Hmm, some pretty interesting responses here. Thanks guys!

Was wondering why this was necro-ed

Sorry, 'Dad.' 

It had more to do with that I have been watching the show for more than 34+ years.  (With some breaks when we couldn't get it in the states.)

I would stay more scientific estimations that mere speculation.  But having watched it so long I relize I sound a bit like a soap opera nut when they talk about some show they have watched forever. 

Yes, yes, and I think he has probably gone through a few 'regenerations' himself.  He does look almost creepily young.

I would say before the 9th Doctor it was virtually non existent in the states.  When that version came out it was carried on the Science Fiction channel and had bit of marketing push.  After that I think BBC America took over and ran with 10th Doctor when it felt like it broke through into "nerd culture" with the Tardis and sonic screwdriver and all being referenced and people dressing up as Doctors at conventions.

I would say ask most over 40s in the states and they could be completely ignorant of its exsistence.  Ask 10-30 old and get mix of not heard of it, hate it or really really love it (there is deifnitely a hardcore fan base thanks to 10th and 11th Doctor).  I am not sure it will ever break through to main stream being on BBC America, but I can say I see Doctor Who shirts and merchandise far far more prevalent now than even five years ago.  

I have heard many older fans see the 12th Doctor as the great culling given how many young women love Doctor Who since the 10th as a romantic interest.  Be interesting to see how having an older actor int he role affects that culture.

LOL. The 12th doctor is the Roman Marble guy in Pompei

Anyone see the special in 3d?

how is capaldi the new doctor?
didn't we already see him in that pompei episode?

Yes. But we also saw a doctor in an episode before he was the doctor before (way before my time but it was a fact they threw up on the screen while I was waiting for the movie to start.) Also, martha jones was in the cybermen vs dalek episode before she was martha. And in the 2nd episode with Eccleston the person who played the medium went to play someone in Torchwood and when the earth gets stolen Tennat makes a comment about it.

pertwee, im guessing:

the 2nd REGENERATION 3RD INCARNATION OF THE Dr.

the Theory is that Hurt regeneration is a Time Fracture, of the Dr. all time lords has 12 regenerations, except there is ways for Time lords to renew those 12 but they are known only to a few old Time Lords like OMEGA, but those time lords are mostly Gone except for the recent "Day of the Dr.", well some are trapped in Time..lol anyway, since the Dr. Stepped into his own Time line, there can be a Fracture of the Dr's Own Time Line, thus split a time duplicate of the Dr., thus that time fracture would in effect be a Dr. that than branches off to make yet another 12 Dr's thus explains why at the end of the universe he is the only Time Lord Left. the bad thing is the key to this could in effect be that the Dr. is a living TimeLoop thus after his 12 regeneration his time line fractures off and starts over, thus he keeps living on and on never ending time lines as his scar's keep growing, this kinda happened to OMEGA , but that was something Time Lords were never meant to do. because it cause such an effect.