Sixth Doctor actor, Colin Baker, has enthused about the upcoming period of Doctor Who as it’s due to go out to tender.

Though Doctor Who is awaiting a new production team to guide the TARDIS to its next stops, Colin remains positive about the talent the franchise can bring in. He says:

“It’s exciting actually, what is Doctor Who going to be, because I have no doubt that we’re not in for an 11-year gap. It will happen. And I think it’s quite encouraging that we’ll find some new, fresh, creative eyes. But let’s all keep [fingers] crossed.”

Baker’s time as the Sixth Doctor was marred by a brief hiatus, not to mention him getting the brunt of the BBC’s need to refresh the show. Nonetheless, he suggests that now, support for Doctor Who is so great that the programme will return stronger than ever. He goes on to say:

“Fandom has evolved again, so now fandom is much more supportive, 99% [of the time]. So it’s like the dragons in Game of Thrones. The dragons are now very powerful, but on your side ‒ they’re fine. And at the moment they’re on our side and we’ll need them in the next couple of years while we re-imagine what [will happen to the show].”

It is a good chance to bring the show back as something new and exciting, with fresh faces in front of and behind the cameras. Still, it’s an unnerving time — for one thing, details of the tender process have yet to even be announced — so it’s a good thing to see such a good ambassador for Doctor Who remain so enthused and open-minded.

Doctor Who isn’t expected to return to TV until at least 2028, so all we’ve got to go on right now is hope…