Will nuWho end with the death of the dr (recognising that even death is not the end). Or will he just disappear off in TARDIS - still continuing his adventures in time and space. Or will the show just continue to run and run for a record unbroken run.

If and when it happens, I feel it would end well to have the doctor begin to regenerate alone on the tardis throwing switches and setting off on his next adventure to who knows where. . .

I'd personally like there to be lots of speculation in the press that the Doctor's going to be killed in the weeks leading up to the finale, and then in the last moments of the final episode he suddenly regenerates. To be honest though I think as long as it doesn't keep to the same formula for too long at a time and has a 2009esc break every 6 years or so, I don't see why it can't keep going.

I think if it was going to end ( It will eventually as every series needs a break) I think seeing the doctor regenerating at the end and that's it.

Film a regeneration scene for when it comes back.

The series can't go on forever. Maybe 3 specials a year for 2 or 3 years then bring it back as a full series.

who's expecting it to end any time soon? if handled right it could run longer than classic who did.

If there had to be a plan for it to end though, I very, very much doubt there would be any writer silly enough to actually kill the doctor. Especially now that the revived series has proved that the series can successfully be brought back years later.

It would have to be the kind of 'doctor gets in the TARDIS to continue on his travels' type ending, Although I would add, given that they now know that it can be brought back, if it were me I would write it in such a way as he had no companion by the last episode and show the first half of a regeneration, whilst in the TARDIS. That way if it was brought back they would have two options:

Had it only been gone a few years (say less than 10) they could make their new TARDIS interior look the same as the last one, and show the doctor just coming out of his regeneration as if no time at all had passed for him.

Had it however been longer (say 16 years for example) and they wanted to do it in such a way as to continue the story for old fans but partly present it as new to those unversed in the history as RTD did, then they could handle it as it was done by RTD with the new actor strolling around, and subtly looking at his face to imply recent regeneration, but it would be better this time because we would have at least seen him regenerating at least partially and wouldn't constantly be waiting for that scene to be filled in like with mcgann.

I think that's how it should go as well; end it with the Doctor regenerating, though not showing who he regenerated into. Leave it open-ended enough so that if, one day, they decide to bring it back, they have a chance at a fresh start.

I do wonder what that iteration would be called though? NewNewWho?

I can't see it lasting indefinitely. In fact I am pretty sure we will have at least a year or two break when Moffat leaves. Its remarkable enough in these fickle times that New Who has lasted as long as it has. And even more remarkable that Moffat managed to follow up the astounding work of RTD and keep the show going and as popular as ever. But a time will come when it falls out of favor. It just will. And when that happens what we don't need is a repeat of the 'oh well lets consign this to history and kill it' mentality that seemed to occur last time. Just accept it needs a rest and then wait to bring it back again when the time is right. What New Who has proved is that the concept is one for all time. It will never get old. But at the same time that doesn't mean it has an automatic right to be on year after year. Sometimes a rest can be good. Of course fandom will go into spectacular meltdown if and when the axe is wielded and understandably so but it will happen.

The Doctor should never die though. So just have him flying off in his Tardis and leave it at that. Maybe start a regen. Whatever. The Doctor will return.

When it does end, and everything ends, in a decade or two, I think they'll simply leave it open. Why kill off a character that has the ability to cheat death and prevent another revival to another generation years later.

That soon! I hope not I know it will eventually have some sort of break, but Im hoping that considering it's still popular it will last longer than that. I think depending on how it's handled it's versality means it could easily equal classic who's run and I sincerly hope it will. Would think/hope at very least it could survive another 5 years or so.

I think any break they have, unless it's a proper cancelation, will be choc-a-bloc full of specials. Having said that I'll eat my left foot if it breaks after Moffat leaves. Doctor Who is not only the BBC's biggest franchise at the moment but also of all time. (I wouldn't be surprised if its the biggest franchise in all of UK television). Doctor Who is more popular now than its never been. It formed the centrepiece of the BBC's showcase in Liverpool in February and I think they're going to squeeze every bit of money they can out of it while its still successful. They'd be stupid to put it on a break any time soon!

I hope they put it on a break before it gets really poor like they did last time, but I can't see that happening anytime soon.

I actually quite like how they ended Survival with a voiced-over monologue by the Doctor.
If the time came for the axe to fall on New Who (which will hopefully not be any time soon), I think the last episode should end with a bit of a voice over. A good voice over, if done well can be very effective; for example "Son of Mine's" voiceover at the end of Family of Blood or the Doctor's "Clara sometimes asks me if I dream" monologue at the end of Day of the Doctor.

The episode itself should be action packed, emotional, decisive and the culmination of a well-thought out story arc. I'd like it to have the same sort of feel as Breaking Bad's "Felina" did. I think it should end with the death of the Doctor's companion(s), but the Doctor himself should survive and continue on his adventures. The Doctor should never die. It should always be left open for another revival.

Oh, <yawn>, why do we need to talk about this? Tedious thread!

In answer to your question OP, Doctor Who won't be finishing for good, any time soon because the show keeps getting high ratings and the stories are good. Also, the current production team know how important the show is to fans.

It would be such a travesty, if the show was suddenly pulled off the TV again. Fans would be in uproar about it. There would be a lot, and a stress, a LOT of people taking to Twitter, Facebook, AND Digital Spy to express their views.

The fans would be angry, plus very upset. I would be quite upset, and angry too. I'm such a huge fan of the show, and have been for nearly 9 years, since Russell T. Davies brought it back.

As for Michael Grade who put the show on hold for 18 months in 1985/86? I do not like him at all. He's disliked by me, and he always will be. He was responsible for starting the ball rolling for DW's demise.

The production team between 1986 and 1989, didn't feel as though they could write good stories and try to make DW look good after what MG did, because they felt as though they would spark rather a 'bad' debate with Michael. They wanted to try and stay on his good side.

Yes, I think DW should have a year's break every few years, just to give the cast and crew a rest, but NOT cancel it. A show like DW needs to have that break, once every few years.

Perhaps when the show ends or goes on hiatus, that will be the opportune time for some stand alone feature lengths?

And when the the cast and crew go on these rest breaks during these hiatus periods that you want to give the show, how are they going to be paid? Here in the the states, they start looking at unemployment insurance at that point.

That's how I would end it too, and if I had my way the classic series would have ended that way with Davison's Doctor.

If I knew I was writing the last episode of Doctor Who, I'd end it with the start of the next adventure.

The day is saved (in an exciting and clever way, at great personal cost), the Doctor goes into the TARDIS, and sets sail. The wheezing of engines, the swell of the orchestra, the agony on the Doctor's face, all bittersweet - then something thumps at the door. She races to the doors, swings them both open, and they've landed in a massive city, swirling lights, all converging on the TARDIS, huge eye-balls swooping across the sky.

"THE DOCTOR WILL VACATE THE TARDIS, OR THE TARDIS WILL BE INCINERATED. THE DOCTOR WILL VACATE THE TARDIS, OR THE TARDIS WILL BE INCINERATED. THE DOCTOR WILL VACATE THE TARDIS, OR THE TARDIS WILL BE INCINERATED."

Cheeky, bluffing - "Doctor? Sorry boys, no idea what you're talking about! Doctor who?"

But then we'd never have had two excellent Doctors in the form of Colin Baker and Sylvester Mccoy.

If it got cancelled it would be because it lost popularity and rating's so in that circumstance they wouldn't exactly be jumping to make films or specials.

I would have had them play the part a little bit later on. The general consensus is that the show went on a downward spiral in the mid to late 80s. I would rather it ended on a high.

So I would have given it a much needed break after Davison left, then brought it back a few years later with C Baker and later McCoy with better stories. 1988 would have been a good time as that was the 25th anniversary year. After McCoy it could have taken another short break then come back again with McGann in a full series. After that I would have kept it pretty much the same.

The show was overdue a rest by 1989. It just didn't need a rest of 16 years.

If someone said Doctor Who was finishing, it would surely be an estimation in terms of The Doctor's belief, with revelations comes a sense of, let's see what can be done to sort that problem, shift.

I'd have it end with The Doctor getting captured and imprisoned by the Daleks, leaving everyone wondering, perhaps forever, whether they finally won.

Hello. I mean, when it runs out of viewers