At the risk of sounding rather Anne Elk-ish, I have a theory. I'm unlikely to be the first — or even the thousandth — to suggest this possibility, but it's my theory.
Catherine Tate will either begin or end the 2013 Doctor Who Christmas special as the fourteenth Doctor.
Why fourteenth, and why 2013, I leave as exercises for the reader.
In any event, Happy New Year...
Catherine Tate will either begin or end the 2013 Doctor Who Christmas special as the fourteenth Doctor.
Why fourteenth, and why 2013, I leave as exercises for the reader.
In any event, Happy New Year...
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In an series of events in the S4 finale which rivals said Tinkerbell moment for ludicrousness, *deep breath* 1) the Doctor started to regenerate, but 2) aborted the regeneration somehow, storing the regeneration energy which later 3) somehow popped into Donna, turning her into a Time Lady for only so long as she was in the TARDIS. Back on Earth, she 3) reverted to humanity, leaving her human mind unable to cope with the Time Lord memories/knowledge, which forced the Doctor to 4) erase her memories — not just the memories gained from the regenerwhatsis but all her memories of the Doctor, period. He warned her family not to speak about him or any event tied to him, because that might trigger a relapse, which suggests that he did not actually erase the memories but block them.
The only way this makes any sense to me whatsoever storywise is if she's being reserved as an out once the Doctor undergoes his twelfth and final regeneration. Before the thirteenth Doctor dies, he manages to complete Donna's transformation, allowing her to access her memories — and since his memories are in there, too, she then essentially becomes the new Doctor, with a fresh set of regenerations in front of her. 2013 being the 50th anniversary of Who, I foresee this storyline playing out over that season.
2. The "twelve regenerations" thing was set by Rassilon, and where is Rassilon now, hm? The Doctor is the only Time Lord left (FSVO "only"; I'm not convinced about The Master -- more handwavium), but with the rest of Gallifreyan infrastructure gone, there's no-one around to enforce Rassilon's edict.
3. So therefore I predict that The Doctor will have as many regenerations as the BBC sees fit.
Having said that, I don't think the Grand Moff is going to worry about what happens after the thirteenth reincarnation of the Doctor dies. It is strongly implied in "Human Nature/Family of Blood" that, if the titular Family of Blood successfully possess the Doctor, that he has enough longevity to make all four of them immortal. This, in turn, suggests that he is himself fully immortal at this point - that the limitation of thirteen lives is a rule no longer in force (or perhaps enforced), now that the Time Lords themselves are gone.
This also leads me to what is either an internal continuity problem in the show or an example of how reckless Ten really is. The Family want what, exactly? So you brought them to a planet and a time where you have made yourself mortal, so they can't track you. What would have happened if they did a chronoton search, failed to find the Doctor or the TARDIS or Martha, but did happen to find the other certified immortal on the planet - and successfully cannibalized/possessed/whatevered Captain Jack? We know he's there by now; the timeframe is pretty close to the flashback from the Torchwood episode "Small Worlds." The Doctor has to have at least a pretty good idea. So why didn't the Family go for the easier target, who doesn't know he needs to hide? And why did Ten lead them to a time and place when that could happen?