Doctor Who is the longest running Sci-Fi Program on television, this year marking it's 50th year. Will the time come for the show to end?

For those who don't know (That somehow found this thread), Doctor Who is a Sci-Fi show that started in 1963 on BBC, and is about a time and space travelling alien humanoid named "The Doctor" who has a fondness for Earth and helps them against any alien intervention that may come their way. He is a Time Lord, and one of the last of his race, after having the rest killed in a giant Time War against cyborg enemies, the Daleks. He is sometimes dangerous and crazy, but he's a genius and always knows what to do. He's a generally happy person, but with a distinct hatred for killing and the Daleks. He travels with a companion in a time and space travelling Police Public Call box from the 1950's called the TARDIS.

Now, onto the point of this thread:

The Doctor is a Time Lord.

Time Lords only have 13 incarnations, meaning that they can only change 12 times.

Paul McGann's 8th regeneration of The Doctor only lasted for one TV movie and it wasn't picked up as a show, and instead they unexplicedly moved to the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston).

Now, The Doctor only has 2 lives left, giving the series another 6-8 seasons/series' at the max, with Matt Smith due to be killed off in 2014.

Christopher Eccleston's run as The Doctor was one of my favorites, and there was so much potential, it's sad that it only lasted one series, because it would have been great to see him do a few more things in that form.

Granted that they only intended on having The 8th Doctor's run to be picked up into a TV show, they shouldn't have actually moved on and killed off McGann's character, they could have written it off as a spin-off/alternate situation, and they'd be able to discount it.

Eccleston's Doctor only lasted 1 season, and there was so much to be left for him, and he was killed off too soon, but it was just, because David Tennant, the 10th Doctor, made for one of the greatest Doctors in the history of the 40 season/13 Doctor show.

So, now he has just 2 lives left, will he die, or will he go way of The Master? (if death occurs before the regeneration can take place then the Time Lord can die, which is what happened to The Master in 'Last of the Time Lords'. The Master has managed to dodge the natural end of his regeneration cycle a few times, like in the 1981 episode 'The Keeper of Traken' the Master had used up all 12 of his regeneration and took over the body of Tremas of Traken [Tremas is an Anagram of Master])

That seems unlikely for the Doctor to be able to do this because The Doctor and The Master/His cult were the last Time Lords in existence, and I feel as if he can't reset his regeneration cycle because of that. Unless there was an intervention by a hidden group of Time Lords (Maybe a few have survived like with the Daleks)

Everything should come to an end, and with the new series just kicking off ONLY around 7 years ago, and the old one lasting 26 years, I feel like the show should last somewhat around that time, because of the much larger following it has nowadays. But with the two wasted lives that have come from the 1996 TV movie and the 2005 Piloting season, it has been shortened quite a bit.

So it comes down to the questions,

Will the Doctor die in the next 10-15 years?
Will he get a new regeneration cycle?
Were the 8th and possibly 9th incarnations wastes of lives?
Are there other Time Lords besides The Doctor and The Master?
When will it come to the point where the show will end?

What is going to happen to this wonderful series?

What will become of it?

What do you think about the ending for the show, or any of the possibilities/opinions that I've stated in my post?

Super freaking spoilers ahead.

If the networks really wanted, they could keep the show running. The Doctor did have a handful of offspring (one of which I know for a fact survived), plus there is Dr. River-Song as a Tardis baby. We also have the "semi" doctor from the end of Donna's run (and a small way of getting David Tennat back if desirable).

However, I could see if the creators and networks were ready to finish the show, they would probably have the Doctor eventually die, but could have a successor or even have companions somehow take over... there is so many things that can be done to adjust it that leaves the story open without it feeling like it ended.

I think Epic rap battles of History summed this up pretty well
"
Dalek:
Exterminate!

Doctor Who:
I'm going to die...

K-9:
Doctor...

Doctor Who:
At least, this version of me...

K-9:
Doctor...

Doctor Who:
Perhaps you'd like another..."
But no,I don't think they would end the series to soon,my guess is up to a 13th Doctor

So I just watched "Let's Kill Hitler".

Spoilers, obviously.










So it turns out that River Song gave the Doctor a life, but then says that she's out of regenerations. She's only used 2 on the show, where did the other 10 go? Maybe they went to the Doctor, maybe he's been given 10 more lives, and that he can continue his existence for much longer.

I'd like to respond by simply answering the forum title question.

No he will not.

Moffat the current show runner stated when asked by a fan what would happen in the event of the doctors death the BBC would activate its fail safe plan.

They would make something up.

Yes, the Doctor must die. To be able to see the look on my sisters' faces, and my aunt's and grandmother's... it would be priceless. XD

I would like to say no, but sooner or later I think he must.
It wouldn't surprise me if they drop the bombshell on us one day, and write it so the Dr doesn't regenerate himself.
But even then, the Master did that and came back. So even if that was to happen, they might decide to bring him back again in the future.

If he can only regenerate 13 times, than maybe, but he could come back after he died, they did that with The Master didn't they?(can't remember, haven't seen the older series in the while)
Anyways, eventually the show will end, either with The Doctor's death, or him on his 13th form going on a mission. But, I don't know but my thinking is he will most likely not.

maguc :
EvilAlu :

The Master stole the regenerations from another timelord somehow. The only way for the Doctor to do that is if he saves Gallifrey, and at that, as time goes by he becomes more and more sad about his existance. So at that, it seems kinda unlikely that he will regenerate at the end.

Fun fact: In the Sarah Jane Adventures episode "Death of the Doctor", the Doctor states that he can regenerate 507 times. Russel T Davies says that this was a joke, and that 507 added up makes 12.

I'm hoping we will move on in Doctors, as I do not enjoy Matt Smith as the Doctor, at all. 

alexanyways : Ah yes you are quite right, the Master used that ring to store his energy if I am remembering correctly.

Well, sticking to the topic. They might do something along those lines with the Dr. Thou I personally think it would be interesting to see how they play that off, I would hate for them to drag out the series so much I start to not like it. I mean it has been going on for so long now lol

There is a possibility that the Doctor will die. This is shown in a guide to Doctor Who. It said most Time Lords can regenerate thirteen times and then die. Now that there is going to be a twelfth Doctor, I am beginning to worry. Even still, I hope the creators of Doctor Who find a way to get around this.

Just something I realized. SPOILERS.

In the Series 7 finale, at the very end, there was a regeneration of The Doctor, The Valeyard.

The existence of that Doctor takes up one of his regenerations, meaning that the 12th Doctor is the last Doctor.

With Matt Smith departing this year, The Doctor is set to have an actual death, possibly permanent within the next 4 to 5 years.

And now with the announcement of the 12th Doctor, BBC has officially announced that The Doctor is immortal, and he cannot die.

Click here for an article.

562 regenerations!

But seriously, we know that Time Lords can extend the number of regenerations by granting it. If the Doctor indeed dies, they can always go back and make a season for the Eighth Doctor and the Shalka Doctor.

The Master in the Classic series said that the Valeyard Doctor is a regeneration between the thirteenth and final incarnation of the Doctor. That brings his possible regenerations to at least 15 in my reasoning.

alexanyways:
River actually regenerated three times on the show. The first time was when she was a kid after the astronaut suit.

Steven Moffat says that but he also believes that there will be new Doctor who Episodes in 50 more years so I really think he is just trying to scare us. The Doctor will find a way, he always does. 

In the most recent episode, Tennants second regeneration and The War Doctor are said to count, making Smith's Doctor the Thirteenth.


Spoilers.


He was about to die for good, but Clara begged the Time Lords to help him, so they gave him a new regeneration cycle, bringing his total to 26. Hence the older age of Capaldi.

Well we know now that he didn't. The question will be whether he forgot how to use the Tardis since he hadn't used it in centuries or whether regenerating past 13 reset his memory. Hopefully the former, but we'll see! I can't believe that the next season is fall 2014. That's too far away!

Cheers,