Who News: Time to Regenerate!
Hot off the press! The BBC has announced that Matt Smith will be leaving the role of The Doctor after this year’s Christmas Special. Matt has been playing the Eleventh Doctor since 2010, when he took over from the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. He will play the Doctor in the upcoming 50th Anniversary Special in November, and will regenerate into the Twelfth Doctor at the end of the Christmas special, traditionally broadcast Christmas Day evening.
Now the speculation begins as to who will play Doctor number 12! This announcement is coming a little late, considering the next series of Doctor Who is being planned as we speak. If you recall, Matt Smith was announced as the Eleventh Doctor around the beginning of 2009, ahead of the Tenth Doctor’s last few stories. As it is, there’s barely six months until the Christmas special, and there’s been no announcement as to who’s taking over from Matt.
My hope is that there’s no announcement, and they surprise us at Christmas. In fact, I would have preferred that they’d kept Matt’s departure quiet. What a shocker for the last story of the 50th anniversary year that would have been! I wouldn’t be surprised if they already have their eye on someone to take the part. They’ll be filming the Christmas episode soon, so I expect we’ll hear something within the next month or so.
Here’s the complete press release from the BBC.
What’s your reaction to this news? Who would you like to see as the Twelfth Doctor?
I’m dearly hoping for a female and/or PoC Doctor. Something to really shake things up a bit.
The whole “female Doctor” has been going around since 1981, and I think there’s a reason why no-one has gone there, and I don’t think it has anything to do with sexism. It’s the same reason Harry Potter was Harry Potter and not Harriet Potter. It would change the whole dynamic of the show, the character and the way he/she interacts with companions. And not necessarily for the better. I think a PoC Doctor could work, and be interesting. But as to a female Doctor… just because you could, that doesn’t mean you should. That’s my take, for what it’s worth. 🙂
I’ve heard Richard Ayoade’s name tossed around a bit among other fans. He starred in the show The IT Crowd, and I like him a lot. That said, I hadn’t heard of any of the other doctors before they were announced, but I’ve wound up liking them all. (I guess technically I had seen David Tennant in one of the Harry Potter movies, but not really in the kind of role that would have made me think of him for the Doctor!) So I’m looking forward to meeting the next one.
That would be an interesting choice, Jessica. I suspect it’ll be someone relatively unknown–at least to those of us in the US. I think it’ll be nice not to know who it is until Christmas. 🙂
Me!!!! I should be the next Doctor. Me me me me over here!!
I’m sorry they couldn’t keep Matt’s leaving secret, but it’s hard when actors need to tell their agents when they are available to work for these things to stay under wraps. He has been an amazing Doctor… the 11th amazing Doctor to date. 😀
It seems in the past stories like this got a Monday or Tuesday noon news bulletin, so the timing of this announcement makes me suspicious. Perhaps the BBC wasn’t planning on saying anything, but someone leaked the story to one of the Sunday papers, and they called the BBC Saturday evening telling them they planned to run with it. I think the BBC were put in a position where they faced the prospect of a credible source announcing Matt’s departure before they did, and that was intolerable. Hence the late night news flash. That’s my theory.
A bald Doctor? That would be a different take… 😉
Oh, and I expect another ‘unknown’ to take over. I know the appearance of John Hurt has raised a few question marks, but given the nine month schedule and all the promo work, it needs to be an actor who has a fairly clean slate and not shooting four or five things a year. We shall see…
I agree. I think it’ll be someone unknown to us in the US, and relatively unknown to people in the UK. I think Moffat’s tried to work Matt’s schedule, allowing him time to do other things, so I’m not sure a completely clean work slate would be necessary. But they would certainly need to be able to make Who their main project, given all the appearances and promo work that come with the job. It’ll take over the next guy’s life, so he needs to be ready for that.
We shall see indeed… 🙂
I think if they had kept Smith’s departure quiet and had him regenerate as a surprise I would have had a flipping heart attack there and then! ^^ This gives me a few months to sort of get used to the situation and prepare myself. I’ve loved Matt Smith’s Doctor.
I actually don’t like the idea of a female Doctor. I don’t want one. The Doctor is a he. That’s who the character is to me. Like you said above with Harry Potter, it’d be like doing a reboot of the film series and casting a female as Harry just to make him female and appease a certain audience. I honestly don’t mind if he was black or Asian but I’d want that actor to get the role because he was good, not because the writers want to use him to please the audience that think Doctor Who is racist.
After watching Robert Carlyle’s Rumpelstiltskin in Once Upon A Time I can see why he’s always been a favourite to be a Doctor. I’d say him but I doubt it if he’s already doing one series. I also think James Nesbitt could make a good Doctor. I don’t know how well known he is outside of the UK but he is a fantastic actor. Find his performance in Jekyll
I know of James Nesbitt from “Jekyll” and also “Murphy’s Law”–both of which were shown in the US, though not on any of the major networks as I recall. He would certainly be an interesting choice. Personally, I think either Martin Freeman, or an actor like him in age and demeanor, would be good. And regenerate the Master into Benedict Cumberbatch… now that would be VERY interesting! 🙂
Since Sherlock and especially after Star Trek Into Darkness I’ve thought Benedict Cumberbatch would make an excellent Master. He can do menacing!
I haven’t seen the new Star Trek movie, but my oldest kids have, and they tell me Benedict does a great job of playing the evil antagonist. Come on Benedict… the “rubbish beard” and the wife beckon… 😉