The Gap Year, Part II

Sunday, September 16th 2007.

I've been wondering some more, and had some thoughts and feedback from a few friends on my last post, and its got me reminiscing for the days of my former fanzine, Rumours.

For those not in the know, Rumours was a fortnightly fanzine I edited waaay back (1993-1996), which had a bit of a mixed reputation. Aside from Dreamwatch, I think it was the only news-oriented Who fanzine around. Well, I say news, it was mostly rumour and speculation (and was always labelled as such), and 75% of the stuff reported never came to pass. But the other 25% was pure gold.

Anyway, my blog sparked some gossip and rumour just like the good old days. So I thought instead of commenting in general, it would be nice to just share some new rumours with everybody.

First, that the three-stories in 2009 will be David Tennant's 'departure arc' - three linked stories designed to hand over to the eleventh Doctor. This means (as reported in the press and commented on by DT) that Tennant won't be around for Series 5.

The next bit of rumour is that another reason for the gap. It wasn't just negotiated to keep Tennant until 2009, but also to secure his replacement, who would not be available for filming until... 2009.

This suggests quite a big name, which I think is as it should be next time around. Now the US market has been broken open the next Doctor needs to be someone who can crack it wide open.

The name in the frame?

Patrick Stewart

Now I'd be the first to dismiss Stewart as the fanboy's wet dream, but it does make a good deal of sense. Other than some possible voiceover work for the Wolverine and Magneto movies, Stewart has no longstanding serial commtments. Trek is returning to its roots, and he has expressed no desire to follow the Shatner path of perpetual returns.

Its also interestng to note that a series with Stewart was ITV's knee-jerk response to the return of Doctor Who in 2005.

Both Stewart and Tennant will be at the RSC together which is a great publicity driver for all concerned. Also, Stewart has demonstrated his ability to commit to a serial (7 years of Trek is a major commitment), although with his theatre work and age (he is 67 - in 2010 he will be 70) I'd expect him to negotiate for a less punishing schedule than Ecclestone and Tennant have achieved.

A semi-hiatus and a test of the new arc format with fewer episodes would certainly make sense if someone like Stewart were the Beeb's objective. Think the reality of Doctor Who is that it is the most demanding homebrew show on Television today.

OK, so Russell T Davies said he couldn't see a future Doctor over 40. Well, there are easy answers to that. Davies has lied before for the sake of preserving his plans, and as an over-40 himself I'd struggle to believe that was a genuine view. Also, by the end of Series 4 it looks like we'll see multiple companions - Freema, Tom McInnery and possibly Catherine Tate.

Stewart has gone on record as stating his preference for ensemble productions, and it has to be said that Doctor Who has already gained a reputation as the best 'family' show (although its a long trek down from Yorkshire to Cardiff).

Multiple companions was of course the traditional crutch for older Doctors, and a young healthy ensemble with an older mentor is a proven format, and in a way it has been set up by having the much older Derek Jacobi precede the arrival of John Simm as the Master.

Of course, this is just a rumour. And I still find myself pretty sceptical. Not being ageist, taking on such a demanding lead role at 70 would be a brave thing. Older parts are common for ensemble shows, or pensioner-focused shows, but action-adventure?

The character of the Doctor has been turned into a superhero since the days of William Hartnell, who himself left the role at the age of 58. Without returning to the Hartnellian stereotype, I'd find it hard for the Doctor's alien physiogromy not to be called upon during the course of his adventures.

If the logic of all of this is sound, even if the casting of Stewart is dubious, then it does open things up for who else could be in the frame.

Bill Nighy has been mooted before, but although he's a known face, he's hardly a major draw in the US.

Antony Head has the profile, but his appearance as the Headmaster was much more high profile than, say, Colin Baker's Maxil (not that that would bother Russell), and if the Ripper series wasn't a further obstancle he'd be a good person to have on board if there was a plan to get Joss Whedon on board as the showrunner to take over from RTD.

Alan Rickman again springs to mind - he has cult followings, a history with the BBC, and Severus Snape will continue to be high profile into 2010 and beyond. Rickman is also keep to shrug off the villain stereotype (he hasn't playe one since 1991) and Doctor Who would achieve that for him.

Then there's James Purefoy, who got quite a good profile in the HBO-produced Rome, and it suits the kind of characters he likes to play.

Of course, if Stewart does turn out to be the Doctor, he'll have to do the Yorkshire accent.

All text contained within Psychopomp and Circumstance is copyright © Adrian Middleton, 2007. All thoughts and opinions expressed within the confines of this thread are those of the author and do not, in any way, reflect the views or opinions of any other group or individual connected with the newapocrypha site.