June 1st, 2013
479 comments
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Official – Matt Smith To Leave Doctor Who
Matt Smith To Leave Doctor Who
The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show.
Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas Special.
During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.
Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!
Matt Smith says: “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 realise 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 Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I’m back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
“It’s been an honour 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.”
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says: “Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently.
“And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him – sometimes literally – his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.
“But great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt – bow ties were never cooler.
“Of course, this isn’t the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now – all unknowing, just going about their business – is someone who’s about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that’s still so exciting!”
Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt’s Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting ‘run’ and ‘Geronimo’, through Matt’s Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination – fish fingers and custard!
Matt’s spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23 November 2013 – TUNE IN!
Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC One
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Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:12pmMany of my all-time favorites have been written by Moffat, and most of those feature Smith.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:09pmAbout Doctor/companion relationships, that is.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:09pmI liked a lot of them, but my favorite would either be the Eleventh Doctor and the Ponds or the Seventh Doctor and Ace.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:05pmThe Doctor hasn’t always been British. Look at Sylvester McCoy and David Tennant (Even though Tennant used a British accent). If two Scottish actors can play him why can’t an American?
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:02pmI don’t care about race or skin color, just the performance. I might (And I’m saying might, mind you) even forgive a woman playing the Doctor if she was a good enough actress.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:01pmI grew up with Doctor Who all my life with all the Classic Doctors and remember Tomb of the Cybermen, The Five Doctors, The Monster of Peladon, Remembrance of the Daleks, Earthshock, The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, The Ark in Space, The Two Doctors, and many more. When the show came back I was immediately impressed by Eccleston’s performance and stories. I never could get used to Tennant’s human Doctor, but after Series 5 I had a new favorite Doctor (Matt Smith), new favorite Daleks (‘Victory’ Daleks), and a new favorite story (The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang).
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:56pmHear, hear! Forget David Tennant, I don’t want Matt Smith to go! As for a female Doctor, it would only work in a parody if you ask me. Gender swapping is incredibly weird, especially for a show that’s meant for the whole family.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:54pmI loved the Ninth Doctor. Shame I feel the opposite towards most of his companions. Jack had an interesting background and was a mature character. Rose on the other hand never seemed to care about Mickey or her mother and only seemed interested in the Doctor. Billie Piper’s performance was great though, she deserved a better character. Adam just annoyed me.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:52pmIt’s all down to opinion. Personally, Matt Smith is my favorite Doctor, and David Tennant is my least. Smith gave us an manic, energetic, eccentric performance that covered a dark, brooding persona, and never failed to impress me. While I do think Tennant is a great actor, his Doctor acted way too human, and much of the writing didn’t help much. I never could get used to his Doctor except when he was pushed to his limit in episodes like Forest of the Dead, Midnight, and The Waters of Mars.
Mark
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:44pmHarry Lloyd of game of thrones. he’s young, british , not so famous ,done theatre and free
Strax4president
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:38pmPersonally I’m glad to see them ringing the changes, the only good thing to come out of the last few seasons are Jenny, Vastra and Strax…a spin-off series goes begging there methinks!
The series needs to go back to the time when the Doctor was older than most of his companions, and the companions need to be ‘our’ eyes, ears and mouthpiece, and the Doctor a favourite uncle…note masculine term. I have nothing against strong willed companions, but they all too often appear to take everything unquestioningly in their stride, they don’t see the wonder or the danger of their situation…boggling to bricking it should be the order of the day.
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:37pmOlivia Coleman or Billie Piper if it’s a woman
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:33pmIts only getting 4 million viewers though BBC need something good and strong to go up against Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor who are getting 10million and 8million viewers
iPhil
June 3rd, 2013 - 9:01amI don’t want a female Doctor either, I think it would be wrong. It would be like casting a woman as Batman.
Scott the Raptor
June 3rd, 2013 - 8:18amHe was in Harry Potter. He was also in some anti smoking programme.
Space1999
June 3rd, 2013 - 8:15amI know his is going but we have got to accept this its hard for a doctor to leave but we have to face the facts and trust the new on it gets hard at first but then your buying the figures DVD books and teddys of them so all I am saying give the twelve dr who a chance if you ever see matt smith give him a handshake or hug depends how much you love him
The Supreme Dalek
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:46amI agree with Scott, and also Tennant might still have more fans than Smith when he first appeared in 2010. Or else they have about the same amount of fans.
The Supreme Dalek
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:44amI’m from Scotland, but I don’t remember Tennant being famous here. Don’t get me wrong though, Tennant is my favourite Doctor!
Scott the Raptor
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:26amDavid Tennant was better than Matt Smith. Why do you think Tennant as an actor and as a Doctor has such a large fan base?
Scott the Raptor
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:24amSylvester McCoy was very popular here in Scotland before he was The Doctor. So was David Tennant.
Mels
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:45amIt’s always sad to see a Doctor leave, but also exciting to see who will take up the role next. There have been a lot of really good suggestions for who will play him/her next, most of them good ones!
Matt Smithy
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:15amwhen else have they ever chosen someone famous to play the Doctor? Not unknown, but never are they “super” famous.
The Peking Homunculus
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:57amMichael Jayston!!!!!!
The Peking Homunculus
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:50amah, but what about when Peter Davison played Albert Campion? he was perfect in the role. Cumberbatch might be better as the Master though.
The Peking Homunculus
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:44amWow, grew up with 9 and 10…makes it sound like that was a long time ago or something. I started out watching Doctor’s 1-7 on VHS in the dark times, but that means I’m a young fan…
Von
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:19amDavid Tennant was my favourite Doctor. I haven’t cared for Matt Smith as I felt he was too childish. Just my opinion.
Would love to see Daniel Radcliffe or Robert Carlisle.
GregV
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:27amUgh, These horrible reality and talent shows are ruining US television too. Hopefully, Doctor Who is doing well financially because that is what really matters to the long term health of the show. I have read that Doctor Who is doing very well in iTunes and other streaming sales. I have also seen lots of growth in the US fan base. I firmly believe there is lots of room for future US growth as well. I personally know lots of good science fiction fans who have not seen Doctor Who yet (Sad but true!). All these Pre-Fans just need to be upgraded! I’m working as hard as I can on upgrading my friends and co-workers with a very good rate of success.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:26amPlease, not Megan Fox. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Transformers fan as well as a Whovian, but she showed so little emotion in her role that I really wanted Megatron or Starscream to blow her up.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:22amWhat’s wrong with Sylvester McCoy?
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 12:53amThere needs to be major changes like this seen as though it flopped against Britain’s Got Talent and will again next year when Simon,Alesha,David and Amanda return.