Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Doctor Who is due for a comeback

According to Yahoo News:

"Doctor Who" set for TV return
LONDON (Reuters) - Legendary science fiction hero Doctor Who is time jumping once more, set to return to television more than a decade after he disappeared into space, the BBC says.

The cult series that aired from 1963-1989 to become the world's longest-running science fiction programme will return in 2005, but details about the new shows are being kept secret.

"The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary," series writer Russell T Davies said.

"Although I'm only in the early stages of development, I'm aiming to write a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage," he said.

The original programmes chronicled the adventures of eight Doctors and their many companions who battled countless foes - human, alien and most notoriously the "Daleks" - as they travelled through time and space in a time machine disguised as a police phone box.

Doctor Who has also thrived in print and on stage and has spawned countless devotional web sites.

A Doctor Who television movie was broadcast in 1996 and it returned to the Internet for a 30-minute web broadcast in 2001.

William Hartnell played the first Doctor Who. The actor who will star as his latest incarnation has not been named.


Interesting choice of writer. Davies was the writer of the original Queer As Folk and stuff like Bob And Rose. I know he's a huge Dr Who fan though, which could either be a good or a bad thing. As to who I'd like see play the Doctor. Hmmm. Not sure really. Maybe someone pretty much unknown. I actually really liked Sylvester McCoy (mostly when he was with Ace and the stories were going back to the creepier side of things) but they had him die/regenerate in that crappy TV movie they did a while back with Eric Roberts as the Master (ugh. He was crappy). So someone new, but most definately British. The idea of an American Doctor is just wrong. Unless it was Sigourney Weaver...

Actually a while back they did a Doctor Who thingy for Comic Relief and had loads of people being the Doctor (including joanna Lumly. heh heh). Now one of the ones who actually seemed to fit that I'd never have though of was... Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, Mr Bean). Could be an interesting choice if they went with him.

Rowan Atkinson actually reminds me too much of McCoy. Though I've always liked the Doctor's goofier side, I think he also needs to be credible in those drop-dead serious moments. He also needs to appear competent and intelligent (though eccentric) rather than a bumbler, imo. My first instinct is to go with an unknown (he is Dr "who" after all ).

Good news that he's due for a real comeback though. I hope they'll show it on BBC-A or something...

According to what I heard, it's BBC Wales that are fronting the money for this thing.

Wasn't one of the Docs on that Comedy Relief special Richard Grant? I believe he's voicing the Doc in that animated thing. Sounds like they might not be going with him full-time.

I liked McCoy too...and wouldn't mind if he came back. However if I had to pick someone different I would be quite tempted to give it to Sean Pertwee. He's got a gift for playing slightly mad characters and it would make for a great JSA-style legacy thing!!!

Joanna Lumley should be the Doctor!