Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, doctor who, hugh grant

When British Tabloids Made Up Stories About The Next Doctor Who

This weekend, The Daily Mirror reported that Hugh Grant was to be the next Doctor Who. And people took it seriously. Two things here – firstly for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who and the 100th anniversary of the BBC, with Russell T. Davies, he is going to do stuff. You may see plenty of faces for The Doctor, including David Tennant (revisiting a few old faces) and maybe, just maybe, Grant will be a part of that, in the manner of his appearance as The Doctor in The Curse Of Fatal Death.

But secondly, this is what British tabloids do. And have done for decades. When it was announced that William Hartnell would no longer play The Doctor, the British press asked the question, just didn't suggest they had the answers.

The speculation would only really begin with the departure of Tom Baker at The Doctor in 1980. Which was also the time that the suggestion first arose about a female Doctor Who. Clearly, the "woke" 1980 for you there.

But that was just speculation. In 1983 with the departure of Peter Davison, The Australian press joined in and reported that the next Doctor would be Brian Blessed, who had turned down the role after Hartnell left.

However, the Daily Star scotched that story and revived speculation about a female Doctor.

The Sun newspaper stated that a woman may be taking the role.

Then when Colin Baker was fired, The Sun reported that Alexei Sayle would be the next Doctor.

The same, day, Daily Express reported that Joanna Lumley was being considered for the role, alongside Victoria Wood and Jill Gascoigne.

And there was even a campaign from MPs.

All sorts of people were making such demands.

Doctor Who was canceled in 1989, but that didn't stop the tabloids from reporting that the next Doctor would be a woman. In 1993, the gay newspaper The Pink Paper reported that Simon Callow would be playing The Doctor.

In 2001, Bella Magazine stated that Alan Cumming would play The Doctor in a Doctor Who movie for 2003. The movie and the casting never happened.

In 2002, the Daily Star reported that a new Doctor Who revival would star comedian Ken Dodd and that TV presenter Cat Deeley would be his traveling companion.

In 2003, The Daily Mirror reported that Eddie Izzard would be the new Doctor.

The Sunday Express claimed it would be Shane Ritchie.

And in 1999, the TV Times announced it would be Gary Oldman.

Two days before Christopher Eccleston was announced as the Ninth Doctor, on March the 20th, 2004, The Daily Mail announced that it was Bill Nighy.

In 2008, when Tennant was going to leave, The Sun announced that Colin Salmon would be the eleventh Doctor Who, quoting a source saying "He made a good impression when he appeared and bosses think the time is right to have the first black Doctor." While the Sunday People claimed it would be Jason Statham quoting an insider saying "It will be Doctor Who meets gangland. He will do a lot more thinking with his fists and will be a sure-fire winner with the ladies… Doctor Who is still seen as a bit geeky but Jason will add sex appeal and give the character a more dangerous edge."

I was convinced it was Paterson Joseph, though he did audition for the role and I eventually scooped the world on Matt Smith a couple of hours before the actual announcement.

In 2013 with the departure of Smith, The Herald reported that "Betting on the identity of the next Doctor has been suspended by a bookmaker after reports Rory Kinnear has been offered the role."

The bookmakers were indeed seen as the best indicator of who would be cast as The Doctor.  On August the 3rd, 2013, The Independent reported "William Hills has 11/8 odds on Capaldi, making him the favourite to be handed the role, although Black Mirror actor Daniel Rigby has made a late entry into the top five seeing his odds slashed from 40/1 to 9/2." The same day, The Daily Record reported "BOOKMAKERS have suspended betting on the new Doctor Who because they are convinced Peter Capaldi has got the job. The actor, famous for his role as foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, was down to 5/6 favourite with William Hill when they stopped taking bets. Joe Crilly, a spokesman for the firm, said: "We have seen people today trying to back Peter Capaldi as much as possible at every price available and after a small gamble on Daniel Rigby overnight, it seems that Capaldi is once again in line to move into the Tardis."

While The Guardian reported "The BBC will exterminate weeks of fevered speculation on Sunday when it reveals the identity of the next Doctor Who in a live Time Lord extravaganza. The Thick of It actor Peter Capaldi and Luther's Idris Elba are both lead contenders to replace Matt Smith as the 12th Doctor for the eighth series, expected to air next summer, according to bookmakers."

In 2017, the Sun reported what the Mirror had run, that Kris Marshall had already started filming the series and would take over from Peter Capaldi, repeated by the Star. after bookmaker interest again.

And The Star claimed it would actually be Paris Jackson, daughter of Michael Jackson after the 15 years old tweeted out "omg i wanna be The Doctor they said any age & gender, right?".

While the Sunday People was convinced with an exclusive that it would be Phoebe Waller-Bridge with Kris Marshall as her number two.

The bookmakers were a better bet, just before the announcement.

And now with Jodie Whittaker leaving, the tabloids have been doing what they do best.

• On the 8th of May 2021, The Express announced it would be Vicky McClure.
• On the 27th of June 2021, The Sun announced it would be Olly Alexander.
• On the 29th of July 2021, The Daily Mail looked to the bookies for Michael Coel and Michael Sheen.
• On the 2nd of November, 2021, The Sun reported Omari Douglas.
• On the 23rd of January 2022, The Daily Mirror looked to the bookies for Lydia West.
• On the 1st of February 2022, The Daily Mail confirmed Fady Elsayed.
• On the 2nd of March, The Daily Express confirmed the return of David Tennant at the Doctor.
• On March 18th 2022, The Daily Express reported it would be Danny Dyer.

So the news that Hugh Grant will be the new Doctor Who? Let's wait till just before the announcement and see what the bookies say. That's usually your best bet.

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