# Dr Who: Tom Baker confirms identity of the new Doctor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090 "2003-10-02T10:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/21 "2003-10-02T20:30:09Z")
Hmm. The places I go to for informed commentary on this strongly suggest that the esteemed Mr. Baker is (ahem) talking through an orifice normally reserved for another purpose. (That’s my phrasing, not theirs). Tom Baker’s certainly _suggested_ Eddie Izzard, more than once, as a suitable candidate … but there’s no reason to treat his word on the subject as authoritative. AFAIK, the whole project is still in the early stages, and there’s no confirmation of who’s going to get the role. Besides Izzard, other names on the table seem to include Alan Davies and Bill Nighy … but there’s no definitive word that’s been made public. Still could go to anyone … ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/22 "2003-10-02T20:58:37Z")
I think a more important question is, will the new _Doctor Who_ episodes have the same cheesy, low-budget production quality and special effects that have characterized the show since the '60s? If so, is that good or bad? By the way, even the science-fiction fandom community, so proud of its geekiness, traditionally scorns obsessive _Doctor Who_ fans, or “scarfs,” as pathetic lame-ass nerds. And personally, I have never met a counterexample. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/23 "2003-10-03T08:53:39Z")
Just listened to Tom Baker on the radio again this morning. He ‘thinks’ it’s Izzard. He also followed that up with Sue McGregor (BBC Radio 4 current affairs presenter) as his assistant. I think that gives us just a bit of a clue on how serious he’s being. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/24 "2003-10-03T11:50:00Z")
Well, I’ll just have to come back and bite you all when I’m vindicated by events. For now I shall slip away, martyred to the cause of truth and enlightenment . . ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/25 "2003-10-03T12:13:34Z")
Hold on a minute now, Sue McGregor is a bit of a looker and she has a fantastic voice. But Tom Baker is a well known prankster so I would take what he has to say with a pnch of salt. When I heard it was coming back, I thought Richard E Grant - but Eddie Izzard would be brilliant as the doctor and he dresses like one already. ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/26 "2003-10-03T12:23:36Z")
Ahh, Dr. Who, one of the only TV shows I could finance with the change found in my couch. ---
**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 3, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/27 "2003-10-03T12:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vibrotronica \* > \*\*I’m just surprised he took the role because it’s a bit of a dead end, career-wise. I mean, you’re on TV all the time, but once you’ve been the Doctor, it’s hard to get other roles. \*\* Peter Davison’s never been short of roles. But he’s pretty much the exception, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090/28 "2003-10-27T21:27:50Z")
[Sounds like Eddie doesn’t want to be the new Doctor.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/drwho/2003/10/09/7294.shtml) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-who-tom-baker-confirms-identity-of-the-new-doctor/205090.md?page=1)