Press Release
The BBC today announced that Matt Smith has been cast in the role of the Doctor in the iconic BBC series Doctor Who. Smith will be the eleventh Time Lord and will take over from David Tennant who leaves the show at the end of 2009. He will be seen in the forthcoming fifth series that will be broadcast in 2010.
The fifth series will also have a new lead writer and Executive Producer in the form of the BAFTA award winning writer Steven Moffat who is taking over from Russell T Davies. Moffat will be joined by Piers Wenger who will be the new Executive Producer for BBC Wales making the show.
Following David Tennant’s decision to step down at the end of 2009, the team behind the new series set about casting the new Doctor so that new adventures could be created and scripts written with Matt in mind.
The identity of the new Doctor was revealed on a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential that was broadcast on BBC One on January 3rd at 17.35hrs. In it Smith revealed his initial reaction at taking on such a legendary role and his thoughts on what direction the Doctor might now be going with him playing the part.
Matt Smith said of his new role “I’m just so excited about the journey that is in front of me. It’s a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on. I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.
“David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him. The challenge for me is to do justice to the show’s illustrious past, my predecessors and most importantly to those who watch it. I really cannot wait.”
Lead writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat said “The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him. You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe. As soon as Matt walked through the door and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man. 2010 is a long time away but rest assured the Eleventh Doctor is coming – and the universe has never been so safe.”
Piers Wenger, Head Of Drama, BBC Wales added “With two hearts, a ferocious mind and over 900 years of experience behind him, it’s not every 26 year old actor who can take on a role like the Doctor but within moments of meeting Matt he showed the skill and imagination needed to create a Doctor all of his own.
It’s just the beginning of the journey for Matt but with Steven Moffat’s scripts and the expertise of the production team in Cardiff behind him, there is no one more perfect than him to be taking the TARDIS to exciting new futures when the series returns in 2010.”
Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama added “I am delighted to see Matt take on this iconic role. It will see him continuing his relationship with the BBC following his performances in Ruby In The Smoke and Party Animals, and his upcoming role in Moses Jones. The combination of Matt, Steven and Piers will, I know, take Doctor Who onto new and even dizzier heights.”
Jay Hunt, Controller. BBC ONE said “Matt Smith will be a mesmerising eleventh Time Lord, true to the spirit of the show. He is a worthy successor to David Tennant who has been utterly remarkable in the role and promises to continue to be in next year’s four special episodes.”
20 Comments
I guess just have to see what he can do. I know I am going to watch the episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl he did with Billie Piper
Not bad, not bad at all. Striking face, interesting voice…and from promo pics, I can guess that Smith, Moffat & co. will be delivering a far darker Doc. Count me inwards.
Dear god please don’t yet him keep that hair onto the show, other than that I will wait and see what he can do
I like his look, especially the hair. I’m glad they didn’t go with anyone too established or too far afield of what the Doctor has looked like in the past.
Will wait and see. Tennant really made the Doctor his own.
I just finished with the Christmas Special on youtube. It is in 7 parts entitled The Next Doctor. Very good and an excellent fix for Who fans. Mr. Smith has some big shoes to fill.
big shoes indeed. i don’t think i like the fact that they’re getting younger and younger. i was hoping for a girl or an older man.
An older one would be interesting….but Smith seems atm as a good choice
They’ve been getting younger for years, though.
Hartnell was 55 as the Doctor, Troughton 46, Pertwee jumped back to 50, Baker 40, Davison 30, Baker jumped back up to 44, McCoy 43, McGann 37, Eccleston jumped back up to 41, and Tennant was only 34. I’m going to reserve judgement until I see/hear him in action, but that haircut is a nightmare.
I will not watch until Stephen Fry is DOCTORR!!!
The haircut doesn’t look too bad to me, though I have to admit it may be a little, well, hip. Is it just me or is it basically emo-meets-indie (which is what seems to be going on in music a lot too these days on that little island)? But then again, a lot of actors seem to just let their hair grow when they’re between jobs so that the production stylists have more to work with, so maybe that’s the case with him as well.
As for the age, the first thought going through my head was “That dude is 3 years younger than me, how am I supposed to take this guy seriously”, but then after looking at the pictures a few times I thought the square-edged face makes him a pretty good looking superhero. With a jaw like that he’d also make a decent Batman I guess.
You guys should see the kind of criticism this choice is getting on some sci-fi focused blogs. They’re actually claiming that it’s a racist choice BECAUSE THE ACTOR IS WHITE! Granted the commentator is from Britain where political correctness has taken on pathological proportions but still – the commentator was acting as if the role had to be Patterson Joseph’s or the other black actor’s (whose name I can’t pronounce) by LAW. I wouldn’t have had any problem with either of those two actors but it’s the attitude of insanely politically correct people that whenever ANY opportunity presents itself where a traditionally white character is going to be recast that IT MUST BE an actor that is black is absolutely ridiculous NOT to mention reeking of anti-white, anti-asian, anti-any other race racism. Why didn’t the commentator complain that they didn’t hire an Asian, Native American or Latino actor?
In any event, here’s hoping that the new showrunner will inject more hardcore (not “Hard”) science fiction into Dr. Quien. Was that racist?
racist? wtf.
i’m gonna give him his chance. i had trouble with Tennant when Eccleston left, but in the end i prefered Tennant
Is it racist? In my book it clearly isn’t. Even if I’d take these guy’s comments serious I’d say it isn’t because there’s nothing wrong to have a preference about the appearance of A FICTIONAL CHARACTER. It’s not limited to race either, I don’t want the doctor to be female, I don’t want him to be black or Asian, I don’t want him to be American, French, Pakistani or Indian … I just want a male brit playing the part, because that’s what I expect him to be, and I’d bet I’m just one in millions. That’s not any kind of -ism, it’s merely a preference.
I don’t know who coined the phrase, but it’s true — “One should never be so tolerant that one starts tolerating intolerance.”
I was giving the same sort of thing some thought awhile ago. There was some talk of a gay actor taking over and I was waiting for him to be chosen and then politically correct people criticising it for not giving it to the black guy. Then I could call them bigots for not wanting a gay actor :)
The doctor was white to begin with.
Why not change him to a her instead?
Stop being so misandrist!
i dont know what he can do so i cant judge him, but no one can take over david tennant. HE’S THE BEST!!!!!. BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEIN THE 4 SPECIAL EPESODES TO COME
i agree with hermit! evrybody is becoming too young and sexy, it’s stupid!!
plus did you guys see the TARDIS???? They even made the TARDIS look new and kinda plasticy!!! I cant beleive they would change the TARDIS!!! I miss David Tennant and Christopher Eccleson!!!!! Especially David Tennant. Yes, faz, HE’S THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERRR!!!!!!!!!! EVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
And they EVEN changed the LOGO!! It was WAAAAAAAAYY better before! Awwww I miss the old Doctor Who… they had better not change any other things that they dont need to and I really hope that even after all this Doctor Who ends up with the same specialness it always has. If not I have a feeling they will lose alot of fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who agrees with me about any of this?
P.S cant wait till last double-episode; The End of Time!! OMG the Master is coming back!!! He DIED!! I don’t get it!!! So excited!!!