Doctor Who's Matt Smith Departing Show At Christmas

Thaluikhain

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Ronack said:
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!
Argh, yes.

luvd1 said:
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.
Nah...that'd muck up the whole "Time Lords are all dead" thing. Sure, it makes sense, but mumble mumble mumble.
 

Sixcess

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I really hope they announce the next actor quickly.

In the meantime Who forums fandom will be unbearable with an endless stream of "The next Doctor should be "

Because for all that they talk about being imaginative, fans seem to find it really hard to think outside the box at times like this.

* e.g. Johnny Depp, Nathan Fillion, half the cast of Game of Thrones, the entire cast of Sherlock including Benedict Bumblescratch or whatever his name is...
 

Smiley Face

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Well, I thought he might finish another season before passing the mantle, but c'est la vie. I really liked Smith - there were problems, sure - many people never gave him a chance because he wasn't Tennant, and the writing seems to have gotten more derivative since Moffat took the helm (which is interesting, given that I always enjoyed his episodes best during RTD's tenure), but Smith did an excellent job with what he was handed, and really took the Doctor in a new direction for the new series - more juvenile and exuberant than Eccleston or Tennant, and also willing to commit violence out of anger - Tennant's was firmly against it, Eccleston's did it seriously, not because there was a part of him that liked it.

But the show must go on, and Smith's been around for 3 whole seasons now, and it's time for them to explore something new. I read an interesting analysis once which said that the personality of each successive Doctor was wish fulfillment for the previous one - Eccleston's couldn't bring himself to express his love for Rose (Tennant's could more easily), Tennant's was haunted by all his lost companions (Smith's lived in the present, compulsively moves on from things). It's likely just circumstantial rather than intentional, but from a showrunning perspective it makes sense - you want to break new ground and get away from the weaknesses of the old one, so you address it with your new one. If that holds true, I'd imagine they'd go for a more mature, responsible Doctor, or perhaps something else, I dunno. We shall see!

Let's hope the Anniversary Special is good, eh? Hope they cast someone excellent... Doctor #12... sort of.


Saviordd1 said:
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.
It has been established that regeneration does indeed allow gender switching, the Doctor's just never done it. New Series 6, the one about the TARDIS, the episode Neil Gaiman wrote - Doctor receives a distress call from 'The Corsair', who, when ranting, the Doctor mentions had been both male and female.

With that said, a female doctor would be breaking all sorts of new ground. Still, going for a black doctor would also be quite a shift, and if they get it right, I'm right behind them. I'd actually think that making a gender swap might be more likely - if they're going to make that change, there's a lot more to work with with the gender swap. We'll see!

Gaah, now I'm really excited!
 

luvd1

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thaluikhain said:
Ronack said:
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!
Argh, yes.

luvd1 said:
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.
Nah...that'd muck up the whole "Time Lords are all dead" thing. Sure, it makes sense, but mumble mumble mumble.
.... But I want to see Brian blessed in doctor who. we all know he is the corsair, it doesn't make sense other wise. I do not want to be in a world that won't have Brian Blessed as the corsair.
 

Thaluikhain

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luvd1 said:
.... But I want to see Brian blessed in doctor who. we all know he is the corsair, it doesn't make sense other wise. I do not want to be in a world that won't have Brian Blessed as the corsair.
When it was announced that he'd be in Dr Who, there was talk of him being the Dr. Of course, he ended up as Yrcanos instead.

Dunno if he'd really work.

I still think we'll get some pretty boy for the Twilight fans.
 

TimeLord

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Katherine Kerensky said:
...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Some of the articles and things I've read about Smith leaving have put BC high on the list of favourites to replace him.
 

BloodSquirrel

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Matt Smith really grew on me. He made Tenant's doctor seem almost mean-spirited in retrospect. I also like his companions much better- Amy and Rory were great, and Clara had a lot of potential despite being kind of wasted.

I've also liked how Moffat made Who feel like it was really going somewhere, as opposed to trying to pull together a myth arc at the last minute like RTD did when he left. It'd just be nice if the show's plotting could be tightened up and rely on less "The Doctor waved with sonic screwdriver at something and fixed it", "timey-wimey", general handwaves, and so "take our word for it".
 

ayman03

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all will be revealed in the special episode when John Hurt will be in it.
I am curious if he will be a part of the story or simply appears at the end as the 12th Doctor and what it means that the doctor's greatest secret is John Hurt and his name at the same time.Is he from the past or the future?
Why did he reveal the name? and Why is the name itself so important that no one but the doctor should know it?and if he is from the past,then the secret is out,yes?

I am getting a headache
 

rosac

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TimeLord said:
Katherine Kerensky said:
...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Some of the articles and things I've read about Smith leaving have put BC high on the list of favourites to replace him.
Which is probably why it won't be him! BBC have never really been ones for replacing the doctor with well known actors (as far as I'm aware anyway)
 

DelinquentTurtle

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rosac said:
TimeLord said:
Katherine Kerensky said:
...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Some of the articles and things I've read about Smith leaving have put BC high on the list of favourites to replace him.
Which is probably why it won't be him! BBC have never really been ones for replacing the doctor with well known actors (as far as I'm aware anyway)
What about Christopher Eccleston? Pretty sure he was fairly well known and has had roles in other shows and hollywood movies.
 

Slash Joel

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Well this sucks. Matt Smith is my favorite Doctor and I will be sad to see him go. But I do I would be interested in a female Doctor.
 

rodneyy

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DelinquentTurtle said:
rosac said:
TimeLord said:
Katherine Kerensky said:
...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Some of the articles and things I've read about Smith leaving have put BC high on the list of favourites to replace him.
Which is probably why it won't be him! BBC have never really been ones for replacing the doctor with well known actors (as far as I'm aware anyway)
What about Christopher Eccleston? Pretty sure he was fairly well known and has had roles in other shows and hollywood movies.
and David Tennant, he has been in loads of things
 
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TimeLord said:
Katherine Kerensky said:
...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Some of the articles and things I've read about Smith leaving have put BC high on the list of favourites to replace him.
Thinking logically about his commitments to Sherlock and his aspirations in Hollywood I doubt it. Also I heard it said that he has already ruled himself out of playing The Doctor?
 

Karloff

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rodneyy said:
DelinquentTurtle said:
rosac said:
TimeLord said:
Katherine Kerensky said:
...So, when and where can I brainwash the BBC to hire Benedict Cumberbatch?
Just an idle thought...
Some of the articles and things I've read about Smith leaving have put BC high on the list of favourites to replace him.
Which is probably why it won't be him! BBC have never really been ones for replacing the doctor with well known actors (as far as I'm aware anyway)
What about Christopher Eccleston? Pretty sure he was fairly well known and has had roles in other shows and hollywood movies.
and David Tennant, he has been in loads of things
Weeeeell, yes and no.

Tennant's a great actor, but if you look at his CV pre-Who, it doesn't amount to much. Lots of TV appearances, miniseries stuff, and you'd be hard pressed to find him in a lead role. Who put him on the map. Eccleston's got UK cred, and had it before Who, but he's always been fonder of the work than of fame. You'd almost think he was allergic to celebrity. When he does pop up in film roles pre-Who, it tends to be high concept stuff like Let Him Have It, or 28 Days Later cult-classic roles, the kind of movie that was never supposed to take off quite the way it did but really caught people's imagination.
 

Piorn

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How does the Doctor know he'll leave soon?
Did one of his future incarnations tell him?
 
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SuperMse said:
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.
Or maybe you're wrong and there's far FAR more to it than that since there's many dark, complex themes and relatively few episodes focused on history.

OT:
Sad and happy.

I despised Matt at the beginning, but he's grown to rival Tennant as my favorite. I would have loved to have seen him under the direction of a different show runner.

Also, this whole thing is sort of surreal. To be seeing so many people so sad because their first Doctor, Smith, is leaving. It's odd to be in the other position.
 

TheRightToArmBears

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Aww, that's a shame. I thought he was a great Doctor, really quirky and interesting, especially compared to Tennant (brilliant actor, but I think Smith's a better Doctor). It's a shame that I haven't really liked most of the writing he's had- even for Who standards, it's been very convoluted.

I was watching the Christmas episode where Tennant's Doctor went to Victorian London and fought the Cybermen, and David Morrisey was brilliant in that (and The Walking Dead, Blackpool and damn near everything he's ever done)- I think he'd make a brilliant Doctor- For my money he's a better actor than Tennant, and he's a bit older and more authoritative too. Other than that, Idris Elba would be a fantastic Doctor, but both of my choices are probably a touch high profile for the role, although they did get Christopher Eccleston, so you never know.

I know a lot of people seem to want Richard Armitage, but he's basically like a slightly-worse David Morrisey, although he's probably a bit more likely.

I'm not against the idea of a female doctor, but I do worry about them continuing to cast younger and younger Doctors though.
 

Alar

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I wonder if they'd actually take the chance and make a female Doctor... oh, wouldn't that be a hoot? But, sadly, it is quite unlikely.
 

SonofaJohannes

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I sure am looking forward to a new Doctor. Smith wasn't bad, but it's time for a change. I nominate myself.
It would be nice if they got someone visibly older to play the next Doctor, lately the show has been full of these young whippersnappers. Someone that's not British, because the Doctor isn't. And bring back the karate!