Source
The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show.
Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas Special.
During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.
Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!
Matt Smith says: "Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.
"The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
"It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says: "Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently.
"And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him - sometimes literally - his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.
"But great actors always know when it's time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt - bow ties were never cooler.
"Of course, this isn't the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now - all unknowing, just going about their business - is someone who's about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that's still so exciting!"
Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt's Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting 'run' and 'Geronimo', through Matt's Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination - fish fingers and custard!
Matt's spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23 November 2013 - TUNE IN!
Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC One.
Source: BBC
Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas Special.
During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.
Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!
Matt Smith says: "Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.
"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.
"The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!
"It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."
Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says: "Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently.
"And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him - sometimes literally - his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor.
"But great actors always know when it's time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt - bow ties were never cooler.
"Of course, this isn't the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now - all unknowing, just going about their business - is someone who's about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that's still so exciting!"
Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt's Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting 'run' and 'Geronimo', through Matt's Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination - fish fingers and custard!
Matt's spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23 November 2013 - TUNE IN!
Doctor Who is a BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC One.
Source: BBC
Didn't he confirm season 8 like a week ago?!
ReplyDeleteWHAT?!?! NOOOOOOO. :'(
ReplyDeleteThe Xmas special is S8, he's been very careful with his wording for months now :(
ReplyDeleteMy favourite Doctor, it will be sad to see him go :'( It's perfect time for him to move on though imo, he's been brilliant and I'm glad he is leaving on a high rather than petering out.
ReplyDeleteHow about NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?
ReplyDeleteSad times :(
ReplyDelete*holds* *sobs*
ReplyDeleteHe was never as good as David Tennant. Didn't help that they did loads of weird stuff with the companions. I liked it to begin with with Amy, but it started to tail off a bit. This whole thing with Clara has really annoyed me.
ReplyDeleteNot only this, but some of the storylines in 'Series 7B' have been so poor. The one in Victorian England was awful. The one on the world with the star that's a God was stupid. The finale did not live up to the hype in my opinion.
It's a shame because if they had a companion like Rose and storylines like we had in the first three series', I'd have really enjoyed him as a doctor. As it goes, he was alright, but not that great.
But I thought we had another season! I wasn't prepared! I would've watched all season with Nostalgia!Glasses, like I did with the Ponds.
ReplyDelete*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Also, with the thing that's supposed to be happening with John Hurt, does this mean we're about to have our last Doctor?
You don't think they can easily circumvent the 13 regenerations thing? It's not like they didn't already do it once with the Master.
ReplyDeleteHe was a great Doctor, second only to the brilliant David Tennant. It still is very difficult adjusting to every new Doctor but at the same time it's also exciting.
ReplyDeletei hate this! You get used to a show and enjoy it and then they change it all up. it is exhausting. i hope they pick a good guy for the new doctor.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he'll finally be ginger? ;)
ReplyDeleteSo we are getting a New Doctor But I will Miss Matt like I miss the last 2 doctors
ReplyDeleteThat misleading bastard. I wanted him at least for another full 13 episodes.
ReplyDeleteWill season 8 be 8A, the special, and then 8B, or does season 8 begin with the Christmas special?
ReplyDeleteIf you want to get technical, shouldn't 11 be the final one? I mean, I don't know if they've been exactly clear on whether or not 10's cancelled regeneration counted.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the writers probably have a plan. Or rather "here's an explaination that sort of makes sense and calls back to an earlier conversation".
Oh no! I was just so elated about Dan Harmon's return to Community, and now this, on the same day? Damn it, Matt, I'm not ready to say goodbye to my favorite Doctor!
ReplyDeleteBest to leave on high though, I really look forward to his career. It's always sad when a Doctor leaves, but there's always the excitement of who could be the next one :D
ReplyDeleteThere is no limit to the amount of times he can regenerate now that the time lords are gone
ReplyDeleteOh God, I catched up only a year ago and this right now is SO unfamiliar to me, the anxiety of it all! I hope Twelve lives up to the expectations!
ReplyDeleteYeah, the companions have fallen flat for me during Moffat's run. Rory was the exception but he wasn't the "real" companion.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad about this, thats the one thing about DW I hate, you just get used to a Doctor and fall in love then BOOM they up and change the actor. Very annoying.. but I know thats the nature of the show.
ReplyDeleteIt took me ages to tune in this season, and in the end it was Matt Smith's performance that made me go back. It's not that I think it's bad or anything now - I just don't feel the same excitement anymore for some reason. I wonder if the new Doctor will excite me the way Smith's performance has - enough to keep me watching.
ReplyDeleteI got a bit fed up with Rose after a while, though there's definitely fond memories. God, it feels like so long ago now. Amy and Rory have been the only companions I've ever felt seriously invested in, and that might just be an age thing, because I'm in my twenties now. Clara's fine but I don't believe in her as a real person. Her personality just doesn't ring true to me and I don't really feel like I know her any better now than I did at the start of the season.
ReplyDeleteYou are both hilarious.
ReplyDeleteAwful news. Matt is playing a great doctor and he is my favorite. This is very bad news indeed and i can't really accept this.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because we have different opinions?
ReplyDeleteLook, the thing about the companions is that they're there to represent the audience. We experience the show through them. The Doctor isn't relatable. He's a 900 year old alien. But with Moffat's companions..I couldn't connect to them. Moffat does this thing where he downplays everything with the companions to take a shot at the Doctor's ego for laughs.
This conversation happened several times during Moffat's run:
Doctor: "Look at this! Isn't it amazing?"
Companion: "Meh."
Doctor: :(
I knew it was coming, I mean I love Matt and I love his Doctor but there is only so long he can play the character and he probably wants to explore other options across the pond. So yeah not surprised, always like a new Doctor coming in and spicing things up, will miss him though.
ReplyDeleteBecause you don't seem to understand Moffat. In RTD era companions were just there, they didn't take part in story arcs, because, frankly, there weren't story arcs to begin with. Saying "Bad Wolf", "Torchwood" or "Harold Saxon" once per episode doesn't qualify. Moffat decided to make this show not just about the Doctor, but about his companions too. That's why there actually are story arcs in seasons 5-7 and they're dedicated to his companions - Amy and Rory, River Song and Clara Oswald.
ReplyDeleteAs for companions representing the audience, how exactly are K-9 and Romana relatable?
I think it's good to take a shot at Doctor's ego once in a while. Otherwise we get him being carried by angels (no metaphores here!) or basically becoming a God by the will of the entire human race.
Can't say I'm surprised. It feels like the right time, but it doesn't make things less sad. Matt Smith was absolutely brillant Doctor and he'll be missed! I wish him good luck with his new projects in the future and hope to see him back on my screen at some point!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I can't believe BBC is ruining Christmas! AGAIN! I'm still not over that nightmare last year!
Maybe I'll be able to enjoy it again. I've watched several episodes this season and, while I've found them enjoyable, I kept wishing it was Amy and Rory (mostly Rory) who were the companions. With an entirely different doctor, I don't think I'll miss them quite so much when I watch.
ReplyDeletesad news. he started to grow on me as the Doctor ><
ReplyDeleteAmy and Rory have been my fav companions in the new series too. I liked Rose in S1 but soon grew sick of her snugness with 10, terrible character development from there on in tbh, esp in the Sarah Jane episode, the way the two of them bitched at each other was just awful :s
ReplyDeleteAt least this year it will be a double edged sword with a new Doctor on the cards, last years Merlin fiasco was worse I think :(
ReplyDeleteOh yes, nothing can beat what happened last year with Merlin!
ReplyDeletesad, sad news... But I have to be honest, everytime they change the Doctor I think I won't like 'cause I love the one they had, but I end up loving the new ones. Every single time.
ReplyDeleteI knew he was leaving but they tried to say he wasn't! I can not think of another actor who would have the same manic energy as Matt.
ReplyDeleteEleven is by far my favourite so far... but I still get excited about a new Doctor - I love how it refreshes the show.
ReplyDeleteOh no :(((( he was my favorite doctor!!! We will miss you Matt D:
ReplyDelete