In 1976 – during The Deadly Assassin, by Robert Holmes – it was declared that a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 times before dying for good. This limit on regenerative powers meant that there could only be 13 incarnations of the Doctor, which, in the mid-1970s, must have seemed a sufficiently large number. However, in the long-running BBC science-fiction drama, 27-year-old Matt Smith (Christopher and His Kind) is currently playing the eleventh Doctor, meaning he had just two more incarnations left before having to hand in his sonic screwdriver and hang up his long multi-coloured scarf for good.
Since the show's return to TV screens in 2005, fans have been waiting for an official change of policy on the regenerative limit of a Time Lord, and were expecting one to be given in the upcoming Christmas special by Steven Moffat (Sherlock). However, instead, it will happen in the CBBC spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
According to the Guardian, in Death of the Doctor – a two-part story by Russell T Davies – as "the Doctor [Smith] and Clyde Langer [Daniel Anthony] are in the process of outwitting spooky vulture undertakers the Shansheeth, [when] Clyde asks how many times he can regenerate. The Doctor indicates that there is no limit ...... The action continues."
The Doctor was first regenerated in 1966, when it became apparent that William Hartnell was too ill to carry on in the role. Rather than end the series, the BBC came up with the idea of replacing the lead actor but not the character.
To date, eleven actors have played the part, all of them men: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith. Earlier this week, however, it was revealed that, in the mid-1980s, serious consideration was given to casting a woman as the Doctor, and Joanna Lumley (Sapphire and Steel) appears to have been a favourite.
As well as Lumley, Frances de la Tour (Rising Damp) and Dawn French (The Vicar of Dibley) were considered for the role. Later, Dame Judi Dench – who plays M, opposite Daniel Craig's 007, in the James Bond movies – was one of the many actors considered as a possible ninth Doctor prior to Doctor Who's relaunch by Russell T Davies (Torchwood) in 2005. On that occasion, Christopher Eccleston landed the part. He has since been succeeded by, first, David Tennant (Casanova) and, then, Matt Smith (Christopher and His Kind).As well as being a former model and James Bond girl, Joanna Lumley, now 64, has played a number of iconic TV roles: Purdey, in The New Avengers (1976–1977); Sapphire, in Sapphire and Steel (1979–1982); and Patsy, in Absolutely Fabulous (1992–1996/2001–2004). She is also the voice for AOL UK's "You've got mail" email notification.
The actor did, in fact get to play the Doctor, albeit briefly, in a two-part Doctor Who story – Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, by Steven Moffat – a charity special, which was shown as part of the1999 Comic Relief Red Nose Day.
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IN RELATED DR WHO NEWS
Last week, rumours sprang up that the long-running science-fiction series, which has been produced in Wales by BBC Cymru since 2004, could be following it's spin-off show, Torchwood, to America.
However, the BBC has now issued a statement indicating that the 2011 series are to be a BBC Cymru/BBC America co-production, and that it's only the first two episodes of that will be filmed in the US.
The two-part story – which has been written by the show's head writer and executive producer, Steven Moffat – is set in the Utah desert, in the late 1960s, after the Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) are summoned to the Oval Office. Alex Kingston will also appear in the story, reprising her role as Professor River Song.
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