DOCTOR WHO - THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

So according to recent reports it looks increasingly likely that there are going to be some major changes both in front and behind the camera on Doctor Who. Steven Moffat has confirmed that he is in the process of searching for someone to take over from him as showrunner, a role he has held since 2010 and Peter Capaldi has strongly hinted that the upcoming season ten, his third season in the role of the Doctor will be his last and we are still waiting for an announcement concerning the new companion.

First I'd like to address the question of the showrunner. Moffat has steered the series to new heights of popularity internationally unlike any Doctor Who has experienced before and there have been some absolute gems of episodes. Some the strongest in the show's 52-year-old history. However there are many who believe that he has made the show too dark, too adult and in some cases too confusing. The BBC are hoping that whoever takes over from Moffat will be able to continue the show's growing international success as well creating more family-friendly and less non-linear storylines which even Moffat has confessed that he may have overdone. In Moffat's defence, while I believe a lot of his stories haven't been as engaging as those in the Russell T. Davies era, I believe he has absolutely nailed the character of the Doctor perfectly for a modern era. Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi just are The Doctor: an intergalactic Man With No Name who wanders into town rights the wrongs, defeats the baddies and then disappears, less of the romantic god-like being of the Davies era. 
    As to who should succeed Moffat, there are several I think could do the job. Chris Chibnall is one that springs to mind. He has written several times for Doctor Who, was showrunner on the spin-off series, Torchwood and has enjoyed critical and commercial success with the crime drama, Broadchurch. Mark Gatiss is the popular choice at the moment. He too has written for the series, as well as appear in it as Dr Lazarus in the season three episode "The Lazarus Experiment" as well as un-credited cameos in others. He is also the co-creator, writer and one of the stars of Sherlock and a successful author with the Lucifer Box novels (highly recommended).

As for the possibility of a new Doctor. As much as I love Capaldi's Doctor (and I so do), if Moffat is getting ready to leave, it's very, very likely that Capaldi will go too, for the simple reason that an incoming new showrunner will want to get their own Doctor. Also season ten will be Capaldi's third in the role and that is normally when actors want to move on. Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, would famously tell other actors when they took over the role, Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor) and Sylvester McCoy (The Seventh Doctor) have both spoke about how he told them, "Only do three years." Also David Tennant and Matt Smith both only did three seasons, if you don't count Tennant's 2009 specials as a series, which I know some do. I won't start naming names for actors who can play the next Doctor because then we'll be here all day. But because so many people are talking about the possibility of the next Doctor being a woman, which I personally think would be really cool and interesting, I do think if the new showrunner were to do so, they would have to abide by some rules. Now before I begin, please remember this is just my opinion and it's just a bit of a fan banter.

1. If there were to be a female Doctor, then the actor cannot be some skimpy-attired babe. I've heard some people talk about wanting a female Doctor simply because they think it would be hot. Sorry, but that's not how the show works. The Doctor has never been ugly and there are plenty of DW fans who find him attractive, no matter who is playing him. But the most important thing - I believe - visually when it comes to finding an actor to play the Doctor is that they have the look of being from somewhere else. Of having a quality that makes them stand out from the crowd and not just because he or she is really, really good looking. You have to admit, even Tennant and Smith, who are normally referred to as "The Boyfriend Doctors" have that look that makes them look just that little bit... different from your average Joe. It should be the same with a female Doctor and no disrespect intended, but you're not going to get that with someone you would most likely find on the cover of Zoo or Loaded. 
2. A female Doctor would have to be a known and respected actor. When it was announced in 2003 that Doctor Who would be returning to TV in 2005, the popular press started speculating wildly as to who would play the Ninth Doctor and nearly all the suggestions were for comedians like Lenny Henry (good suggestion) and Russell Brand (bad, bad, bad suggestion). When it was confirmed that Christopher Eccleston, an actor more known for roles in dramas by Jimmy McGovern, gritty independent Brit flicks like Shallow Grave and more mainstream fare as Elizabeth and Gone In 60 Seconds, would be the new Doctor everyone was pleasantly surprised. People were reminded that Doctor Who wasn't just some goofy sci-fi kids show, but a proper science-fiction drama for all ages. With a female Doctor, audiences would have to be reassured once again that it was proper actor of a similar caliber of Eccleston or Capaldi's taking over the role and the decision to take the show in that direction was being done for the right reasons such as story and character. 
3. Don't put the Doctor in a dress. This is for two reasons, the first is practicality. The Doctor spends most of his/her time running around and climbing up and down and through things and a skirt or dress just isn't very practical for that. The second reason is character, I think that while the Doctor would be accepting of having a female body he would still think of himself as a man and his/her costume would have a more masculine edge.