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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RORY DOCTOR RIVER POND
June 2nd, 2013 - 2:08pmagreed
Dalek: the Supreme
June 2nd, 2013 - 2:03pmI feel like an old friend is gonna die. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely hate the “I don’t want to go” subplot from The End of Time, but I’ve never been so attached to one incarnation of the Doctor since Patrick Troughton. Matt Smith is my favorite Doctor, and I hope he gets a good regeneration like Tom Baker or Peter Davison or Christopher Eccleston. I do not want an offscreen fall or another “I don’t wanna go” scenario. I hope the next Doctor can fill Smith’s shoes.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 2nd, 2013 - 2:02pmIn my opinion, Series 1 was a great resurrection for the show, Series 2 was mostly bad, Series 3 was mostly good, Series 4 was pretty bad with the exceptions of Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead and Midnight, the specials weren’t too great except for the amazing Waters of Mars, Series 5 is the best series ever, Series 6 was ok, but they should’ve given it a better finale and not split up the season, Series 7 was epic in so many ways but again, they shouldn’t have split it in half.
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 2:02pmOr maybe Colin Morgan?
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:59pmAndrew lee Potts could be the doctor but its most likely the next doctor is gunna be someone nobody’s heard of.
Dalek: the Supreme
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:57pmI liked a lot of Gatiss’s episodes, The Unquiet Dead, Victory of the Daleks, Night Terrors, Cold War, and The Crimson Horror were all great in my opinion. I haven’t seen The Idiot’s Lantern in a while, so not sure about that one.
The Moffat Paradox
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:55pmI’m only half joking but as Theta Sigma says been more impressed with Smith than Moffat.
(Though some stand alone episodes of his Like The Bells of ST Jude Haven’t been bad.)
So unless Moffat redeems himself with the resolution of plot holes from series 5-7 (Who blew up the Tardis once and for all!)in the 50th anniversary why doesn’t he take his often turning of the Character into Harry Potter with sonic screwdriver as a magic wand and spacey- wacey and wibbily wobbly timey wimey instead of science fiction to it’s conclusion and have Paul Daniels as the Doctor?
Just round off spacey- wacey and wibbily wobbly timey wimey as a plot cop out with Paul saying:
“And that’s Magic!”
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:53pmI want the new doctor to be much older and a lot darker. Don’t make the doctor a woman other wise the show will end. P.S people have complained that the show is racist beacuase all the doctors are white my response to that is really thats whats worring you
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:50pmhes too young and he doesn’t look ‘doctorish’
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:48pmI don’t think the bbc will do that why well look atthe two shows which one makes the most money which one sells toy, dvds, audio dramas
relax my friend Im pretty sure the bbc will put there money where there mouth is
booboo
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:34pmnone
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:32pmWhat proof do you have of this
TheWhomobile
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:30pmI hope Smith’s regeneration is different from the previous 2. What I would like is the watcher again like we saw in Logopolis
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:28pmdr who will end up getting axed for The Voice UK or something
rose tyler,martha jones,donna noble,tardis
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:26pmDavid Witts (Joey Branning from EastEnders) said he would like to be the doctor he would be a good choice with Jacquline Jossa (Lauren) as the companion or Billie Piper or Shobna Gulati
olletsoc
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:23pmi’m thinking the regeneration music will be “The Majestic Tale of a Madman in a Box”. If you haven’t heard it, search for it on Youtube.
JJ
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:23pmI mean, if he returns for the 60th lol.
JJ
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:19pmNO!
Mark Gatiss:
Good Episodes: The Unquiet Dead (brilliant)
Not so good episodes: The Idiot’s Lantern (wasn’t really good),
Victory Of The Daleks (was quite ok and good, until the spit fire bit, that was just so ridiculously stupid.)
Night Terrors (was sort of good actually, until the magic wand (as I call it) or as you, others may know it as the Deus Ex-Machina, which is basically like an easy way out of the/an story, it was just stupid how they resolved the story and another waste of an episode, that could have been good, fantastic, brilliant and great.)
Cold War (was not actually that good, they were just rushed into the adventure too quickly. Bad writing. One minute, the Ice Warriors walking about, then Skaldak’s trapped, then he’s out of his shell, after feeling he had lost his honour and that was only his last result, apparently, then he’s back in and then he’s threatening to press the button and then the others come and then he’s gone, so yet again, what a waste of an episode.)
The Crimson Horror (was sooo good, until the mr.sweet bit, it just absolutely killed it and it was kinda wrong.)
So no way is or should be Mark Gatiss as the head writer, just no way. Please. Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat for EVER!
xylok emperor
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:17pmnext doctor should be JAMES McAVOY
LEWIS
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:14pmNOOOOOOO
PS I HOPE THE NEXT DOCTOR ISN’T JOHN HURT,DAVID MORRISY OR EVEN WORSE A WOMAN
PPS STEVEN MOFFAT ONLY SAID HE HAD NO PLANS OF CHANGING MATT SMITH HE DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MATT SMITH CHOOSING TO LEVE BOOHOO 🙁
who is i?
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:12pmThe next doctor should be Emmett Scanlan (Brendan from Hollyoaks) he is such a good actor and has a darker side which would really be good and Karen Hassan (Lynsey) as a companion she as well is am amazing actress but Jenna Coleman is doing an amazing job far better than Amy Pond
JJ
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:11pmI think he does care about the show. He is the best writer EVER, in my opinion. He has let down the show this year though (2013), but his episodes were better than all the others of 2013, so ya’ know. He and Russell T Davies should be encharge.
Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat should write the series openers.
Steven Moffat should write the mid-series finale.
Russell T Davies should write the mid-series opener.
Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat should write the series finale.
Get Chris Chibnall to do an episode like all his others, BUT NOT LIKE THE POWER OF THREE, as that was awful.
Toby Whithouse to do an episode like A Town Called Mercy, BUT NOT HIS OTHERS, AS THEY WERE NOT GOOD EITHER, APART FROM SCHOOL REUNION. WHICH WAS OK.
Paul Cornell to write one (s1&3)
Robert Shearman (s1:Dalek)
John Fay (new)
Mark Gatiss (if he can do an episode as good as The Unquiet Dead and as good as the first half of The Crimson Horror.
Tom MacRae to do a brill episode like ALL of his others.
Gareth Roberts to do an episode as good as The Shakespeare Code and as good as the first half of The Lodger and Closing Time.
3 new writers, would be good?
Just my thoughts lol
space1999
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:11pmmartin freeman , simon pegg or the man who played gavin from gavin and stacy
the funky whovian
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:09pmWell… Amen to that!
Spidge
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:08pmDawn French PLEASE!
Dr Who ?
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:07pmMatt Smith’s regeneration will be into that guy from the BT ads (Daniel Rigby). He was in a Bafta winning programme Eric and Earnie, produced by the same producers of Dr Who. It’s a done deal.
JJ
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:03pmtrue, Keith would make it dirty. Danny Horn who played middle Kazran from A Christmas Carol would be really good and brill, I think anyway. Just always had that feeling, ever since that episode. Although will really miss Matt.
R.I.P. The Eleventh Doctor
JJ
June 2nd, 2013 - 1:01pmChristopher Eccelston: 13 episodes
David Tennant: 47 episodes, 48 in 50th
Matt Smith: 42 episodes, 44 in Christmas and his last episode, unless he returns for the 50th or something or maybe the revival 10th anniversary?
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 12:48pmAnd if you mean companions, then just remember that only 4 companions have ever died (Katarina, Sara Kingdom, Adric and Kamelion) And 3 of them are sometimes argued not even to be companions.
Anonymous
June 2nd, 2013 - 12:40pm“I am the Doctor” should at least be a part of it, but slowed down and modified a little to fit.