Background

31st January 2017: Actor Peter Capaldi is stepping down from the lead role in Doctor Who at the end of the year.  Capaldi made the announcement during an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley. "I feel it’s time to move on," he said. "I feel sad, I love Doctor Who, it is a fantastic programme to work on."

John Vincent

New Doctor Who.  Any suggestions?

Mine is Miriam Margolyes. Gets us back to old grumpy Dr Whos with a twinkle in their eyes!  Ticks a few boxes too. She’s a joy to work with and you never stop laughing!

Geoff Hawkes

I’m with Miriam Margolyes – and after a decent run they could morph her into a younger, sleeker model and that would amuse her and us even more…

Geoff Fletcher

How about Amanda Redmond?

Or for a transatlantic option – Jamie Lee Curtis?  Her role in NCIS Series Nine as Doctor Ryan was what gave me the idea of her playing Doctor Who.

David Denness

Any opportunity to see Jamie Lee Curtis should be encouraged!

Dave Mundy

Unfortunately, I think she peaked at about the same time as I did – too long ago to remember!

Nick Ware

I could never understand why JC left Connie Booth for her. If you saw Connie as I did on a gem of a picture we worked on, you’d agree with me. The only downside was that JC was naked too!

Roger Bunce

I always wanted Geoffrey Bayldon to play the Doctor – purely because he looked the way I imagined the Doctor ought to look. But he’ll be much too old now.

Looking back, I think my favourite two Doctors were Tom Baker and Matt Smith. They both had two qualities which I think are important.

Firstly:
They both looked a bit weird. I like my Doctors to have a touch of alien weirdness about them. I hate it when they get too human and too involved. Ultimately, the Doctor should remain unknown and unknowable.

Secondly:
Neither of them were famous for any earlier role. So, they could both just be ‘The Doctor’, without also having to be that bloke who used to be in “The Army Game” or “The Navy Lark” or “All Creatures…” or “The Thick of It”, etc.

So, for a new Doctor, I’d like someone I’ve never heard of, with a slightly weird face (and, I agree, a grumpy old git with a twinkle is always good).

David Brunt

Geoffrey Bayldon is 93 and retired because of ill health several years ago.  He’s been suffering from Alzheimers for a long time.

Re “…Neither of them were famous for any earlier role. ..”Tom ‘Rasputin’ Baker, you mean?

With budgets tightening all over, I can see them going for a younger and cheaper actor rather than a big name.

Roger Bunce

I also remember Tom playing a wicked wizard in one of the Sinbad movies – but he had never become established as a character in a long-running series.

Alasdair Lawrance

Too expensive and too famous now, but Ian McKellen has a beautiful ‘lived in’ face.  He could easily be 900 years old.