Russell T Davies Who's In The Frame?

Russell T Davies has revealed that he thinks actor Russell Tovey has 11th Doctor potential, as and when David Tennant finally hands over the TARDIS key.

Corresponding with Benjamin Cook, co-author of upcoming hardback The Writer's Tale, Russell praises "Russell Tovey as Midshipman Frame [in Voyage Of The Damned], which is my favourite casting of the lot, because he's going to be huge, that man. He's amazing. I think I'd make him the Eleventh Doctor."

Other revelations in the book, which is based around email exchanges between Russell and Ben between February 2007 and April 2008, include an abandoned idea for Harry Potter author JK Rowling to appear in a Christmas Special.

"I thought, don't ask J.K. to write a Doctor Who, ask her to be in a Doctor Who! We've done Dickens, Shakespeare, Agatha Christie...why should kids think that all great authors are dead?"

The emails,several of which have been published in The Times this week, also reveal secrets of the upcoming Christmas special.

Stop reading now if you'd rather not know what happens at the start of the adventure yet...

"The Doctor arrives, hears a damsel in distress," says Russell. "The Doctor steps forward to save her... when this other man [to be played by David Morrissey] swings in, dashing, brilliant, amazing, clever, witty, saves the day. The Doctor says, 'Who are you?' The man says, 'I'm the Doctor!' Good scene. The Doctor becomes his companion. I like that. Sweet. There will be a beautiful woman too, of course, but really it's the Doctor paired with a new Doctor."

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale is published by BBC Books/Ebury on 25th September.


Below is an example of Russell's lovely cartoons, which help to illustrate the book, alongside a wealth of previously unpublished photos.

'No objection' to Doctor Who film

The new writer of Doctor Who says he would not object to the hit TV series being made into a film.

Steven Moffat, who has replaced Russell T Davies at the helm, said it would be good to see the show at cinemas as long as it was "great and fantastic".

But he stressed any filming should not get in the way of making the series.

He also revealed Steven Spielberg was a Doctor Who fan and that Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson had one of ex-Doctor Sylvester McCoy's outfits.

Moffat is taking over from Davies, who revived Doctor Who in 2005, as the lead writer and executive producer for the fifth series of the show - due to be shown on BBC1 in spring 2010.


It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it's great and fantastic
Steven Moffat

Asked at the Edinburgh International Television Festival whether he would like to see the series become a film, he said: "I'm not against it. I don't think it's the most important thing for Doctor Who.

"A movie is one 90 minutes a year. So yes, so long as it never gets in the way of the show. If it gets in the way of the show that's appalling.

"It's been in the cinema, with Peter Cushing. It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it's great and fantastic."

Doctor's age

Moffat has already written some of the most memorable Doctor Who episodes of recent times including Blink, of series three - which featured terrifying weeping angels - for which he picked up the best writer Bafta earlier this year.

He was previously known for the landmark ITV children's drama Press Gang and Coupling, the award-winning sitcom he created and wrote for BBC2.

Moffat went on to rule out introducing an older Doctor Who, if and when David Tennant leaves the show.

"It's a practical issue. This is a show that's hard for even the young, super-fit David Tennant to keep up with. It might kill someone over 60," he said.

"If the Doctor turned into an old man you would be a bit p***** off. Even William Hartnell [the first doctor] had trouble back then, he was often ill and forgot his lines.

"I think he'll always probably tend to be around 40."

Writer Davies will remain in charge of four Doctor Who specials to be shown in 2009.

Doctor WHO 21ST CENTURY FILM

THE NEW DOCTOR WHO FILM WILL BE SHOOTING IN THE NEAR FUTURE STARRING DAVID TENNANT AS THE DOCTOR AND CATHERINE ZETA-JONES AS HIS SIDEKICK