[Update: The issue discussed below has been announced, and I have the news posted!]

Spoilers (sorta) ahoy! If you want to know nothing at all about series/season 5 of Doctor Who, go away now.

I mean it.

(looks around) OK? Good. The BBC will be announcing tomorrow (Saturday) the actor who will take over for David Tennant in Doctor Who! Speculation has been running wild for months, ever since Tennant announced he would leave. Some are a little out there (I personally would love to see the Doctor played by a woman, but I don't think there's much weight to those rumors). Another contender is Paterson Joseph, who would be great. I saw him in the UK show "The Survivors", and he's very, very good. A black Doctor would be pretty interesting; I don't think it would matter inside the universe of the show, but with Obama coming in, it might send out another strong signal that times have changed on this planet of ours (I'm not elevating DW to the status of importance of the POTUS, of course, but the show is watched and idolized by millions of people, and that does make a difference). I do know that whoever it is, lots of people will love the choice, lots will hate it, and we'll all watch anyway. I'll try to have the news here on the blog as soon as I find out what's what who's Who.

Tip o' the sonic screwdriver to my Twitter follower J H Van Ophem.