The Regeneration Game

Siskoid’s epic journey into the classic Who canon has hit the first regeneration story just in time for Easter. Which of course gets me thinking...

Regeneration stories are rarely good.

They’re the introduction of a New Doctor (as opposed to a new Master, who will generally be revealed a ways later, or a new Romana, who will just try on a body like a coat) and half the time they have him acting severely out of character above and beyond the “I just got this job” practicalities. Sometimes the new Doctor hits the ground running but he’s just as likely to spend most of his first adventure sleeping it off, suffering severe amnesia, mucking about with costumes, or having psychotic episodes which put viewers off the new incarnation permanently. Is this the best way to introduce the new lead? Often not.

Assuming we have to keep the new actor regeneration as the show does (you’ll note that we dropped it in The Door In Time) I’d be very tempted to cut around this part and maybe, maybe deal with it later. Hey, it worked for The Eleventh Hour.