One of the most unique aspects of Doctor Who is the fact that the main character can be played by virtually any actor through a narrative device called ‘regeneration‘ where the character avoids death by transforming into another man. Steven Moffat has been recently talking about the subject of regeneration to the Radio Times.
One of the most debated subjects regarding regeneration among the fans is the limit to which the character can use this device to cheat death. The original series of the show stated that the Doctor can only regenerate twelve times meaning that when it rolls round to the thirteenth Doctor it will be the last one. This is a heavily debated topic among fans who hold this rule as sacred and as a result Steven Moffat is constantly being asked questions about it as head writer of DOCTOR WHO. Recently this regeneration limit has been questioned more than ever due to John Hurt’s surprise cameo in the latest episode revealing himself as another Doctor we have no knowledge of. Here is what Steven Moffat has said in regards to this subject:
‘He can only regenerate 12 times… I think you should go back to your DVDs and count correctly this time. There’s something you’ve all missed’.
Its unclear what he means by this but Bleeding Cool’s theory that David Tennant’s tenth Doctor may have used an extra regeneration without us noticing is definitely intriguing. It seems this constant tug of war and teasing between Moffat and the fans will finally come to head next month for the 50th anniversary special where hopefully fans will finally get some answers to all these questions. Be sure to check out Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor 23rd November on BBC One and also check back for more updates and news on Doctor Who.
Source: BleedingCool
Gill
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:17 pm
In the episode lets kill Hitler. River Song ( a child of the tardis who seems to be at lest Half Timelord) Gives the Doctor the Rest of her regeneration. 9 in total As she has used 3. So we can expect at lest 9 more Doctors I hope 🙂