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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Silence Will Still Fall
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:15pmThe person who portrays the doctor must remain british and male. Chris o’dowd, colin morgan and richard ayoade are still my top 3 to succeed matt.
Professor When
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:30pmTwo of them are on IT Crowd! 😀
Mels
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:47pmColin Morgan has been in Doctor Who before though… might be a bit hard to explain that away lol 😀
MasterKasterborous
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:29pm*cough* Colin Baker *cough*
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:43pmOh well, maybe matt could come back to do the 100th anniversary special in 2063! Lol
NO MATT CANT LEAVE NOW
June 5th, 2013 - 10:34amhaha lol
grandpa by then!
Galifreyan Bod
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:39pmJim Parsons
Space Fish
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:57pmYou clever person- He would be a brilliant Doctor and I am not being sarcastic
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 9:37pmSheldon?! Awesome idea
NO MATT CANT LEAVE NOW
June 5th, 2013 - 10:35amOMG YOU CLEVER PERSON!!!
shelly COOPER WOULD BE THE BEST DOCTOR EVER
APART FROM MATT SMITH
NigelP
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:06pmThe Doctor as a woman?
Over my cold dead body! I’ve watched avidly since 1970 and through the dodgy 80s to get to the high-point we have finally arrived at. I will NEVER watch again if that happens. And I will not be alone – it’ll be a P.C. farce!
MJ
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:15pmIf not Jim Parsons then Matt Berry or Julian Barrett
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 10:15pmI’d still watch it, I’d just be angry at everyone who was responsible, which would be sad considering Steven Moffat is my favorite writer and Executive Producer for the show
prof horner
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:06pmI think they should get a unknown actor and change his name to John Nathan-Turner. The great ones name will live for ever! Or we could have Colin Salmon.
MJ
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:07pmJim Parsons
Scherzy
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:52pmThe anniversary episode will lose loaaaads of viewers to The X Factor
The Doctor
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:54pmThe X Factors ratings have been decreasing rapidly since the last series and after the series in this Autumn the show will face being axed. Doctor Who is bound to beat it. Stop being negative.
GregV
June 4th, 2013 - 7:45pmI don’t think British only TV ratings matter much to the long term finincial health of the show! What really matters is merchandising, digital video sales and the big one -international growth! I recently saw the CEO of CBS (big US network) on TV talking about the huge increasing importance of these “secondary revenue streams”. Doctor Who has got to have the best secondary revenue stream in all of television!
Anonymous
June 8th, 2013 - 11:34pmIf it dosnt get BBC viewers they will axe it.They want a strong Saturday night line up along with Stictly and I’d Dr who isn’t bring the viewers in it will be axed with Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor getting more than de who maybe it will be axed Dancing On Ice was huge once and is now been axed.
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:49pmShobna Gulati for the first female doctor
MJ
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:55pmMy choice? Jim Parsons from Big Bang Theory. And before you all get upset about an American as actor playing the Doc, just remember that three Brit actors have recently played three American comic book icons – Bale as Batman’ Cavill as Superman and Garfield and Spidey…
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:59pmthats different your talking about film
this is tv and dr who should remain british and male
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:28pmI hope stevan moffat leaves
why well he’s made the show into a comady
no one die’s any more and if they do they magicly come back to life
there are to many innuendos which makes the show evan more childish
It’s to politicly correct
let some one like mark gattis take over the show someone who actualy cares for the show
TheDoctorWhoGeek
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:03pmYou have to admit that comedy is a frequent element of the show – I mean Donna faceplanted a wall in ‘The Runaway Bride’! You also cannot say that Steven makes sure nobody dies – considering he wrote Amy and Rory’s death – the first ‘NewWho’ companions to die! I don’t think there are many innuendos to be honest, and if so that would make the show more adult, rather than childish – and it is a family show at heart – it needs a balance between big monsters for the kids and jokes for the adults. I’d like to hear an example about the political correctness of Steven Moffat’s ‘Who’ aswell. I personally think that Steven Moffat cares a lot about the show – and I think it quite rude to assume that he doesn’t – he is a fantastic writer – even though I personally prefered RTD.
DWG
MyLittleTripod
June 3rd, 2013 - 6:04pmGrammar: USE IT.
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:20pmWell if it is a historical story set hundreds of years ago then suddenly everything is multiculteral. Im not racist but Im just saying euroup was not multicultral
MasterKasterborous
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:34pmDoctor Who does use innuendos all the time but I really don’t have a problem! Just see the look on Jenny’s face when Vastra asks why she puts up with her…
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:37pmIm ok with innuendos but what Im trying to say is that nearly all of the historical stories have to be politicly correct
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:41pmWhen I mean they have to politicly correct I mean that nearly most historical settings are multiculteral. Im not being racist but come on was medieval or victorian euroup multicultural
The Cyber Squirrel
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:26pmAh Well… At least we will have a regeneration in the 50th anniversary year
NO MATT CANT LEAVE NOW
June 5th, 2013 - 10:40amTHATS A BAD THING
MATT SMITH FOR ETERNITY
Darth Vemin
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:25pmWhat about John Barrowman. That would really throw a conundrum into the works. We know the Captain Jack character lives for a long time and has been involved in time travel. They could make all sorts of crazy storylines with that.
Space Fish
June 3rd, 2013 - 5:58pmSteven Moffat will probaly try it
NO MATT CANT LEAVE NOW
June 5th, 2013 - 10:42amthen the tenth dr would meet a reincarnation of himself
and plus jack was the Face of Boe
and the doctor watched the face of boe die
so the doctor witnessed his own death
yet his own death is at Trenzalore
so no
it cant be john barrowman
Mark
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:44pmHarry Lloyd of game of thrones. he’s young, british , not so famous ,done theatre and free
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:37pmOlivia Coleman or Billie Piper if it’s a woman
outnumbered
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:58pmwhat no
she played rose
and olivia is not going to come in to something that is loseing its viewers every week
and i think its should be a man anyway
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:05pmA female doctor who kill the show
why because the doctor has always been a man its like making wonder woman into wonder man
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Anonymous
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:48pmJust cos she played Rose dosnt mean she couldn’t be the doctor
NO MATT CANT LEAVE NOW
June 5th, 2013 - 10:44amNo, untrue
We saw Rose’s whole life, birth death and everything else inbetween
how moffat and gattis gonna explain that
plus dr who has to be a man who is BRITTISH
Anonymous
June 9th, 2013 - 12:35amThere could be a twist
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
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.
NO MATT CANT LEAVE NOW
June 5th, 2013 - 10:46amAND THATS WHAT MAKES DR WHO BETTER
Young, hot, smart and smexy lil brittish men who are like Matt smith
12th dr should be Benedict Cumberbatch
although that’s never gtonna happen
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!
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.
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.
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
outnumbered
June 3rd, 2013 - 3:51pmwell maybe if dr who would get better storys were everyone understands it it might get the views back
GregV
June 4th, 2013 - 3:10amThe stories in all 7 modern seasons of Doctor Who are wildly better than anything else on TV! Also, the writing in season 7 is every bit as good as earlier seasons. I have not seen writing this good since the early seasons of X-Files!
Anonymous
June 10th, 2013 - 5:23pmThe BBC look at viewers in a Saturday night they aren’t that bovered about merchandise sale.EastEnders dosnt make any in merchandise but it is the BBC’s most watch show that’s why they have it on 4 times week.13 million viewers watched Britain’s Got Talent:The Live Final,the Dr who anniversary will get nowhere near that
Simon Ioioos
June 2nd, 2013 - 11:22pmHaven’t seen the name getting a mention, but could the next Doctor be in plain sight?
Richard E Grant.
He was popular for the job over the last 8 years, adds weight and age, and is clearly liked by Moffat.
How? The Great intelligence is now in the Doctors time stream. It would be easy to write a plot where his conciousness merges with the Doctor and he take the face of the next doctor.
A “Merge” of the Doctor and the great intelligence would also give a plot divice for the forthcoming creation of the Valeyard.
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.
Scott the Raptor
June 3rd, 2013 - 7:24amSylvester McCoy was very popular here in Scotland before he was The Doctor. So was David Tennant.
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 - 8:18amHe was in Harry Potter. He was also in some anti smoking programme.
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 10:40pmI would like a older and lesser known actor to play the partof the doctor. Matt Smiths doctor was accasionaly dark but most of the time a clownish charactor. The next doctor should be darker and brouding but a nice person.
P.S I want Jason Isaacs to play the new who
Boxfish
June 2nd, 2013 - 10:34pmIf the BBC’s politically correct producer’s turn Doctor Who into a WOMAN, it will be even more farcical than turning him into Sylvester McCoy. Is nothing sacred anymore? No doubt the feminist bully brigade will shout us all down for daring to suggest that the Doctor’s gender should not be tampered with. Well, then how about we turn Jenny Murray into Jeremy Clarkeson and have him present Woman’s Hour? How about Buffy the Vampire Slayer metamorphising into a bloke? You wouldn’t like that, would you?!
If Doctor Who becomes a woman, that’s not a regeneration, folks – that’s the death of an icon.
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 10:43pmI completly agree with you it’s like making wonder woman into a man or giving batman nip….. Wait a minute did already did thar. My point is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 2:22amWhat’s wrong with Sylvester McCoy?
dalek galt
June 15th, 2013 - 6:36pmI know mcoys my fav doctor
Boxfish
June 2nd, 2013 - 10:12pmMatt Smith was the best Doctor since Tom Baker. Before him it was the “fantastic” Christopher Ecclestone. I prefer to ignore David Tennant, who was a completely awful lightweight and didn’t get the character at all.
Matt succeeded in portraying the Doctor’s deepest darkest complexities with beautiful subtleness and astonishing maturity. He is a great actor as I’m sure he will go on to prove in other roles. Very sad to see him go already.
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?
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.
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.
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:14pmi’m rooting for Steve John Shepherd for 12th Doctor.
callum simmons
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:35pmCorrect me if I’m wrong but I thought somewhere around the twelfth he becomes the Valeyard! That would be cool a series about a villain or a slow fall from grace over the series and have 12 turn into the Valeyard in the finale. A doctor who was a villain would really be something new and set the show on a new course never before ventured into. So sad to hear smith is leaving I’m sure that his final episode will give him a good send off and before that there is still the 50th to think about. I’d like to see them go down the hartnell route with an older actor especially if he is the Valeyard or even if he isn’t. I would love to see people’s faces if this was all an elaborate red herring and smith didn’t leave at the end of the year just to see the pure shock of people anticipating the 12th doctor! Most likely this won’t be the case though. I say good luck to whoever is continuing the role you have infinitely large Tardis sized boots to fill.
paolo
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:11pmRhys Ifans or tim roth? both aren’t under contract
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:58pmBoth of them would be great choices…but I think as it has been throughout the shows history, they will choose an unknown, the only occasions I think they’ve went out and chose a name people would know was Peter Davison (as he had to follow Baker after 8 years) and Christopher Eccelston (as he had to relaunch the show)…the show is bigger than any actor…so they dont need a big name…just someone who can play the role, bring something new to it and be able to cope with the madness that comes with it and not throw a strop like CE did.
I hope for the sake of the show they stay away from famous names and avoid casting a female/non white european just becuase they feel thats whats “right”… rather than casting the actor who is actually the best for the part.
matt9982
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:06pmI think Benedict Cumberbatch would be the best choice for the new Doctor! 🙂
Bye Matt Smith, you were the best 🙂
davidtenantrocks
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:02pmHow about Nigel le Vaillant as the new doctor.
the mr master
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:53pmi liked it when it was the 9th doctor, rose and Adam
i wish Adam was in it longer he could have been good
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:46pmAdam was alright. he got annoying sometimes.
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.
olletsoc
June 3rd, 2013 - 4:30pmthe 9th Doctor is my favourite New Series Doctor. There was no messing around with him, none of this ‘bow ties are cool’ lark. that was when the show was a bit darker, and more exciting. it’s a shame he was only in it for one season.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 3rd, 2013 - 11:00pmThe Eleventh Doctor was darker and more serious in episodes such as The Beast Below, Victory of the Daleks, The Time of Angels, Flesh and Stone, Amy’s Choice, The Pandorica Opens, The Big Bang, A Good Man Goes To War, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Asylum of the Daleks, A Town Called Mercy, The Angels Take Manhatten, The Snowmen, Journey To The Center of the TARDUS, Nightmare in Silver, and The Name of the Doctor.
Anonymous
June 10th, 2013 - 5:25pm‘Adam’ is returning to Coronation Street this autumn
who’s the man
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:49pmSorry to see matt Smith go, thought this years stories were the best of the new series. I think they should finish the 11th doctor stories without him regenerating, leave it open and next year do a season of 8th doctor stories , before the time war happened,something different. This web site is great by the way.
Gallifrey Driving Services Limited
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:56pmKEEP DOCTOR WHO RUNNING FOR THE NEXT CENTURY !!!!
the astronaut of death
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:36pmI hope we see the 11th doctor and captain jack together before matt leavs
ROCKSTAR
June 2nd, 2013 - 9:44pmI ve been thinking of that for a long time
Mat in Swansea
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:10pmMegan Fox, or slightly more seriously Olivia Coleman. Either way I’d never miss an episode!
Mat in Swansea
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:12pmOops I also meant to say:- Thanks Matt Smith you were brilliant!
Gallifrey Driving Services Limited
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:26pmAs this is the 12th reincarnation we have to think carefully from now on as to who we can get to act as the doctor so we can keep the series going, there is no point in getting an actor or actress who is only going to be around for one series and then leave, as this will only leave us with one more life, unless we can get around the problem of reincarnation anybody have any idea?
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.
bob
June 2nd, 2013 - 6:53pmi would like it if amy and rory return with the new doctor to see how they interact…… I DONT WANT MATT TO GO!!!!!!!
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 8:02pmGutted that Matt is leaving, you did a fantastic job. What about a lady Dr?????????
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.
cyberman2
June 5th, 2013 - 4:32pmthat has been done before in a comic relief parody
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 6:38pmI have a really great person in mind who could be the 12th Doctor….Steve John Shepherd.
He would suit the role perfectly, he’s very dark and mysterious and has a kind of unearthly edge about him. You’ll know what i mean if you watch him in EastEnders as Michael Moon.
I’ve said before that Steve could play the Master, but i’d love to see him as the Doctor, it would bring out a little darkness to the character. it would be brilliant.
Gallifrey Driving Services Limited
June 2nd, 2013 - 6:49pmI agree he could be a good doctor but id rather see him as the master or another villain.
The Darke Horde
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:04pmhes leaving eastenders soon as well
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 7:25pmyeah, i think he’s already filmed his Eastenders exit. he’s a brilliant actor, i’d love to see him become the Doctor
Anonymous
June 8th, 2013 - 11:40pmCould see him returning to EastEnders in a year or saw though to cause drama with Janine and Kat.