With the new breaking yesterday that Matt Smith is leaving the role of the Doctor in the iconic Doctor Who series, speculation erupted immediately upon his replacement.
True to fandom form, my first Doctor remains my favorite, and that’s 9, played by Christopher Eccleston. Yes, I know 10 is the sexy choice but he just didn’t do it for me. Maybe a little too human and not remote or weird enough? I expected little from Matt Smith but he’s more than exceeded expectations as 11. I’m going to miss him a great deal though, I admit, this season with Clara never seemed to hit the right note for me. It took me forever to get River Song too, and now she’s a favorite, so I kept hoping but…..
Everyone has an idea on the next Doctor. John Scalzi seemed to be team Emma Thompson on his twitter feed yesterday, though he also jokingly suggested Robert Pattison of Twilight fame. My favorite tweet was his suggestion of crossing fandom streams and having Sir Patrick Stewart at the next Doctor. (Ghostbusters, Trek and Who references all in 140 characters. Score!)
The GeekMoms had some idea as well:
- Idris Elba, who had some of the best moments of Thor, and is well-known for his Luthor crime series.
- Eddie Izzard because, Eddie Izzard.
- Patrick Stewart, suggested because GeekMom Sarah Pinault is a bit tired of the Doctors growing younger and younger. In that vein, she also suggested Sir Ian McKellan (talk about crossing fandom streams!) and Alan Dale.
- Paul Bettany was GeekMom Natania Barron’s choice and if we’re staying with younger doctors, I can’t argue with that.
- Martin Freeman, because GeekMom Patricia Vollmer says he’s already proven to be charming, witty, and good in science fiction.
- David Thewlis was GeekMom Jackie Reeve’s choice. “I think he could seem wise and unhinged at the same time, maybe even right on the edge of creepy. I think he would play The Doctor with a calm, I-know-something-you-don’t-know wink. I could also just listen to his voice all day long.”
- GeekMom Kay said: Stephen Fry, because he is generally awesome, and witty, and warm. Michael Palin. He can do straight and slightly out of kilter and totally deranged, and have a paternally companiony relationship. Anthony Stewart Head would be interesting in a return to the less goofy, while still fun loving, Doctor.
- GeekMom Brigid Ashwood suggested anyone other than a white male and Elba or Thompson certainly fits that sentiment.
I’m on board with Brigid. I’d love to see a woman in the role or at least someone other than another white male. (Okay, I’d prefer to have Eccleston back but that’s not happening ever.)
I agree that Thompson would be great but it’d also be terrific fun to see Meryl Streep let loose in the role. Or a really off-the-wall casting choice, such as Queen Latifah or Tiny Fey. (Though I wonder if suggesting an American actor as the Doctor is a larger blasphemy than suggesting the Doctor be a woman.)
But if I had to pick a white male? I first thought of Christian Bale because, hey, Batman can do anything. But that made me realize that the original television Batman, Adam West, just might be the perfect choice. Even if, somedays, he can’t get rid of a bomb.
What I’d love to see is someone I’ve never heard of before.
I want the Twelfth Doctor to be someone I *haven’t* picked out, someone I wouldn’t know about to fancast in the role, so that when Eleven regenerates it’ll be *the Doctor,* not “someone I know already who’s now playing the Doctor.” I want someone new, that I’d never expect, but that I can fall in love with the same way I did with the ones before.
Agreed. My friend is gunning for Helen Mirren, and when she said so I had a hard time trying to figure out how to reply. I think what I was trying to say is this: Helen Mirren would be an excellent Doctor, but I can’t help feeling that if she was, she wouldn’t BE The Doctor, she’d be Helen Mirren As The Doctor!
I LOVE the River Song character, Alex Kingston has such an impish but at the same time seriously womanly quality to her. She would be a great female doctor but is already part of the cast. I just don’t think Emma Thompson could pull it off. Her acting in Nanny McPhee was more Mary Poppins and frankly there is no place for that in Dr Who.
I need to believe the character is 1000 years old and a genius. That requires a twinkle in the eye with a certain bitterness. Paul Bettany could certainly do that or how about Alan Rickman?
I do think the world is still too sexist to have a female doctor taken seriously by fans or by the aliens and suchlike she would meet in the plot. Female Dr battles prejudice while saving the day would get pretty tiresome episode after episode. A black, Indian or Chinese Dr would be interesting. How about John Cho?
Emma Thompson does quirky, serious, quiet, and commanding quite well. She would be an excellent Doctor. She’s also at a great age for a Doctor, with a youthful spirit and a mature sensibility.
I’m hearing rumors of Rupert Grint – The Dr did say he wanted to be ginger.
I agree with the suggestion that the new Doctor should be someone not well-known, some one who can define the role without baggage.
At our house, in the discussion that followed the news, we concluded that the next Doctor should be Not-white, Ginger, and/or Female. Although while I would love a female Doctor, I’m not convinced the world is ready for her. The writing would have to be sensational. A female Doctor would have far more work to prove to the world that she IS the Doctor and that Doctor Who is still a great program, and it would involve way more effort and way more opposition than your average new Doctor encounters.
And though I would prefer an unknown actor, I do like the suggestion Idris Elba. That name keeps coming up in many places, and I’m all for it.
Oh, and adding: I want the Doctor to be older, not younger, than Matt Smith. Significantly older, if possible.
Great article!
I’ll use a little shameless self-promotion to fill you in on My Doctor…Nine!
http://lisathegeekmom.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/my-doctor/