Many British media outlets reported yesterday that Hugh Grant was “in talks” to take over the lead role in Doctor Who following the departure of Jodie Whittaker later this year, and the Hollywood star took to social media to add his own comments to the story. Grant, who has recently been filming on Warner Bros.’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, Wonka and the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons movie, became the latest in a long line of potential stars who could be taking over the role of The Doctor in the long-running sci-fi show. According to him, the reports are simply not correct, and he will not be appearing in the series.As Doctor Who approaches its 60th anniversary, Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall will depart the series and make way for the return of previous head writer Russell T. Davies and whoever he chooses to be his new Doctor. That, of course, comes with a lot of speculation about who will be taking on the role at a significant time for the series, which has seen some of the lowest viewing figures in recent history. Some have cited the change to the lead character from male to female, while others have vocally criticized Chibnall’s writing, and some just believe the series has run its course. Whatever the reason for the downturn in viewership, it is clear that Doctor Who needs something new if it is to survive.While the idea of Hugh Grant taking on the role of The Doctor had its merits, with the star having played the role in Comic Relief special in 1999 and having been offered and seemingly regrettably turned down the role back in 2005, there were many who believed the return of Russell T. Davies was a sign that it could be Grant’s time to rectify his mistake. However, a quick tweet by the actor dispelled those fans' hopes quickly.
The Wait to Find Out Who Will Be the New Doctor Who Continues
With Hugh Grant seemingly out of the running, fans will have to wait a little longer to discover who will take on the iconic role of the Time Lord in the new series of Doctor Who. When Jodie Whittaker took over the role, it was seen as a new era for the series, but it soon became one of the show’s worst runs. Now, the series is in dire need of a steady hand and a new creative vision.
That is where Russell T. Davies comes in. As the creative force behind the revival of the show in 2005, and the man who oversaw the run of David Tennant, one of the most popular actors to have ever played The Doctor, Davies has a flair for creating big, spectacular storylines that concentrated on making the show exciting and involving. Recent series of Doctor Who have seemed to focus more on long, drawn-out monologues by the character have almost managed to replace the “monster of the week” expectation with “social and environmental issue of the week.” While many TV shows use the platform to discuss work events, social issues and environmental concerns, Chibnall’s Who episodes occasionally made them the center of the story, and in a show that is about fantastic worlds and space and time exploration, audiences seem to have switched off from it, and the return of Davies as showrunner can hopefully turn that around.