I’d like to see Hugh Grant as the Doctor. Did you know Hugh Grant did in fact play him, but very briefly in this:
I agree. I enjoyed seeing Julie playing the companion Emma in this version of Dr. Who:
Nope, you need a fairly young actor. The Doctor got younger and younger in each of his (I forgot what they call 'em) manifestations.
Regenerations.
Not invariably. Pertwee was older than Troughton, C. Baker was older than Davison, and McCoy was older than C. Baker. Granted that the overall trend has been toward a younger, more action-oriented Doctor, surely that doesn’t preclude a more mature actor taking over the role.
On that note, what about a quasi-canonical “Young(er) First Doctor” series, to fill in the backstory on his Gallifrey years? Perhaps his first run-ins with the Master, or his years at the Prydonian Academy, and the origins of his interest in Earth?* (As I recall, he was known as “Theta Sigma” during his salad days.
*Also, perhaps, the reason why he recieved a post-hypnotic suggestion to reconfigure his TARDIS and lie about having human ancestry during Y2K.
Some of these suggestions are great, but I can’t agree with the OP’s suggestion of Cary Elwes to play Benton. Benton was VERY British, working class accent, very much the ordinary guy. I wonder if the OP is confusing him with Captain Yates (blond, upper class, very supercilious). Elwes could possibly play him. Don’t know who could play Benton though.
How about an Aussie Doctor? I still think Cameron Daddo would be great in the role. He’s had experience with that sort of eccentric character having starred as Rollie Tyler in “F/X: The Series”.
Or Marius Weyers, he played Andrew Steyn in The Gods Must Be Crazy.