No One is Telling‏

Lips appear to be sealed across the country – certainly in Wales and London – as to the identity of the 11th Doctor Who.

Although assumptions can be made (based upon prior events and previously gained experience) it is difficult to say definitively that casting has taken place.

However, if it hasn’t then it certainly is taking place right now, with various sources indicating shortlists of various lengths and composition.

Suggestions ranging from Harry Hill to Jeremy Irons are dancing around the interwebnet, and interestingly there is little in David Morrissey’s IMDb profile that indicates that he would be unavailable during the expected production period from June/July 2009 through to March/April 2010.

However, the same goes for many actors linked with the role, with Kasterborous favourite Sean Pertwee – insultingly referred to in the sloppy Den of Geek as “a big treat for fans of his Dad” currently shooting a movie with James Purefoy and Natasha McElhone, with little else other than voiceover work on the horizon.

Even the Prof is bewildered with this – it’s looking very definitely like a case of wait and see!

The Buzz (and I'm not talking alien bees...)

So - the regeneration issue is the matter of massive discussion across the United Kingdom this week, with Doctor Who creating a buzz that I don't think has been seen since we were introduced to Rose, back in 2005.

To say that Russell T Davies has raised his game may be an overt criticism of his earlier Doctor Who episodes. What he has done, however, is turn on the style in a way that leaves Doctor Who fans as the first point of contact for the answer to "is David Tennant leaving!?!"

The Stolen Earth was classic Doctor Who in a way that we have rarely seen in the modern era - an expansive, jaw-droppingly realised space opera with, I think you'll agree, the Earth invasion to end all Earth invasions.

I hope under the Grand Moff we get a few more rogue scientist storylines to balance off the deluge of alien races wanting a piece of Earth that we've seen in recent years.

Back to the point, however: everyone I know wants to know what's going to be the outcome of the cliffhanger. Wives and girlfriends are formulating theories in notebooks and rewatching the episode on iPlayer or Sky+; everyone wants to know what's coming!

We'll all have to wait and see, whether we know, think we know, don't know or even don't care (yes, you!).

What is likely however is that the media attention will lead to a very good turn-out in front of the box on Saturday night, maybe even beating Rose - which would be a fitting end to the (regular) Davies era.

Greatest Cliffhanger Yet?

Russell T Davies has got us all by the balls. He knows it, and we know it. With Sarah Jane about to be EXTERMINATED, Gwen and Ianto about to be EXTERMINATED and the Doctor seemingly about to be REGENERATED, the cliffhanger to The Stolen Earth - TO BE CONTINUED - lead to much analyzing and wonder, the like of which the Kasterborous Forum has never seen before.

Yes, the search for answers brought a helluva lot of people to Kasterborous.com on Saturday evening, where Doctor Who fans young and old discussed how on earth the Doctor and co would get out of this one, but mostly needing answers to the question "Is David Tennant leaving?!"

Of course, we don't know. Not really, 100% certainly with no chance of the wool being pulled over our eyes. I mean, over the years we've built a few links, and know people who know people. You wouldn't believe some of the secrets we've kept in the last 3 years.

But this time - it's just not clear.

We'll look back on this and laugh in a few weeks, and applaud how RTD and co hoodwinked us. Or we'll discuss the success with which James Nesbit has made the role his own in such a short space of time...