What a fantastic idea. It’s like the next best thing to being able to keep it a secret until the regeneration. At least this way it’s possible to pull off and we still get some event television.

I wonder how they’ll execute it?

It’s worth noting that the press release also confirms that the last of the specials will be in early 2010. So, it looks like a regeneration on New Year’s Day…

A sudden thought: The Sun or someone similar are going to have a leaked confirmation of who it is tomorrow, aren’t they?

Okay, so tomorrow I’ll avoid the internet, basically. That’s do-able. If there’s going to be a Special Announcement I’d much rather see it as it happens. And I’m really curious as to how they’ll do it.

Also : heh.

Interesting to look at this old piece:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7699513.s…

Because only the top name seems remotely credible to me.

>only the top name seems remotely credible to me.

And only the top name has a photograph which can event vaguely be considered flattering.

I’m not sure about anywhere else, but Betfair have a chap called Matt Smith with drastically cut odds, now making him the favourite:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-2348…

Hmmm.

Also, I think now is a good time to say that the operators of Outpost Gallifrey should be horribly violated by Tim Berners-Lee for their ‘Peak Hours Policy’.

Sorry to be going a bit mad with the posting, but have a look at this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/…

“it is not someone you will have heard of”

It’s going to be Matt Smith, isn’t it?

Haven’t seen in him much, He was extremely good in the Taxi episode of The Street (oddly titled ‘Two Families’ on the IMDb). Seems awfully young, and isn’t there a Moffat quote about a Doctor needing to be older? (Not that that held while he was writing his glowing Davison appraisal for Time Crash…)

“It is not someone you will have heard of” does make it sound possible, though Joseph isn’t a household name yet. Plus:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3TUcXlTXfHU

This could go anywhere. I love that.

It’s getting to the stage where I’m going to be actively annoyed if it’s anyone OTHER than Paterson.

But I will be particularly annoyed if they cast a 25-year-old. Tennant was just about the lower-limit of what you can get away with, age-wise. He’s not a young action hero or hearthrob type. He’s the fucking Doctor. He’s got to have authority, gravitas, universe-weariness. Tennant pulled it off because, as a massive fan of the show himself, he knew exactly what was required. I’m not sure anyone else would.

… or maybe I’m just bitter about the idea of being older than the Doctor. That’s not supposed to happen. It’s supposed to be something I could be ten or twenty years in the future, dammit!

… alright, that article is out of date, he’s 26, a month older than me. STILL, THOUGH.

Also, “Matt Smith” would look rubbish on the opening credits.

I still think it’s going to be Joseph, but I can see the train of thought that would lead to Smith. Moffat’s on record with his admiration for Davidson, and I can see how he’d view playing the “Young Doctor” card as a way of breaking the mold. The new generation of fans now view Tennant as the typical Doctor, and any canditate has to have something to offer to break away from him.

As I said, I don’t think they’d go for Smith, but I can understand how he’d find his way onto a shortlist.

>NTS reserves the right to be staggered if it’s anyone other than Patterson Joseph.

It’s days later, and people are STILL staggering.

And the obscure quote award goes to…

Oh, shut up, Patrick.