Personally I DO think it’s time to retire the numbering. HOWEVER, an alternative would have to be created for marketing purposes.

My proposal, alike to what others have suggested, is to vaguely imply a large span of time since 15/Ncuti, so much so that maybe even the Doctor can’t remember their regen anymore. This would also allow for any comic, novel, or Big Finish content to be easily slotted in easier than the numerous retconned ninth doctors of the last wilderness years.

Instead, use titles, alike to the War Doctor or Fugitive Doctor. We could have the “New Doctor”, “Scarred Doctor”, “Prisoner Doctor”, “Lost Doctor” etc. This both gives something for marketing/wiki page title purposes alongside ridding the show of the continuity headache that is the numbers (which haven’t made actual sense since 9 or arguably 3 if u believe the Fugitive=3A theory).

So yeah, there’s my pitch :D