NEXT DOCTOR WHO : A ONE-LEGGED DWARF ?

The media or at least, the BBC, seems to be on tenterhooks about the identity of the next actor to play the part of Doctor Who. Indeed, listening to BBC news coverage one would think that this is a major issue of international importance.

For me, there only ever has been one Doctor Who and that was the wonderful William Hartnell who created the character. Other early incarnations had their good points but none ever compared with Hartnell's slightly eccentric, 'mad professor' portrayal. Over the years, the BBC paid less attention to the character and more to attracting a particular audience, culminating with Sylvester McCoy who was the last Doctor of the original series; by McCoy's time in the role, the series had completely lost its way and it came as no surprise when it was ended in 1989..

Resurrecting the series in 2005, the BBC turned the Doctor into some sort of 'super hero', quite different from the original concept. Now he was portrayed by a succession of dashing young studs with an assortment of politically correct companions. The latest incarnation has seen Peter Capaldi, an actor of some note though not exactly top drawer, taking on the role but now he is set to breathe his last and is to be replaced; as has become customary the revelation of the name of the new Doctor has been turned into a media extravaganza.

There has been speculation that the chosen actor will be a woman, presumably as a sop to the 'equal rights' brigade though why such nonsense should be relevant is a mystery. It might just as well be a one-legged dwarf or a deaf, dumb and blind trapeze artist; it's simply ridiculous and it's nothing more than pandering to an ever more faddish audience and a hierarchy obsessed with 'political correctness'.

Doctor Who is an eccentric, slightly bumbling but very, very clever and very, very old alien. He, and I emphasise 'He', is not a trendy young thing nor is 'he' female. He is not disabled and he is not a super hero. David Jason would have been a good choice, possibly John Nettles, certainly Richard Briars. Michael Gambon, Deek Jacobi or Bill Nighy could all have brought their own styles to the role without betraying, the original as, no doubt, could many others but the BBC, in its determination to 'keep up with the times' chose to select a succession of very different characters.

Whoever is chosen to replace Capaldi is most unlikely to be any sort of successor to William Hartnell and his original portrayal of the Doctor. It is, in truth, a travesty to call the current series 'Doctor Who' as it bears neither similarity to nor comparison with the original. What a shame.