Doctor Who's Matt Smith Departing Show At Christmas

[Karloff]

Doctor Who's Matt Smith Departing Show At Christmas

The search for a new Time Lord begins.

"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke," says Matt Smith, the current Gallifreyan in charge of the TARDIS, but the time has come for Smith to bow out. He'll be there for the Christmas special and the 50th Anniversary show, but that will be the last we'll see of Smith, the youngest actor to ever play the Doctor, in the title role. Smith, who's "incredibly proud" of the show and his time there, says Trenzalore calls. Now the search is on for a new actor to play the Doctor.

"Somewhere out there right now, all unknowing, just going about their business," says lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffatt, "is someone who's about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again!" Smith, only 27 when he got the part, had previously taken on small TV roles and one uncredited part in modern noir film In Bruges, but nothing quite like the Doctor; a role for which, he admitted at the time, he wasn't entirely prepared for. "I have to be honest," he said in a 2009 interview [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1741002/bio], "I can't claim to have watched the show in its entirety or have been a follower as avidly as some people are." In his departure announcement, Smith thanked his fans for welcoming his incarnation of the Doctor.

"It's been an honor to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'," said Smith in farewell. "But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go."

Source: BBC [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Matt-Smith-to-leave-Doctor-Who]


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[socialmenace42]

I thoroghly enjoyed Matt Smith as the Doctor. When season 5 started I couldn't help but resent him for not being David Tenant, but I soon felt thoroughly ashamed of myself; he brought his own unique quirky touch to the character and particcularly season 6 blew my mind to the void and back.

Am looking forward to see where the series goes next, but knowing Maffat it will be something quite unexpected. This is about to get interesting people.

Also, bow-ties are cool.

 

[ayman03]

it is John Hurt as it was shown in the last episode 'introducing John Hurt as the doctor"
the one that will break his promise and reveal the name of the doctor

 

[Ironside]

it is John Hurt as it was shown in the last episode 'introducing John Hurt as the doctor"
the one that will break his promise and reveal the name of the doctor

John Hurt is the ninth doctor is he not? The one who fought the time war, because Ecclestone refused to come back for the anniversary special.

 

[Tactical Pause]

Okay, Moffat, now is the time to move away from fairy tale whimsy and move back to a more grounded approach. Do something different with the next Doctor. Whether it's an older Doctor (new for NewWho) or a black Doctor or even a female Doctor. This is the time, Moffat! Don't faff it up!

I entirely agree with this statement. Moffat should seize this opportunity and change up his purely children's-show approach to Doctor Who.

As for Matt Smith, it's a bummer he had to follow up the Tennant/RTD duo, but I suppose he made the best of it.

 

[Mr. Q]

I found out about this from the Bleeding Cool website but had to double check since their information is usually dubious. Now I wish this was just a rumor. =( I only watched the 2005 show once in awhile but never fully got into it until Matt Smith took the helm. Since then, I've slowly gotten into the classic Doctor Who episodes while keeping up with the Matt Smith era. It's a shame it had to end so soon. Still, its been a fun ride and I'm glad to have been apart of it.

Now the question must be asked... Who will be the next Doctor? Will it be John Hurt? Will the Doctor be played by a female for the first time? Or will the Doctor, at long last, be played by a ginger?

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Okay, Moffat, now is the time to move away from fairy tale whimsy and move back to a more grounded approach. Do something different with the next Doctor. Whether it's an older Doctor (new for NewWho) or a black Doctor or even a female Doctor. This is the time, Moffat! Don't faff it up!

I entirely agree with this statement. Moffat should seize this opportunity and change up his borderline children's-show approach to Doctor Who.

As for Matt Smith, it's a bummer he had to follow up the Tennant/RTD duo, but I suppose he made the best of it.

The show has always been family oriented. It's about adventure and time travel. It's meant to excite the imaginations of children and to get them interested in history. To pretend anything else is to ignore the point of the show.

 

[Tusalu]

it is John Hurt as it was shown in the last episode 'introducing John Hurt as the doctor"
the one that will break his promise and reveal the name of the doctor

John Hurt is the ninth doctor is he not? The one who fought the time war, because Ecclestone refused to come back for the anniversary special.

The way I understood it, Hurt is a previously unseen incarnation of the Doctor, and is not counted as one of the Xth Doctors because of whatever it is that he did.

 

[CriticalMiss]

"It's been an honor to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'

No mention of 'the hairy one' then? Poor River.

Soooooo. Mr Moffat is looking to cast a new Doctor? coughfemaledoctorcough. I volunteer to play the role despite having no acting talent whatsoever. I can run, speak in a British accent, act eccentrically and know not to blink around weeping angels, a Sontaran's weak spot is neck rubs and Daleks are thoroughly evil.

 

[Helen Jones]

Okay, Moffat, now is the time to move away from fairy tale whimsy and move back to a more grounded approach. Do something different with the next Doctor. Whether it's an older Doctor (new for NewWho) or a black Doctor or even a female Doctor. This is the time, Moffat! Don't faff it up!

As for Matt Smith ... it's been fun, Matt. You've given us plenty of fantastic episodes, performances and a very memorable Doctor. You'll be missed.

Absolutely agreed. Matt Smith is a great actor, but the way his Doctor is written has always sat awry with me. I'm not sure how optimistic we can be though, as long as Quirky McGee the new sidekick is with the new doctor.. I doubt a push back to the more Ecclestone-grounded doctors is on its way..

Yes it's a family-show, but recently I've felt it's less character-building more quirkyquirkquirk because apparently all the viewers developed ADHD.

 

[Something Amyss]

To pretend anything else is to ignore the point of the show.

But standard for any nerd fanbase of a children's show.

OT: Love Matt Smith. I'm going to miss that fez-wearing madman with a box.

 

[Me55enger]

Paterson Joseph would make a superb Doctor.

Anyone who has seen Neverwhere will know what im on about.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Anyway, I enjoyed Matt Smith as the Doctor. I remember when he was announced, and a load of people thought he would be a bad Doctor after Tennant. Glad I was right, and they were wrong.

 

[Saviordd1]

Okay, Moffat, now is the time to move away from fairy tale whimsy and move back to a more grounded approach. Do something different with the next Doctor. Whether it's an older Doctor (new for NewWho) or a black Doctor or even a female Doctor. This is the time, Moffat! Don't faff it up!

As for Matt Smith ... it's been fun, Matt. You've given us plenty of fantastic episodes, performances and a very memorable Doctor. You'll be missed.

I don't think you'll be seeing a female doctor.

A black one or an older one or whatever maybe, but a female one? I don't think regeneration allows for gender switching.

 

[Tactical Pause]

The show has always been family oriented. It's about adventure and time travel. It's meant to excite the imaginations of children and to get them interested in history. To pretend anything else is to ignore the point of the show.

But that does not mean it can't be anything more, as evidenced by RTD-overseen episodes such as Midnight and Waters of Mars. Maybe I'm just missing something, but I haven't seen a single episode like those mentioned above since Moffat took over.

Family fun is all well and good, but it's even better if it can be family fun and have a more complex, thoughtful narrative.


EDIT: For clarity, let me state that I don't think the show has to be serious and contemplative all the time, but a sprinkling of such episodes would be great.

if anything they have been doing their job if you are calling it a borderline childrens show. as SuperMse said it is aimed at a family audience, so little kids can watch even if they get a bit scared then older kids and adults can all sit down together and watch as a group not one thing for each and a line drawn down the middle.

In retrospect, use of the word 'borderline' was probably a miscalculation. I initially used it in a ham-fisted attempt to defuse my post a little (since it may have come out a little angrier than I intended). Admittedly, it wasn't my finest idea, since the word doesn't actually belong there and does change what I am trying to say.

I have edited my original post as necessary.

 

[rodneyy]

it is John Hurt as it was shown in the last episode 'introducing John Hurt as the doctor"
the one that will break his promise and reveal the name of the doctor

John Hurt is the ninth doctor is he not? The one who fought the time war, because Ecclestone refused to come back for the anniversary special.

yeah my friends opinions are split john hurt is either the time war doctor or Valeyard doctor. but the the whole valeyard doctor story line might be a bit hard to incorporate as the whole limited regenerations of time lords seems to have gone outta the window, but im sure they can work around that.

Okay, Moffat, now is the time to move away from fairy tale whimsy and move back to a more grounded approach. Do something different with the next Doctor. Whether it's an older Doctor (new for NewWho) or a black Doctor or even a female Doctor. This is the time, Moffat! Don't faff it up!

I entirely agree with this statement. Moffat should seize this opportunity and change up his borderline children's-show approach to Doctor Who.

As for Matt Smith, it's a bummer he had to follow up the Tennant/RTD duo, but I suppose he made the best of it.

The show has always been family oriented. It's about adventure and time travel. It's meant to excite the imaginations of children and to get them interested in history. To pretend anything else is to ignore the point of the show.

if anything they have been doing their job if you are calling it a borderline childrens show. as SuperMse said it is aimed at a family audience, so little kids can watch even if they get a bit scared then older kids and adults can all sit down together and watch as a group not one thing for each and a line drawn down the middle.

Okay, Moffat, now is the time to move away from fairy tale whimsy and move back to a more grounded approach. Do something different with the next Doctor. Whether it's an older Doctor (new for NewWho) or a black Doctor or even a female Doctor. This is the time, Moffat! Don't faff it up!

As for Matt Smith ... it's been fun, Matt. You've given us plenty of fantastic episodes, performances and a very memorable Doctor. You'll be missed.

I don't think you'll be seeing a female doctor.

A black one or an older one or whatever maybe, but a female one? I don't think regeneration allows for gender switching.

they can attually. in the episode the doctors wife he finds the arm of a dead time lord that always had a tattoo in the same place and said something like

"they always had the same tattoo on their am even when they were female"

dont go using that as its probally all wrong but there was some mention of time lords being able to change gender at regeneration time

 

[luvd1]

Awww. The Corsair. Even though s/he was only mentioned and partly shown. I would love an episode that had him/her in. They're time travellers, coz they're dead shouldn't mean they can't.