11th Doctor Casting announcment tommorow

[Starkers]

Matt Smith could have been the 12th or 13th Doctor, whereas so many fine candidates are now out of the running for a future Doctor role.

I see what you're saying, but why should Moffat (or anyone else) give a monkey's?

There have probably been thousands of actors in the last 45 years who could have been amazing Doctors. Tom Baker was chosen over hundreds of others, many of whom could have been as good or, dare I say it, better. But worrying about that is like worrying that you've wasted a cancer curer every time you have a wank.

The powers that be know what they wanted, and Matt Smith delivered. He obviously delivered more than everyone else who auditioned. And that's another point... how do we know that, for example (the one I was rooting for) Paterson Joseph was ever in the running for the part? Did he audition? Was he invited? We don't know. Moffat obviously feels that the man he chose was the best they saw, and one thing Moffat has over the rest of us (despite being the multi-award winning television writer/showrunner that NONE of us are) is that he's actually seen the guy delivering his dialogue. Acting the part. By all accounts, blowing him away with his performance.

And, as others have said, Moffat chose this guy after claiming he'd want an older man for the part. If he convinced him, he's convinced me.

Fair comments all, I'm wondering if Paterson was ever in the running, or if he was just the decoy? Guess we'll never know.

As for the blown away in the screentest, considering how many shit performances there have been in the history of acting it's a fair bet most people who are cast shine at the audition, the trick is for Moffat to make sure we see what he sees. Like I said immediately after the confidential, he has a definite eccentricy about him, the trick will be pulling off that ancient mind in a young man's body trick. Assuming he can do that he could be great.

Just dug out my copy of In Bruges and watched the deleted scene...well he does scary gangster well if nothing else, and I'd have to say he came accross 'older' than he actually is as well. Good show

 

[Starkers]

And it wasn't the Beeb that made the choice, was it? It was Steven Moffat, aka the Great God of DW Fandom himself.

Although the one bit of Moffat's interview I found very interesting was the fact that of the list of actors the Beeb gave him he thought most were too young, so one has to wonder if there wasn't some direction from the Beeb to go young anyway...

Probably reading between lines that aren't there, but I wonder if Moffat has anywhere near the clout RTD had.

I rather imagine that Moffat's clout today is akin to what Davies's clout was when he was re-starting DW (though Davies's is probably larger today because of DW's success). Both had run several successful TV programs and mini-series prior to DW -- Coupling Press Gang, and Jekyll for Moffat, Queer As Folk, The Second Coming, and Casanova for Davies. And Moffat had been tapped by Steven Spielberg to write for the Tintin movies, which HAD to be a boost.

So I don't buy the idea that Moffat went young because the BBC pressured him to for a second. Sounds to me like he went young because he honestly thought Smith was gonna be good for the role.

I admit, I'm skeptical of a 26-year-old's ability to convey the idea that he's ancient. I mean, he's young enough that I could have gone to high school with him. But, let's give him a chance -- certainly Moffat's never gone wrong with DW yet, after all...

I'm not sure, Moffat's clout is mainly as a writer, whereas Davies had more production credits I think.

I wasn't suggesting that Moffat chose smith because the BBC told him to, just making the point that Moffat himself says the list of actors to be auditioned were predominantly young that's all.

I've seen young actors play ancient before--Kirsten Dunst was fantastic in Interview with a Vampire for example-- but to be honest even Tennant looked a little young to me in his first season, it may be that Smith has to grow into the roll a bit...

Still at least he'll be another 6 months older by the time he starts shooting

 

[Allyn Gibson]

So I don't buy the idea that Moffat went young because the BBC pressured him to for a second. Sounds to me like he went young because he honestly thought Smith was gonna be good for the role.

And he would have been significantly cheaper than any of the "name" actors who were mentioned.

An interesting point. Tennant, for instance, was paid significantly less in season two than Eccleston was in season one. (And, interestingly, Billie Piper was paid more than Tennant was in season two.)

 

[Starkers]

^False economy if that is why Smith was chosen though, if he's brilliant his fee will soar come his second season anyway (unless the Beeb have him locked into a 4 year cheapo deal which I doubt his agent would let him sign up to)

 

[Brendan Moody]

I don't think the BBC would consider the financial gain involved to be in and of itself worth the risk of hiring an unknown actor in his twenties. Virtually any actor likely to get the role would be making less in his first year than Tennant was in his last, and the new companion is also likely to cost less than Catherine Tate, so there's a savings there to begin with. (Moffat may well be making less than RTD as well.) As has been amply demonstrated over the past few years, the BBC considers Doctor Who worth investing in.

I also don't buy that Smith is a "safe" choice. If the executives had been pushing for an unimaginative Tennant clone, they could have come a lot closer than this guy with a more proven performer- imitators are not hard to come buy in television. Casting Smith is a risky decision- if the audience doesn't buy him, the BBC will look like idiots for replacing David Tennant with a nobody in nappies.

 

[Orac Zen]

...a nobody in nappies.

Seriously - nappies? He's 26, for frell's sake, not six months.

As for the "nobody" bit, I don't see that as an issue. No baggage, no high-profile past roles to crowd out the current one, no "[Big Name] as The Doctor". Pillorying Smith and Moffatt before a line of dialogue has been recorded is absurd. Is it that difficult to just wait and see?

 

[Brendan Moody]

...a nobody in nappies.

Seriously - nappies? He's 26, for frell's sake, not six months.

I should just stop trying to communicate irony in print.

Pillorying Smith and Moffatt before a line of dialogue has been recorded is absurd. Is it that difficult to just wait and see?

What a novel suggestion.

(P.S. That was irony too.)

 

[davejames]

Lol, just checked out the OG site, and it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. How many different threads do they need to discuss this one topic?

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

I can't make any real comments or judgments. Right now Matt Smith isn't "The Doctor", he's a young British Man who's been cast as the next Doctor. Until I see him in character there won't really be much for me to say.

 

[Tulin]

Well it's all a little too convenient isn't it. If the Doctor wants to have more regenerations then all he has to do is immediately after regenerating chop his hand off or his penis off and then grow another back and then use that hand or penis next time he dies to regenerate into the same form and literally 'save' a regeneration.

That's bonkers.

Actually, that's a very good idea!!!!

 

[Tulin]

Matt Smith could have been the 12th or 13th Doctor, whereas so many fine candidates are now out of the running for a future Doctor role.

I see what you're saying, but why should Moffat (or anyone else) give a monkey's?

There have probably been thousands of actors in the last 45 years who could have been amazing Doctors. Tom Baker was chosen over hundreds of others, many of whom could have been as good or, dare I say it, better. But worrying about that is like worrying that you've wasted a cancer curer every time you have a wank.

The powers that be know what they wanted, and Matt Smith delivered. He obviously delivered more than everyone else who auditioned. And that's another point... how do we know that, for example (the one I was rooting for) Paterson Joseph was ever in the running for the part? Did he audition? Was he invited? We don't know. Moffat obviously feels that the man he chose was the best they saw, and one thing Moffat has over the rest of us (despite being the multi-award winning television writer/showrunner that NONE of us are) is that he's actually seen the guy delivering his dialogue. Acting the part. By all accounts, blowing him away with his performance.

And, as others have said, Moffat chose this guy after claiming he'd want an older man for the part. If he convinced him, he's convinced me.

Jim - you've just given me a new sig.

Bravo, sir!

 

[DWF]

Lol, just checked out the OG site, and it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. How many different threads do they need to discuss this one topic?

Have you seen the Star Trek XI forum here?

 

[Australis]

Well, I've skipped some pages. Damn it was ten pages long before the announcement was even made!

He's HALF my age. Imagine how he looks to me.

If anything, he has floppy hair and seems a bit... chinny. And foreheady.

But the Moff's judgement should be sound enought for this to be OK. I hope.

And in case no one mentioned it, TBaker was working on a building site when takne on as the Doctor, but he had already done The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, and Nicholas and Alexandra, both big productions.

In general I say chill, we'll see in a year.

 

[wamdue]

one thing that does worry me is that when he meets the Sontarans, they might mistake him for a "half form" and treat him as seen in SJA, hell alot of the aliens will have trouble taking him seriously.

 

[Samurai8472]

one thing that does worry me is that when he meets the Sontarans, they might mistake him for a "half form" and treat him as seen in SJA, hell alot of the aliens will have trouble taking him seriously.

I think that's the point. For example

Sontaran- they send a boy to do a man's job?!

Doctor 11- Don't be fooled by my appearance [Dark] i'm older than you think[/dark] If I don't like what your doing.......i'm going to stop you.

His outward appearance masks a man with more than 900 years of experiences. It's perfect.

 

[wamdue]

one thing that does worry me is that when he meets the Sontarans, they might mistake him for a "half form" and treat him as seen in SJA, hell alot of the aliens will have trouble taking him seriously.

I think that's the point. For example

Sontaran- they send a boy to do a man's job?!

Doctor 11- Don't be fooled by my appearance [Dark] i'm older than you think[/dark] If I don't like what your doing.......i'm going to stop you.

His outward appearance masks a man with more than 900 years of experiences. It's perfect.

in that case I really hope that Matt Smith can make us believe that under his young body, is the heart of a man who has live more than 900 years, because if we don't believe it then the aliens wont either.

 

[Sci]

I just really hope that that dark and moody promotional art they released for Smith's Doctor won't portend the general tone of Series Five. I don't want to see Doctor Who turn into an angsty Twilight clone.

 

[TemporalFlux]

I've now seen someone on another board compared Smith to the lead singer of Flock of Seagulls, and the continued musician comparisons made me realize another amusing possibility.

So the Doctor has just regenerated; he rises up with great interest to gaze upon his new face, but what he sees leaves him aghast. The Doctor exclaims,

"Bloody hell. I've been rick rolled!"

 

[davejames]

I just really hope that that dark and moody promotional art they released for Smith's Doctor won't portend the general tone of Series Five. I don't want to see Doctor Who turn into an angsty Twilight clone.

Lol, I really doubt Moffat or anyone else behind the scenes really gives a crap about Twilight or following it's lead. Smith was probably cast long before that movie came out.

Besides, it wouldn't be the first time Who was dark and moody in style. I don't remember a lot of teen angst in those seasons.

 

[Sci]

I just really hope that that dark and moody promotional art they released for Smith's Doctor won't portend the general tone of Series Five. I don't want to see Doctor Who turn into an angsty Twilight clone.

Lol, I really doubt Moffat or anyone else behind the scenes really gives a crap about Twilight or following it's lead.

I know, I'm just thinking out loud.