# If the Next Doctor Who were an American he would be played by.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849 "2013-07-18T15:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/1 "2013-07-18T15:17:58Z")
And…of course…why? ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/2 "2013-07-18T15:30:17Z")
Just noting that reading thread titles at the moment gives you **If the Next Doctor Who were an American he would be played by… Amanda Palmer […]** I mean, I don’t know how well she can act, but you could do worse. And of course, Dr Who is already in the family (“Hey Hubby, write me better lines, would you!”). ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/3 "2013-07-18T15:37:55Z")
Why, Paul McGann, since he’s already been introduced as the Doctor to American audiences back in 1996. All the references to Eccleston/Tennant/Smith and their plotlines and story arcs would be gone. I’m not saying it would be good, mind you. Oh, and he’d still be half-human. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/4 "2013-07-18T15:40:28Z")
Neil Patrick Harris. Because he’s Neil Patrick Harris. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/5 "2013-07-18T15:42:57Z")
Aisha Tyler. But then, I think most things would benefit from a dose of Aisha Tyler. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/6 "2013-07-18T15:50:41Z")
Nathan Fillion - does a great job jumping back and forth between light-hearted and menancing. Seeing him in a more highbrow role would be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/7 "2013-07-18T15:53:03Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Nathan Fillion - does a great job jumping back and forth between light-hearted and menancing. Seeing him in a more highbrow role would be interesting. That’s who I was going to say. He is Canadian, of course, but he’s technically American (North American). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/8 "2013-07-18T16:02:43Z")
Jeff Goldblum. Seriously, just look at him. Runner-up; Ron White, because I think it’d be funny. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/9 "2013-07-18T16:05:36Z")
Nathan Fillion. He has the same mix of kick-ass, glower and empathy I associate with _my_ Doctor (Ecclestone) - he can do cool, calm and collected quite well, but as his turn as Caleb on Buffy showed, he also had that killer thing down pat. ETA I see I’m not alone. Also, if this means the Companion as a Companion, even better. Or Craig Ferguson. He’s _technically_ American and it would give him the biggest thrill ever, he’s a ginormous Whovian. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/10 "2013-07-18T16:07:03Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Runner-up; Ron White I’m changing my vote to this. Or maybe Gary Busey; the series would only last for an episode or two but it would be memorable and the TARDIS would get 54 new acronyms. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/11 "2013-07-18T16:08:04Z")
Or Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Who can give great exposition and smack down fundamentalists from ancient Ur to 59,000th century New Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/12 "2013-07-18T16:10:43Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’m changing my vote to this. > > Or maybe Gary Busey; the series would only last for an episode or two but it would be memorable and the TARDIS would get 54 new acronyms. They could do spin-offs called Doctor Huh? and Doctor WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/13 "2013-07-18T16:14:04Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Runner-up; Ron White, because I think it’d be funny. “Wibbly wobbly…timey…wimey…shit.” \ ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/14 "2013-07-18T16:22:52Z")
Hugh Laurie - most Americans will think his accent is terrible of course. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/15 "2013-07-18T16:25:15Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Nathan Fillion - does a great job jumping back and forth between light-hearted and menancing. Oh yes. > [@](#): > > Seeing him in a more highbrow role would be interesting. Um… Doctor Who isn’t exactly high-brow. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/16 "2013-07-18T16:34:33Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I’m changing my vote to this. > > Or maybe Gary Busey; the series would only last for an episode or two but it would be memorable and the TARDIS would get 54 new acronyms. This could actually work for a single episode. Doctor looks at his new self in mirror - Doctor: Aw Crap! Companion: Are you alright? You don’t look it… D: This happens every couple thousand regenerations, just never thought it’d happen to me… C: What happens? D: Sometimes there’s a…hiccup. The regeneration doesn’t quite take first go round…usually sorts itself out after a few hours. C: Usually? D: Well, yes… C: So what do we do in the mean time? D: Stay out of trouble. Hijinks ensues! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/17 "2013-07-18T16:46:28Z")
Another vote for Jeff Goldblum. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/18 "2013-07-18T16:53:43Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > This could actually work for a single episode. > > Doctor looks at his new self in mirror - > > Doctor: Aw Crap! > Companion: Are you alright? You don’t look it… > D: This happens every couple thousand regenerations, just never thought it’d happen to me… > C: What happens? > D: Sometimes there’s a…hiccup. The regeneration doesn’t quite take first go round…usually sorts itself out after a few hours. > C: Usually? > D: Well, yes… > C: So what do we do in the mean time? > D: Stay out of trouble. > > Hijinks ensues! https://www.youtube.com/embed/noKVrNK2VKM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**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:** [July 18, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/19 "2013-07-18T17:11:29Z")
Morgan Freeman, of course. Because he’s Morgan Freeman, duh. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849/20 "2013-07-18T17:14:48Z")
After a number of flops in the movies, Eddie Murphy returns to the small screen! (Aw, hell, no.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-next-doctor-who-were-an-american-he-would-be-played-by/663849.md?page=2)