THE DOCTOR WHO LOST AN OPPORTUNITY

The Doctor Time Lords, it was established in "Deadly Assassin" can only regenerate 12 times. This, of course means that the Thirteenth Doctor would have to be the last Doctor, unless that rule were rewritten in some way. And given that we're on the Eleventh Doctor right now, that would severely limit a franchise that has lasted (in one way or another) for close to half a century.

Well, it's been addressed. The Doctor will be able to regenerate past a thirteenth incarnation. And for my money, it's been bungled like a big-- no, I'll leave that analogy dangling in the ether.

It's being handled unnecessarily early. It's being done in one throwaway line. And it's not even being done on the Doctor's own TV show.

From The Guardian:

While the Doctor and Clyde Langer, played by Daniel Anthony, are in the process of outwitting spooky vulture undertakers the Shansheeth, Clyde asks how many times he can regenerate. The Doctor indicates that there is no limit. The action continues.

I came up with an explanation to get around the limit some while ago (see GEEK THEORY #2: DOCTOR WHO), but that's all it was...an explanation. Not a story. Surely, this is exactly the sort of thing that would be the springboard for a ripping yarn, a stirring tale, an awesome episode or two. Yeah? I mean, whenever the Doctor regenerates, it's usually cause for a - you know - ripping yarn (as in ripping the fabric of space time). The thirteenth regeneration would have demanded event programming.

I just fail ti understand why the DW team would decide to just dump the potential for a future story like that...for no apparent reason.

In writing, we say "show, don't tell." Not always possible, but...I would like to add "don't tell anything you don't have to."

Thirteenth Doctors by Ben Templesmith and Adam Law.

AFTERTHOUGHT: Now they've set up a situation where the Doctor could regenerate mulitple times in rapid succession. Perhaps there could be a season where the Doctor regenerates every couple of episodes. That way you can have some crazy stunt casting and get all those guys whose names get bandied about but don't want or don't get the full time gig.