My hopes for the new series have been knocked down further.

Billie Piper will be playing the new companion.

I thought we were supposed to be going against big name starts after the Bonnie Langford fiasco...

Billie Piper is a "big name"!?

She's got a reputation though - that of being a horrific cheesy pop star :)

How disgusting, and she's not even a redhead ;)

And she was bloody awful in that Canterbury Tales thing.

This is most definitely not good news. Flying daleks hold nothing compared to this! :(

Well i've never seen an episode of this, so she can't spoil it for me can she?

What, not even just by the fact that she is in it?

Anna Friel obviously turned the part down then ;)

Well i've never seen her in anything...although if we're comparing her acting skills to her cheesy pop songs skills then... :weird: :lol:

plus she's married to a ginger tosser, oh the shame ;)

Again with the ginger...how could she?!? :blink:

so they have decided NOT to go for a sexy female companion this time then?????

Lots of teeth were obviously a requirement for the part... :unsure:

Wouldn't it be better to go into the new series with an open mind. Why spoil it for yourselves before it's began. She doesn't look that different from Katy Manning imo. Remember Billie is young but not stupid. She did have a awful pop career but she's giving it a go with the acting. Has anyone seen the Calcium Kid?

The return of Doctor Who as Paul McGann failed because many people were expecting too much. Do you want classic Doctor Who or a New Hi-Tech version? (Think about StarWars before you answer). I'm looking forward to it. If it's rubbish I'll decide later

To be fair, I've not seen her in anything, and I'm not going to judge her acting potential.

What does worry me, however, is how this will be interpreted by the public. Remember, Doctor Who was plagued in the late 80's by celebrity actors (with Bonnie Langford being the apex of this). With having someone who, in the public's eyes is famous for Because We Want To and marrying Chris Evans, starring in this new series could well remind people of the 'dark ages' of the 80's, rather than the days when Doctor Who was a hugely popular series, watched by over 10 million people.

I'm sure Billie Piper will do a good job - I just think it would have been more prudent to have got this series established with 'serious' actors (such as Eccleston) to get a good reputation with the public, and to have got rid of the stigma of being 'Doctor Who' which the series has had in the past.

This is a very fair point, and one well made Anna.

I'm not much of a Who fan I'm afraid, but I'll be checking the new series out for sure.

Ok but isn't Eccleston just another Paul McGann? Most shows are looked at just because of the stars. Only true diehard fans will watch just because. Not many will boycott because of a famous name. I think TV executives have to give a little in order to get new people to watch. One other thing - Bonnie Langford was great in Bugsy Malone ;)

When does it start anyway?

The last rumour I heard was Christmas Day to spearhead the Beeb's festive scheduling.

I've seen a little of Ms Piper's acting skills, she did enough to get by, but don't kid yourselves that you'll be amazed by her vast skills. She's a typical choice imo, hungry enough to take the role, not serious enough to be offered a meaty role in anything else, and pretty enough to satisfy.

I've heard Christmas Day mooted in various publications (despite nothing from the BBC) - however I'd have more faith in a January 2005 slot - possibly post Casualty?

Excellent point!!!

I actually dont mind the PAUL McGANN movie and think it is a shame that the series was not continued but I suspect I am in a small minority there.

I also wouldnt have minded if he had been chosen to continue in the role!!!!!!

Paul McGann has a special place in my heart alongside Richard E Grant for giving me hours of enjoyment watching Withnail and I