9. Kate Bracken
Why she should be next: Having been the new ghost for the final series of BBC cult hit Being Human, Kate Bracken has previous experience of replacing an actress beloved by an enthusiastic fanbase. Having faced the prospect of following Lenora Crichlows Annie, the last of the original cast left over from the first three series, and the daunting spectre of being relied upon to help revitalise a show, Bracken should be no stranger to the demands of following someone like Coleman. In addition, thanks to Being Human being cancelled after its fifth series, Bracken never really got the chance to settle and show the audience what she could do. Shes had guest parts in shows like Misfits but hasnt really made a role her own since, so Doctor Who would be the perfect vehicle for her to really showcase her talents. Working on Being Human also means shes developed a good working relationship with occasional Who writer Toby Whithouse, who has often been tipped as a future showrunner. Shes able to embody down to earth characters and can manage both the toughness and the vulnerability required for dealing with the Doctors countless enemies. Shes also a Scot, like Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat, which could allow for a good sense of celtic camaraderie between the three. Why she shouldnt be: Like Kelly Adams, Bracken was not the stand-out performer from her own show, often being overshadowed by Damien Molony in his role as Hal. Theres also an argument to be made that the fans didnt take her to their hearts in the same way as they did with Crichlow. Furthermore, shed best fit a twenty-first century companion role. Thats right - another modern day human being in the TARDIS. Nine years since the revival, theres a sense that the fans are getting a little bit tired of that now and are yearning for something different. It remains to be seen if Bracken could pull that something different off, however. As bad as it sounds, being Scottish could also be a problem. Itd give Moffat the platform for even more Scottish jokes, and there have already been way too many of those over the last four seasons...