Doctor Who Regenerations

[samurainoir]

I might be misremembering this, but Time Lords have 12 Regenerations right?

I would assume that there have been speculations going on years and years about what would happen once they got to the point where there were 13 actors who have taken the role of the the Doctor.

Was the 12 Regenerations a Time Lord imposed rule, or a biological thing (ie a Time Lord's body can only handle that amount).

Now that the Time Lords are gone and we are approaching Doctor #11, it will be interesting which way they go in a few years.

[Mikey]

Half of me would like the Doctor to continue on forever, but the other half of me thinks continuing on after his last regeneration would make the Doctor look no better then the Master.

It's only his 10th regeneration and he already seems to have a deathwish.

I can't imagine him going on any further.

It would ruin the character, imo

[johnnystorm]

What about the semi-regeneration in the season finale? The Doctor channeled the regeneration energy into his severed hand recreating another Doctor instead of changing form...so does that energy count as a used regeneration?

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Way back when it was mentioned there were 13; but I think they're going with the idea it's perpetual, as long as the time lord can summon up the will and energy to do it. (So.... no set number.)

Don C.

[jwyblejr]

My guess would be since he's the last Time Lord anyways,all of the rules got thrown out the window. Could be wrong.

[bobws]

12 regenerations plus the original body= 13 actors. however one was wasted in the finale and since the time lords forced the change into Pertwee maybe that one doesn't count! They also offered the master a whole new set of regenerations in the 5 doctors, so it is possible that more is possible. i always felt it must be an energy put into a gallifeyan that turned them into a time lord. they used it up as each regeneration occured. the problem becomes what happens when you know you've used up the last of it? like the master and others , do you go a little crazy with out it in you or knowing now you only have one life left and try anything to keep living? or do you have some dignity and accept your fate? However considering Doctor #9 had the time vortex in him from Bad wolf rose maybe he was fully energized up again or beyond. This is why i have hated that the doctors following on from Tom baker have only stayed with the show 3 years, whether by choice or plan, exception being 8 &9 who didn't get any years or only signed up for 1. they use up a regeneration too quickly, which means someone should have a longer run. if it was me producing the show all actors wopuld have to stay with the program 5 years, that seems to me to be a sensible amount of time. if you get someone like Tennet you let him go for Tom's record! we are losing him way too soon. and they really need to put more gaps between companions so the doctor can have plenty of adventures in audio, novels and comics with other companions made just for them. Hey Big Finish and Who production team i am willing to relocate for work!!!!!!!!!!

[JPkempo]

My guess would be since he's the last Time Lord anyways,all of the rules got thrown out the window. Could be wrong.

I'm thinking the same thing.

The master durning the Tom Baker days was past that mark (forget the story line, but his face was like hamburger) and has had 3 more that I can think of.

Just found this

[Mikey]

and they really need to put more gaps between companions so the doctor can have plenty of adventures in audio, novels and comics

I always thought the new series trend of having too many story archs that continue into each other hurts this too.

They need more stand-alone adventures (episodes)

[YANOULI]

From what i've read Delgado was the Master's last body. He didn't have any regenerations left which is why in Deadly Assassin he tried to use the eye of harmony's power to heal himself after he was badly burnt .
He became Ainley after taking over the body of Nyssa's father, thanks in part to the eye's power, since then he has been trying different ways to live forever. In the McGann film he used alien drugs to turn his essence into the snake thingy, again taking over someone elses body ( Eric Roberts ).
When he came back in the new series he had at some point been given a new set of regenerations by the Timelords ( although i'm guessing it was the Celestial Intervention Agency rather than the High Council who did it ).