News: Doctor Who Regeneration

As the universe gets ready to say goodbye to another Doctor Who, Jay Greenwood looks at what makes the series a national treasure and why we'll all be waiting to find out who's next for the role.

We can expect to enjoy an extra spectacular Christmas special as Tennant's exit will also mark Russell T Davies' farewell to the show.

The Doctor Who universe could be on more shaky ground as we move in to 2009, with the series set to cope with the fallout from replacing not just the Doctor and his assistant but also the series producer.

On his time at the show, Tennant said,

"I've had the most brilliant, bewildering and life-changing time working on Doctor Who. I have loved every day of it." (TV Guide Ca)

On his potential replacements;

"It's one of those parts that any actor could bring something valid to, because it can be anything and it's a sort of blank canvas everytime.

The fact is that the difference is a virtue with each Doctor, it's not like you're casting Tarzan where you've got to have somebody who looks good in a loin cloth, it can be anything." (on BBC Breakfast, cited by: WhatsOnTV 2008).

With Tennant announcing that he was to end his reign as the Doctor the rumour mills began spinning. It was widely believed that the Doctor could regenerate into his first black or female body; with current producer Russell T Davies suggesting that; "the more it's talked about, the more likely it is to happen" (Nicholls 2008). Paterson Joseph was a popular choice of black actor, whilst Davies cited his favourites for a female Doctor as Catherine Zeta Douglas and Lesley Sharp.

David Morrissey will be playing the Doctor in the upcoming Christmas special, but it remains unclear as to whether he will become a more permenant fixture. If he does turn out to be a temporary measure, his taking care of the Christmas special could leave Paterson Joseph free after his recent stint in the BBC remake of flu-horror-serial-flick Survivors.

After his recent stint in the celebrity jungle it was thought that Eastenders' Micky, played by Joe Swash, would be a contender for the much covetted role, with William Hill giving him odds of 12/1 (Casino Beacon). The Mirror reported a BBC source which put former Eastenders doctor Tom Ellis as the frontrunner.

Regenerating is the ability of a time lord to transform into him self into a new body when mortally injured. David Tennant's Doctor was the first to regenerate twice, having partially regenerated. In series 4's Journey's End the Doctor was able to channel energy from his severed hand in order to heal him self without changing his form.


Tennant took over from long term favourite Tom Baker as Britain's favourite Doctor Who in a 2006 poll held by Doctor Who magazine. It would be interesting to look into the phenomena of 'MY Doctor Who'.