Doctor Who: 25 Actors We'd Love To Call The Doctor

24. Robert Carlyle

Back in the real world, Robert Carlyle is a name that was mentioned as a serious replacement for David Tennant, midway through his tenure. And if the BBC are looking to follow a Malcolm Tucker will someone equally aggressive and Scottish, Carlyle should reprise Begbie, the character he played in Trainspotting. You know, the most destructive man in a film of heroin addicts. Seriously though, Carlyle is a gifted actor capable of the dark, the hilarious and the touching. He's as human as Paul McGann and Tennant; if he was ever the Doctor, he probably wouldn't be all that eccentric, but he'd be captivating to watch. He's 52 now, so he might have missed his chance. Then again, that's what Peter Capaldi thought...

23. Helena Bonham Carter

If Helena Bonham Carter was going to play any character in the Doctor Who universe, it really should have been Idris. Suranne Jones's performance as the TARDIS was so similar to Bonham Carter, it would be a huge surprise if the casting directors hadn't have emailed her first. It would have been perfect casting for the capricious Bonham Carter to be the TARDIS, but it's equally thought-provoking to imagine her as the first female Doctor. Because although she's more famous for the outlandishly psychotic characters she's played - and that would be a wonderful side to bring out of the Doctor - she's also wonderfully emotive and subtly theatrical in the right part. Johnny Depp for her companion? We've already got one Captain Jack in this show...