Rumours

 

There are some interesting rumours doing the rounds at the moment, about the possible shape of Series 14. A number of actors are always mentioned when the press, and the bookmakers, speculate about who might become the next Doctor, and this time some of them are people with whom Russell T Davies has recently worked (two of the cast of It's A Sin, for instance). Other names are people who have worked with the producers further back, and this time that includes someone who has already played the Doctor - David Tennant. 

It's not just RTD who is coming back, but Series 1 - 4 producer Phil Collinson as well. The BBC have spoken about "radical changes" to the format. The idea that we will simply get another actor taking on the part, and then carrying on as usual, seems to be receding.

The new rumour goes something like this: there won't be a new Doctor when Jodie Whittaker leaves. Either she won't regenerate at all, or we won't get to see her new incarnation. Things will be left open-ended for a future showrunner to pick up.

RTD will then produce a series of "old" Doctor stories, which could include at least one featuring Tennant. Rather than scrap the Timeless Child, RTD will embrace it, as it allows him to have any number of guest Doctors. You could have a different actor in every story. Jo Martin could get a whole story to herself, for example. 

One way of tying these things together could be the current Doctor opening the Division fob watch - thus releasing memories of pre-Hartnell Doctors.

All this would allow for "radical change" without actually damaging the series as it stands up to the end of Whittaker's reign. The series would simply be put on hold, while we spent some time investigating he Doctor's past.

Apparently production on Series 14 has now begun, so we should have some idea of where the series is going before too long.