Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Buffy star favourite to play Doctor Who
I can't say I'm particularly surprised that Tony Head has won a poll like this.
However, you do have to wonder whether people have voted for him because they think he's the right actor for the part, or whether because Rupert Giles fits in with their view of what a Doctor should be like. Whilst ASH might indeed make a decent Doctor, I fear that the Giles character would drive the sort of Doctor we'd get, rather than other more important factors. Being cynical, I'd also suspect that Head's possible casting would be done with an eye to the US market, with the BBC hoping to sell the series to the Americans by hoping to ride Buffy's coat-tails. (No doubt this would also involve the Doctor being more than a little Giles-esque as well.) Similarly, the Alan Davies speculation seems to revolve around him playing it like Jonathan Creek, rather than something more original.
Of course it's traditional for the British press to speculate on who will play the next Doctor. It's also traditional that most, if not all, of these suggestions are bollocks. Or "bo-llocks" as Spike would say (and supposedly Tony Head was coaching James Marsters on how to pronounce some of our more unique swear words).
Personally, I'd still like to see Paul McGann get another crack of the whip. His Doctor was one of the highlights of the 1996 TV movie. As for Richard E. Grant, well I'll reserve judgement until I've heard more of the current webcast.
However, if it's someone new, then Bill Nighy would be a strong choice, not least because an older Doctor would be a contrast to some of the more recent ones such as Davison and McGann. Sadly, I doubt if his Love Actually co-star Keira Knightley would want to play the companion's role, which is a shame (and that's a casting that would definitely get the series some US publicity). Actually, after the success of Pirates of the Caribbean I very much doubt that the series would be able to afford her either.
I can't say I'm particularly surprised that Tony Head has won a poll like this.
However, you do have to wonder whether people have voted for him because they think he's the right actor for the part, or whether because Rupert Giles fits in with their view of what a Doctor should be like. Whilst ASH might indeed make a decent Doctor, I fear that the Giles character would drive the sort of Doctor we'd get, rather than other more important factors. Being cynical, I'd also suspect that Head's possible casting would be done with an eye to the US market, with the BBC hoping to sell the series to the Americans by hoping to ride Buffy's coat-tails. (No doubt this would also involve the Doctor being more than a little Giles-esque as well.) Similarly, the Alan Davies speculation seems to revolve around him playing it like Jonathan Creek, rather than something more original.
Of course it's traditional for the British press to speculate on who will play the next Doctor. It's also traditional that most, if not all, of these suggestions are bollocks. Or "bo-llocks" as Spike would say (and supposedly Tony Head was coaching James Marsters on how to pronounce some of our more unique swear words).
Personally, I'd still like to see Paul McGann get another crack of the whip. His Doctor was one of the highlights of the 1996 TV movie. As for Richard E. Grant, well I'll reserve judgement until I've heard more of the current webcast.
However, if it's someone new, then Bill Nighy would be a strong choice, not least because an older Doctor would be a contrast to some of the more recent ones such as Davison and McGann. Sadly, I doubt if his Love Actually co-star Keira Knightley would want to play the companion's role, which is a shame (and that's a casting that would definitely get the series some US publicity). Actually, after the success of Pirates of the Caribbean I very much doubt that the series would be able to afford her either.
