Doctor Who Changes In Sight

Despite the shows mega TV ratings (not to mention substantial DVD sales) Sci-Fi Pulse reports that both ‘Doctor Who and ‘Torchwood’ are, effectively, to be regenerated, with massive cast and storyline changes in the near future.

 

The site reports that David Tennant will continue with his role as The Doctor through the entire upcoming fourth season, this year’s Christmas Special and three TV-movie specials slated to air in 2009. The 2009 Christmas special (the third of the three specials commissioned) will see the character regenerate again, this time tentatively played by actor Robert Carlyle.

 

Similarly, the rumours continue, with Gorman (Owen Harper), Naoko Mori (Toshiko Sato) and even John Barrowman (Capt. Jack Harkness), all reported to be leaving “Torchwood” next season, though Barrowman will make guest appearances. Former ‘Doctor Who’ companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), who reprised her role for three episodes of this season’s ‘Torchwood’, will join the cast full time next year. The show itself will apparently also lose its adult-themed content and be geared more toward ‘Doctor Who’ style audiences.

The news does come with a disclaimer suggesting that while the source has been reliable in the past, all information should be taken as hearsay until such time as  the BBC confirm any/all of what was reported (and we tend to agree with this, if only to avoid the reality of no more David Tennant). Lending support to the ‘it’s all gossip’ theory, Robert Carlyle, who, as mentioned, was linked to the role,  dismissed such talk on Monday saying no-one has approached him, however he’d certainly consider it if they did.

 

In other Doctor news, the  BBC is unhappy with the leak of scripts for a two-part episode of Who’s fourth season to The Sun. The tabloid reports that the story, penned by  Steven Moffat (“The Girl in the Fireplace,” “Blink”), is set on a ‘library planet’ in the 51st century where books give away SPOILERS about people’s life stories and creatures such as data ghosts and Vashta Nerada (who’re described as “piranhas of the air — shadows that melt the flesh”) wander the halls. It’s not much to go on, but Steven Moffat has previously given us such Doctor Who gems as ‘The Girl in the fireplace’ and ‘Blink’- never before have statues been  so utterly  terrifying as in ‘Blink’. We’re excited!
 

The BBCs official ‘Doctor Who’ website also confirms that show has recieved several nominations for this year’s prestigious Royal Television Society Programme Awards with the show up in Best Drama Serial category and David Tennant also nominated for Best Actor. The winners will be announced on Wednesday 19 March

 

The fourth season of “Who” is scheduled to premiere sometime in April and you can see the offical BBC teaser HERE.