Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker are the best Doctors.

And I’m not knocking Doctor Who as a show – on the contrary I too think it’s amazingly refreshing.

The show speaks for itself – started in the 60′s and has survived well for 50 years while not having to rely on killer special effects, known actors, or genius directors.

Meanwhile, hollywood has fallen to the point where even the combination of the best special effects, actors, directors and studios which money is capable of buying can not save the remakes, sequels and adaptations they keep churning out.

Not too surprising, perhaps. Reading from disillusioned insiders it appears as though Tinseltown has become staid and ossified to the point where the first reaction to an original script is suspicion and doubt.

The regeneration thing was key. It wasn’t even thought of until deep into the Hartnell period, and the audience not only bought it, but embraced it. The perfect way to justify new lead actors with different personalities, etc.

Now, they’ve finessed a way around the limit of 12 regenerations in a way that didn’t bring a storm of criticism from hard-core fans claiming a violation of Who universe cannon.

The fact that it survived through all those writers and directors is amazing as well.

Somehow, I think that if all or most of the companions were portrayed as capable people not prone to screaming and calling for the Doctor, the show would have ended decades ago.

Now, a small but growing number of fans want the Doctor to be black or female or gay. Maybe a black lesbian would satisfy them all or tank the show for good.

Captain Jack Harkness, introduced in Dr Who and spun off into Torchwood showed that a gay male lead would not get rejected by the audience. And played by a gay male, to boot.

Since there is extremely little love interest plots, or even hints of sex or even kissing in the entire show, the “orientation thing” doesn’t seem to matter.

Let’s get Idris Elba in there as the next Doctor and see what happens!

You gotta give the audience what it wants and figure out how to change with the times while keeping that fragile balance that has kept the show going.