Doctor Who "The Next Doctor" Reaction!!

[@alyzu4755]

I just realized (after seeing this episode approximately 437 times) that Jackson, as the Doctor calls the first creature a "timorous beastie". Which is what the Doctor called Rose in "Tooth and Claw".

[@tenmark7055]

A Robert Burns verse is always appropriate, "Wee, sleekit, cowrin tim'rous beastie, O, what panics in thy breatsie?" I bet David could make it rhyme

[@noahrobin1941]

@alyzu4755 there’s also that moment @4:48 where FauxDoctor says the reverend is “leaving his place of residence for the last time”; a quiet callback to the end of The Girl in the Fireplace.

[@alyzu4755]

@@noahrobin1941 🥹

[@torontomame]

"Why is it sonic?" "It makes a noise." *tap, tap, tap* 🤣😂

[@alextrill1746]

Its such a Doctor explanation, that it actually does more to make the guy feel like the Doctor than an actual sonic screwdriver would.

[@purrceys7959]

Before this show aired, the promotion with the title "The Next Doctor" led people to believe that David Morrissey who played Jackson Lake in this episode would be the next doctor (who had already been chosen but it was kept quiet). David Morrissey was told not to tell anyone that he was the guest star for this episode only. He couldn't even tell his own kids who kept asking "do we have to move to Cardiff?" (where the Doctor Who studio was/is). I thought he was great in this episode and would have made a great doctor. BTW this is the second time he and David Tennant have worked together. They were both in Blackpool, a quirky show that has song/dance numbers. Their characters in Blackpool (an arcade owner& police detective) face off to "These Boots Were Made For Walking". This song/dance number is on KZbin and it's hilarious.

[@carolineskipper6976]

The ruse worked so well because he really could have been a great Doctor, he was on lots of people's lists of who it might be!

[@Suedehead05]

Fun fact, the 'warehouse' the children were all working in was actually the Torchwood hub set just slightly modified.

[@carolineskipper6976]

Just came to see if anyone had flagged this up!😂

[@judithstrachan9399]

Ha ha!

[@DuncanEvans-t7q]

The moment that always gets me is with the Doctor's infostamp. It was a beautiful little Xmas present for all the fans who had watched the all the Doctors up until that time

[@space1999]

I never understand why some people don't like this one, it's fun, throwaway, exciting and chrismassy.... I love it

[@paulhammond6978]

I think it's my favourite of the specials. Waters of Mars is excellent, but I didn't gel with that first off, and it's... well it's a bit too horror for me, honestly. Actually, I'd better not go on else I'll give too many spoilers away, but there are reasons why I can criticise the others too. The cyberking is a bit silly, but I like the vibes of "The Next Doctor", and Dervla Kirwan in the red dress is an excellent villain, it all looks great, and the Tardis as a balloon is inspired madness.

[@space1999]

@paulhammond6978 I agree with almost all of that.... I quite like the steampunk cyberking mobile converting unit.... I don't think its the best of these specials but its the most fun.... Mars, for me is a classic, but also I can't help my emotions regards another of the specials that I don't want to name....

[@TheKonkaman]

They wasted David Morrissey, he would of made a great choice for the doctor

[@space1999]

@TheKonkaman he wasn't wasted but I agree he would have been a good dr

[@MWSin1]

The steampunk cyberkaiju is kind of corny. I honestly think it would have worked just fine on its own, but in my opinion the clash between that and the emotional weight of Jackson Lake's story just highlights the silliness of it in a very unflattering way.

[@kristopherheenk2710]

I found it a nice touch that "The Next Doctor" managed to find himself a "companion" in Rosita who had connections to all 3 of David Tenant's companions - Got her name from Rose - Got her, shall we say, "complexion" from Martha - Got her no-nonsense / in-your-face attitude from Donna

[@TheAppeyes]

I believe, although I may be wrong, that the kid playing Jackson Lake's son was also the kid who got his breath back in the Torchwood episode with the circus people.

[@StarkRG]

Yep, the Torchwood episode was his first acting gig and, as far as I can see, this episode was his last (so far, I don't think he's dead or anything).

[@space1999]

The Dr CAN cross his own time line (he's a time lord) in classic he's done it a few times, both by accident and when so much was at stake, the time lords instigated it....

[@alextrill1746]

Only the latest incarnation remembers it afterwards though, usually, since "timelines are out of sync" or something.

[@scottredding7357]

I loved the new acronym for TARDIS.

[@StarkRG]

Tickle Artistry Renews Different Intelligence Services.

[@HuntingViolets]

I feel like it would be super interesting to have the Doctor meet the next Doctor before he regenerates, actually knowing who he would become, and then eventually regenerates into him/her/thon/them and meets himself for the same adventure. That would be so good, actually.

[@Venemofthe888]

I could be misremembering but this episode was the first time the 8th Doctor Paul McGann was officially confirmed as the doctor cause a lot of fans questioned his canonical status in the tv show. He had lots of audios even by this point but he finally was fully counted in the show. Also inside where all the kids are in the cyber king is actually a repurposed torchwood hub set

[@DuncanEvans-t7q]

I never doubted McGann as the Doctor, mainly because he regenerated from Sylvester McCoy, aka my Doctor. But he was subtly referenced in Human Nature in the journal. It that 1 image had to be McGann

[@ZoahLord]

From what I understand, this is the first use of 8th Doctor footage since 1996. I remember RTD saying that if the rights to the TV Movie were complicated they were going to use footage of McGann from (early 90s drama) The Hanging Gale (where McGann was dressed in pre-20th century clothes)

[@DuncanEvans-t7q]

@@ZoahLord I've not heard about that, but I did hear that originally it was only going to be Tennant footage until someone suggested to RTD that it would be nice to use every Doctor as a little treat

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@DuncanEvans-t7q, and thanks to that “someone” and to RTD for listening.

[@jeremyb5640]

I always enjoy this one. David Morrissey would have made a great Doctor! When this aired, we knew David would be leaving, but not the name of the actor who would be replacing him. So, this Christmas special - and particularly its title - was a real tease on the part of Russell T Davies! Matt's casting was officially announced a week later. Other people have probably mentioned this, but the specials were partly due to David being away for much of the year, playing Hamlet in an extended run with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and partly to give the new showrunner and Doctor time to prepare for the new era.

[@SAMEEDEE56]

22:52 I watch this episode every Christmas and have never realised he says heart instead of hearts 😂

[@choomah]

This episode has an excellent "death of whimsy" moment. From then fun set up and playful adventure to basically "you're doing this because they got your family 😐"

[@xavierbernard8514]

Let's go!!!! These specials go so hard! Looking forward to your reactions!

[@jennifermorris6848]

“. . . And some of them forget me.” The Doctor is fragile. He is regressed a bit to the guilty, tense guy he was when he met rose.

[@carolineskipper6976]

That line 'and some of them forget me' brought a lump to my throat, even after all this time (and many watches). Russell T Davies wasn't entirely happy with Miss Hartigan's fate in this one. In one of the commentaries he comes up with an alternative end scene for her, which he says he wishes he'd thought of when writing the episode.

[@tenmark7055]

By the time this episode aired I had seen all of Classic available. A lot of companions had come & gone, some under tragic circumstances but the loss of Donna was memorable.

[@thekandyman.]

When I was a kid I thought David morrisey (the next doctor) was morrisey from the smiths lol

[@Suedehead05]

Certainly would have been a *charming doctor*

[@SarahH-ns6ly]

These specials are so good! Lots of great characters. Looking forward to the rest of them. 😊

[@sallyatticum]

These two Davids starred together in Blackpool, a musical mystery love story which you should definitely watch at some point and play "spot the Doctor Who actor." ...

[@TheMess9898]

Loving your journey and can't wait for you to get to today. So many twists and turns to come. What fun we will all have watching with you.

[@Adeodatus100]

This reaction was such a joy to watch. I think you may be an example of a perfect Doctor Who fan! 😁

[@DigiRangerScott]

Originally this and the next special were called Binary Binary Binary (parts 1 and 2) while the two specials after were called “I’m Fine” (parts 1, 2 and 3)

[@plothole181]

🙃

[@The-Cosmic-Hobo]

After the "fake out" with Rose's "day I died" departure, I've generally viewed Donna's not that dissimilar fake out death (it was hinted SO heavily that "one will die") as a big cop-out. My wife however views what happened to Donna as the absolute most horrid thing that's ever happened to a companion in the history of Doctor Who (1963+). Of course, I can see why... having "the best of her" denied existence... But I still see it as a cop out.

[@GrubStLodger]

Morrisey and Tennant were great together in 'Blackpool'.

[@scottredding7357]

Which also starred the Arachnoss, and had supporting turns from Strackman Lux and Rory’s dad.

[@judithstrachan9399]

I should look that up.

[@chrisfraser5088]

Love this episode! The specials are so good. No spoilers (😉) but my favourite is The Waters of Mars! But they’re all excellent.

[@cathyvickers9063]

This was credible because of the Classic specials: The Two Doctors, The Three Doctors, & The Five Doctors.

[@kaimeridius3849]

The specials (especially toward the end) will blow your mind!

[@jimhoyt5]

There is no paradox if Jackson had actually been another version of The Doctor. In classic Who the current Doctor ran into other regenerations of himself on multiple occasions.

[@The-Cosmic-Hobo]

I was going to point out that something I loved in Classic Who was the way that stories often involved threats to the entire planet, and yet - they would be wrapped up with barely anyone actually being aware of the threat. But then we have the new era which brought us a space ship crashing into Big Ben in its 3rd episode! But, then I remembered one of my favourite lines... Doctor - Do you remember the Zygon gambit, with the Loch Ness Monster? Or the Yeti in the Underground? Companion - The what? Doctor - Your species has the most amazing capacity for self deception, matched only by your ingenuity when trying to destroy itself. So... I can't really argue that Classic Who handled things better... they still dropped in little lines now and then to try explain why people don't know about - oh - say, a massive Cyberman stomping around 1850 London.

[@MrDarkwing78]

5:15 Nailed it so early on! A true Whovian.

[@channyh.221B]

Yeah, I'm feeling it too. No show can get you the way Doctor Who gets you. btw, @22:53 "both of them?" You have settled yourself very well and comfy (maybe not the right word concerning Doctor Who adventures) in the Whoniverse. Sweet.

[@torontomame]

I really enjoyed this episode. And not only because I'd long been crushing on David Morrissey. 😄

[@carolineskipper6976]

It was fantastic to see the two Davids working together again. They fired off each other so brilliantly in Blackpool!

[@briangilliver2197]

Hi from England, great editing, easy to follow, I did think that this Was the new doctor when I saw it, because we didn't who was going to be the 11th at this point. I am looking forward to your next 3 specials

[@CrankyGrandma]

He would have made a great doctor.

[@richardd9938]

21:48 Say Hello to Salamander✌️

[@plothole181]

As for whether it would have been possible (time travelwise) for The Next Doctor to really be a regeneration of the Doctor and still interact with 10, there were several instances in Old!Who where different regenerations of the Doctor worked together for a story, I believe the general in-universe rule was that only the most recent version of the character clearly remembered the events of the story after it was done, but only after living through it. So, it would have been odd to have a future Doctor cross over with the current Doctor...however, I'm not sure how they explained the Valeyard.

[@StarkRG]

The Valeyard was a potential far future incarnation of the Doctor. According to the Master, between the Doctor's twelfth and final incarnations, and according to the Valyard, couldn't be avoided only postponed. Without spoiling anything, more recent revelations have made the doctor's list of incarnations, past and future, much, _much_ more complicated.

[@plothole181]

@@StarkRG I was more confused about why the Doctor remembered the episodes with the Valeyard when he didn't remember his episodes with other future incarnations. I was wondering if they had an explanation for that.

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@plothole181, Did he know? I’d think he’d mistrust what the Master said, anyway, on principle.

[@plothole181]

@@judithstrachan9399 I don't see why not knowing that it was a later version of himself would have an impact on the temporal chicanery that somehow leads him to forget every other interaction with a future self, but if that is the explanation so be it.

[@kay-jay1581]

This Christmas special it’s a ton of fun my favorites is still his very first Christmas special and series 9 special.

[@theoroderick782]

I was watching till the end I was so sad when the Doctor won cuz I couldn't think of anything but "I know Donna would have loved this".

[@KernowWarrior]

I can't recall a child ever getting killed in Who. I'm probably wrong, but my mind draws a blank. I'm sure someone will enlighten me if i'm am.

[@74gould]

When I first watched this many years ago, I didn’t like it so much… But re-watching it now, I REALLY really like it. I guess I’m just older & appreciate the writing more (and don’t mind the cheesiness as much). 😄

[@HuntingViolets]

I mean, Mercy does have style.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

Come out in the news that they were going to be replacing the Doctor in the near future when this aired, so when we see a "new doctor" it was an intentional misdirection.

[@juliet1203_]

If you think Journeys End was sad... just wait until Torchwood Series 3 🤫

[@8cladgamer210]

I love this episode

[@Tm-dn9ob]

8:20 red means your happy there dead... its not done anymore

[@judithstrachan9399]

Ooh! I didn’t know that. Not surprising, though.

[@Sandro_de_Vega]

This ep looks unique bc they used older special effects.

[@ElectroTherapyFTSoul]

Despite some stellar episodes, I'm not really a fan of the RTD/Tennant era (NOTHING against Tennant!). However, watching your reactions and your enthusiasm makes me feel like a fan of this era for a moment.

[@ghostsurfer23]

Jackson Lake: kills two LIVING beings with what is essentially a fancy alien flash drive. The Tenth Doctor, the "man who never would": "Only the Doctor would think of that!" :D -.- That criticism aside, this is a great episode. So fun, great reveal. The worst part is, I've really wanted them to play this concept straight eventually, where the new actor shows up prior to the regeneration scene to have an episode or even just a scene with the previous Doctor. It should theoretically be possible, since both actors would be on set at the same time for the first scene. I can think of two, maaaaaaybe three times in the last ten years where they could have done it, but oh well. Also, "I suppose in the end...they break my heart." DEVASTATING! T_T

[@AmyWarriorPrincess]

I really really hope you end up watching classic who. I really think you would enjoy it. A lot of reactors end up enjoying it more than they realise

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I have plans to take a tour of Classic Who to coincide with series 7 leading to the 50th anniversary. It has 9 classic stories and a few specials, should be a fun time!

[@Llanchlo]

At 12:06 we see Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. I think this was the first formal acknowledgement that he was canon for the TV show although he had appeared in audio adventures and other media. If you have not seen it I strongly suggest you watch the 1996 TV film, where he was newly regenerated from Sylvester McCoy, before the end of series 7.

[@CrankyGrandma]

We saw him in Human Nature as well, in the diary

[@TriarchVisgroup]

I would say, the specials are a mixed bag. Some of em are good, some aren't so good. It is a good run though.

[@yoitscait.]

true. though i would say waters of mars is one of the best episodes in the show imo

[@keithbk]

Yeah, I love this episode. It's a great one.

[@AzguardMike]

first