Fantastic news. I thought no one could be worse than Eccleston, but Smudger ultimately plumbed that depth by acting like a hyperactive 6 year old dressed up from his grandad's wardrobe. I suppose it'll be Miranda Hart next.
Well frak... I finally get caught up so I can watch them live and he's done after half a series.. I'm excited for the new one, but I will miss him, he really grew on me over his run. No way they'll do a woman... I just don't see it.
Matt Smith official statement http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Matt-Smith-to-leave-Doctor-Who
And there goes another one. Matt Smith is the Doctor that really seemed to appeal to the American audiences, since it was under his term the show really started building popularity in the US. It'll be interesting to see how the next Doctor goes over with Americans. Also, I'm sure the Eleventh will continue to be active in novels or even audio dramas, if/when Big Finish gets the license to do the new series. After all, the Eleventh is one of the few to have a gap period during his run, and with him its a couple hundred years.
Well, I'm glad. I never warmed to him. Hopefully Moffat goes with him. Not sure who I'd want for the 12th Doctor. Cumberbatch is too well known.
I notice a lot of people in this thread are throwing Cumberbatch's name around, but didn't he turn down the Eleventh Doctor, saying it's the wrong kind of publicity for him ("I don't want my face on lunch boxes")? Of course, he has done a Star Trek movie, which seems to contradict that claim.
A shame, I was hoping for one more series from him. When they first announced him, I was extremely skeptical, but he has become my favorite Doctor from the modern era. But more importantly, I want to have 14 episodes a year again. I'm tired of getting so few episodes a year. Also, very little chance of this, but Richard Ayoade would be cool in the part.
I don't really think it was Matt Smith...I think that Doctor Who has steadily been building a US fanbase since the start of the new Series. NuWho had a build-in audience in over yonder, but over here it pretty much had to start from scratch. Those people that liked it shared it with their friends, who then shared it with their friends, and so on, until finally it was kinda-sorta heard of.
Someone new please. Not Cumberbatch. I've seen him too much already. And I don't want Jenna to leave. Let's hope her "exclusive quotes" tomorrow aren't that she's also leaving. We just MET Clara, even though Jenna was cast a year ago. I'm wondering about this, really. Did Matt always plan this or did he really have an argument with Moffat during the 50th filming? Did he have a heart to heart with David Tennant because he was thinking of leaving and Tennant said 'It's better to leave when they'll miss you.'? Did the gap between this and series 8 push him toward the door?
I think it's most likely to happen as a desperation move on the part of the BBC -- ratings are soft, the production is troubled, the audience isn't engaged, let's do something groundbreaking to get people talking again. Wait. I've just described the current situation... To be honest, while I'd like to see a female Doctor, I'm not sure I want to see Steven Moffat be the one to write and develop the first female Doctor. Though he would finally be in a position to slay the Bechdel Test Monster that has vexed his era if he had a female Doctor.
Why? In 50 years they've never had a woman, so they shouldn't have one now? There's something in regeneration that prohibits a sex change? If that was the case how come in all the incarnations that I've seen (Tennant and Smith), one of the first things they do is look in the mirror and be glad they were in human form and not something else? Maybe I just don't know how Regeneration works, but if you're changing into another body or form, it shouldn't be conducive to one kind, should it?
It was stated in The Doctor's Wife that gender can change with regeneration. So, no there's no IN story reason that it can't happen. But, I think Klaus was saying they won't make that choice. TV success breeds the desire to NOT take risks. And casting the Doctor as a woman... I think for many they would see that as a risk.
Exactly -- I'm not against it, but I don't think they'd have the cojones [ovaries? ] to change things up that radically... ...and I do think Clara should stay, especially since she would seem to have the easiest time dealing with the regeneration since she's seen all of them and wouldn't be shocked by the concept. Though if she did stay and the Doctor became female, it'd be sort of like when Beverly Crusher fell for the Trill who switched genders lol...
I see no reason to give those rumours any serious consideration. Smith has done three complete seasons, which on average is how long most Doctors stick around. It's the length of terms held by Hartnell, Troughton, Davison, McCoy, Tennant and now Smith. Going out on a limb, I'd say Smith's contract expires at the end of the year and he's choosing not to renew it, feeling the time is right to move on with his career.
Honestly (speaking as U.S. fan) - he was the doctor I've liked least in the new run. My favorite of the new Doctors was Tennant (he's in a tie with Tom Baker for my all time favorite Doctor.) YMMV.