Can Doctor Who suddenly regenerate more than 12 times? Russell T Davies, who penned a much-talked about line in this week’s The Sarah Jane Adventures, addresses the issue…
It's a line that's caused ripples throughout the Doctor Who world, given that it extends the lifespan of the Doctor dramatically. For when, in this week's The Sarah Jane Adventures, the Doctor remarks that he can basically have 507 faces, it had many thinking back to the 12 regeneration rule that was established back in The Deadly Assassin, in 1976.
The number 507 came from the head of Russell T Davies, who wrote the Death Of The Doctor story for The Sarah Jane Adventures, and SFX talked to him about it, and whether this was a permanent rule change in the Doctor Who universe.
"507 - I could not resist!", he admitted. "I was hooting. It'll never stick, though. That 13 lives is stuck in people's heads. It is, isn't it funny? Yet they only said 13 once or twice."
He repeats, too, that a new rule hasn't been established, adding "That's why I'm quite serious that that 507 thing won't stick, because the 13 is too deeply ingrained in the public consciousness. But how? How did that get there? It's fascinating, it's really weird. Anyway, that'll be my book in my retirement!"
You can read the full interview with Russell T Davies here.
