Doctor Who Regeneration Talk

[Mikey]

When does the Doctor actually regenerate ?
Is it an automatic process when he dies ?
Or does it happen while he's still alive ?

It seems to me the series contradicts itself with regeneratons.

Hartnell seems to have died before regeneration (but not definitely)

Troughton absolutely (we are lead to believe) did not die first.

Pertwee flat out died ... Sarah Jane confirmed this

Baker seemed to be on the edge of death but was still alive

Davison seemed to be on the edge of death but was still alive (I think)

Colin is a tough one ...... I suspect he did die.

McCoy was clearly DEAD DEAD DEAD

McGann -- ?

Eccleston was clearly alive when he regenerated (hell, he even did it standing up !!!) --- and the Master's exact same regeneration 2 years later seems to make the Eccleston regeneration the current "in" way of regenerating.


So what's the deal ?

[jds1911a1]

HMM heavy thoughts for a Monday but I suspect the regeneration Process begins when the body is severly injured and even when he appears dead to human medicine the regeneration is going on at a molecular level. So at times he has seemed dead but they never are. The forced regeneration is just that imposed so he wasn't injured for that one.

[johnnystorm]

Can't the Doctor force regeneration if he wishes- like Romana did? That was a case of a non-injury regeneration wasn't it?

[ctc]

>When does the Doctor actually regenerate ?

According to the old RPG Time Lords will regenerate just before dying. So they'd no doubt appear dead to all but the most sophisticated readings. It's a trick the Time Lords learn; not all Gallifreyans can regenerate. The process seems to need some conscious direction as well, although some are better at it than others. The Doctor is supposedly kinda bad at it. That's why he needed the Zero Room; to block out any distractions while he regenerated. Romana was supposedly really good at it; hence her being able to change forms.

Don C.

[johnnystorm]

Yes, but my question about Romana is that she wasn't dying, she just wanted a new look. Is that perhaps another form of Time Lord regeneration, not linked to saving one's life, using a different set of energies?

[YANOULI]

Apart from the fact that Mary Tamm left and they needed to find a new actress, there was no physical reason for Romana to regenerate. She wasn't injured or dying and her body was relatively young.

Time lords only regenerate when their current body is too old or they are seriously injured or dying and in the case of the latter not all regenerations are successful.
Once the body is dead it cannot regenerate, look at the ones killed in Deadly assassin ( Goth etc. ). There needs to be brain activity to trigger the process

Hartnell regenerated because his body was old and failing ( he stated his body was wearing out )
Troughton was forced to regenerate ( not dead )
Pertwee was dying from radiation ( regeneration was touch and go. No one in unit had seen him regenerate before so it is natural they would think he was dead. In frontier in space/planet of the daleks he was in a deep coma and appeared dead )
Tom Baker was seriously injured ( possibly dying )
Davison was dying ( Regeneration was touch and go, which explains Colin Bakers instability )
Colin Baker hit his head on the console ( seriously injured, possibly dying )
McCoy was seriously injured ( not dead, anasthetic severely affected the regeneration process. It had to wait until body was clear before it could start ).
Ecclestone was dying
Tennant was seriously injured ( even though he didn't change appearance the regeneration process was used to heal himself )

The Masters regeneration was triggered by his Timelord conciousness contained in his watch ( old human body, injured )

[tay666]

Don't forget the Doctor's daughter appeared to be dead, even to the Doctor.
But she apparently regenerated in the same body/form.

[YANOULI]

Don't forget the Doctor's daughter appeared to be dead, even to the Doctor.
But she apparently regenerated in the same body/form.

She was not a Timelord and only had partial Timelord DNA.

[jds1911a1]

Can't the Doctor force regeneration if he wishes- like Romana did? That was a case of a non-injury regeneration wasn't it?

I think they said she was better at regeneration than the Doctor so she could inititate one without the death event and "choose" her new form.

[jds1911a1]

Don't forget the Doctor's daughter appeared to be dead, even to the Doctor.
But she apparently regenerated in the same body/form.

Technically she would be Galifreyan in the original show the timelords were like an upper class (the security guards seemed to be unable to regnerate). I never was sure if only timelords could regnereate or all galigreyans

[jwyblejr]

Don't forget the Doctor's daughter appeared to be dead, even to the Doctor.
But she apparently regenerated in the same body/form.

It seems to me that was a one time deal. Just the way they had it and everything.

[YANOULI]

I don't see that she regenerated, she just started breathing again.
I think it was more like the deep coma that the 3rd Doctor entered, at the end of Frontier in space, to help her body heal itself.