David Tennant officially leaving "Doctor Who" ... who should be the eleventh Doctor?

I've been spending (what's felt like) years scoffing at rumors about Russel E. Davies and David Tennant's impending departure from the venerable Doctor Who franchise and that speculation has finally turned out to be true, as Tennant has announced that he will be stepping down as the tenth Doctor. He'll be leaving after the current season, which will be made up of four specials instead of the usual 13 episodes, the same time Davies will be quitting the franchise.

Russell Tovey and Patterson Joseph

On the bright side, if you've been following the speculation on who could be the eleventh Doctor, this could be a chance for the BBC to break new ground. Among the potential new Doctors is Russell Tovey, an openly gay actor, as well as Patterson Joseph, who would be the first person of color to play the Doctor. Either move would be a nice nod to Davies' legacy which has included the first queer companion (the fan favorite Captain Jack Harkness) as well as the first two companions of color (Mickey Smith and Dr. Martha Jones).

But who else could be the eleventh Doctor?

Captain Jack, Mickey Smith and Martha Jones

While Tovey is best known for his role in The History Boys, Who fans might also recognize him from the most recent Christmas special, "The Voyage of the Damned". Joseph, meanwhile, should look familiar to Anglophiles from roles on Jeckyll, That Mitchell and Webb Look, The Green Wing and Peep Show. He also appeared in the two-part Who finale, "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways" as a contestant on a deadly version of The Weakest Link.

Tovey and Joseph in their past Who roles

Plenty of other names have been thrown around. Steven Moffat, who will be taking over Doctor Who after Davies and Tennant's departure, is known for casting actors he has successfully worked with before. In addition to Joseph (who worked with Moffat on Jeckyll), James Nesbitt (who starred in Jeckyll) and Coupling heartthrob Richard Coyle have been mentioned as potential eleventh Doctors. There's been much more talk about Nesbitt in the role, but I have a much easier time seeing Colye as The Doctor.

James Nesbitt and Richard Coyle

I'd love to suggest another openly gay Brit, Matthew Bose, whose stunning good looks made a definite impression on me when he appeared on an episode of Coupling. Unfortunately, whenever I see Emmerdale (where Bose plays a gay character, Paul Labert) viewers discuss Bose, it doesn't sound like he'd have the acting chops to be the Doctor.

Matthew Bose

I could more easily see Kevin McKidd as the Doctor. McKidd is probably best known for his role on Rome, a show that found a definite gay following for its over-the-top dramatics and its frequent male nudity, but I expect plenty of his gay fans first noticed him playing gay on Bedrooms and Hallways, where he got to snog the hunky James Purefoy. Then again, after seeing what he could do a dramatic role on The Riches, it'd certainly be interesting to see what gay fave comedian Eddie Izzard would do with the role.

Kevin McKidd and Eddie Izzard

Of course, from this side of the pond the fantasy casting game isn't so easy to play. Christopher Eccleston was barely on my radar before he became the ninth Doctor (despite my owning a copy of Shallow Grave) and, having missed Viva Blackpool!, Doctor Who was my first exposure to David Tennant's greatness. Which UK actors would make a great Doctor?