TVSquad

Having recently read an article about the subject, I had to ask myself: why can't Doctor Who have an American version of the same show? If Life on Mars can be ported over (albeit unsuccessfully), why not bring over an Americanized Doctor?

Granted, the show couldn't use a police box (a definitively British icon) for the TARDIS. So? Use a phone booth. Also, if the show simply started from scratch, it wouldn't have 46 years of continuity to bog it down. No need to pay the estate of Terry Nation for use of the Daleks. Simply use the Doctor, the TARDIS, and whatever alien menaces the creators' imagination provides.

(Granted, there was a Doctor Who movie with American involvement in 1996 starring the British Paul McGann, which I personally didn't think was bad but others disagree with me.)

With this in mind, I have composed a list of the ten American actors (and by American, I include all of North America, so some Canadians will make the list) whom I feel could at least adequately play the Doctor in an Americanized version of the show.

Christopher Lloyd - Christopher Lloyd has always had wild hair and a strange voice (even without a British accent) ever since he was Jim the Cab Driver. With that in mind, I think Doc Brown would make a very interesting Doctor. He'd be closer to William Hartnell's portrayal than any other, but maybe with a little more manic energy. Just look at his portrayal of a sinister Willy Wonka to get an idea of his take on the character.

Steve Carell - Granted, given his huge star status, the production company couldn't afford him, but I still think he'd be okay as the Doctor. There might be a little problem when, in an attempt to stop the Daleks (or whatever their equivalent would be) from blowing up a planet, he accidentally blows up the planet. He might be able to stop them by selling them paper.

Seth Rogen - Also way too big a star now to get involved with this type of show, but I can dream. I live for the day when he speaks the line, "Maybe it's the weed talking, but that Cyberman is looking pretty sexy."

Glenn Close - Why limit the Doctor's gender as has been done with the British version? And if you're going to have a woman Doctor, then have one of the best actresses ever to have existed playing the role. She's doing television work now, so it's not a far stretch for her to involve herself in television science fiction. And if she ever has to face the Evil Rabbits of the planet Leporidae, she can use her sonic pot-and-stove to defeat them.

Fran Kranz - He plays the character of Topher on Dollhouse for as long as that series is on the air (which all signs point to not being much longer). He's young (going for the Matt Smith vibe) and he can act very smart and silly at the same time. If you add a moral center to the character (something Topher lacks) then you have a workable Doctor right there.

Eric Roberts - He already played the Master in 1996, so there is a familiarity with the franchise. He's also been involved with other sci fi franchises such as Heroes (I don't recall if he actually met the 9th Doctor Christopher Eccleston in the first season, but there's another one-degree-of-separation right there).

Michael Imperioli - Now there's a Doctor that wouldn't take crap from anybody. He can even put on his heavy Brooklyn accent and do his best De Niro impersonation and ask Davros "Are you talkin' to me?"

Amy Poehler - She is one of the best comedic actresses out there and would undoubtedly be a kick-ass American Doctor. I'm constantly amazed at her ability to do characters and accents. She can even pretend to be a bubbleheaded blonde while subtlely questioning various peoples for info.

Samuel L. Jackson - In order to interject some minority representation, I decided to include the actor who has been most involved in science fiction movies. He's been in three of the Star Wars prequels, The Spirit and Snakes on a Plane. With that sort of career history, he has to be heading to television soon. It may take a while since he has a multi-movie contract with Marvel Comics for Nick Fury, but getting an American Doctor Who on television would also take a while. Maybe they'll get there at the same time.

William Shatner - He's the Shat! He's an icon of SF entertainment. How could he not be a brilliant Doctor? He can do humor (as with Denny Crane) and serious monologue (as he did with Captain Kirk in his own, unique stoccato method). With Boston Legal done, I'm willing to bet he'd do the job for cheap.

Obviously, my list is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Also, I tend to favor character actors for the role. Truthfully, the Doctor can be anybody, so logically, anybody can play him (or her). What do you think? Is there an American that could play the Doctor if a separate version was produced in Hollywood? If so, who? Yes, that was a pun.