Judi Dench will “have to pass” on being the next Doctor on Doctor Who

Dame Judi Dench isn’t interested in playing the Doctor on Doctor Who. She made that clear during an appearance on BBC’s The One Show this week. I think a lot of fans would be happy to see Dench inside the TARDIA, but alas, it’s not to be.

“I think I might have to pass on that one,” Dench said. “I’d have to get someone to do the stunts for me, which wouldn’t be any good, would it! I’m not up to that, I’m afraid.”

Okay, that’s fair…but still, I’d love to see Dench as the Doctor, or just on the show in another role. She’s got that quintessentially British vibe that would fit so well; perhaps she could play the Queen of some far-off galaxy the Doctor and her friends visit?

When will Doctor Who season 14 premiere?

Speaking of new Doctors, many Whovians are wondering when we are going to see the replacement for Jodie Whittaker, who leaves the role after two more specials airing later this year. There has been a lot of speculation as to who the next Doctor will be, and at this point, I think fans have covered every major British actor out. It’s the TV equivalent of, “Who’s going to be the next Bond?”

While we don’t know who the next Doctor will be yet, there is some activity surrounding the upcoming 14th season. Fans noticed that, according to the CV of producer Vicki Delow, Doctor Who is currently in production at Wolf Studios in Wales. Continuing in that mode, the CV of producer Phil Collinson lists Doctor Who season 14 as “currently in production.”

We should point out that just because it says “in production” doesn’t mean they are actively filming. It’s still very early days for the new Doctor Who regime, and given that Whittaker’s final episode hasn’t even aired and there’s been no announcement about the next Doctor, I highly doubt the cameras are rolling just yet.

Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies already at work on season 14

However, showrunner Russell T Davies, who will be returning as showrunner after over a decade away, has been writing scripts. Speaking with The Guardian last month, he shared that he had already written some of the episodes. The first of those will premiere in November 2023, which will mark Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary.

Davies also shared that they have not cast anyone yet and that auditions are just getting started.

We’ve got a long road ahead of us, fellow Whovians, but that’s okay! We’ve got plenty of content to keep us busy until then, not to mention theorizing over who the next Doctor will be. (maybe we’ll get a double reveal of the next Bond and the next Doctor?!)

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h/t RadioTimes, Cultbox