Doctor Who, Series 5 and Specials.

[Meds]

Nice choice Chris. Outside contender could be Robert Carlyle, he'd make a good dark Doctor but wether he would commit to three series is the question. I as i said above would like Richard Coyle, or go back to the stories of the 8th Doctor with Paul McGann. His big finish stories have been brilliant and his Doctor is very charismatic. We'd then get to see The Time War.

[Rico]

I'm going to really miss David in the role. He was just perfect for me. Can't wait to see those last specials with him. Hopefully they'll give him a grand exit.

Oh, I like your idea too Chris of Kevin McKidd. He could be a more action/physical type Doctor.

[lostrekkie]

From latimes.com

David Tennant quits 'Doctor Who'; is Russell Tovey the next Time Lord?

Truly sad news just came across the Atlantic. The BBC has an exclusive interview with video announcing that the 10th (and maybe the best) actor to play Doctor Who is moving on.

    David Tennant is to stand down as Doctor Who, after becoming one of the most popular Time Lords in the history of the BBC science fiction show.

    Tennant stepped into the Tardis in 2005, and will leave the role after four special episodes are broadcast next year. He made the announcement after winning the outstanding drama performance prize at the National Television Awards.

    "When Doctor Who returns in 2010 it won't be with me," he said.

    "Now don't make me cry," he added. "I love this part, and I love this show so much that if I don't take a deep breath and move on now I never will, and you'll be wheeling me out of the Tardis in my bath chair."

    Three years was "about the right time" to play the role, he told the BBC in an exclusive interview.

    "I think it's better to go when there's a chance that people might miss you, rather than to hang around and outstay your welcome," he said.

More from the BBC article:

    His stint in the show had been "the most extraordinary time, it's been bewildering, life changing, very exciting", he said.

    "And just so much fun, such a great show to work on. That's one of the reasons I think it's right to take a deep breath and bow out when it's still fun, when it's a novelty. I don't ever want it to feel like a job, so I want to move on when it still feels exciting and fresh and that means I'll miss it."

After the mourning period comes the obvious question: Who's the best person to play the Time Lord now? The BBC has a second article with an interesting suggestion from one of the key architects of the recent revival of the good Doctor.

    Russell_tovey "Doctor Who" writer Russell T Davies has suggested who he thinks should replace David Tennant as the next Time Lord. In e-mails serialised in The Times newspaper, Davies said Russell Tovey, who appeared in Alan Bennett's play "The History Boys," would fit the role.

    The creator, who leaves the show next year as lead writer and executive producer, said he thought Tovey was "going to be huge" and is "amazing". Davies also revealed he had wanted JK Rowling to star in a Christmas special.

"Who" fans might know that Tovey was in last year's Christmas special in which he played a midshipman (photo on right), but his most notable performance to date was on stage and in the film "History Boys." You can see him below, third from the right.

This will be a hot topic for months. Any suggestions who else might be good to hop aboard into the Tardis?

-- Geoff Boucher

[Meds]

I'm liking the idea of Kevin Mckidd. I said to Kc earlier today that the chances are is that the new Doctor has already been chosen. Remember David was already cast as the Eccleston series began.

[lostrekkie]

Kevin McKid would be very cool.

[Darkmolerman]

Richard Coyle will not be the doctor for me (until he gets the job) He will always be the Scottish guy from coupling.

[Meds]

Posted in todays Sun Newspaper.

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.

[Feathers]

Interesting. I kind of go with the older image (though now I'm 40 I'm not sure I like the definition used!). Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker all worked well for me. I believe Davison has said that he'd have been a better Doctor if he'd been older.

I love Eccleston and Tennant in the 'new' role also but another 5 or 10 years may make for a good compromise.

I'll be interested to see how it all plays out.

[Meds]

New name being put forward at the moment is comic Eddie Izzard.

[Meds]

More news from Oupost Gallifrey.

Presenter Terry Wogan has reported on his radio show that the next Doctor might be announced in this year's Children In Need show. Although nothing has appeared officially to confirm this, Wired suggests that such an announcement would be a good fund-raiser for the event.

David Tennant appeared on BBC's Breakfast on Monday, and during the interview indicated that he wouldn't rule out returning to the show at some point in the future. He also mentioned that Steven Moffat's appointment had almost swayed his decision to leave (something that he and Russell T Davies had agreed upon some months previously). On the inevitable subject of a good female contender for the role, he lightly suggested his former co-star Billie Piper.

Based on the interview, Den of Geek speculated on how he might return to the role, whilst the South Wales Echo concentrated on the Piper connection - also noting that the odds from William Hill on a female Doctor had now been lowered from 20/1 to 12/1 after the interview. Meanwhile, Lucy Mangan of the Guardian commented on her husband's view of a female in the part and why she thinks it would be a good move for the show. (Other stories related to the Breakfast interview from BBC News, Reuters, Press Association, Wales Online, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Now, Melbourne Herald)

Meanwhile, speculation on who would take up the mantle continues apace in the media!

Back in 1999, DWM ran an article in which well-known fans at the time commented on how they'd like to see the Doctor return. One of those was new head writer Steven Moffat, in which he suggested an older actor for the role, a "grandfather" figure. In spite of a decade between this and the production of Moffat's series next year, this hasn't stopped The Sun from revitalising these anecdotes! [see below] (Story also taken up by MyPark Magazine and BBC America's Anglophenia)

The Mirror reports that ex-EastEnders actor Tom Ellis is under consideration - Ellis was previously seen in the series as Tom Milligan in The Last Of The Time Lords. (Story also taken up by RTE and Now)

Additional news on Tennant leaving and speculation on casting can be found in: Evening Post, Wales on Sunday, io9, Guardian.

More articles/references to Tennant leaving and other Who news in the media can be found in the dedicated Media Watch thread in the Doctor Who Forum.
ODDS ON NEW DOCTOR FROM PADDY POWER (3rd Nov 2008)
2/1 David Morrisey
6/1 Patterson Joseph
8/1 James Nesbitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor
10/1 Russell Tovey, John Simm
12/1 Anthony Head
14/1 Robert Carlyle, David Walliams
16/1 Richard E. Grant
18/1 Richard Coyle, Aidan Gillen, Alan Davies, Sean Pertwee
20/1 Jason Statham, Harry Lloyd, Nigel Harman, Marc Warren, Jack Davenport
25/1 Julian Walsh, Adrian Lester, Alexander Armstrong
33/1 Julian Rhind-Tutt, Rupert Penry-Jones, James McAvoy
40/1 Bill Nighy, Stephen Fry, Ben Wishaw
50/1 John Barrowman, Ben Miles, David Suchet, Hugh Laurie
66/1 Gary Oldman, Matt Smith, Paul Bettany, Joel Beckett, Christopher Eccleston
80/1 Alex Kingston, Dean Lennox Kelly, Christopher Villiers
100/1 Ricky Gervais
150/1 Hugh Grant, Russell Brand, Vinnie Jones
200/1 Robbie Williams

Worth a pound on Hugh Grant as a rank outsider as he was aked to play the Doctor before Eccleston.

[Feathers]

Russel Brand

HaHaHahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

Thought of Marc Warren too but 20:1? I'm not sure he'd carry it off.

Eddie Izzard?... ... ... ... Nah.

[Meds]

maybe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55lfbMr8gqo

;)

[Feathers]

Anything is possible :D (Love the cyberman at the end!!!)

[Rico]

This is "bloody brilliant!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC0FmQ0hzmY

[Meds]

ha ha very good. What a dream episode that would be.