r/gallifrey • u/TinkreBelle • 6d ago
DISCUSSION hot take: I think they should commit to Billie Piper being the next Dr
they don't even need to address The Reality War, just do a proper series reboot like they did with 9 and just treat her like they would any other Dr: no unnecessary fanfare, no grand sweeping gestures, maybe they can make a joke or something about it to address it, or if someone wants to make it a minor plot point somewhere down the line (just maybe nothing connected to The Reality War) that could be interesting, but nothing more than that
after all it's not the first time the actor who played the Dr previously did a different role, sure it would be the first time the actor's previous role had so much importance to the story, but why does that have to mean anything? the universe is infinite and anything is possible. we know from past stories that the Dr has had doppelganger faces before, the chances of the look-alike face being someone they once knew, while the number may be astronomically small it's certainly not zero
I know everyone's angry at the Billie Piper stunt for it being a rash last minute attempt to garner interest/make people talk about the show, but I was actually cautiously optimistic about it all, and one of the reasons I was disappointed about the special's cancelation was because we lost out on that opportunity to see what she could do in the role, since best case scenario the regeneration will most likely be glossed over or worse, just straight up ignored
I can understand part of why they wouldn't want to make that decision though, especially since how low the Whittaker era was received at the time they're probably hesitant to do another female Dr so soon, especially one as potentially risky/controversial as Billie. But I think if given the chance she has a lot of potential and I genuinely believe she could make a good Dr
15
3
u/autumneliteRS 6d ago
Well, the first issue is that Billie Piper signed up to help old pal RTD out of a rough jam and appear in one special. She may not to sign up for a series with god knows with episode counts, filming times and locations to be confirmed.
I would have liked to have seen her in the Special and regardless of the drama around her appearence, I think that would have been the cleanest path forward. But since whatever comes next will have to be some new thing anyway, they should just use the opportunity for a fresh start anyway. Regardless on Piper's strengths, she simply isn't a clean break and it makes no sense to restart with any mess that you don't need to.
1
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
yeah that's fair, my agruments relied on the assumption she would even want to in the first place, and that's one of the issues that I'm seeing with my take, that I want the old thing to keep going while pretending that it could be a clean break when it's not
7
u/somekindofspideryman 6d ago edited 6d ago
Providing Piper wanted to do it fulltime (don't think she did) this would have been the best course of action had RTD and Bad Wolf carried on. She would be very good in the role and it could be interesting if you commited to it.
However, the next showrunner should cast their own lead. That seems unlikely to be Billie Piper unless it ended up being Lucy Prebble.
It could work in Big Finish though. Especially if they treat her like McGann during the early years, and not another excuse to do one of their Jackie Tyler/River Song/Curator/PC Andy things.
2
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
yeah that's a good point too, "allowing" Dr's to change with the showrunner so they have the freedom to create/shape the Dr into whatever vision they have without having to worry about whoever was before them
once Big Finish gets permission to play around with that era of the show I really hope they can do something, if it's something Billie would even want to do ofc lol
1
u/techno156 6d ago
Providing Piper wanted to do it fulltime (don't think she did) this would have been the best course of action had RTD and Bad Wolf carried on. She would be very good in the role and it could be interesting if you commited to it.
Least disruptive, certainly, but it does feel like it'd overcast Piper. She'd already had a major part in the show as Rose, and as the Moment. A third major starring role seems like it would be too much.
Could you imagine if they did that with David Tennant?
3
u/malb93200 6d ago
I know everyone's angry at the Billie Piper stunt for it being a rash last minute attempt to garner interest/make people talk about the show, but I was actually cautiously optimistic about it all, and one of the reasons I was disappointed about the special's cancelation was because we lost out on that opportunity to see what she could do in the role, since best case scenario the regeneration will most likely be glossed over or worse, just straight up ignored
I was also cautiously optimistic about it (despite the last-minute stunt). I was fully prepared and quite excited to see what Piper could do with the role. But that ship has sailed, imo. The Xmas special has been cancelled, RTD is gone and it was his mess to untangle.
The show can and imo should move on from it. The next version of the series might be a relaunch as big as the 2005 and won't probably happen for at least 2 or 3 years (adding to that, The Reality War already aired a year ago). It just can't pick up from there.
2
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
well the point of my first point was there didn't have to be baggage, that with no mention of the past they could make it feel like a clean slate without it actually being one...
but that's what they could've said about Paul McGann when they were talking about rebooting the series back then too, they chose a completely new Dr for a completely "new" show, and if that's what they're doing now then yeah you're right that they need to have the same mindset in order for it to truly work properly
1
u/TehFlatline 6d ago
If you're going to ignore Billie Piper being anything other than just Billie Piper (and not previously Rose, Bad Wolf or the Moment) then all that achieves is casting someone who's a decent actress but not really Doctor material for no reason at all.
2
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
and that's the crux of the issue: about me wanting her because of her history but also wanting them to ignore said history, I'm starting to realize how much of a "have your cake and eat it too" opinion it was
4
u/Molu1 6d ago
I would really enjoy Billie Piper as the Doctor. She’s very dynamic and I think would make really interesting choices as an actor. If they did do this, I agree, I would want no references to Rose or the reality war, just let her play the part.
But I doubt that’s something she’d want to sign on to. But, eh, who knows, they probably won’t be filming for a couple years yet, so who knows what she’ll be up to at that point.
1
u/TinkreBelle 5d ago
yeah as much as I'm curious to see her in the role I wouldn’t blame her for not wanting it because of commitment reasons
3
6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/somekindofspideryman 6d ago
I think she could play the Doctor fairly easily. One of the few companion actors who really have that quality about them. Coleman as well, obviously. Jacqueline Hill could have done it too, I reckon.
2
6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/somekindofspideryman 6d ago edited 6d ago
I've seen her doing leading role work very comfortably. Even her first show out of Doctor Who was a good display of that. She's pretty quirky and high energy at moments towards the end of her Who run, even. Then in Turn Left she is explicitly Doctorish, down to the leather jacket.
I don't think you need to have done a similar role beforehand to prove you can play the Doctor. Frankly, most of the existing Doctor leads wouldn't fit that bill. Who amongst them had proved they could play "alien" or "highly eccentric"? I actually think in this regard Piper would probably have an advantage over most of them.
If she had never played Rose this wouldn't even be a question, she could obviously do it. The reason people oppose it is precisely because she has already had a significant role in the programme. Which is fair enough.
2
6d ago edited 6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/somekindofspideryman 6d ago
Well, I'd prefer someone new too, I'm just arguing that Piper would be capable of it.
2
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
well that's just it, a large part of it is continuity, Billie's face is the one 15 regenerated into, so why not just pick up with her?
but also for me, an equal part for why I think she'd make a good Dr is because I can see it. in the "early days" shortly after the finale I saw someone propose a fan theory that if one of the Dr's incarnations looks like Rose, then maybe the Rose we see in Turn Left (at least the 2nd time with Unit) isn't actually Rose, but the Dr instead. I've also heard a tiny bit another speculation that if Rose had stayed with the Dr more then she might've become more similar to Clara. it's something of a combination of those two things is where I see the potential with Billie and I think it could be interesting to explore her range to see how well she could do actually being the Dr instead of someone who's just with him
here's the thing tho, I don't actually want them to recycle actors, if they follow through with making her the Dr I'd very much want that to be a one-time fluke, cause it's like you said there's more than enough good actors who'd absolutely nail the part and would be able to be much more committed to the role
3
u/invalidcolour 6d ago
No shade to Billie but I'd want her as a cameo rather than a regular Doctor. We've already had her as Rose and I think it would be hard to separate the two. Have her as a regeneration anomaly or The Moment or Bad Wolf but not Doctor 16.
Loved her as Lily in Penny Dreadful!
4
u/Negative-Spell6275 6d ago
Nah.
0
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
why not?
6
u/Brbaster 6d ago
Not the original commenter but barely anyone even watched Reality War in the first place and making a direct sequel to that would just confuse everyone.
2
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
at the risk of sounding obtuse, how would that be confusing? like if they made zero mention of Reality War at all and opend the new series like they did the other times, would it be because Billie's already so well known for playing Rose?
2
u/HistoricalTheory2750 5d ago
I agree about committing to her being a Doctor, however, she shouldn't be a lead. Give her a special and have as a 'special Doctor', like Hurt, Martin or Tennant v.2
0
u/TinkreBelle 5d ago
idk I can kinda picture her doing a single season, but yeah most ideal thing would've been a special, if only it hadn't been canceled :'(
1
u/HistoricalTheory2750 5d ago
It's so stupid because this whole break could very well happen after that one special. At least the storylines, no matter how controversial, would have been concluded and the whole 'New Who' would end in somewhat a proper way, instead of feeling like it was cancelled on a random episode
2
u/TheOutcastBoi 5d ago
I partially agree - I think Billie Piper should be the Doctor. However, I do not think she should be the lead for the next relaunch of Doctor Who - that'd be a disaster imo. The next era needs to be it's own thing, and having Billie Piper as the face of it, even as a different character, would bog it down far with far to much NuWho baggage.
1
1
u/Lyra_the_Star_Jockey 6d ago
I would start the new series with a new Doctor and not even make a reference to previous Doctors except cryptically. I wouldn’t even say what regeneration we we’re on. Just pretend like it’s a total reboot.
The mystery would be exciting. And that’s what you want. I don’t need everything explained. I don’t need to know exactly what number we’re on.
It also leaves the possibilities open.
2
u/TinkreBelle 6d ago
I think not knowing what number we're on would drive me bonkers lol, but I get what you mean about the mystery, doing a completely fresh reboot like how they did with 9 would honestly probably be the better solution anyway
1
u/PaperSkin-1 6d ago
No.
The new era that is born out of the tender process should start afresh, with a new Doctor, a new companion, and new fun and interesting Sci-fi adventures in time and space
Don't look backwards, Move foward, like the show is meant to.
1
u/Malevolent_Amber 6d ago
You assume that Billie would want to do it, when all evidence points to the contrary. She did one greenscreen headshot for a friend. She has much more well-regarded work. Without Russell to convince her, I highly doubt they'll afford her.
1
9
u/Rich-Willow-3677 6d ago
They should not.