24 responses so far ↓

• 1 dkrouskop // Jan 3, 2009 at 10:11 am

  Have to say, the BBC has done a wonderful job of making this already exciting announcement a genuine event. Even if the new Doctor turns out to be one of the odds-on favorites (Paterson Joseph, David Morrissey), the anticipation for the official confirmation is higher than it’s been since it was announced that Tom Baker was leaving back in the early 1980s.

  It really began all the way back in THE STOLEN EARTH, when the “regeneration” had everyone buzzing about the possibility of Tennant’s departure. Once that business was settled, the rumors began anew, with everyone denying or refusing to comment. This was fueled further by the announcement that the Christmas special would be THE NEXT DOCTOR, and anticipation for that reached a fever pitch when Tennant admitted he was leaving. After we found out who David Morrissey’s “Doctor” was, we were still uncertain who the new chap would be. Now the WHOLE WORLD is watching to find out which (likely relatively unknown) actor will become the 11th guy to play a fictional character who travels around fictional time and space, in an outmoded police call box! Kudos to everyone involved in WHO for doing such a great job hyping today’s revelation and for making the show so consistently good that every sci-fi fan on Earth is on the edge of their seat waiting to see who will star in it next.

  Also, we’ve already discussed this, but I’m wondering how Moffatt and company will handle the issue of racism, should Joseph or Ejiofor have the job. Outside the program itself, they won’t have to do much. Prejudiced audience members will have to deal with their own issues, and those who can’t get past their bigotry will simply miss out on the next great era of DOCTOR WHO. The show will do just fine without those “fans”, to be sure. But in the program, skin color is bound to come up. After all, many of the Doctor’s enemies are driven by hate anyway. Moffatt is the writer who introduced the show’s first openly bisexual character, adressed the Doctor “dancing”, and exposed a closet homosexual in THE EMPTY CHILD two-parter. When Martha became the companion, this incarnation of WHO had her openly worry that her ethnicity would be a problem during trips to the past. It seems unlikely that they will cast a black Doctor, but have no one inside the fictional WHOniverse notice. So the question is, will they handle this issue with subtlety and narrative flair, or will Moffatt give in to the temptation to beat us over the head with heavy-handed moralizing? What do you all think?

• 2 Richard Smith // Jan 3, 2009 at 12:50 pm

  Uh, it’s not exactly an hour long, my program guide is listing it as 17:35-18:10, only 35 mins long. Still, how they are going to fill those 35 mins even with the announcement and the interview is beyond me, perhaps they’ll give us some work-in-progress shots of Planet of the Dead?

  Heh, my bet is on Russell T. Davies as Number 11. After all, he’s leaving the show in 2009…or is he? =)

• 3 Richard Smith // Jan 3, 2009 at 12:52 pm

  Ah, looking at the summary in the guide, it looks like it’ll be a retrospective on all the past Doctors, probably saving the big announcement for the last ten minutes or so.

• 4 Chimina // Jan 3, 2009 at 1:33 pm

  it just made the news, the Brits are really hyped about the Doctor

• 5 Chimina // Jan 3, 2009 at 1:59 pm

  Matt Smith

• 6 Chimina // Jan 3, 2009 at 2:00 pm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Smith_(British_actor)

• 7 Richard Smith // Jan 3, 2009 at 2:10 pm

  Never heard of him but he looks rather good, both youthful and yet also in his clips from other shows having a bit of age.

  Betting that the press will find something to denounce him for though.

• 8 Eade // Jan 3, 2009 at 2:27 pm

  Not very happy with this choice honestly. I really felt an older Doctor is needed, especailly with Moffett at the helm, I thought we would get away from the love struck doc…Sigh

  Not sure about this kid. His look is more villain than Doctor if you ask me.

• 9 Lumpy Guy // Jan 3, 2009 at 2:34 pm

  Matt Smith? Wow, only 26 years old?
  Well, I’m excited to see him in action!

• 10 Chimina // Jan 3, 2009 at 3:38 pm

  tbh, I’m not scared about the idea that Matt won’t live up to David’s standards. Having Steven Moffat at the helm will make the coming series a blast whoever the Doctor could’ve been (keeping Tennant would’ve been the cherry on top but still )

• 11 dkrouskop // Jan 3, 2009 at 4:07 pm

  You have to say this for the choice - it was a big surprise to just about everyone! I’ve never seen the guy act, so I have no idea what we’re getting. I do trust Moffatt’s judgement, though, and no WHO actor has ever failed to leave his mark on the role. I wouldn’t worry much about the whole “lovestruck doc” thing, because I doubt Moffatt will go that route again (it’s already been done with Rose and Martha, and Moffatt did it with the Madame de Pompadour in GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE). The reality is, however, that the show has a huge female and gay fanbase, so the Doctor has to be good-looking. Thankfully, Smith joins the last two Doctors in being good-looking in a rather unusual way.

  My only concern is based on the publicity still showing him standing in front of the TARDIS. I don’t want a Doctor dressed all in black again, as that is too evocative of Eccleston.

• 12 Richard Kirsch // Jan 3, 2009 at 4:16 pm

  Yeah, Moffat has yet to disappoint us so I will hold off on my judgment. Especially since, as I have said, I have never heard of this guy or anything he has been in with the exception of Billie Piper’s show (which I have not seen…). I was kind of surprised at his youth though. Moffat has said in interviews past the he imagines the Doctor always being around forty. Young enough to do the physical stunts and action, yet old enough to carry a commanding presence. We’ll have to take a “wait and see” on this one I guess.

• 13 dkrouskop // Jan 3, 2009 at 11:18 pm

  Just finished the Confidential. Smith has a lot of energy and charisma, and there’s a mysterious, mischievous quality to him that will serve the role very well. It’s taken me less than half a day to become accustomed to the idea of him being the Doctor!

• 14 dkrouskop // Jan 4, 2009 at 10:56 am

  I don’t know about you guys, but I think this is going to be a long year!

  First, there’s the wait for each new Davies-Tennant special, and all the anticipation that goes along with that. Personally, I’m most preoccupied with whether or not the final special will address Gallifrey and the Time War once and for all.

  Then there’s the anticipation for regeneration. When will it happen? How will it happen? Will Matt Smith get a brilliant first line (ala Tennant’s “new teeth” bit or Colin Baker’s “And it seems not a moment too soon!”) to help define his Doctor?

  Then there’s change most of us can believe in - a new Producer with a great track record writing WHO and a penchant for horror-themed stories (YAY!), an intriguing and perhaps a bit controversial new Doctor (on the heels of the most popular one since Tom Baker), an as-yet-unnamed new companion (or companions), a new Executive Producer and Head of Drama, and probably a whole lot more changes.

  DOCTOR WHO hasn’t just changed stars over the years. Each time a new team comes in, the feel of the program itself has changed to suit the preferences of the producer, the script editor, the actors, and even the ever-evolving viewing public. I agree with Steven Moffat, who said in the CONFIDENTIAL that regeneration (and all that comes along with it) is the single most exciting thing about DOCTOR WHO. Waiting for it is going to be maddening (as we wonder and watch for each new clue), joyful (as we find out things that make it all seem more real and exciting), troubling (as we hear rumors and conjecture that we aren’t crazy about), and bittersweet (as, in our excitement for tomorrow, we are forced to bid farewell to the beloved WHO faces of today).

  A long year, indeed. What a privilege and a pleasure to be part of it all!

• 15 Michael // Jan 4, 2009 at 11:03 am

  Is it just me or does Matt Smith not have any eyebrows?

• 16 dkrouskop // Jan 4, 2009 at 12:06 pm

  He doesn’t seem to, though I don’t consider that an issue. If anything, it just makes him seem more alien!

• 17 Noivilbo // Jan 4, 2009 at 8:06 pm

  I tracked down his IMDb, but I can’t find anything he’s worked on anywhere (to watch it).

  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1741002/

• 18 Richard Kirsch // Jan 4, 2009 at 9:06 pm

  Yeah, he’s relatively new to the scene. I think he’s only been active since 2006. But he’s done a bit of work with Billie Piper and you know he’s heard stories about what it’s like on Who from her.
  I also have to hand it to the people who were actually able to keep a secret this time around. In this day and age of information being able to get accessed so quickly and with insiders who want to spill the beans. Like when Eccleston was leaving (which was supposed to be a big secret) or Dalek Sec, things like that.

• 19 dkrouskop // Jan 5, 2009 at 9:34 am

  The Telegraph is already reporting on possible companions for Smith’s 11th Doctor (I hope it isn’t lost on anyone that the next Doctor is REALLY a “Mr. Smith”!). The list of names being touted includes:

  Pop singer Lily Allen, STRICTLY COME DANCING stars Rachel Stevens and Kelly Brook, and model Agyness Deyn.

  These prospects are all certainly very easy on the eyes and perfect “for the Dads” (as they used to say of Louise Jameson’s casting), but I know very little about their acting skills. With Allen, Deyn, or voluptuous Page 3 Girl Brook, I have to wonder if the BBC will be concerned with younger WHO fans doing web searches and finding a lot of topless/nude pics of the new companion. Even in the “Captain Jack” era, will they really want that sort of publicity for what is still a family show? Hey, if Katy Manning can pose nude with a Dalek (albeit, after leaving the show)…

  Stevens has a great look, and a quick Google doesn’t turn up any photos racier than the sort of stuff we saw for Billie Piper when she was cast.

  From a purely male standpoint, I’d have to say I’d lean toward Brook first, then Stevens (from this list anyway). Brook also had a recurring role on SMALLVILLE, a bit of geek cred which might help her win over fanboys (as though she’d need much help!) on both sides of the pond.

• 20 dkrouskop // Jan 5, 2009 at 12:08 pm

  Watched a bit of Brook in the film THREE, and in her SMALLVILLE episodes. She reminds me very much of Nicola Bryant. Very attractive and voluptuous, and a much better actress when she’s not trying to act with an American accent. No Billie Piper, to be sure, but she might pull off the right companion role.

• 21 Chimina // Jan 5, 2009 at 8:58 pm

  About companions, I do think that we won’t see River Song in near future.

  She insinuated to having an older looking Doctor, which definatly can’t be Matt.

  But still, it was Moffat who introduced River in the first place, so we might be (pleasantly?) surprised.

  But I still want to see Richard Hammster in an episode or something. At least we got Patrick Stewart to look forward to

• 22 Chimina // Jan 5, 2009 at 8:58 pm

  Hammond*

  that was a strange one

• 23 Richard Kirsch // Jan 5, 2009 at 9:41 pm

  Maybe you were thinking of Richard Gere?

  /Yeah, I went there…

• 24 Jorn // Jan 6, 2009 at 6:16 am

  Chimina wasn’t thinking of Gere, she was watching Top Gear
  Richard Hammond is one of the hosts, and is often refferred to as “Hamster” by the other two

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