Just over a week ago, 
the sixth series (or 32nd, depending on how you look at it) of Doctor Who wrapped up with the incredible episode "The Wedding of River Song." At the episode's conclusion (as River would say, "Spoilers!") the show poses the series' long question, "Doctor Who?"
For those of you not in the know, the original series began in 1963 with William Hartnell as Doctor numero uno and was on the air through six other Doctors until its cancellation in 1989. Following a 1996 television movie with eighth Doctor Paul McGann, the series was rebooted by Russell T. Davies in 2005 and continues to this day on the BBC, currently in the eleventh "incarnation" of the Doctor, a now 900-something year old alien who travels through time and space in a machine guised as a police box.
Following the series six finale, the Doctor and companions will be off the air until the 2011 Christmas Special and then back in 2012 for a seventh series, continuing to star Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor. However, it is the following season that I am interested in focusing on, as the series itself reaches its 50th Anniversary in early 2013.
All of the produced anniversary specials have centered around the Doctor crossing his own time stream, sometimes more than once, which results in a multi-Doctor episode. For these, the show brings back actors who have played the lovable Time Lord in the past. The two anniversary specials so far in the series were The Three Doctors in 1973 (with William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee) and The Five Doctors (with Richard Hurndall sitting in for the deceased Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Peter Davison, and Tom Baker, kind of). For what would have been the 30th and 40th anniversaries, the show was off the air, unfortunately.
Fans, myself included, are hopeful that we will see another multi-Doctor episode, and that is some very exciting news for Who fans. Everyone has their own ideas how the 50th Anniversary special should go, and I'm sure many, including myself, would love to see a return of David Tennant to the role for the special. However, when really thinking hard on the subject, I can come up with a storyline that wouldn't necessarily include Tennant, but rather eighth and ninth Doctors Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston.
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Article comments
1 - Nightsky
< giant nerd > We never see the Second Doctor's regeneration, either. < / giant nerd >
2 - Jason Richard
I'd love to see Tom Baker return, but I don't know if that's even possible. (Heavy Sigh) Anyway the earliest Doctor that I know of that could easily be portrayed is actually the third doctor because the son of that actor looks just like him, or so I'm told. Still, Fourth Doctor! Just saying.
3 - notesonafilm
Nightsky - you got me! I did think of that when writing the article, but figured I'd make it easier. However, I will say that at least we know how the 2nd Doctor died, in his punishment by the Time Lords.
Jason, seeing Tom Baker return would be really cool. He does look VERY different now though, but then again, he's pushing 80 years old, so it makes sense. After your post, I looked up Jon Pertwee's son and with a little whiting of the hair he probably could fill the role quite easily!!
4 - El Bicho
"I did think of that when writing the article, but figured I'd make it easier."
how does that make it easier?
5 - notesonafilm
Well, rather than saying the only regeneration we didn't see on screen was the time where the 2nd Doctor was banned by the Time Lords and then Jon Pertwee popped out of the TARDIS at the beginning of "Spearhead from Space" after x amount of years in seclusion. Just makes the sentence extremely long. The part about "...or, at least, actually get to see the death of one and then the birth of the other." was what I was hoping would cover that point between Doctor 2 and 3.