This one is kind of obvious. After all, like James Bond, the show has made a habit of replacing its lead actor every few years. Before Doctor Who, there was one major stumbling block when hiring a middle aged actor for a television show: what do you do when he is either unable or unwilling to continue to play the role? Do you let the show die rather than moving on without its star, or do you change the game? Doctor Who created an ingenious concept of regeneration, which essentially meant that the lead alien character could change form and personality rather than dying. This allowed them to recast the role whenever they needed to. When William Hartnell's health declined, they hired Patrick Troughton to carry the torch, so to speak. From then on out, they've passed on the role of the Doctor every few years (the usual tenure was about three years, although the iconic Tom Baker stayed on for seven). Now that the show has been rebooted, they've continued the tradition, with three actors having played the role so far, and Peter Capaldi set to take over later this year. It's a clever way to keep things fresh, and has allowed the show to change and grow over the past fifty years.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
