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November 16th, 2013 201 comments

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The Night Of The Doctor is Here – But Which Doctor?

The Night Of The Doctor

The Bringer of Darkness, the Oncoming Storm, the Doctor, the Warrior – A Time Lord! The 50th Anniversary features Matt Smith, David Tennant and a mysterious incarnation played by John Hurt. Only one appears in the mini episode, The Night Of The Doctor. But which?


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201 comments

  • RORY DOCTOR RIVER POND

    November 14th, 2013 - 9:15pm

    i did like it, and its nice to see an ending for the 8th doctor, but i’m not too sure about the whole ‘drink this and you will become this’ thing. it was a bit hocus pocus, and the doctor could’ve become a warrior because he was in the time war, but cass and her talking to the doctor was a great opening scene. i don’t like the numbers changing, as partly we are all used to it, and i thought the numbers suited the character in a weird way…

    Reply
    • MasterKasterborous

      November 15th, 2013 - 12:01am

      The numbers don’t change; Hurt isn’t ‘The Doctor’ he is leaving that name behind. For now at least…

    • Derek Browell

      November 16th, 2013 - 12:20pm

      Yes I aggree. I didn’t like that particular Baker episode for the same reason….Too much like Harry Potter

  • The 14th Doctor

    November 14th, 2013 - 8:59pm

    In Nightmare in Silver, the Cyberplanner says that the Doctor has over 2000 years of memories in his head. But the Doctor claims to be 1100. So, Hurt’s incarnation must have lived for over 900 years! The “Doctor” is 1103, but the Timelord is closer to 2000!

    That would explain why Hurt looked young at the end.

    Great to see Paul Mcgann back. Fantastic. The anniversary is shaping up wonderfully.

    Reply
  • AlphaOmega

    November 14th, 2013 - 8:52pm

    I wonder if we’re gonna get an 8th Doctor Prequel figure…

    Or a Big Finish blue coat figure…

    Reply
    • CG

      November 14th, 2013 - 11:18pm

      Please and 8th Dr prequel figure

  • drewster

    November 14th, 2013 - 8:26pm

    wait doesn’t this officially change things though and makes Matt Smith the 12th doctor…?

    Reply
    • The 14th Doctor

      November 14th, 2013 - 8:57pm

      No. 12th body, 11th Doctor. He doesn’t consider the Hurt incarnation to be “The Doctor.”

    • Anonymous

      November 15th, 2013 - 3:58pm

      he is the war doctor

  • Doctor 909

    November 14th, 2013 - 7:39pm

    Fantastic, finally the regeneration if the 8th Doctor. If the 50th tops this than it will be amazing! I hope character are going to make a 5″ 12 Doctors set with the 8th from this.

    Reply
  • dalek1

    November 14th, 2013 - 6:38pm

    Excellent. Let’s hope the 50th carries on with this amazing standard. Well done to the BBC.

    Reply
  • fordpaul2011

    November 14th, 2013 - 6:36pm

    paul mcgann should have been honoured with a full episode and a full heroic regeneration with this been a special anniversary year.enjoyed it though as ive always wanted so see more of the eighth doctor.not enough going on though and why would john hurts doctor look so young none of the others did.

    Reply
    • Dalek The Supreme

      November 14th, 2013 - 7:40pm

      The Time War probably took hundreds of years. A battle like that wouldn’t go and come in a week, or even a decade.

    • 100000BC

      November 14th, 2013 - 7:54pm

      Perhaps thousands of years, looking at how quickly he aged and how Matt’s Doctor aged in his ‘200 years’ off screen.

    • Matt Smithy

      November 15th, 2013 - 7:33am

      Time Lord’s can control their aging process to an extent, so maybe the war being a TIME war had some effect on this feature, speeding it up.

  • TheWhomobile

    November 14th, 2013 - 6:11pm

    After seeing that the 8th Doctor was back I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed (I really want Tom Baker or McCoy). But when I started watching it it was fantastic! Obviously, McGann is the only Doctor that fits in and seeing things like the Sisterhood of Karn was just brilliance! Anticipation for the 50th is rising…

    Reply
  • 47

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:59pm

    Quality !!

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:58pm

    Hey Guys just to say that Moffat has said this…

    Steven Moffat has insisted that he is not changing the numbering of the Doctors. He makes it clear that John Hurt’s “War Doctor” (as revealed in The Night of the Doctor) doesn’t alter anything.

    Moffat explains in the new issue of DWM,: “I’ve been really, really quite careful about the numbering of the Doctors. He’s very specific, the John Hurt Doctor, that he doesn’t take the name of the Doctor. He doesn’t call himself that. He’s the same Time Lord, the same being as the Doctors either side of him, but he’s the one who says, ‘I’m not the Doctor.’ So the Eleventh Doctor is still the Eleventh Doctor, the Tenth Doctor is still the Tenth…

    He adds: “Technically, if you really counted it, the David Tennant Doctor is two Doctors, on account of the Meta-Crisis Doctor [in Journey’s End]… It’s not a matter of counting the regenerations, but of counting the faces of the Time Lord that calls himself the Doctor. There’s an anomaly Doctor slotted in somewhere, that’s all. In the script to The Day of the Doctor, Matt’s Doctor was called the Eleventh, and David’s was called the Tenth, so the numbering stays exactly the same – and we call Peter Capaldi the Twelfth Doctor”

    Reply
    • DOCTOR WHO ONE

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:06pm

      Yeah I read that, but surely, it does mean that we have to regard John Hurt as the true 9th Doctor, even if he is not called the Doctor –

      William Hartnell – The 1st Doctor
      Patrick Troughton – The 2nd Doctor
      Jon Pertwee – The 3rd Doctor
      Tom Baker – The 4th Doctor
      Peter Davison – The 5th Doctor
      Colin Baker – The 6th Doctor
      Sylvester McCoy – The 7th Doctor
      Paul McGann – The 8th Doctor
      John Hurt – The 9th Doctor / The War Doctor
      Christopher Eccleston – The 10th Doctor
      David Tennant – The 11th Doctor
      Matt Smith – The 12th Doctor
      Peter Capaldi – The 13th Doctor

    • Peter

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:09pm

      No, we just call him the ‘War Doctor’. So it would be
      Paul McGann – 8th Doctor
      John Hurt – War Doctor
      Christopher Eccleston – 9th Doctor

      Hes the 9th body but not the 9th Doctor!

    • The 13th Doctor

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:10pm

      But I’m the 13th Doctor…
      LOL!
      😉

    • Anonymous

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:11pm

      Yeah Must admit I agree with Peter

    • The 13th Doctor

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:13pm

      That was meant to be a reply to DOCTOR WHO ONE
      oops!

    • Dalek The Supreme

      November 14th, 2013 - 7:46pm

      This is the way I see it:
      William Hartnell – 1st Doctor and incarnation, and no regeneration (Meaning the result of no regeneration).
      Patrick Troughton – 2nd Doctor and incarnation, and 1st regeneration.
      Jon Pertwee – 3rd Doctor, incar-well, you know.
      The pattern repeats until-
      Paul McGann – 8th Doctor, 8th incarnation, 7th regeneration.
      John Hurt – War Doctor, 9th incarnation, 8th regeneration.
      Christopher Eccleston – 9th Doctor, 10th incarnation, 9th regeneration
      David Tennant – 10th Doctor, 11th incarnation, 10th and 11th regeneration.
      Matt Smith – 11th Doctor, 12th incarnation, and 12th regeneration.
      Peter Capaldi – 12th Doctor, 13th incarnation, and 13th regeneration.

    • Whiteknightanddog

      November 17th, 2013 - 2:48pm

      Peter Capaldi’s being the 12th Doctor but 13th incarnation is even more complicated than that since as things stand at the moment (no doubt to be changed next week) as the 13th incarnation is the LAST possible life, we know that The Valeyard existed between the 12th and 13 bodies (and as far as we know still does exist) so Peter Capaldi represents the 14th regeneration.

  • 100000BC

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:48pm

    The Sisterhood have a really good likeness to their “Brain of Morbius” ancestors. In fact, when I saw the promotional image, I thought, “Is that… No, it Karn’t be!”

    Reply
    • Dalek Smith

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:49pm

      same here!

  • Dalek Smith

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:45pm

    could this be the greatest thing ever?! 🙂

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:38pm

    I think that John Hurt is the 9th moving up each subsequent doctors number. How does that fit with the ‘fall of the 11th’ if Matt is now 12th?

    Need to see more McGann on TV- maybe some specials?

    Reply
    • Dalek The Supreme

      November 14th, 2013 - 7:48pm

      Fall of the 11th Doctor. Matt Smith may be the twelfth incarnation and the result of the twelfth regeneration, but he’s still the 11th Doctor because John Hurt’s Doctor isn’t considered the Doctor by his other incarnations and David Tennant’s 10th Doctor was the result of two regenerations, as established by the false regeneration in Journey’s End.

  • Dave

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:31pm

    Have to say it was nice seeing Paul Mcgann back as the doctor, not too pleased with the eight doctors death though besides the forced regeneration this is my least favourite one. Saying that loved the minisode overall. It’s good that we now know that hurt is a regeneration of the doctor but just doesn’t use that title. Also this backs up my theory that we are going to see Matt become the Valeyard before he leaves the show.

    Reply
    • Doctor Stu

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:40pm

      Did he regenerate or just kind of transform, because if this is the case then John hurt could be the eighth doctor and then he regenerates into the ninth at the end of the 50th anniversary or something

  • Exterminator

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:25pm

    Lol. Nice one. 🙂

    Reply
  • Doctor Stu

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:24pm

    Was it Karn or Caan?

    Reply
    • Scott’s TARDIS

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:25pm

      Karn

    • booboo

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:26pm

      Karn i think

    • Exterminator

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:26pm

      Kaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrnnnnn!

    • DOCTOR WHO ONE

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:26pm

      It’s a planet from a classic series 4th Doctor story, ‘The Brain of Morbius’.

    • Doctor Stu

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:37pm

      Oh ok thank you. The only bad thing however is the fact that Steven Moffat has wrote this as a separate piece and it might have fit well into the 50th anniversary episode itself as a little introduction. It would be good if this was put in flashback form in the actual episode. Apart from that it was amazing.

  • Anonymous

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:24pm

    Paul said he was not returning but he did mabey other doctors might return

    Reply
  • greyzinychimp

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:22pm

    night of the doctor day of the doctor

    Reply
    • 76 Totters Lane

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:35pm

      ‘The Name of the Doctor’
      ‘The Night of the Doctor’
      ‘The Day of the Doctor’

    • matt9982

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:39pm

      Hmm DOCTOR

    • TheDoctoGallifrey

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:57pm

      Cheistmas Special- The Fall of The Doctor

    • Anonymous

      November 14th, 2013 - 9:14pm

      Series 8-rise of the doctor

      Lunch break of the doctor

  • The Silent Silent

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:17pm

    cool, first time iv’e ever seen Mcgann in action as the doctor

    Reply
    • Jacob

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:46pm

      Really? The movie isnt great but still worth watching

    • Jake

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:08pm

      Same here!

    • The 13th Doctor

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:16pm

      And me!

  • DrWhoTwins

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:13pm

    Absolutely brilliant!

    Reply
  • Jacob

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:08pm

    That was simply incredible!! Love the way they decided to bring back the sisterhood on karn, swear their only story was the brain of morbius though?!
    Only downside for me was that we didnt see the entire regeneration.. But still sick! I love doctor who more every second atm. Bring on Day Of The Doctor!!!
    #SaveTheDay

    Reply
    • DOCTOR WHO ONE

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:13pm

      Before this, Brain of Morbius was their only appearance in the show, so yes, you are correct.

  • Anonymous

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:07pm

    Dear me! thank you thank you thank you Steven Moffat!!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:11pm

      the young John Hurt was a nice touch too!

  • booboo

    November 14th, 2013 - 5:03pm

    great performance by the leader of the sisterhood as well

    Reply
    • pwilc1967

      November 15th, 2013 - 8:36am

      That’s Clare Higgins from Hellraiser

  • Rikki Krystal

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:53pm

    Why didn’t they use this at the start of day of the doctor.It would have been a mega surprise.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:10pm

      no but I bet we get another suprise…who does the War Doctor regenerate into… nudge nudge wink wink

    • Anonymous

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:35pm

      After the War Doctor’s Regeneration its the 9th so really John Hurt is still the 8th Doctor because the sisterhood gave him a new body not an incarnation

  • DOCTOR WHO ONE

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:45pm

    I’ve been in constant denial that John Hurt is the Doctor because I hate having established continuity screwed with, with it being suggested that Christopher Eccleston is really the 10th and not the 9th, David Tenant is really the 11th and not the 10th, and therefore Matt Smith is the 12th and not the 11th, meaning that once we see Peter Capaldi, he will really be the 13th and not the 12th. This ball’s up continuity for me, and also messes about with all kinds of merchandise, such as the awesome 11 Doctor’s gift set which states who each Doctor is, along with Doctor Who annuals and other things.

    But I might as well accept that John Hurt is the Doctor. But I’m confused.

    Is he ment to be Paul McGann’s 8th Doctor ? just altered in appearance, or is he the 9th Doctor ?. My mind can’t make it’s blinking mind up, and part of me is still in denial that Hurt is the Doctor.

    Reply
    • matt9982

      November 14th, 2013 - 4:56pm

      He isn’t the doctor in retrospect. At the end of TNOTD Matt said that hes the one who went against the name “Doctor” and Paul just said that there is no need for a Doctor anymore saying they need a warrior. So Hurt is basically The Warrior or War Doctor. Eccleston is like the aftermath doctor, who has taken the name “Doctor” back and is still recovering from the events of the Time War and Hurts War Doctor. 🙂

    • Dr Hoosier

      November 14th, 2013 - 4:56pm

      Even during production and the run-up to the broadcast of DOTD, the BBC has made it clear that Matt Smith is the 11th “Doctor”, and Peter Capaldi is the 12th “Doctor”.

      Today we saw Paul McGann regenerate into John Hurt’s “War Doctor”. Either Hurt’s character is /not/ a “Doctor”, of he /is/ but something will happen during DOTD that will remove/erase/withdraw his status.

      I suppose we will have to wait 9 days to find out. I’m certain Moffet has something up his sleeve that will resolve the confusion. He’s too big a fan to not.

    • DOCTOR WHO ONE

      November 14th, 2013 - 5:17pm

      I guess, the way I look at this, and coming to the fact that I might as well admit it to myself now that Hurt is the Doctor instead of constantly denying that he is, is that John Hurt is the real 9th Doctor, just not calling himself the Doctor, so therefore Chris is 10, David is 11, Matt is 12 and Peter Capaldi is 13, which also fits with the recent Sun newspaper story about Steven Moffat coming up with a genius storyline in the Christmas Special which is said to see the Doctor given a complete new life cycle of regenerations.

  • Anonymous

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:37pm

    I always notice music and camera work in these mini-sodes are terrible in my mind.

    Reply
    • geronimo2605

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:39pm

      Yea, but this is not the worst I’ve seen in terms of camera and music

  • the astroanut of death

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:26pm

    if they lied about no classic doctor;s think about what else they have lied about

    Reply
  • matt9982

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:23pm

    Oh my… I can not speak, that was AMAZING!

    Reply
  • the astroanut of death

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:21pm

    fantastic

    Reply
  • TheExtremeBlueTARDIS

    November 14th, 2013 - 4:21pm

    I simply must say that was horrifyingly terrible. Paul McGann was rubbish at acting in this and that sisterhood didn’t make sense. The plot is rubbish and I did not enjoy that.

    WHO AM I KIDDING?! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I want more, McGann was awesome, such an interesting storyline and now we know more about 8th regeneration and about Hurt’s Doctor. Bring on the anniversary episode! 😀 😀

    Reply
    • the astroanut of death

      November 14th, 2013 - 4:27pm

      when I started to read the start of your comment I started thinking of ways to destroy you

    • the astroanut of death

      November 14th, 2013 - 4:28pm

      but then it was great

    • matt9982

      November 14th, 2013 - 4:43pm

      Lol, same 🙂

    • The 13th Doctor

      November 14th, 2013 - 6:22pm

      Me too!
      I thought “the one they call ‘the extreme blue TARDIS’, he must be destroyed”
      😉

    • TheExtremeBlueTARDIS

      November 14th, 2013 - 7:40pm

      Lol, see? I outsmarted you all! 😀

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