There's a big piece of news that's been rumored for months about the future of Doctor Who. If you don't want to be spoiled about the next couple of episodes, read no further.
So he wants to go. It's been a year of speculation and rumor, and now it's official. The BBC announced today that Matt Smith is officially leaving Doctor Who after this year, and the Christmas Special will be his final episode.
You can read the official statement from the BBC here. If you don't want to click the link, here's Matt Smith's official statement to the press about this development:
"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show.
"I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day to realize all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven - he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.
The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before.
"Your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number 11, who I might add is not done yet - I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special.
"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'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore
calls. Thank you guys. Matt."
Well, obviously we're getting a new Doctor, but Who? Could it be a woman? Will he or she be Ginger? Will they like Fezzes? How will this new incarnation of the Doctor interact with Clara and River? So many questions... and as of right now, no answers yet.
What do you all think?
Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.
Would a female Doctor kill the franchise if they screw up the casting? I guess another male Doctor would kill the franchise if they screw up the casting. :)
ReplyDeleteAwwww! Kind of a bummer. I really like Matt Smith, and I hope all the best for him. I've been watching the Doctor since the Tom Baker era (and have seen all the Pertwee episodes and a handful of the earlier ones) and I'm sad to see Matt go. Although this past season was pretty uneven, I don't think it was any fault of Matt's - he's been consistently excellent. But this is how this show goes. Let the speculation on who will move into the Tardis next begin!
ReplyDeleteClara's been already announced as staying on for series 8, so he'll definitely interact with her. Also, casting a woman as the Doctor will make me want to murder someone - far to gimmicky and I feel like it would destroy the tone of the show.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, John Hurt and the "not the Doctor" thing?
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if they could could cast a William Hartnell-type Doctor, after ramping up the romance and snogging in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI think the Doctor is supposed to be getting younger as he gets older, but obviously that rule hasn't always held true.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wouldn't worry about spoiler alerts, practically every damn entertainment news site on the internet was posting this with the spoiler right in the headline. I couldn't escape it on Facebook 😢
I really hope the next Doctor is not female. I think that would actually kill the series.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone like Idris Elba?
I really sad about this. Off all the recent Doctors Matt has been my favourite and I had hoped he would stick around for at least one more season.
ReplyDeleteBut as one door closes...
I may get pelted with tomatoes here, but I'm kind of glad Matt Smith is going. Not that I think he's been bad, quite the opposite. It's just been kind of clear recently that his heart isn't quite in it anymore, at least that's what it has been seeming like to me. Also, why would a female doctor be so bad? I don't get why everyone is so against it.
ReplyDeleteOh now I really want Idris Elba for this..or Aiden Gillen. Will be sorry to see Matt go.
ReplyDeleteAnna
I'd love a female doctor, but I can't see it happening (perhaps after the awkward 12th regeneration? Except they look like they'll ignore that, and it depends where John Hurt fits in).
ReplyDeleteFailing a woman, a non-white Doctor would be a start. Adrian Lester, Paterson Joseph or C... er Chewie Ejiofor (can't spell his name!) would all be brilliant.
I love Matt Smith and will be sad to see him go, but I was sad to see David Tennant and Chris Eccleston go too... I guess that's what is so interesting about this show--the actors are always going to leave and I hate it, but then I grow to love the new Doctor and the new companions and the new TARDIS design...if Steve Moffat is sticking around for a little while longer then I'm pretty sure I'll be excited with whatever direction they take it in.
ReplyDeleteI'd love a ginger Doctor, but I'm into redheads in general and not being a ginger could just end up being a running gag for the series, so I'll wait and see where they decide to go and what strange food combinations and interesting clothes the 12th (?) Doctor will like!
Who will be next is a tough one. Will it be me or will it be Mark? Surely no one else is in the running? I'm already busting out the shoulder pads as my gimmick. Shoulder pads are cool! My catch phrase will be 'spiffing' and my favourite food fruit pastilles and asparagus.
ReplyDeleteI'm really disappointed with this. When Tennant left, it seemed like they gave us plenty of time to be ready for it, and wrapped up most of his stories nicely. This time, it feels really abrupt, and that there are still stories to be told by this Doctor.
ReplyDeleteAs far as River goes, I had a theory that we probably wouldn't be seeing her again, because it looked like she'd gotten some kind of closure in "The Name of the Doctor," but last night I went back and rewatched "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead," and now I'm not so sure. In those episodes, River had a super advanced screwdriver we've never seen Matt Smith use before. So, unless he gets that screwdriver and goes back and gives it to her to take to the library at some point during the 50th anniversary special or the Christmas special, we actually may not have seen the end of River Song.
From reading on Twitter, I don't think we were supposed to know Matt was leaving. My impression is that it was supposed to be a Christmas Day surprise, and somebody blabbed, so they had to officially announce it.
ReplyDeleteIf true, I'm really annoyed. A regeneration surprise would have been excellent. Shame we were deprived of it.
Finally!
ReplyDeleteNever liked Smith, have been waiting for him to be replaced for far too long.
I'm thinking, could the next Doctor be a kid? Is there such possibility at all? I really would like to see that. An ancient being with a millennium of life experience and wisdom in a body of a child.