I no longer believe in the existence of the number eleven....
Spoilers for "The Next Doctor", but otherwise just speculation on season five.
EDIT: Yes, I am working on my cut fail. Just chillax for a second, kthnxbye.
....or rather, what Tennant is not doing in 2010. Yes, my loves, our beloved David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who. We've known this since October (see video confirmation here) and as of tomorrow....TOMORROW!!!!!!....we'll know who will replace him as our favorite troublecausing, world saving, banana eating, (no longer) pinstripe wearing Gallifreyan. So who will it be? Well I've heard (or read) some names, so I'll give you a bit of my opinion on who they are/why they should or should not be in the role.
Paterson Joseph: played Rodrick on "Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways" [1.12/1.13]
Seems like an okay choice to me. They found Tosh in "Aliens in London", Martha in "Army of Ghosts", and now perhaps a new Doctor. Besides, it's not a big part, I wouldn't automatically think of him as that character (at least after I've gotten used to him as the Doctor), and from what I remember he wasn't half bad. Overall, I would be okay with this.
James Nesbitt: Never seen him in anything, never been on Doctor Who
Meh. He's been tipped for a while, but I was watching some talk show on youtube (he and Catherine Tate were on it discussing the finale of season four [which I won't even get started on....sniffle]) and he basically said "Nope, it's not me, kids". Then again, that could be a bluff, so it may well be him. I really have no opinion, except that he seems like a nice guy, but I don't know how well he acts or if I'll like him. So since I have nothing to base my opinion on other than he's not too shabby looking :p I guess I'd be okay with it, but I'd be fine if he didn't too.
David Morrissey: played the Not-Doctor, aka Jackson Lake, on "The Next Doctor" [4.14]
No. Fricking. Way. The guy's not too bad, but he's been such a huge role on the show, and if they took his Doctor anywhere NEAR where he went in the Christmas special I'd have a cow. I refuse to accept this as a solution, though if Jackson Lake came back I would be okay.
John Simm: played the Master on "Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords" [3.11-3.13]
Again. Cannot happen. Also read as "what kind of crack were they smoking when they suggested this and can they be banished from ever doing television work for it?" I would never see him as anything other than the Master. If they wanted to have him as the Doctor in 10-20 years, maybe, but not for a very long time, and even then I would hate it. He's a brilliant actor, and I'm sure he'll come back to the show at some point, but as the Master. I eagerly wait his return, but If it's as the next Doctor, I'm no longer watching the show.
Harry Lloyd: played Son of Mine, aka Jeremy Baines, on "Human Nature/Family of Blood" [3.08/3.09]
Nope. (I actually think he's been dropped from the list anyway, but it struck me as odd so I figured I'd comment.) I suppose if he was 12 or 13 I would be okay with it, assuming that his Doctor was of course nothing like Baines. It was a quirky enough role that I could see him playing the Doctor -if there was no other choice- in the future and gaining my support. Again, it would take me a LOT of getting used to before I was okay with it, but I'd accept him at some point I'm sure, as I like the kid as an actor. But for 11? No way.
Others that I've heard mention of that I don't have a comment on but wouldn't complain: Bill Nighy (of multi-movie fame but not of Doctor Who), Jack Davenport (from Pirates of the Carribean, also never been on Doctor Who), and a few others I can't think of but will add into this post as the fancy strikes.
Brief intermission before I talk about the rest of the candidates because....well, they're female! Seriously, the Doctor is a male, and he always will be. Even if he manages to somehow fob watch himself into a chick, he's still going to be the Doctor, still a male, when he gets let out of the watch, so basically I shouldn't have to comment on the female possibilities for the Doctor. If the Doctor turns into a chick, I refuse to watch the show. It just wouldn't make sense. (And I'm a chick, so you know I'm not just being sexist.) Nevertheless, here's my commentary on an actress by actress basis.
Catherine Tate: played Donna "pwn the universe" Noble on countless episodes [3.00, 4.01-4.13]
Of all the women tipped for the role, she's my favorite actress, but the last one I'd want to get the part. See, Catherine Tate can't play the Doctor for several reasons. First of all, if she's the Doctor, the Doctor can't fix Donna's memories. Hello! Problem! (Sorry, bit of a fangirl moment and wishful thinking, for I want our Donna back.) Besides, she's been Donna, she is Donna, and she always will be Donna in my mind, I don't care if they have her as the Doctor when she's 80, she'll be an 80-year-old Donna. Besides, she's already been the Doctor in a way. DoctorDonna, people, remember? So if you really MUST have a female Doctor to make your life complete, Catherine Tate's already done it. Let's have her be the only one, okay? Because that's as close as it should get. (Of course, this isn't to say that I don't want Catherine Tate back on the show because of course I do, but you know....as my favorite companion, not as the new Doctor.)
Billie Piper: played Rose "but, Doktah, I luff u!!!!!1!!11!1!!" Tyler on countless episodes [no, seriously, I ain't naming them all]
I have the horrible feeling that if Billie Piper ended up being 11 it would just keep being the Rose Show like it has the last four fricking seasons. Not that I don't like Billie Piper (I really don't mind her too much as an actress, despite my Rose-hating complex) but she's been a companion and in my mind that's as close to the lead as she should get in the show. And besides, this is highly unlikely not only because she is a chick but because I think Moffat would want to avoid any reference to the Doctor's 'clingy girlfriend' if at all possible.
Catherine Zeta-Jones: seen her in some other stuff, never been on Doctor Who
Is she even English? And besides, I think this is just some crap bit of fanwank that one of her groupies came up with. Like the whole "Dumbledore is gay" fiasco. Catherine Zeta-Jones will not, I repeat NOT, be the next Doctor. It'd just be too stupid and random.
Jennifer Saunders: seen her (well heard her....she was the voice of the Fairy Godmother) in Shrek, never been on Doctor Who
Again, a crap bit of fanwank, my lovelies. This is so not happening. I never even heard the name thrown around until....like, today.
So in conclusion, dear ones, I just want to know who the next Doctor will be, gorrammit. Now. :p