I’m on board with Billie Piper playingDoctor Who’s Sixteenth Doctor as long as one condition is met.Doctor Whoseason 15’s endingsprang many a surprise, from Jodie Whittaker’s cameo to the distinct lack of Carole Ann Ford. By far the biggest twist, however, wasNcuti Gatwa regenerating into Billie Piper. Exactly what Piper’s role will be moving forward remains to be seen, as, tellingly,Doctor Whodid not credit her character as “the Doctor,” suggesting some Bad Wolf-ish shenanigans could be afoot.
Nevertheless, Piper has emerged from the golden glow of a dying Fifteenth Doctor, and that makes her, until such time asDoctor Whoconfirms otherwise, the Sixteenth. To say thatDoctor Who’s latest lead actor represents a huge risk would be an understatement of planet-sized proportions. Beyond the canon ramifications - which are huge, obviously - a big question mark hangs over whether such a daring choice will backfire massively. WithDoctor Whoseason 16not yet confirmed, it might not matter, but assuming the TARDIS does vworp back onto screens, Billie Piper’s Doctor must adhere to one rule.
Billie Piper’s Sixteenth Doctor Should Be Another Transitional Doctor, Like David Tennant’s Fourteenth
It’s The Only Way Billie Piper’s Sixteenth Doctor Can Work
In returning toDoctor Who’s showrunner position,Russell T Davies introduced the concept of a transitional Doctor- an innovation that, broadly speaking, worked quite well. David Tennant assumed the role of the protagonist’s fourteenth official incarnation to guide the franchise through its 60th anniversary and provide a familiar face during uncertain times. With a knowing whiff of nostalgia,Doctor Whosought to reacquaint itself with lapsed fans and provide a gentle bridge into a brand-new era. The questionable addition of bi-generation aside, “The Star Beast,” “Wild Blue Yonder,” and “The Giggle” marked a return to form following the heavily-criticized Flux season.
Hiring a completely new actor as the Doctor whenDoctor Who’s status remains so murky would be nonsensical.
Billie Piper’s role as the Sixteenth Doctorshould be exactly what Tennant’s was as the Fourteenth. Once again,Doctor Whofinds itself in a phase of great change, and the prospect of a lengthy hiatus is entirely feasible. Over the next few years,Doctor Whomay be limited to occasional special episodes, should the BBC continue production without the involvement of Disney or another third party. In that situation, the presence of Billie Piper would make total sense, just as the presence of Tennant did during the 60th anniversary specials.
Piper’s Sixteenth Doctor might appear a few times a year, especially when bells begin ringing around December. She would feature in a select few adventures that resolve thelingering questions ofDoctor Whoseason 15, including Susan’s cameo, the Boss, and why the Doctor turned into a Rose Tyler lookalike. Then, whenDoctor Whois inevitably restored to its full-time status, Piper can pass the baton to a totally new actor to dragDoctor Whointo the future.
Hiring a completely new actor as the Doctor whenDoctor Who’s status remains so murky would be nonsensical, especially if that new actor was a young up-and-comer who may not be able to make a firm commitment to the show. As a longstanding member of theDoctor Whofamily and an established RTD favorite,Billie Piper is a much safer pair of hands.
The Main Problem With Billie Piper As A Full-Time Doctor
The Thorny Side To Rose’s Return
If, however,Doctor Who’s plan is to install Billie Piper as a permanent Doctor throughoutDoctor Whoseason 16 and beyond, I would take issue with that.The problem isn’t Piper herself- an undeniably great actor widely loved for her role as Rose Tyler - but the familiarity she brings.
Billie Piper is not the first leadingDoctor Whoactorto appear in the show as another character before landing the top job. Colin Baker portrayed Gallifrey’s Commander Maxil before donning his infamous technicolor dreamcoat, while Peter Capaldi played one-off characters in bothDoctor WhoandTorchwood. ButDoctor Whohas never, Tennant aside, brought back a main cast member as the Doctor, and between 2005 and 2006 (then again in 2008), Piper certainly was a main cast member.
Sixteen’s excited expression and opening line of “oh, hello” feel exactly like Rose Tyler.
There is, after all, a reason the Fourteenth Doctor only lasted three episodes beforeregeneratingsettling down in Chiswick.Doctor Whois all about progression, change, and a revolving door of leading Time Lords and Ladies. Sticking with Tennant permanently would have represented a backward step - a transparent attempt at emulating former glories. Billie Piper may have played a companion, but exactly the same issue arises. Being promoted one step up the TARDIS hierarchy is not enough to overcome the fact that multiple seasons of Piper’s Sixteenth Doctor would feel like treading over old ground.
And therein lies the other issue: it would be old ground. A few seconds of screen time and a single line is, of course, nowhere near enough to ascertain a true picture of the next Doctor’s personality. Nevertheless, Sixteen’s excited expression and opening salvo of “oh, hello” feel exactly like Rose Tyler. The same was true of the Fourteenth Doctor. Tennant had the opportunity to play a completely unique version of the Time Lord, but Fourteen ended up as a very deliberate continuation of Ten. Early indications suggest Sixteen and Rose will follow that trend.
If Billie Piper’s Sixteenth Doctor turns out to be a gloomy, anti-social, awkward incarnation in the mold of the First, Sixth, or Twelfth Doctors - or even something entirely unique like the Shalka Doctor - I will happily sit back and watch a full season ofDoctor Whowith her at the helm. If Sixteen turns out to be as much like Rose Tyler on the inside as she does on the outside, however, there is surely only so much mileage in her being the new face ofDoctor Who.
Doctor Who Feels Like It’s Repeating Itself
Doctor Who Has Gone A Bit Timey-Wimey
Billie Piper’s return toDoctor Whocontinues a recent pattern of revisiting the same narrative ideas. That’s the case irrespective of how long the Sixteenth Doctor sticks around, but will turn into a more glaring problem if Piper has indeed been recruited as a full-time Doctor.
The reveal of Billie Piper is unavoidably close to when Jodie Whittaker regenerated into David Tennant.
Looking atDoctor Whoseason 15 alone,the Rani’s return felt a lot like the Master’s comeback in season 3. Both were secret Time Lord villains hiding in plain sight, who then regenerated as soon as they revealed themselves and created dystopian versions of Earth that the Doctor would eventually reverse.Omega, meanwhile, felt very similar to Sutekhin terms of being a monstrous CGI villain summoned from the classic era with a few choice retcons.
The reveal of Billie Piper is unavoidably comparable to when Jodie Whittaker regenerated into David Tennant, with the departing Doctor’s replacement being kept a closely-guarded secret, only to be unveiled as a familiar figure from RTD’s original era. After Tennant and now Piper, it feels like reality could shift one degree to the left and the Doctor would suddenly be Camille Coduri.
One might argue that Piper serving as a transitional Doctor would make Sixteen and Fourteen even more alike, and that assertion would be absolutely correct. At the same time, repeating the trick for a few specials over the next couple of years is infinitely preferable to three or four wholeDoctor Whoseasons with Rose Tyler as the Doctor.
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Doctor Who: Released on July 07, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
