# Doctor Who News (Casting SPOILERS!!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158 "2008-10-29T23:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/1 "2008-10-29T23:15:09Z")
Scroll down to avoid mouseover… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Tennant is leaving after the 2009 specials. [Story here.](http://www.gallifreyone.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EkkVFEVAkpSmGYjFYL&tmpl=newsrss&style=feedstyle) I’m heartbroken. Not only is he the dreamiest Doctor, bu he also fills the role remarkably well. This is _not_ fan-TAS-tic!!:mad: Anybody else wanna grieve with me? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/2 "2008-10-29T23:23:25Z")
That is a shame. He was a really great Doctor. It will be tough to fill his shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/3 "2008-10-29T23:25:18Z")
Awwwww, man! How many seasons did he do, total? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/4 "2008-10-29T23:26:18Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Awwwww, man! > > How many seasons did he do, total? Three seasons, some Christmas specials and 4 more specials next year. ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/5 "2008-10-29T23:29:51Z")
Aw geez. I knew it had to happen some time. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/6 "2008-10-29T23:35:39Z")
Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! I never thought anyone would fill Ecclestons’ shoes, but Tennant has outdone him. Ten deserves a longer run. I always figued he would do one more season after the specials. If he won’t I think he should have bowed out at the end of the last series and allowed them to do a full series this year. The Christmas specials are usually weak compared to the regular series, so I’m not too excited about the year o’ specials. (Except, of course, for MORE WHO!!!) I hope Moffat is involved in them. If it’s all Davies’ writing, I’ll be very depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/7 "2008-10-29T23:42:05Z")
A shame, especially since he wanted to outlast Tom Baker IIRC. But we’ve had a good outing with him nonetheless, and he’ll be there to take the edge off RTD’s excesses in the specials before Moffat takes over. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/8 "2008-10-29T23:45:43Z")
I’d rather he stayed on for one more season but I’m fine with a rotating Dr. Who cast. It’ll let Moffat start his first full season with a clean slate, too. ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/9 "2008-10-29T23:54:08Z")
I read somewhere a while back that said Tennant was considering doing a big-screen movie if the BBC would keep him on for series 5. I was geeked to the max, but I guess it fell through. And a hearty F-U to the Telegraph, for putting this on the front page where it can’t be missed. I’d really rather _not_ have known. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/10 "2008-10-30T00:00:45Z")
> [@freekalette](#): > > I read somewhere a while back that said Tennant was considering doing a big-screen movie if the BBC would keep him on for series 5. I was geeked to the max, but I guess it fell through. > > And a hearty F-U to the Telegraph, for putting this on the front page where it can’t be missed. I’d really rather _not_ have known. Heh. The BBC aren’t exactly keeping it secret - it’s currently a front page story on their news site. Well, I’ll miss him. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/11 "2008-10-30T00:14:10Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > If it’s all Davies’ writing, I’ll be very depressed. Get your Prozac ready. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/12 "2008-10-30T00:24:05Z")
Well, I don’t think it’s bad news. David Tennant is a great Doctor, but one of the cool things about Doctor Who is the regenerations. Much as I loved Tom Baker, I think both he and the show would have benefitted by him leaving a couple seasons earlier than he did. I really look forward to seeing what Steven Moffat will do with another regeneration and actor - something very different, I hope. We’ve had ample time to get to know this Doctor and it would be hard to keep going much longer without the character getting stale - good on them all for changing before it starts to fall off. Now, I for one would love to see a season or two of Stephen Fry as an eloquent, epicurian sort of Doctor - clear the palate of all that romantic nonsense for a bit and give a very different twist to the character than has been done before. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/13 "2008-10-30T00:24:29Z")
For future reference, you don’t have to do that “scroll down to avoid mouseover” thing - just put brackets at the beginning and end of your normal post. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/14 "2008-10-30T00:32:24Z")
I’d like to see [James Nesbitt](http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/nice-guys-finish-last/2008/03/07/1204780040239.html) as the next Doctor. He’d be very different than any that had gone before. ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/15 "2008-10-30T00:37:15Z")
Doctor Who can only regenerate 12 times, IIRC. Pretty soon they’ll have to end the show for good ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/16 "2008-10-30T00:41:32Z")
I’m on old Who fan from about a billion years back, and Tennant has been my favourite Doctor so far (plus also he’s uber-hot), so I’m a little sad - but also very excited about the change, and to see who Moffat casts and what they do with him. The Doctor is dead! Long live the Doctor! > [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > I always figued he would do one more season after the specials. If he won’t I think he should have bowed out at the end of the last series and allowed them to do a full series this year. It wasn’t Tennant’s choice to do the year of specials. It was an arrangement that the BBC, Davies and Moffat agreed upon to allow Moffat to be able to take over when he was available, and ease the transition. After it was decided upon, Tennant took advantage of it by taking on Hamlet. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/17 "2008-10-30T00:54:51Z")
The last Doctors have been so young and action oriented (especially Tennant) it would be interesting to see what they could do with a fat, Nero Wolfe-like Doctor. It _could_ work, but I don’t think it actually would. Still . . . maybe in a novel or something. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/18 "2008-10-30T00:55:13Z")
> [@George\_Kaplin](#): > > Doctor Who can only regenerate 12 times, IIRC. Pretty soon they’ll have to end the show for good ☹ I’m sure they’ll find some way around it if they have to. Is the 12 regeneration thing biological or a tradition enforced by the no longer existing Timelord Council? Perhaps one of the things the Master did to expand his lifespan “accidentally” happens to the Doctor. Maybe The Master, unwilling to live in a universe without The Doctor until he can do the job properly(a sentiment he has shared in the past) does something to extend/remove the 13 actor limit. There are ways around this. Some of them actually make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/19 "2008-10-30T01:02:43Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’d like to see [James Nesbitt](http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/nice-guys-finish-last/2008/03/07/1204780040239.html) as the next Doctor. He’d be very different than any that had gone before. I don’t have the copies of the Times to hand, but I’m pretty sure that RTD had wanted the bloke who got shot and helmed the liner in Kylie’s Christmas special to take over as Doctor after Tennant. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158/20 "2008-10-30T01:36:22Z")
Dammit. ☹ I had a feeling this would be coming soon, but it’s still sad. Though it won’t be until 2010 anyway, so at least we have a while to go. Tennant & Eccleston were both great, so I’m hoping the new series continues to up the bar on performances. Here is Tennant’s acceptance speech at the NTAs where he publicly announced his decision to leave. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QnJHmrYIOr0/hqdefault.jpg "David Tennant's acceptance speech at NTA 2008") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJHmrYIOr0) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-news-casting-spoilers/470158.md?page=2)