Doctor Who Video Introduces Matt Berry As The New Doctor, And Boy We Wish This Was Real
It's always a momentous occasion when a new actor slides into the role of the Doctor. "Doctor Who" made recasting the lead role a part of the show's narrative early on and never looked back. We're now 13 Doctors deep, with Jodie Whittaker being the current version of the character.
Whittaker's run as the Thirteenth Doctor is coming to an end very soon, however. "Doctor Who: Flux," the latest event season, ended its run in December 2021, followed by a New Years special. All that's left until the next Doctor appears is two more specials airing this year. We don't know who this new Doctor is yet, but the franchise will once again be under the creative control of Russell T. Davies, who relaunched the show back in 2005.
That said, here's a glimpse into an alternate world where dreams come true: Where a fan-favorite takes over the role as the new Doctor.
The Toast of Gallifrey
In a trailer released by "Doctor Who" fan and animator Robert Ritchie, fans get a chance to see the bombastic Matt Berry as the Doctor. The "What We Do In The Shadows," "The IT Crowd," and "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" star has long been a fun bit of fan casting for the role, so it's great to get a glimpse of what that would look like. This new Doctor stumbles and boasts his way through Daleks and Cybermen alike, swearing the whole way.
Well, technically it's not Matt Berry as the new Doctor in this trailer. Instead, the new Doctor is played by famous actor Steven Toast. The Master is portrayed by Toast's long-time acting rival, Ray Purchase, leading to the palpable animosity you hear in the trailer. And the man walking Toast through the recording session is Clem Fandango, a recording studio veteran and frequent collaborator of Toast.
Of course, Steven Toast isn't a real person. Instead, he is Berry's prima donna actor character from "Toast of London" and its 2022 sequel series "Toast of Tinseltown." "Toast of London" was created and co-written by Berry, who also starred in the lead role as an actor who thinks he's far bigger than he actually is. Ray "Bloody" Purchase, the actor who tends to overshadow him, is played by Harry Peacock. "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Penny Dreadful" actor Shazad Latif plays Clem Fandango.
Also, most of the Steven Toast/Matt Berry voiceover in this trailer isn't Matt Berry! Voice actor Ben Kearns is doing the voice during the trailer until it cuts to Berry as Toast in the recording booth. Ritchie included some of Kearns' alternate ad-libs for the Fourteenth Doctor in a subsequent tweet.
What We Do in The Tardis
Ritchie cut together most of the animatics using still footage from various sources. Most of the Fourteenth Doctor is footage of Berry from "What We Do In The Shadows." The Tardis itself was pulled from the Superannuation advertisements featuring Tom Baker reprising his role as the Fourth Doctor. Ritchie says he'll probably do a breakdown of all the shots used for the trailer at some point.
The worst April Fools' jokes are always the ones that you wish were real. I don't think Matt Berry's over-the-top persona would actually work for a real "Doctor Who" series, but I'd love to see a series of shorts with him playing the role. This is just too good for a two-minute trailer alone.