The Next Doctor Auditions, part one

In the next few blogs, I thought I’d take a look at some of the handful of actors who are rumored to be on a “short list” of candidates for the next Doctor.

Up first: Paterson Joseph, who, while being unfamilar to many Americans, is fairly well-known in British circles and appeared in two Doctor Who episodes in 2005. He’s the guy named Rodrick from “Parting of the Ways” and “Bad Wolf” who bested Rose on the Game Station’s version of “The Weakest Link.”

I’d say enough time’s probably passed since Rodrick outsmarted Rose Tyler that he could conceivably pull off another role on Who. (And even if not, the classic series passed off an actress who played one character in one series as another in the next, and remember Martha Jones? Freema Agyeman first appeared on Who as Martha’s cousin, Adeola, working for Torchwood and being used as a spy for the Cybermen.)

I’m a little disappointed to report that some of the forums out there have been asking whether the Doctor can be black. I want to know why he can’t! To me, the skin color is just not important in this day and age. The Doctor is the Doctor, and the best man for the job is the best man for the job, regardless. (That also brings us back to the question of whether the Doctor can be a woman. I’m less convinced on that count, although again – I would support it if the Powers That Be decided He needed to become a She. He just seems to me to be inherently masculine, especially as he’s said he was a father before. If he could bend his gender, wouldn’t he have said parent?)

But setting that disappointment aside, I do like Paterson Joseph as a Doctor candidate. I’ve looked at some of his work now through the wonderful offering that is the Tube of You, and I think he’s got the depth and reach needed to pull it off. Plus, you don’t want someone who’s going to be a Tennant look-alike or wannabe. Because it’s not going to work. The Doctor needs to be a completely different personality all the way around in order to keep it working. Someone too much like Tennant is going to pale in comparison.

But I wouldn’t say Joseph is my top pick – at least not yet. Stay tuned for more!