. Tsk.

Laurence Fox. Or Tobias whassisface, you know, he was in Rome.

[Anonymous John]

How about Alex Kingston?

Her appearance in the last series left a lot of loose ends.

[drunk.smile]

I like the suggestion of Paterson Joseph

Although only because I have nostalgia for his role in Neverwhere (Great tv show).

I sadly fear that Russel T Davies will have a hand in the end of Tennants doctor so it's likely that 'the Doctor's Daughter' will come in and fill the role when this current doctor dies. (Kinda like Saw II - yep shite).

My vote still stands as it did last time with Eddie Izzard for doctor.

[Matt Underwood]

Thank god for that.

Well, since they've already trashed the Doctor Who brand, taking it from Cult Sci-fi and making it a Saturday night family special with 2 comedy guests per episode (oh, look the bad guy this week is Ainsley Harriot mummy), why not go the whole hog and have a guest Doctor each week too.

You could get the current load of easily pleased 'Who fans creaming by engineering ridiculous plots where Billy Piper is the doctor for a bit, and Tennant comes back as a space alien Santa for a christmas special.

[William Towle]

Re: caffeine addict

caffeine addict> "I thought there was some rule that Dr Who could only regenerate 9 times. Doesn't that make Tennant the last Who ever?"

Mark York> "Time lords have 13 lives, from 12 regenerations."

...and in "The Deadly Assassin", the Master reaches this last life - yet he's been hanging about in various incarnations ever since. Even in the Canon nothing is written in stone, it would seem.

I can only suggest "watch this space".

[Sam]

Don't be too sure

..About Tate coming back, and she wasn't as bad as I thought she was going to be.

She kept saying "I'm Donna Noble, I'm a temp."

Donna=Lady

Temp=Time

Noble=Lord

The anorak, ta.

[Anonymous Coward]

Replacement

How about Marc Warren, he'd be great as the new Who

[Anonymous Coward]

@The Master's later incarnations

I don't think that mind-raping people and stealing their bodies is really the Doctor's style. Although it does provide canon evidence of how the regeneration limit can be bypassed.

[Anonymous Coward]

re: how about Benjamin Zephania?

Now that would be a fine choice.

[Why]

Thank god for that.

Finally.

enough said.

[Anonymous Coward]

Paterson Joseph

I hope it's not Paterson, given the total lack of subtlety the show has shown when dealing with gay characters (look everyone, here's another gay character, aren't we progressive!) I suspect we'll be hit over the head every week as the writers attempt to prove how politically correct they all are.

[ShaggyDoggy]

The return of

Can we please have TOM BAKER back

Thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

who cares who's who

Just DON'T LET RTD WRITE THE REGENERATION EPISODE!

[Keiron]

And the next doctor is...

Russell Brand, thats why all this fuss has been kicked up just prior to the current doc saying hes stepping down, its true i tell ya, its all true, says so on t'interweb!

[James Hughes]

Cult SciFi?

>>>Well, since they've already trashed the Doctor Who brand, taking it from Cult Sci-fi and making it a Saturday night family special with 2 comedy guests per episode (oh, look the bad guy this week

is Ainsley Harriot mummy), why not go the whole hog and have a guest Doctor each week too.

<<

Er, If I remember my yoof correctly, it started out as a 'Saturday night family special' - cannot comment on comedy guests, too busy hiding behind the sofa.

[Tom]

The Doctor's lives

Yes, it is 13 lives from 3 regenerations. But the Beeb has also written themselves into a corner from when they were desperately trying whatever it took to kill the original series. In the Colin Baker episode/season Trial of a Time Lord, they established that the 13th Doctor was evil. So if they stick to the established regenerations/time lord timeline elements, they don't have many regens left.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Political Correctness

See, this is why I hope it is Patterson. Not only is he black and thus able to shut up the PC brigade, but he is actually able to do the role justice.

Don't worry, we won't be getting the gay of the week theme anymore, RTD is leaving.

[Dogbyte]

Ricky Tomlinson

"Daleks my arse!"

(Though Eddie Izzard would be good too)

[Andrew Cooper]

The Master's return

> Even in the Canon nothing is written in stone

Doesn't he mentions something wishy-washy-vague about how "the timelords resurected him to fight in the Time War" and about how they thought he'd be "the perfect soldier"?

That turned out well, didn't it?

[Peter]

Can we have...

...Eddie Izzard.

Could be a good transition to a female Doctor!

[Mal Franks]

Ben Miller or Alexander Armstrong

As they seems to be in everything else these days

[Paul Lee]

A new era, thank God

Now with Tennant and Davies going, we will at last hopefully NOT have important plot explanations delivered at break-neck speed and buried in techno babble. The otherwise high production values and glitzy eye candy may keep the kiddies happy but this DOES not make for good TV. Oh, and get rid of that bleedin' sonic screwdriver. It seems everytime the Doc is in trouble, he whips it out (ooer etc.) and manages to fill a plot hole, or escape from a situation in seconds. Terrible writing.

[Anonymous John]

I liked today's Matt cartoon.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/

[Eddie Edwards]

Oh noes

Tennant *was* the doctor, in the same way that Baker *was* the doctor.

The next one will be the Peter Davison of our era.

So he should clearly be taken from a popular prime-time series about vets.

Is there one?

[Graham Cluley]

After all, that's how it all started...

It's time to go back to basics with Doctor Who.

When the show started in 1963 it starred a doddery old white-haired man and his granddaughter as his assistant.

Andrew Sachs, anyone?

[Stevie]

New Doctor

Good. I was getting tired of Tennant's "Black Sabbaff" school of acting - if the dialogue's naff, turn up the volume at which you deliver it.

Can we have a companion wot don't drop er haiches annorl? S'gerrin old.

[Anonymous Coward]

Mandelson?

He'll probably need a new job in a few weeks.

[Joe M]

They should shut the whole thing down!

I loved Dr Who ever since episode one, which I got to see sometime in the mid sixties. But even a timelord must eventually die and I think this is as good a time for the funeral as any.

The thing is now a total bore! It's basically just a collection of pointless PC vignettes glued together with some breathless special effects and a cacophonous soundtrack which is designed to blow even a Sontaran's impervious brain to smithereens. There is no attempt at acting. The characters just scream at each other hysterically and the good Doctor spends most of his time pulling funny faces and running around aimlessly.

Vale the Doctor. I will miss him greatly.

Disclaimer: These comments are only valid when read by a Terran. (I don't particularly feel like being blasted into a time vortex!)

[Joseph Harris]

Thanks for screwing up next season

I don't blame him for leaving. I do blame him for delaying next season AND THEN LEAVING.

[Blitheringeejit]

You can't have Eddie Izzard...

...I've already bagsied him to replace Humprey Littleton as chair of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

[Pat]

show us yer cities? Paris & Vegas

This cast list might challenge the writers and bring in some new viewers:

New Doctor = Johnny Vegas

Assistant = Paris Hilton

Sonic Screwdriver = Rabbit vibrator

Maybe it could be like 'Have I Got a Bit More News for You', and have an extended repeat to include the less subtle rude bits? I'd probably watch that (at least more than I can watch the RTD stuff, trying to remember where the plot had been taken from).

[PaddyR]

a new who

Chuck Norris

Bill Bailey

Rab C Nesbitt

George Bush

Alan Hanson

Osama Bin Laden

Gary Glitter

[Frank Bough]

My Votes

(not that I can stand the current Dr Who)

1. Bill Bailey

2. Hugh Laurie

3. Stephen Fry

5. Richard E Grant

I think any one of those would fit the role nicely. I absolutely HATE the way Tennant plays it, but Ecclestone was good.

[steve]

Another self proclaimed "Star"

What a git! Why is it every time someone becomes the Doctor after one season they think this fame will translate into great movie deals and more fame and fortune? Can't these sods see that they lucked into the best job on BBC (and on TV in general in my opinion) and just be happy that they get however many years they are able to play this character? How long would Star Trek series last if the actor playing the captain changed every season or two?

David Tennant.... I didn't like you at first but your version of the Doctor grew on me after a while. I hope you fall on sharp spikes and spend your retirement doing hemorrhoid commercials.

Maybe the next "Doctor" will have a clear head on his shoulders and be satisfied with "just" being a TV actor on a great show.

Oh, or maybe your career will just go through the roof like... oh ... I don't know... Christopher Eccleston. After he left Dr. Who he go to "guest star" on Heroes and now is playing a part on G.I. Joe... wow... didn't leaving the show help his career? ROFL GIT!

[Anonymous Coward]

James Nesbit

A favourite of Moffat's, and was previously hinted at as a candidate for the next doctor back when Tennant died (sadly he then came back, thanks to a crap twist :p).

[Dave Bell]

Fingers crossed...

There have been times, over the history of the series, when some pretty stupid things were done. A hard limit on regenerations was one of the dumbest. It may have made for one good story, but the idea of a regeneration not going right would have been enough to drive that story.

RTD gave us the idea of the Time War, with hints that it would have made the Doctor's memories of his own past inherently unreliable. We can't trust canon. But I don't think he can be subtle.

And the end of Donna as a Companion was something that could have filled a Special. It was something that could have been strong drama, without spoiling the adventure. And RTD just threw it away in a few minutes at the end of an episode.

I am not looking forward to how he handles this looming change.

[vincent himpe]

ozzie

i want ozzie osbourne as doctor. Now that would be fun !

[Tea-800]

Hmm...

Personally, I'd go for Alan Davies, but that's just me.

[Angus]

Whew

Well thank god Tennant is going. The last series with him and Ms Tate was bloody horrible. I saw only one and a bit full episode.. the one where he starts to regenerate. Oh how I cheered when he started to regenerate. Oh how I swore when he regenerated into the same idiotic, gabbling git.

Eccleston you bastard why did you have to leave!

[Anonymous Coward]

Well

Who gives a monkeys? After John Pertwee fell on a power pylon and transformed into Worzel Gummidge I stopped watching.

I was going to say Prescott but even the Tardis ain't big enough.

[Steven Knox]

Based on the quality of the new series...

<- You might as well go whole hog.

[Justin]

My picks

1) Sean Connery with Keira Knightley as assistant/granddaughter

2) Patricia Routledge

3) Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) with Rhona Mitra as sidekick

4) Lena Headey with Kate Beckinsale as sidekick

5) The Kumars (pick one as the doctor, the rest as sidekicks!)

6) Rowan Atkinson with Dylan Moran as sidekick

[Anonymous Coward]

Enormous and Spectacular?

Ooh? Will it be blindingly original like all the other Enormous and Spectacular endings and have Daleks shooting things again???

[Matt]

@Graham Cluley

I concur.

Presumably then Brand and Woss, sorry Ross, then be brought in to play the villains? Their preferred method of attack being answer phone based shenanigans.

[Cap'n wotsit]

Next Doctor

I'd do it. got nothing special on at the moment, and I can probably fit the job in in between work and pub. but I would require cart blanche on choosing my assistant and her wardrobe choices

[Mike]

A title is required... Lord? Sir?

>The next one will be the Peter Davison of our era.

>So he should clearly be taken from a popular prime-time series about vets.

>Is there one?

Animal Hospital? So that would suggest Rolf Harris as the next Doctor...

"Have you guessed what it is yet?"

Alien because, well, its sci-fi...

[Adrian Simmons]

Re: James Nesbit

You must be kidding. You can't get a more annoying shouty actor so if you think Tennant is bad at doing that wait and see how bad it'll get if that happens.