[DrWho] And the new companion is....

[Thanas]

Karen Gillan

Doctor Who unveils new companion for 11th Time Lord!

The BBC today revealed that the companion for the forthcoming series of Doctor Who will be Karen Gillan.

Twenty-one-year-old Gillan will star alongside new Time Lord, Matt Smith, when the smash hit drama returns to BBC One in spring 2010.

With filming due to begin this summer, Gillan beat off dozens of hopefuls to land one of television's most coveted roles.

Gillan said: "I am absolutely over the moon at being chosen to play the Doctor's new companion. The show is such a massive phenomenon that I can't quite believe I am going to be a part of it.

"Matt Smith is an incredible actor and it is going to be so much fun to act alongside him – I just can't wait to get started!"

Lead writer and Executive Producer, Steven Moffat, added: "We saw some amazing actresses for this part, but when Karen came through the door the game was up. Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too."

Executive Producer and Head of Drama BBC Wales, Piers Wenger, said: "We knew Karen was perfect for the role the moment we saw her. She brought an energy and excitement to the part that was just fantastic. And when she auditioned alongside Matt we knew we had something special. It is a partnership that is ready to take on the universe!"

The new series of Doctor Who comes to BBC One, Spring 2010.

** Gillan is no stranger to the world of Doctor Who having played a Soothsayer in 4.2: The Fires of Pompeii.

So...who is she again?

[Patrick Degan]

So...who is she again?

Irish eye-candy.

[Bounty]

So...who is she again?

The cute redhead from the Roman episode. Other than that... who is she?

[Havok]

Wait... 11th Timelord? Isn't there only 12? What happens after these 2 die?

OBTW... Karen Gillan... WORD!

[Shroom Man 777]

Who's the new Doctor?

[Bounty]

Who's the new Doctor?

will star alongside new Time Lord, Matt Smith

You know him from no other shows.

Wait... 11th Timelord? Isn't there only 12? What happens after these 2 die?

They add one line in the next episode about how the Doctor was granted extra regenerations or something. The Master got his 12 lives reset, there's no reason the saem can't somehow be done for the Doctor.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Wait... 11th Timelord? Isn't there only 12? What happens after these 2 die?

It's actually twelve regenerations for a total of thirteen lives, not counting cheating.

Other than not knowing anything about her, this new companion actress looks good. Right now I'm more annoyed that RTD seems to be doing the same damn cast party crap he always does (Rose and Donna again?) with Tennant's finale.

[Patrick Degan]

Wait... 11th Timelord? Isn't there only 12? What happens after these 2 die?

Simple: the writers come up with a new set of regenerations.

[tim31]

I think all the nonsense in Journey's End will likely be used as an explanation. Or, as U238 might put it, a wizard god did it.

[Uraniun235]

I think all the nonsense in Journey's End will likely be used as an explanation. Or, as U238 might put it, a wizard god did it.

Hey!


I'm much more fissile than that stodgy lardass, thank you very much.

[Big Orange]

Other than not knowing anything about her, this new companion actress looks good. Right now I'm more annoyed that RTD seems to be doing the same damn cast party crap he always does (Rose and Donna again?) with Tennant's finale.

He can't leave well alone with Rose, yet allegedly Tennant was emotionally affected by the script but in a good way. I'm actually looking forward to his team up with Sarah Jane in her surprisingly excellent spin-off, this coming Autumn.

And from that link here is an interesting tit bit:

Meanwhile, Doctor Who may be heading for the big screen after a spokeswoman for BBC Films confirmed that "a script is in development".

[Drooling Iguana]

Well, she's hot. That's a plus.

And with any luck she's not going to be deliberately engineered to come up short when compared to a previous companion. There's only been one companion in NuWho who's fulfilled both of those qualifications so far, and this new girl looks hotter than Billie Piper (never liked the bleached blonde look.)

With filming due to begin this summer, Gillan beat off dozens of hopefuls to land one of television's most coveted roles.

Makes me wish I was a hopeful.

[Thanas]

Other than not knowing anything about her, this new companion actress looks good. Right now I'm more annoyed that RTD seems to be doing the same damn cast party crap he always does (Rose and Donna again?) with Tennant's finale.

Wait, what? Is this just gossip or are there actually good sources claiming that?

[hongi]

Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it.

lolwut?

The cute redhead from the Roman episode. Other than that... who is she?

You mean the Pompeii episode?

[Bounty]

You mean the Pompeii episode?

Har har

[DaveJB]

Wait, what? Is this just gossip or are there actually good sources claiming that?

A bunch of UK newspapers ran stories about Tennant's finale basically being the bastard child of Journey's End and Logopolis, so while it really counts as gossip for now, the papers have an unnerving habit of being right about these rumours (aside from that stuff about the Rani being in last year's finale).

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Wait, what? Is this just gossip or are there actually good sources claiming that?

A bunch of UK newspapers ran stories about Tennant's finale basically being the bastard child of Journey's End and Logopolis, so while it really counts as gossip for now, the papers have an unnerving habit of being right about these rumours (aside from that stuff about the Rani being in last year's finale).

There's also been a bunch of pictures taken during filming showing Rose hugging her mum, Donna yelling outside her house, stuff like that.

[NecronLord]

I would insert a 'Why the hell doesn't RTD get it' comment here - but given how popular Journey's End was, I'll instead say 'Why the hell does he keep shooting for the lowest common denominator, we know he can do better than that.'

[Big Orange]

The Master dancing like the loon he is after killing billions of people for a year and the Tenth Doctor's human clone blowing up the Dalek's Death Star were both mindlessly entertaining moments, yet eminent examples of NuWho getting drunk on its own success and excess under somebody who rarely sees the need to dial things down.

However genuinely great episodes such as "Utopia", "Midnight", and "Turn Left" are the result when Rusty does dial it back and is more cautious with his output. However even Moffat makes mistakes: I found River Song overall more punchable than Donna Noble in his well made, but somewhat naval gazing Library two parter.

[Stark]

They're only entertaining if you're a complete retard. That's why the concept of 'taste' exists. It's VERY clear even after the early years RTD has no interest in quality whatever. Remember when 'fanservice' was still a perjorative?

[avatarxprime]

They add one line in the next episode about how the Doctor was granted extra regenerations or something. The Master got his 12 lives reset, there's no reason the saem can't somehow be done for the Doctor.

I thought it was supposed to be that with the Time Lords all gone they were gonna say the limit was gone. If he now has extra regenerations that's all well and good but where's he supposed to go for more provided all sorts of nastiness happens?

[Stark]

What? With Timelords gone their regeneration tech isn't protected anymore. Remember all the nobodies that have time travel now? It shouldn't be too hard if he goes looking, which would be kinda out of character but meh.

[avatarxprime]

I thought regenerations were just part of being a Time Lord and that the limited number was the result of Time Lord tech, not something that everybody would start developing with them gone?

[Uraniun235]

Who wants to bet that when it looks like he's going to "run out of regenerations", that's when they decide to file for creative bankruptcy and bring back Gallifrey & The Timelords?



(...shit, now I want to start a band called "Gallifrey & The Timelords")

[Patrick Degan]

What? With Timelords gone their regeneration tech isn't protected anymore. Remember all the nobodies that have time travel now? It shouldn't be too hard if he goes looking, which would be kinda out of character but meh.

The Time Lords had machine-regeneration for a time but was primitive compared to the biological ability they ultimately achieved. The closest beings to have what the Time Lords had in terms of physiological restructuring ability were the Rutans but it was far more limited. None of the time-capable cultures presently out there in the Whoniverse have anything akin to Time Lord regeneration.

My guess is that when the time comes, the writers will make it a property of the TARDIS or come up with the idea that, as the last Time Lord, the Doctor has "absorbed" the regeneration potential of his people or some such Macguffin. Or the writers will simply forget about the 12-regeneration limit and carry on as if Robert Holmes and other writers had never even mentioned it at all. And no, they won't care if it's "canon" or not. Paul Cornell has stated flat-out that there is no canon in Doctor Who and the writers can do whatever they feel will work at any given time.