If they cast Kelly Brook, I may be inclined to watch it. Not a great fan of the new stuff, more of a trad Who fan myself.

Is the correct modern term for a Doctor Who fan now an is-Tard?

I felt I had to share this related quote, from today's Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4108697/Search-for-new-Doctor-Whos-partner-begins.html)

<quote>

There had been much talk of a black Doctor Who, with actor Paterson Joseph among the favourites. Wenger disclosed: "We saw a dozen or so people, some of them black. There was never any resistance to the idea of a black Doctor and it would have got us all sorts of headlines and brownie points...

<end quote>

Wonderful!!

They can't be serious surely? She's pleasing to the eye but she is about a wooden as a rocking horse when it comes to acting and presenting.

As for this new guy, no idea who he is so can't really comment. Does look rather emo though. If that's a bad thing or not we shall see in 2010.

Can someone explain how this is IT news?

Has the TARDIS suddenly appeared on the HP server catalogue?

It's bad enough the Beeb promoting this tripe as news without El Reg doing it for them.

You'll be running items on simply come twadle or whatever it is next ;-)

Matt Smith is 76% face.

FFS, NO!

Every time that gobby pisshead screeches her way through another agonising performance, I want to shoot my TV...

"......the BBC is eyeing singer Lily Allen...."

".....the BBC is eyeing turn-her-hand-to-anything-for-a-quick-publicity-fix, Z-list celebutard Lily Allen....."

There. That's a bit better. It hasn't removed the slight taste of sick in my throat that reading this particular bit of information induced though.

I was trying to avoid hearing that news, so it would be, you know, a suprise. And so I have avoided clicking any headlines of this type. Cheers for putting the name in the link, then. That helped. Really.

Who?

I can't believe I was the first to post that, you're all slipping.

I'll just get the reTARDIS keys out of my pocket.

Doctor Who used to be a cult show, with wonderful "mad professor" types playing the Doctor. Now we've got some trumped up emo-kid with the stupid hair-do to match being companioned to a trashy celebrity for nothing more than ratings.

Why can't people just leave things alone?

He's a bit creepy looking, isn't he? Has a bit of Christopher Morris about him. I hope they get an unknown actor for the companion, a fresh start could be most interesting.

or does he look like the bastard child of Noel Fielding and Alexander Armstrong? Anyways, I have faith in the Moff and have great hopes for the young fella.

There are only two reasons to put Kelly Brook in Doctor Who, and that's already been done with Peri (Nicola Bryant). Caves of Androzani was a great episode but we don't need a remake.

Lily Allen? We've had a mockney ex-singer already, try something different.

Rachel Stevens was in S Club; while the TV and film didn't demand much acting talent, they did demand enough to demonstrate that she didn't have that much.

The link is to a complete list of TV Doctors. As always Auntie misses Peter Cushing, who played the Doctor in two films. (Yes, I know I'm sad)

I can see it going even further down the mainstream yoof market. Anyone silly enough to suffer 'Demons' on ITV Saturday night? I havent seen such a turd of a show since Bonekickers.

Forget plots, acting skills, characters. As long as the main cast look good on a poster or on the front of a TV guide thats all that matters.

Personally I thought Tennant was a bit young (looking - I knew he wasn't actually that young) to play the Doctor... this is just taking the piss.

By the looks of things they intend to fill the new series with episodes in which the Doctor spends all his time locked in the Tardis gazing wistfully at photo's of Billy Piper whist writing poetry on the futility of existense and listening to My Chemical Romance.

Is this the first can of new year Whoop-ass I see before me? Yah!

Paris since even she knows she isn't news but entertainment....

It's IT news because a fair portion of Dr Who's audience are IT people, who have a tendency to science fiction.

Whether or not it qualifies as "Entertainment" depends upon someone writing scripts with proper stories, perhaps going three episodes without a Dalek or Cyberperson attempt to invade Earth. The stories must be poor, cause I don't watch much of it any more. And they try to tempt me back with someone who is even younger than my local policeman.

Oh, and I think I'm in love with Sara Bee. If she can act as well as as she moderates...give Sarah the part! Or just email me a signed photo...

A lot of the new Dr Who episodes have been pretty bad but that is down to the writers. Moffat has written some really good ones like Blink.

Hopefully with his darker, less slapstick, plot lines we might see something interesting from the new Doctor.

Who knows maybe we can get away from the whole thing all wrapped up in one / two episodes and back to longer story lines.

This could be almost as good as teaming Peter Devidson with Bonnie Langford.

***"I also think the quality of Dr. Who is completely lost in the current iteration. There's only been a handful of shows worth watching."***

If you are referring to the 'handful' that most people take to be the best episodes, then they were all written by Steven Moffat. Moffat is taking over from Russell T Davies as the executive producer and had the final say on who would play the new Dr.

Given Moffat's obvious talent, as witnesses by the praise heaped upon him for his Dr Who episodes, as well as for Coupling and Joking Apart, I assume he knows what he is doing.

I, for one, am looking forward to a new series featuring more of Moffat's absorbing scripts and less of Davies formulaic dribbling and, hopefully, none of Chris Chibnall's pointless monster chases.

could they not find an actor with his own eyebrows?

I liked David Tennant as the Dr but never felt that there was any real sense of peril to any of the episodes and have become bored with the whole same old - same old.

Have no idea about this new guy but presume that the Dr to come after him will be a foetus (so the yoof can relate to it). And I have no idea who the next assistant should be, but I'm guessing it should be an unknown; although I'd be quite happy with Carey Mulligan (Sally Sparrow) preferably naked in every episode - as she is very easy on the eye.

As for Lily Allen - am I the only one who thinks she is quite sexy? Albeit until she opens her mouth and lets words come out.

PS - re Merlin... I am aware that the BBC has some politically correct ideal to shoehorn an ethnic minority, a spaz, or some other demographical minority into every possible show... but what historical basis is there for assuming that Guinevere was a coloured lass?

What do you mean nothing to do with IT? This new Doctor wrote Jet Set Willy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Smith_(games_programmer)

I thought Paterson Joseph would have been a good choice. I thought he played a good role in Peep Show, I could just imagine Dr Who being like Alan Jonson.

This new guy they've picked looks about the age of a teenager. Meh, I guess time will tell if he's any good.

Mine is the one with a box set of the old Dr Who from the 80's in the pocket.

Rob

I wish you saddos would stop bastard complaining. Wait until he takes the role, and if it's a poor effort, don't whine about it, just STOP WATCHING!

Christ, you'd think it was rocket science.

I for one congratulate Mr Smith on getting the role, and hope he does it justice. If not, I'll probably go and do some programming, or go for a run or something instead of watching the show.

Is it me or does Sarah Bee appear angrier and less likely to take sh*t from "IT-angle-tards" this year??

I'm gonna wait until I see a few episodes first before saying this lad (oh god... I'm older than a time-lord... this sucks) can't pull it off.... I thought tennant was going to be a majorly stupid choice, and vowed to stop watching it... but he turned out to be one of the best doctors in my eyes... just a shame he got some of the lamest storylines ever... but he at least played them well... and lasted more than a season.

Maybe this is going to be a slightly darker Doctor.... I doubt he will be beheading puppies and blowing up infant schools any time soon though... after all, it is just a kids show still.

Your great :)

We love you (from the Reg Readers who have a brain)

Martin

The real definition of Science Fiction is: Throw some funky tech at a setting, then stand back and see what stories flow from that.

I think the TARDIS fits the bill quite nicely. It might be melodramatic, but it /is/ Science Fiction.

If you can remove the Science bit and the story can still be told without much tweaking and changing then its either space opera or effects driven drivel (i.e. Battlestar Galactica, well you have to replace the cylons with double agent spy types or something I guess, but you get the point).

"Planet of Fire".

Anyone else here seen a certain "Luck and Flaw"-alike take on "behind the scenes at Dr Who" from the CB days?

"Peri's boobs by Industrial Light and Magic" has to be the greatest credit gag of all time.