HUGE Doctor Who news coming tonight! [Spoilers]

[delericho]

My instinctive reaction to this was "but he's only just got here!" But it turns out that 4 years is about par for the course - Tom Baker was very much the exception with his long tenure.

I'm sure they'll find someone good for the role. Or, rather, I'm sure they've found someone good for the role.

 

[Morrus]

It made the news.

[video=youtube;O6fVLODAJ5A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O6fVLODAJ5A[/video]

 

[Morrus]

Here's Bleeding Cool's thoughts on the new Doctor. They think the role was cast in January.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/06/02/who-will-be-the-thirteenth-doctor/

 

[Bagpuss]

Part way through the last episode I thought the 12th was going to die and possibly not even regenerate.

 

[Morrus]

Part way through the last episode I thought the 12th was going to die and possibly not even regenerate.

What, and end one of the BBC's cash cows?

 

[Umbran]

Here's Bleeding Cool's thoughts on the new Doctor. They think the role was cast in January.

They don't mention why they think that. It would seem to me that casting a full year ahead of time is a little weird. Too many things happen could happen or in the year between the commitment and beginning the work - that's enough time for them to fall in love, get married, and have a kid, for example.

 

[Morrus]

They don't mention why they think that.

True. They did call Matt Smith before it was announced, though.

It would seem to me that casting a full year ahead of time is a little weird. Too many things happen could happen or in the year between the commitment and beginning the work - that's enough time for them to fall in love, get married, and have a kid, for example.

I think that's pretty normal. Matt Smith was about a year. (Announced Jan 2009; short regeneration scene in New Year Special 2010; first ep at Easter 2010). It gives them time to wrap stuff up - both the show itself, and the new actor's commitments (especially if they're currently in a show which they have to leave); then they have to film the regeneration, which presumably will take place in the Xmas special, but is probably filming very soon.

 

[Bagpuss]

What, and end one of the BBC's cash cows?

No but leave him dead/missing as a cliff hanger for the film, rather than mostly resolve stuff.

 

[Umbran]

True. They did call Matt Smith before it was announced, though.

Yes, but being right once doesn't solidly establish a pattern.

I think that's pretty normal.

I suppose I'm just more used to hearing that casting decisions are made only a few months before filming begins. Heck, most of the time (at least for American TV), there's not a whole lot of confidence that the show will still be around a year ahead of time.

 

[Morrus]

I suppose I'm just more used to hearing that casting decisions are made only a few months before filming begins. Heck, most of the time (at least for American TV), there's not a whole lot of confidence that the show will still be around a year ahead of time.

And bear in mind that those 16 months between Smith's announcement and his first episode were just from the announcement, not from when he was cast, which was therefore presumably sometime late in 2008). So we're probably talking a good 18+ months. Different environment, I guess. And the BBC works differently to most broadcasters (and is funded differently). I don't really know how or why it's like that (I'm sure someone who works in broadcasting would know). They always film an entire series (of anything over here, not just Who) before showing the first one, unless it has live elements like a reality or topical panel/quiz show.