UPDATED: New Dr Who named today

UPDATE: The new Doctor has been anounced and it is not who we thought. Read more here.

The name of the actor who will replace David Tennant in Doctor Who will be announced today in the 5:35pm Dr Who Confidential on BBC1. I still think it will be Paterson Joseph as I mentioned back in October (here is some footage as to why he would be a great Doctor).
This from the BBC website.

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

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.

David Tennant says he is envious of his replacement, whose 'life will change'

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

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 Saturday's 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.

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Did Phillip Rhys on E24 give away the fact Paterson Joseph will be the new Doctor Who?

Phillip Ryhys was working with Paterson Joseph on the BBC's TV show, Survivors. When being interviewed he kind of gives the impression he knows something that has long been rumoured. What do you think? Did he let it slip?

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Survivors - New BBC TV show about the aftermath of a virus that kills millions

Imagine being the only survivor of a disease that kills every member of your family, that kills lovers, strangers, friends, nearly everyone you've ever met.

You are among the lonely few to live and now you must start over in a strange new world where everything that was once safe and familiar is now strange and dangerous.

Set in the present day, Survivors focuses on the world in the aftermath of a devastating virus which wipes out most of the world's population. What would we do? How would any of us cope in a brave new world where all traditional 21st Century comforts - electricity, clean running water, advanced technology - have disappeared?

These are the questions faced by the bewildered but resilient group of survivors at the centre of the drama. It is an opportunity for new beginnings, but with no society, no police and no law and order, they now face terrible dangers - not just the daily struggle for food and water but also the deadly threat from other survivors.

"Survivors is about what it means to be human," explains writer and executive producer Adrian Hodges. "It asks questions about our nature and confronts us with our deepest fears. When everything else is stripped away, would we band together and find the best in ourselves, or would we fall apart and retreat into barbarism and savagery? Survivors is about adventure, fear, love, loyalty and friendship. But above all, it's about new hope."

Survivors, by Adrian Hodges is a re-imagining of the classic 1970s BBC drama series which was based on the novel by Terry Nation. It launched in April 1975 and ran for 38 episodes over three series.

The new version stars possible Dr Who Paterson Joseph and ex-companion Freema Agyeman amongst others. The official website is here.

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More on the Dr Who news

Lying in the Gutters have more on the Dr Who news.

So was David Tennant's leaving the show all down to his need to move on? A now or never thing? Not quite. He had been in negotiations with the BBC for a fifth, even a sixth full series, but wanted another 2009-lite Doctor Who break in 2011, a film pursued, and money above the current BBC wage cap. It didn't happen.

The one bigger casualty, as well as casting for The Doctor sooner than expected, has been an arc in Series Five for the River Song character, revealed in Series 4 as the Doctor's possible future wife. Arc plans are being rewritten, but the new team has plenty of time...

As for Paterson Joseph, the positive response that rumour has received has pleased a lot of people, especially the lack of expected "you can't have a black Doctor" responses.

I hear that Paterson Joseph, Sean Pertwee and Marc Warren are the three main contenders. But that right now Paterson is still the favourite.

But I'd also like to remind all and sundry that, according to "Doctor Who Magazine" editor Clayton Hickman, Bill Nighy was Russell T Davies' favourite for the role back in 2005. And that went nowhere.

What do you think of that?

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Tennant to quit the TARDIS

This from Yahoo.

David Tennant has announced that he is vacating the Tardis and leaving the BBC's Dr Who series at the end of next year.

Tennant's decision brings to an end his popular four-year tenure as the time lord.

The BBC confirmed that the actor will complete the filming of four special episodes to be screened this year and in early 2010 as well as 2009's Christmas special.

Tennant, who is the tenth incarnation of the immortal time-traveller, has starred in three series and three Christmas specials.

He has drawn praise for his reprisal of the role after Christopher Eccleston left in 2005.

He said: "I've had the most brilliant, bewildering and life changing time working on Doctor Who. I have loved every day of it.

"It would be very easy to cling on to the Tardis console forever and I fear that if I don't take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, then I simply never will.

"This is all a long way off, of course. I'm not quitting, I'm back in Cardiff in January to film four special episodes which will take Dr Who all the way through 2009.

He added: "I feel very privileged to have been part of this incredible phenomenon, and whilst I'm looking forward to new challenges I know I'll always be very proud to be the Tenth Doctor."

Looks like that rumour saying Paterson Joseph is to be the next Doctor may have some truth in it. What do you think?
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Why Paterson Joseph would be a good Doctor

From Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere TV mini-series, this is the introduction of the Marquis DeCarabas played by Paterson Joseph and shows why he would be pretty good as the next Doctor.

Paterson's agent has denied the Dr Who rumour by saying "If Paterson had the part, it would have come through us, so I think that's a no." which isn't really much of a denial.

What do you think of Paterson as the next Doctor after seeing that clip?

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The next Dr Who could be....?

Lying in the Gutters have a rumour on who could possibly be the next Doctor.

The sixth series of “Doctor Who” (2011) will star Paterson Joseph as The Doctor.

Previously playing Roderick in the “Doctor Who” episodes “Bad Wolf”/”Parting Of Ways,” Joseph is known for fine upstanding and terribly-well-spoken-dontcha-know roles as Johnson in “Peep Show<,” the Marquis De Carabas in “Neverwhere,” Space Marshall Clarke in “Hyperdrive,” Lyndon in “Green Wing”…

…and more importantly Benjamin in “Jekyll.” Written and produced by upcoming “Doctor” Who showrunner, Steven Moffat.

If true, it’s a great call on Moffat’s part. A damn fine call. Paterson has a very British Authority approach to many of his characters, comparable with Jon Pertwee. It’s not a traditional choice, but then neither was Christopher Eccleston. And, like I say, it’s bloody brilliant.

I posted another article the other day that mentioned David Tennant would love to stay on as the Doctor. However, Lying in the Gutters are usually on the ball (although they do mention this is still very much unconfirmed). I have to agree with their view though. Paterson would be a pretty cool Doctor. The fact he also starred in Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and Gaiman is meant to be writing for Dr Who next year may also be a factor. What do you think of the rumour?

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