Latest news with #TheDoctor
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Danny Dyer wants to play Doctor Who - here's why he should
Ever since Ncuti Gatwa handed back his Tardis key and stepped away from Doctor Who, I've known who should play the Sixteenth Doctor – Danny Dyer. Now, before you get your Tom Baker scarf in a knot or hire a Dalek to exterminate me, this isn't a gag or an attempt at contrarianism. I genuinely believe Danny should get a spin in the Tardis, and I even wrote about it back in April before Ncuti burned away to reveal Billie Piper's smiling face. Well, it turns out that the 47-year-old actor must be a Metro reader because he agrees with me. During a recent interview with The Mirror, Danny said that while he's never been asked to audition for The Doctor, he'd be well up for it. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. 'It's such an iconic thing to do,' he said. 'It's almost – not on the same level – like James Bond. It's a character that's loved by so many.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'Again, it gives you an opportunity with Doctor Who, because of the nature of the work, to bring something left-field, something a bit mental, a bit stylised, which I love. I love the idea of it. So why am I so convinced that Danny – who's better known for playing crime lords than time lords – would make a good Doctor? Well, I can't say it's because I think he'd look great in a velvet Victorian frock coat (although he might?). It's more than I believe every actor who's ever played the Doctor well needs three essential qualities, and Danny more than meets the criteria. The first is that they need to be likeable. Check. Any time I see Danny Dyer as himself (I wouldn't say most of the characters he plays are likeable), I think he comes across as incredibly sincere and earnest. Yeah, I know he swears a bit, but honestly, who doesn't? And all it does is lend him a bit of authenticity. Don't believe me? Just watch his episode of The Assembly and try not to be charmed by him. It's impossible. Danny's just got a genuineness and consistency to his character that makes him really hard to dislike. The second thing is that anyone who's playing the Doctor needs to be a good actor, and I'm sorry, but Danny has proven he's every bit as talented as the Time Lords who came before him. Ignoring all the awards he's won for acting (including, most recently, a Bafta for Mr Bigstuff), it's clear we're a long way away from the days when he was presenting Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men and seemed more like someone interested in being on the telly than in acting. You might think 'he just plays tough men like Mick Carter, Tommy Johnson, and Moff'; that he plays the same character in every show. But that hot take ignores his real skill. What he does exceptionally well is to breathe pathos, a sense of weakness, into these tough nuts that makes them easy to sympathise with, even if we can't always understand their actions. You know who that sounds an awful lot like to me? The Doctor, a being who puts on a front to hide his loneliness and vulnerabilities, and sometimes makes terrible calls. Oh, and before you start saying that Danny lacks range, just watch him in Rivals and Mr Bigstuff. In those shows, he proves he can be every bit as tender, loving, and funny as we'd expect the Doctor to be. Finally, then I think the Doctor must have an arc. Admittedly, this has more to do with scripts than the actor, but I think Danny's persona here would be a valuable asset for the show. Everyone knows Dyer as a 'cockney hardman' who's the furthest thing from the traditional Doctor. But why not lean into that? I imagine him as a mash-up of the Third, Ninth and Twelfth Doctors. A bad-tempered figure who's as passionate and brave as ever, but not afraid to spark out a mouthy Sontaran when they get out of line. More Trending His arc then could be similar to Peter Capaldi's Doctor, who went from a galaxy-sized grump to the kindest person to ever pilot the Tardis. That happened over three series and made for brilliant TV. More than that, it arguably gave us the best season of Doctor Who since the revival – Series 10. Ultimately, what I'm saying is Doctor Who is dying (perhaps it's Dyer-ing) and Danny might just be the fresh face the show and the Doctor needs. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: The Celebrity Traitors 'confirmed' cast salaries make me feel incredibly uneasy MORE: I've heard enough words – I want more Government action on Israel-Palestine MORE: MasterChef will release unaired John Torode and Gregg Wallace series, BBC confirms
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why every Doctor Who actor has left the BBC series
Doctor Who is one of the most iconic roles in British television, a coveted part passed from actor to actor with great pomp and ceremony. So when one of them decides to leave, it's always a great shock, and audiences wonder why they're going. Ncuti Gatwa is the most recent star to portray the Time Lord, leaving after just 18 months in the role and with two series under his belt. He is the actor with the second shortest stint of the Modern Who era, coming after Christopher Eccleston, who departed the BBC show after one series. The star, who also appeared in the Barbie movie, has now revealed exactly why he left the series so early, and he is not the only person to have done so over the years. Here is what every star who has played The Doctor has said about their reasons for leaving. During an appearance on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on 13 July, Gatwa explained his reason for leaving the series, citing that it "took a lot out" of him and he was "getting old". The actor joined the show in November 2023 in the show's 60th Anniversary specials and starred in two series and Christmas specials before bidding farewell. When asked why he left, the 32-year-old actor said: "Because I'm getting old. My body was tired. It's the most amazing job in the world. It's a job that any actor would dream of, and because it's so good, it's strenuous. "It takes a lot out of you, physically, emotionally, mentally. So, it was time." Despite his departure from the show, the actor teased that he would return to the role when the time was right, telling Kuenssberg, "Never say never" when asked directly about a future cameo. Whittaker joined the BBC series alongside showrunner Chris Chibnall, and the pair revealed they had made a deal when they first started working together that they would stay together until the end, meaning they would also leave at the same time when they felt it was right. Whittaker announced her departure from the show in 2021, sharing a statement: "I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. "So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. I don't think I'll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I've learnt forever. I know change can be scary, and none of us know what's out there. That's why we keep looking. Travel hopefully. The universe will surprise you. Constantly." Chibnall also reiterated that the deal was the reason behind his and Whittaker's departure: "Jodie and I made a 'three series and out' pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast. So now our shift is done, and we're handing back the Tardis keys." Peter Capaldi portrayed The Doctor for four years, appearing in three series and several specials during this time. The actor is famously a super fan of the show, having even sent fan letters as a child to the BBC, and so getting to portray the character felt like the chance of a lifetime. But there came a point where he knew it was "the right time to move on" because of the impact it had on him and the time he had dedicated to it. Speaking with the Courier Mail in 2018, he said: "Doctor Who is a great show and experience, but to be at the centre of that brand is a lot of work. There's a lot more than just acting. "It was hard to maintain that level of commitment with that schedule any longer. I tried my best to make the Doctor come alive." The actor added that he "stopped being anything" for four years and needed rest after such a huge undertaking. In an interview with Radio Times in 2017, he said: "I love this show, but I've never done anything where you turn up every day for 10 months," he explained. "I want to always be giving it my best, and I don't think if I stayed on, I'd be able to do that." Matt Smith also played The Doctor for four years, departing after the 50th anniversary special and Christmas specials in 2013. Since leaving the BBC show, the actor has not stopped working, starring in critically-acclaimed projects like House of the Dragon, Last Night in Soho and The Crown. Ahead of his departure, Smith told The Hollywood Reporter that playing The Doctor is a huge undertaking and it felt like the perfect time to leave: "It's a very intense process to play the Doctor. The line-learning is really hard, and you have to live away from home for nine or 10 months a year. I love the show, and it wasn't an easy choice to come to, but it's the right time for both of us." However, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, via Female First, the actor admitted he considered doing another series but ultimately changed his mind: "I'd have very happily done another year. It's a wonderful show. But I think you gotta go when you gotta go, and for me, it just felt like the right time to move on." When David Tennant took the role of The Doctor in 2005, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, as a longtime fan of the series, the actor was beside himself with delight. He quickly became a firm favourite for viewers, and regularly tops lists as the best Doctor. Tennant initially left the role in 2010, after more than four years as The Doctor, and he told the BBC that he ultimately chose to do so in order not to "outstay [his] welcome". He explained: "It would be very easy to cling on to the Tardis console forever and I fear that if I don't take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, then I simply never will. You would be prising the Tardis key out of my cold, dead hand. This show has been so special to me, I don't want to outstay my welcome." Tennant has since returned to the role on a handful of occasions, appearing in the 50th anniversary special with Smith and then portraying the Fourteenth Doctor for the 60th anniversary episodes that were released ahead of Gatwa's introduction into the series. Of the Modern Who era, it is Christopher Eccleston who holds the shortest stint as The Doctor as he left in 2005 after just one series in the role. The actor departed after facing creative difficulties with showrunner Russell T Davies. At the time the BBC falsely claimed the actor left to avoid being "typecast", a statement they have since rescinded, while Eccleston has become increasingly candid over the years regarding his reason for leaving the role and the backlash he faced. The actor explained he had issues with how the show was run behind the scenes. In a panel appearance at New York Comic Con in 2019, he explained: "I left because my relationship with the showrunner and producer broke down, I left only because of those three individuals and the way they were running the show. I loved playing the character, and I loved the world... and I felt, 'I'm going to play the Doctor my way and I'm not going to get involved in these politics.' And that wasn't workable, so off I went." He also told Radio Times in 2018 that he couldn't in good conscience stay on the series because of the struggles he had behind the scenes: 'My relationship with my three immediate superiors – the showrunner, the producer and co-producer – broke down irreparably during the first block of filming and it never recovered. They lost trust in me, and I lost faith and trust and belief in them." In an interview with The Guardian in 2018 Eccleston revealed that he was blacklisted by the BBC as a result of leaving Doctor Who: "What happened around Doctor Who almost destroyed my career. I gave them a hit show, and I left with dignity, and then they put me on a blacklist. "I was carrying my own insecurities as it was something I had never done before and then I was abandoned, vilified in the tabloid press and blacklisted. I was told by my agent at the time: 'The BBC regime is against you. You're going to have to get out of the country and wait for regime change.'" Eccleston has been asked to return to the show, such as for the 50th anniversary special, but has declined. His animosity toward Davies and the show's producers continues, because as recently as 2023 he said at For The Love of Sci Fi convention that he would only return to the show on one condition: "Sack Russell T Davies. Sack Jane Tranter. Sack Phil Collinson. Sack Julie Gardner. And I'll come back. So can you arrange that?" He added: "I love being associated, just don't like being associated with those people and the politics that went on in the first series. The first series was a mess, and it wasn't to do with me or Billie [Piper], it was to do with the people who were supposed to make it, and it was a mess." Between the Classic and Modern Who eras on TV was a TV movie starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, which aired in 1996. Doctor Who had been cancelled by the BBC due to dwindling ratings, and the TV movie was a bid to try and breathe new life into the franchise. Ultimately, it didn't work, and so McGann's appearance as the Doctor was a one-and-done occurrence. In 2013, McGann reprised the role for the show's 50th anniversary, appearing in an online-only min-episode called The Night of the Doctor. He also appeared briefly in 2022's The Power of the Doctor as one of the 'Guardians of the Edge'. The Classic Who era ended in 1989 with Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, after he portrayed the character across three series. McCoy's departure from the show was not his own making; the BBC decided to cancel Doctor Who after audience numbers reduced to the point where it was no longer feasible to keep going. Ironically, the cancellation came after McCoy had agreed to make a fourth season of the show. "The plans were afoot [for a fourth season]," McCoy told RadioTimes. "We were going to carry on with the mystery, drop hints that the Doctor was more than just the Doctor, a more powerful kind of being - not a being, really, an alien, whatever he is! That was the kind of idea. We never achieved that because of what happened." Colin Baker took over the role of The Doctor in 1984, and he portrayed the character for almost three years as the sixth iteration of the character. The actor is an exception to his cohort because he didn't leave the role of The Doctor, he was fired. Baker was dropped from the series due to dwindling ratings. Baker refused to return to film a regeneration scene for incoming actor Sylvester McCoy, and in 2019 he said at a BFI screening that he regretted the decision because he forgot about the fans. Per Radio Times, he said: "I was being brutally selfish at the time and I just felt annoyed. Because I loved that part... and I thought I had more to offer." In a chat with the BBC in 2013, Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison revealed that he was advised to only stay on the BBC show for three seasons by Patrick Troughton, who portrayed the Second Doctor. "I had to make the decision absurdly early," Davison explained. "It was at the end of my second season. The producer asked about staying beyond a third year, and I said I would call it a day because that had been my plan, as suggested by Patrick Troughton. 'Do three and get out,' he said. "I stuck with that. I had a chance to change my mind, but I thought that would be chickening out, and there were other things I wanted to do." The actor to have the longest stint as the Time Lord is Tom Baker, who portrayed the character for seven years and left the role in 1981. In an interview with Digital Spy, the actor revealed that his reason for leaving the show was ultimately because of the difficult relationship he had with John Nathan-Turner, the producer of his third and final era in the role. "I didn't like his approach to anything very much," Baker said. "His approach as a producer, to the scripts and to my managed somehow — how terrible — to diminish me. He made assumptions about how I should do things, or what lines meant, or how it should be shot, which diminished me, and I found that unbearable." Ultimately, Baker has since come to the conclusion that it was a good thing because the producer "nudged me toward the realisation [that Doctor Who] had run its course and I should go somewhere else. I think, in a way, when I said when I wanted to go, he was relieved, that he wouldn't have to have that fight". The third iteration of The Doctor was portrayed by Jon Pertwee, who played the character between 1970 and 1974. He ultimately left the role after his costar Roger Delgado, who played The Master, died in a car accident, and Pertwee didn't want to act with anyone else in that role. The departures of show producer Barry Letts and his onscreen companion Katy Manning also led him to that decision because it felt like the "end of an era". As mentioned, Troughton previously advised Davison that he should only stay in the role of The Doctor for three series, and this was something the actor did himself. He ultimately left because of the gruelling filming schedule for the show, and because he didn't want to be typecast after staying in the part for too long. The very first Doctor was portrayed by William Hartnell from November 1963 to October 1966, putting the character on the map and creating an icon for the BBC. Hartnell left the role after almost three years because of his deteriorating health, which made learning lines more difficult for him. It was decided during his tenure that, because the Doctor is an alien, he would be able to regenerate, thus allowing the lead role to be recast and the series to continue. Hartnell is the one who suggested his successor, Troughton. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ncuti Gatwa shares reason for quitting Doctor Who after just two years
Ncuti Gatwa has opened up about his decision to walk away from playing Doctor Who - having lasted just two seasons in the high profile role and after ratings bombed Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has insisted he quit his role as the Time Lord as he feels too old to keep playing the part. At 32, the Rwandan-Scottish actor is on the younger side of some of the stars who have played The Doctor. Christopher Eccleston was 41 when he took on the role in 2005, David Tennant was 34 when he took the part later that same year, and Peter Capaldi was 55 when he took over the role in 2013. Ncuti lasted just two seasons in the role, taking on the part of the Fifteenth Doctor in 2023 only to bow out in June this year in a shock twist. Fans were stunned to see him regenerate at the end of an episode, as his departure had not been previously announced. And jaws dropped even more when Billie Piper, who played Rose Tyler on the show on and off from 2005 until 2010, emerged in his place instead. But speaking to the BBC 's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme this weekend, Ncuti claimed his tired old early 30s body meant it was time for him to walk away from the Tardis. He told the political journalist: 'I'm getting old, and my body was tired… and I've now just started doing some ballet, so I'm making really great decisions. 'It's the most amazing job in the world, a job that any actor would dream of and – because it's so good – it's strenuous. It takes a lot out of you, physically, emotionally, mentally, and so it was time.' Asked if he would ever return to the show, he teased: 'Never say never.' Fans were shocked when Ncuti departed the series this year. The show had attracted fierce criticism over politically charged storylines, and ratings had tanked since the actor took over the role. The BBC had signed a lucrative deal with Disney to co-fund the long-running series, only for viewers to switch off despite the cash injection. After his shock exit, Ncuti issued a statement declaring his love for the franchise. He said in June: 'You know when you get cast, at some point, you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it. 'This journey has been one that I will never forget and a role that will be part of me forever. There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe. 'The fans are truly the final character and beating heart of this show and I can't thank the Whoniverse, and the Whovians, enough for welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience. 'I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have. I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.' Meanwhile, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, said: 'What a Doctor! Thank you, Ncuti! As his final words say, this has been an absolute joy, and the team in Cardiff and everyone who has worked on this show for the past few years, are so lucky to have been part of Ncuti's great adventure as he shoots off to stratospheric new heights. 'Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she's done it again! It's an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the Tardis, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told. After 62 years, the Doctor's adventures are only just beginning!' It is unclear if or when Doctor Who will return following the disastrous most recent run of episodes. Fans fear the series could be axed completely after new episodes underperformed - while some rumours have suggested the show could be put on ice until 2027.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Rumor About 'Doctor Who's' Future Going Forward Is More Positive Than We Expected
"Doctor Who" ended its latest season on an exciting cliffhanger with a big mystery to unravel regarding why The Doctor looks like Rose Tyler. However, there's a bigger issue for the series to solve in the real world. There's still no official ruling on a season renewal for the series, and with persistent rumors that Disney may pull out of its co-partnership with The BBC, the network has some big questions to address ahead of any new episodes. Fortunately, there is a positive rumor to shine some potential light on what could've been a dark time for the franchise. The news comes from "Who" insider Daniel Richtman, who notes that while the days of streaming new episodes of "Doctor Who" with a Disney+ subscription may be at an end, there's optimism it will end up elsewhere
Bangkok Post
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
Long live the Dalai Lama, but who is next?
The whole business of succession would be a lot simpler if the Dalai Lama could just regenerate, like Doctor Who -- a long-running British science fiction series. When the time comes for The Doctor to stop looking like David Tennant and start looking like Matt Smith, there's flame coming out of his head and gushing out of his sleeves, and then he explodes. When the smoke clears, there's the new Doctor. There's no delay and no doubt. Once you accept (temporarily) the show's basic premise that Doctor Who is a benevolent immortal alien who periodically "regenerates" from one human form to another, not even being consistent in ethnicity or gender from one body to the next, you know instantly that it's the same Doctor in there despite appearances. With the dear old Dalai Lama, it's different. Reincarnation still happens, but the souls of the dead migrate into the bodies of the newborn and retain no memory of their previous lives. This becomes a problem when the soul of your religion's leader has to be tracked down in one of those thousands who were born around the same time the leader died. That is exactly the problem facing the Gelug "Yellow Hat" tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, whose leader, the Dalai Lama, turned 90 on Sunday. He will therefore soon be leaving his current incarnation, and it will be the task of his closest associates to track down the young child in whom his soul has taken up residence -- who will then become the next Dalai Lama. Then the troubles really start, because Tibet has been officially part of the People's Republic of China since the Chinese invasion of 1950, and Beijing does not like religious leaders who are beyond its control. In fact, it doesn't like religious leaders at all, especially if they also embody the national aspirations of a subject people -- and least of all if they live abroad The Dalai Lama ticks every box. He fled Tibet in the midst of a CIA-backed popular rebellion against foreign rule in 1959. He has lived in exile ever since in the northern Indian city of Dharamshala, surrounded by tens of thousands of other Tibetan exiles. And he heads what is in practice a Tibetan government-in-exile, although no other country recognises it. There is, nevertheless, a good deal of ambient sympathy for Tibet not only in Western countries but in countries of the Global South that got their independence just as Tibet was losing its own. They never say anything about it out loud because China is far too big and rich to risk offending, but they do know a colonial relationship when they see one. This makes the Communist authorities in Beijing nervous, even though there is no real challenge to Chinese control. They therefore see the Dalai Lama's passing, whenever it happens, as a golden opportunity to "nationalise" Tibetan Buddhism by giving the state the power to choose his successor. We already had a preview of this 35 years ago when the Panchen Lama, second only to the Dalai Lama, died. After a lengthy but low-profile search, Tibetan monks found a six-year-old boy called Gedhun Choekyi Nyima who matched the requirements, and the Dalai Lama (in exile) proclaimed him as the new Panchen Lama in 1995. The little boy and his family were immediately arrested and "disappeared"; none of them has ever been seen again. The Dalai Lama will not make that mistake twice: he has already said that his next reincarnation will be found in "the free world", which presumably means outside China. But the vast majority of Tibetans still live in Tibet, and it is already clear that they will get a different Dalai Lama, chosen for them by the Communist regime. It could end up like the Great Western Schism of 1378-1417, with two and then three popes at the same time -- and that situation could easily last as long, depending on what happens to China in the long run. All of this is ultimately about the survival of a separate Tibetan identity, which is still theoretically possible. Beijing has not yet adopted the final solution it is applying to the Uyghur minority: only Chinese may be used in the schools in both regions, but the Tibetans are not yet being drowned with Han Chinese immigrants. The Chinese Communist regime is now a little bit older than the Soviet Union was when it collapsed, but the CCP is still going strong. If it lasts another 50 years, Tibet's identity will certainly be eradicated, for there are more than 200 Chinese for every Tibetan. But if it's gone in 20 years, Tibetan culture may well survive. Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. His latest book is 'Intervention Earth: Life-Saving Ideas from the World's Climate Engineers'. Last year's book, 'The Shortest History of War', is also still available.
