Doctor who 50th Anniversary, 13 Doctors?

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, 13 Doctors?
24 December 2012
EventHorizon1984

The BBC nonchalantly made this statement about the longest running science fiction television series, Doctor Who:

• "Drama on BBC One takes another big leap in 2013 in the shape of some major event dramas, including The Village, Ripper Street, Luther, The White Queen and the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. These shows will bring a rich range of tones and worlds to BBC One's fiction."
  Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC One, 3 December 2012

Despite the lack of empathy, this brief announcement mildly confirms the comments from the current executive producer of Doctor Who.  With a twist.

• "Why talk in the singular? The plans are at a very early stage, but we have some very clear ideas about some of the things that we're doing, and I think Doctor Who fans and kids will think it's the best thing ever. We've got a load of very big plans - the mere fact that we’re talking about this two years before the event should tell you how seriously we’re taking it."
• Steven Moffat, 20 December 2011

Indeed.  Why have one multi-Doctor episode when the entire 2013-2014 season is available?

Technically Steven Moffit did an 11 Doctors episode, "The Eleventh Hour. (3 April 2010)"  In a ten second montage, all past ten Doctors and Doctor 11, Matt Smith, were presented to the viewers.

"Is this world protected?  Because you're not the first lot to have come here.  Oh, there have been so many.  And what you've got to ask is, 'what happened to them?'.
<dead silence from the Atraxi>
Hello.  I'm the Doctor.  Basically.  Run."
The Doctor, Doctor Who, "The Eleventh Hour", 3 April 2010

To be off-topic for a moment, we'll rank this scene up there with a similar scene in a Hugo Award winning science fiction episode.

"This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw .. or be destroyed."
"Negative. We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship."  Captain Drake
"Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, Be Somewhere Else."
Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5, "Severed Dreams", 1 April 1996

About those nagging death and age issues or past Doctors?  The Tor.com article, Determining Which Doctors Would Return for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary, spoke at length on the availability of past actors.  As to the rest, well this is a time travel show.

So here's our partial fantasy list of the actors for a "Eleven Doctors".  Or should we say "Thirteen Doctors"?

01  The First Doctor

William Hartnel  (1908-1975)

• Doctor Who, 1963-1966
• Doctor Who, The Three Doctors, 1972-1973
• Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, 1983*

Richard Hurndall  (1910-1984)

• Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, 1983

Peter Cushing  (1913-1994) *

• Dr. Who and the Daleks, 1965
• Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., 1966

Being the new first Doctor would be a 'tough act to follow'.  But we'll take our cue, and suggestion, from Karen Gillan (Amy Pond):

San Diego Comic Con 2011:

• Question -  "If you could cross over Doctor Who with any show, except for Torchwood, what would it be and why?"
• Karen Gillan - "Star Trek Next Generation"

#1 Sir Patrick Stewart

This pick would fit in quite nicely with the Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation crossover comic.

02  The Second Doctor, first regeneration

Patrick Troughton  (1920-1987)

• Doctor Who, 1966-1969
• Doctor Who, The Three Doctors, 1972-1973
• Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, 1983
• Doctor Who, The Two Doctors, 1985

Who best to play the second Doctor?  Why not an actor who's already played the Doctor.  And played a character with a similar haircut.

#2 Rowan Atkinson
Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, 1999

03  The Third Doctor, second regeneration

Jon Pertwee  (1919-1996)

• Doctor Who, 1970-1974
• Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, 1983
• Dimensions In Time, 1993  

We'll be lazy with this pick and pronounce that Pertwee will play the part of the third Doctor.  That is Sean Pertwee, the son of Jon Pertwee.

04  The Fourth Doctor, third regeneration

Tom Baker  (1934-

• Doctor Who, 1974-1981
• Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, 1984*
• Dimensions In Time, 1993

This one is easy.  First, Tom Baker is still with us.  Second, age is not a factor.  That is when the Fourth Doctor is pulled from the time stream of the episode "The Leisure Hive."  After the little accident with the rejuvenator, when the Doctor is shown several centuries older.

*  The Watcher, fourth regeneration

Adrian Gibbs

• Doctor Who, Logopolis, 1981

A projection of the Fourth Doctor's future incarnation.

05  The Fifth Doctor, fourth regeneration

Peter Davison  (1951-

• Doctor Who, 1981-1984
• Dimensions In Time, 1993
• Time Crash, 1993

Here the we pull the fifth Doctor out of the time stream, right after the events of "Time Crash."

06  The Sixth Doctor, fifth regeneration

Colin Baker  (1943-

• Doctor Who, 1984-1986
• Doctor Who, The Two Doctors, 1985
• Dimensions In Time, 1993

Take the regeneration scene from the beginning of the episode "Time And The Rani" and reverse the flow of time.  Or in the real world, run the film backwards.  Conclude the reverse time stream regeneration with the Sixth Doctor.  A bit older but no less wiser.

07  The Seventh Doctor, sixth regeneration

Sylvester McCoy  (1943-

• Doctor Who, 1987-1989
• Doctor Who, 1996
• Dimensions In Time, 1993

Let's whisk away the Seventh Doctor from the movie Doctor Who 1996.  The beginning of the film during the record playing scene.  The one between the Doctor sealing the Master's remains in a box, and where he sits down in the comfy chair.

08  The Eighth Doctor, seventh regeneration

Paul McGann (1959-

• Doctor Who, 1996

The Eighth Doctor is available anytime after he leaves Earth.

09  The Ninth Doctor, eighth regeneration

Christopher Eccleston (1964-

• Doctor Who, 2005

The Ninth Doctor is available before he is first seen on Earth.

10  The Tenth Doctor, ninth regeneration, tenth regeneration.

David Tennant (1971-

• Doctor Who, 2005-2010

If you're keeping track, the ninth regeneration is the transformation of the Ninth Doctor into the Tenth Doctor.  The tenth regeneration takes place at the end of the episode "The Stolen Earth" and the beginning of "Journey's End".

11  The Human Doctor, tenth regeneration

David Tennant (1971-

• Doctor Who, Journey's End, 2008

Mix hand of The Doctor with Donna Noble and get another Doctor with human psychology.

"I grew, out of you." The Doctor

12  Doctor-Donna

Catherine Tate ( -

• Doctor Who, Journey's End, 2008

Donna Nobel mixed with the mind of the tenth Doctor.  And one hell of a performance by Catherine Tate. 

13  The Eleventh Doctor, eleventh regeneration

Matt Smith (1982-

• Doctor Who, 2010-

Now in the episode "Let's Kill Hitler" River Song (Alex Kingston) gave up her remaining regenerations to save the Doctor.  Bringing up a question important to the last entry, 'how many regenerations does the Doctor really have left?".

*  The Valeyard

Michael Jayston (1935-

• Doctor Who, The Trial of a Time Lord, 1986

In The Trial of a Time Lord: The Ultimate Foe, the Valeyard is described as being "somewhere between the Doctor's twelfth and final incarnations" .  Vaguely meaning the Valeyard could be a future incarnation of the Doctor, or a projection like the Watcher.  Or the Master was lying.

While the Doctor-status of the Valeyard is unknown, nevertheless at the time the Valeyard was a physical entity.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary 2013

And what will Steven Moffat do for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary? 

Humanity will find out after the 2012 Christmas Special.

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Marshall Mann, In Plain Sight

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