The Eleventh Doctor...

So the news has broken that David Tennant is moving on from Doctor Who once he finishes work on the five specials which are to be broadcast over 2009 and early 2010. Tennant's been sensational in the role, and his star and the profile of the show have ballooned in the three years he's been playing the Doctor. His Doctor must rank alongside the first four as a definitive interpretation (such is the magic of the character that there can be more than one definitive Doctor). So incoming executive producer/head writer Steven Moffat has a challenge finding the new Doctor. Who knows if they'll opt for an unkown, an established star, or a hot talent on the rise? If Moffat's previous stories for the show are any indication, his Doctor will be full of daring heroism and prone to romance. With that in mind, here are the people I hope they're talking to for the role...

ROBERT CARLYLE

I would love to see Carlyle in the TARDIS. Nervous energy? Check. Capable of a frightening edge? Check. Cheeky sex appeal? Check. He is perhaps a little over the age range I suspect they're looking for, but would nevertheless do a fantastic job. An increasingly high international profile and attachment to many projects in various stages of production means he may be too busy for the role. On the other hand, the man is the father of three, and may like to combine a rest from the hectic pace (although Doctor Who does have a particular brand of hectic pace all it's own) with the chance to do something his kids can watch. I'll call this one unlikely, much as I'd love to see it. Perhaps he can do a guest role sometime.

DYLAN MORAN

Dylan would be sensational - sadly, this being the enlightened future we live in, the Doctor would not be able to chain smoke or swill red wine - although Pertwee's Doctor didn't mind a nice red, so why not one every now and again? Moran does not do a great deal of film or television acting, and is apparently a very private man who prefers to stay out of the limelight, so if he was approached, he would most likely decline the role. Again, there must be a juicy guest role down the track for him.

JAMES McAVOY

Imagine James McAvoy in the role! I mean, this guy is the fucking shit, quite frankly. He's a bit on the young side, even for the current production team, and is so white hot at the moment that he'd be way too busy and they'd never afford him. Very unlikely to be approached. He'd be great though.

HUGH GRANT

Let me get this out of the way - I'm not a fan of Hugh Grant, and have not really liked much that he's been in. However, I would not be upset if he was approached for the role. I think his dopey charm would work well with a story like 'The Girl in the Fireplace'. His profile has waned in recent years, and he did lament in an interview a few years ago that he didn't get to play the Doctor, so who knows? At 48 years of age, he's perhaps a little old for the role, but I think this one is not outside the realms of possibility. Of course, you must realise that I'm indulging in a lot of speculation about the age range they'll be looking for, based on the history of the show, comments made by previous showrunner Russell T Davies, and the much written about grueling schedule of the show, but humour me, okay?

COLIN FIRTH

He busier than a one legged man in an arse kicking contest. Another one who's possibly a little old. So this one's a total fantasy pick, will never happen. So why's he on the list? Because once, just once, I'd like to see a smokin' hot Doctor. Sure, when I was but a confused 12 year old Peter Davison certainly had my heart racing, but now I can see that I was clutching at straws, and should have spent my time drooling over Matthew Waterhouse's Adric instead. Why? Three reasons: he was much closer to my age; he's gay (I know, as if I'd ever meet him, but at least it makes the chances slightly better); and he's aged into one of those really cute grey haired guys in their mid forties. Before you jump to conclusions about my opinion of Adric, I want to make a few of things clear. Back in the day, I never looked at him twice. His character was poorly served throughout his tenure on the show, and quite possibly just a bad idea. And Matthew Waterhouse cannot act - or could not back then at least. He literally made a showcase of bad acting simply walking across the room in the otherwise superb story 'State of Decay'. Anyway, back to the point: it'd really make me happy to have a Doctor who made me think dirty thoughts.

ALFRED MOLINA

Again, with the never-gonna-happen. IMDb has him listed for at least eight or nine features in production for release over the next two years. He's here because he became my number one choice for the role when I saw the passion, energy, and madness that he brought to the role of Otto Octavius in Spiderman 2.

JOANNA LUMLEY

I don't think she's an example of never-gonna-happen. Ms. Lumley is an example of never say never. The idea of a female Doctor bothers me not in the slightest, and it would at least mean we'd be more likely to get some hot boys in the TARDIS along for the ride as companions. She's already played the role anyway, in the 1999 Comic Relief sketch 'The Curse of Fatal Death' - from a funny and clever script by one Steven Moffat, which featured Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor with Julia Sawalha as his companion Emma facing off against Jonathan Pryce's Master. The climax had the Doctor successively regenerate through Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, and Hugh Grant to finally arrive at Joanna Lumley, who takes off in the TARDIS with Sawalha in tow. Lumley has said she'd love to return to the world of Doctor Who, but only if offered the title role. I say, why not? She was great in 'Fatal Death' and the climax of series 4 showed - with Catherine Tate and her character Donna Noble - that a female Doctor could be sensational. Would love to see this happen. It would be more likely to be in the form of a one episode special rather than handing the show over to her, however.