Official - 11th Doctor to be Announced

The BBC confirmed today that it will reveal the identity of the Eleventh Doctor as part of a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential to be aired on BBC ONE tomorrow, Saturday 03 January at 17:35hrs.
Following the announcement in October that David Tennant would be stepping down from his role as the Doctor at the end of 2009*, speculation has been mounting as to who would take over from him for the fifth series of this iconic BBC drama that will air in 2010.

With a new creative team in place for the new series led by Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger, the casting of the new Doctor was job number one to be completed before scripts could be finalised and shooting could begin in summer 2009.

In the Doctor Who special, to be aired tomorrow at 17.35hrs, the actor playing the new Doctor will be giving his or her initial reaction to being the new, eleventh incarnation of one of television's most loved characters.
Head Of Drama BBC Wales Piers Wenger said, "We are so pleased to have been able to cast this person as the new Doctor. We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own - I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!".

There will be four Doctor Who Specials featuring David Tennant that will run in 2009 into New Year 2010 (dates tbc).
The Doctor Who Confidential programme will also be broadcast live on the BBC's Big Screens nationwide.
Doctor Who Confidential - The Eleventh Doctor: Saturday, January 3rd - 17:35hrs, BBC ONE


BBC News has announced that the identity of the actor who will play the Eleventh Doctor, succeeding current Doctor David Tennant, will be announced tomorrow.

The news will come in a special edition of tie-in documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, which is being transmitted on BBC One tomorrow evening at 5.35pm. The episode will also be shown at the same time on BBC Big Screens in town centres across the UK.

The actor was confirmed in the role over the Christmas period and will begin filming for Series Five this summer, for transmission in 2010. New executive producer Piers Wenger is quoted as saying: "We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own. I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!"

The release from the BBC Press Office confirms that the Confidential episode has been retitled "The Eleventh Doctor" (it was formerly advertised as "The Ten Doctors"), and will feature the actor concerned giving his or her thoughts on having been cast. The press release also suggests that the last of David Tennant's episodes as the Doctor will be broadcast in the New Year of 2010.

The BBC have created a special trailer for the Doctor Who Confidential episode, which is also available to British internet users on their official YouTube page.

In a change to the advertised programs title, Saturdays episode of Doctor Who Confidential, previously called The Ten Doctors is now advertised as The Eleventh Doctor. IMHO this was of course planned from the programs making, the title was changed to ten just to keep things secret from the public until the BBC where ready to announce it.

The million dollar question is this - how long have they had an eleventh Doctor? Was he chosen by the 20th of November? (just listen to the interview), or perhaps this is all to mislead us?

David Tennant does refer to his successor as the chap, so we can assume Doctor eleven is a man at least!


After months of speculation, its almost over! Tomorrow teatime will reveal who is to be Doctor Eleven. So who could it be? The Favourites ATM are;

Patterson Joseph (44)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (34)
Ben Wishaw (27)
Matt Smith (26)

Of course it could be someone else or even someone who hasn't been mentioned yet!

The speculations that it could be a woman, a previous doctor, or a movie star are unlikely. Just consider what the BBC are looking for; someone who isn't too young, or too old, Attractive, Fit and healthy, can act, and can cope with the workload and popularity!


As I correctly predicted two days ago here...

The name of the actor who will replace David Tennant as Doctor Who will be announced on Saturday.

Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009.

His replacement - the eleventh Doctor of the TV series - will be revealed in a Doctor Who Confidential programme on BBC One at 17.35 on 3rd of January.

The casting was confirmed over Christmas and filming for the 2010 series begins in the summer.

Tennant is due to begin shooting the first of his four specials this month, just weeks after surgery on his back.

The last of these episodes is expected to run in early 2010.

THE 10 DOCTORS
01. William Hartnell
02. Patrick Troughton
03. Jon Pertwee
04. Tom Baker
05. Peter Davison
06. Colin Baker
07. Sylvester McCoy
08. Paul McGann
09. Christopher Eccleston
10. David Tennant
11. ???

The casting decision has been a priority for the show's new creative team, led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger.

The BBC said that in Saturdays Doctor Who special the actor playing the new Doctor will be giving his or her initial reaction to becoming TV's most famous time traveller.

Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own.

I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!

Shortly after Tennant's announcement, bookmakers were tipping several well-known names as the next actor (or actress) to step into the Tardis.

Murphy's Law and Cold Feet star James Nesbitt emerged as one of the favourites, along with Paterson Joseph, John Simm and David Morrissey - who appeared in the 2008 Christmas special.

Paterson Joseph, who recently starred in Survivors and appeared in two Doctor Who episodes in 2005, has said any actor would love the challenge of playing the Time Lord.

Bookmakers made him an early favourite - offering odds of 3-1 on him becoming the first black Doctor.

Comedian Jennifer Saunders, former Doctor Who assistant Billie Piper and film star Catherine Zeta Jones have also been mentioned in connection with the role.

The show's outgoing executive producer Russell T Davies said last month Whoever becomes the Doctor has got to take on a whole life. It's not just becoming a part of a TV show.

In October, when Tennant was asked who he thought should replace him, he joked Well, I've always been a big supporter of Wee Jimmy Krankie!

Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.

After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the role the same year.

Read full report here.

Well what can I say? The favourite with everyone still seems to be Paterson Joseph, if he gets it, he is the first coloured Doctor, all I can say on the matter is the old chestnut that It may be a woman won't happen, this time :)

I will have the name of the new Doctor on this blog as soon as its announced, plus the program online sometime on Sunday too!

The BBC has announced that the identity of the Eleventh Doctor will be confirmed tomorrow afternoon during the broadcast of a very special episode of Doctor Who Confidential.

BBC One will be airing The Eleventh Doctor (previously billed as The Ten Doctors) on Saturday 3rd January 2009 at 5.35pm, and the actor cast in the role will be giving his or her initial reaction to being the new, eleventh incarnation of one of television's most loved characters.

BBC Wales Head of Drama Piers Wenger said, "We are so pleased to have been able to cast this person as the new Doctor. We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own - I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!"

It's the news we've all been waiting for and, after months of media speculation, we're now just a matter of hours away...

The wait is nearly over, and we're just hours from finally knowing the actor (or actress!) who will star as the Eleventh Doctor in Series 5 of Doctor Who.

The anticipated announcement will be made during a special episode of Doctor Who Confidential, The Eleventh Doctor, tomorrow at 5.35pm on BBC One. The actor cast in the role will be giving his or her initial reaction to being the new, eleventh incarnation of one of television's most loved characters.

Speculation about who will take over in 2010 has been rife since David Tennant confirmed last October that he would be leaving after 4 specials which will air in 2009 and early 2010.

Names such as Paterson Joseph, John Simm and James Nesbitt have been at the top of the list for a while.

Here at RadioDw, we're rooting for either James McAvoy or Russell Tovey, but we'd also be happy if it were a 'newcomer' actor - one who hasn't been in much and can use Doctor Who to break into the world of fame. But who would YOU like to see step into the TARDIS?

Let us know below, and join us tomorrow at 6.10pm to discuss the official Eleventh Doctor!