Matt Smith Is The New Doctor Who
Jan 3, 2009 by Bruce SimmonsWith nothing but torment, the BBC1 teased people throughout the show with only the age of the new actor to play Doctor Who, as being …
With nothing but torment, the BBC1 teased people throughout the show with only the age of the new actor to play Doctor Who, as being 26. Tweeters and bloggers alike were going crazy. Some didn’t think it right that the new Doctor be younger than they are, but then, they just don’t get it then, do they?
What took me by surprise was that despite all the names that were thrown in the mix, a new one suddenly popped up as a favorite before the announcement: Matt Smith. I did my research and when it was announced, I was no longer surprised or saying what everyone else was saying: Who!?
Northampton-born actor Matt Smith has been officially announced as the new Doctor Who. Smith will appear in the iconic role starting in 2010, taking over the role from David Tennant. Smith is the 11th actor to take on the role and youngest actor ever to play the good Doctor.
Matt Smith is 26 years old and already has quite a bit of experience under his belt. Aside from Party Animals, his television experience includes the 2006 adaptation of The Ruby in the Smoke, the follow-up, The Shadow in the North, and in ITV2′s Secret Diary of a Call Girl. His stage experience includes a West End stint opposite Christian Slater in Swimming With Sharks, and other roles in the Royal Court and National Theater.
Smith was cast over Christmas. The moment the head of drama at BBC, Piers Wenger, saw his audition, he knew he was the one.
There will be a year and four specials before we see the new Doctor, but for Smith, filming starts this summer.
Now being run by a new creative team for the 2010 season, the show will be led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger. This casting was paramount to anything else, which obviously included the finalizations of scripts.
Though it hasn’t been quite the wait that we’ve had to endure like in other television series when they break up the final season, it was still a much anticipated announcement that the BBC1′s show, Doctor Who Confidential was going to announce the next actor that will portray the good Doctor.
The announcement was big enough that BBC1 simulcast the show live on their outdoor screens around the country in city centre locations including Hull, Liverpool, Rotherham, Swindon, Swansea, Norwich and Walthamstow.
Here’s an image of Matt as the new Dr.:
Matt Smith as the new Dr. Who
Head over to GallifreyOne.com for more and highr-res pictures of Matt as the Dr. (and thanks to regular SR reader Ash Ali for the tip on the photo above).
The web went quite stir crazy as reporters, fans and every Doctor Who site editor emailed each other and started scurrying around to decipher this information… and then we all had to wait. Wait until the Saturday broadcast to find out who will be replacing David Tennant. Arguably one of the more popular actors to portray the quirky Doctor.
The hard part was sorting through the noise of shameless websites and tweeters announcing the new doctor, incorrectly I might add, before it was officially announced. I presume to generate traffic. It does not help a harried entertainment reporter I dare say!
And now that we know who the next Doctor Who will be, the next obvious piece to this time traveling puzzle would be who will be his assistant? Could we possibly see Billie Piper again? I only ask that because she’s worked with Matt previously. Egads, the questions never stop, but that’s what I do. Stir up the pot.
Sources: BBC News, Northampton Chronicle,
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Hey who really is going to argue with Steven Moffatt who wrote some brilliant episodes.
Not me for sure
Hey, this man might not be so bad.. I just caught some clips of his interview from Confidential. He’s got a young face that can go old in a heartbeat and from the little bit I can find, it appears he can act. The Robert Smith big emo hair is a bit over the top for me but he’s not started work so until he gets ready to shoot, NO one knows what any part of the production will look like. I’m hoping for shorter hair but beyond that, I’ll take what comes and hope it’s as good as it’s always been!
Deb.
He doesn’t look to bad but we’ll have to
wait and see if he can be the Doctor
everyone loves. The Doctor now needs to
be young, someone who can grab your hand
and say ‘run’ like the 9th and 10th docter.
in 1yrs time when they realised what a poor choice matt smith is.bbc will be glad to announce will be……….frankie muniz(the tit from malcom in middle).or if you dont like that how about someone who is old like sean connery they could mix it up with bond elements,who doctor who.u might laugh now but they might desperate for the ratings.if and i say if…will, matt smith bombs
its the hair,that matt smith has that dorky floppy hugh grant hair,if u look at all the doctors they had unique hair.i think the doctor should have a ponytail or a shaved head,tom baker wore the curly afro well that made him,and the cool scarf.floppy hair wont cut it.picky i know but its a sacred thing
Just a thought: How about an older lady, think ‘Golden Girls’, for the new companion? It could be like ‘Harold and Maude’ traveling the stars!
To all the people saying we have no right to an opinion until we’ve seen him act – is that how you vote during an election? Of course not, sometimes you know instinctively something isn’t right!
Now if they were making “Son of Dr Who” for CBeebies, then fine – but he is totally too young for the role of the Doctor himself! What’s he going to wear? A hoodie? Hey, there’s a thought – change the name to Doctor Whoodie!!!
What I’m getting at is, take Daniel Radcliffe. He is a fine actor and you couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Harry Potter – but you sure as hell wouldn’t cast him as James Bond!
I’ve watched the Doc since the mid 60′s and been a huge fan. Books, videos, DVDs, audio CD’s, magazines, fanzines, American merch, autographs – you name it. But I won’t be watching after Tennant leaves.
I don’t want to watch “Boy Who” and his Tardis posse, innit….
@TheWasp
I sure as hell hope you don’t vote for someone running for election based purely on instinct. And you seem to be basing your misgivings on this guys age, not his ability to act. When it comes to election, people judge the candidates on their personality, their campaign promises, their previous work, age doesn’t come into it.
Now granted, were a 26 year old running for prime minister, I’d be a little worried, but since this is nothing more than a part in a TV show, and not the leader of an entire country, and since we actually have no say in the matter, it’s the BBC’s decision, again, is it really too much to ask that a person wait to see how they do with the role before they judge them?
or how about bbc actually ask the fans,the ones who are hardcore if they would like a 26yr old as doctor or someone say that has experience in life.age does make a difference it defines who are in most people eyes.im not saying nor care if hes a actor he still reminds me of hugh grant,mind you if they him up with say drew barrymore mmmmmmm might make it watch worthy.or a 93 yr old grandma to balance out the age thing.i could so get a job at the bbc.
To answer Joshi – OK, perhaps my political analogy was a little flawed but I stand by the fact that this little lad is honestly, truly, stark staringly too too too young to play the Doctor. It’s got nothing to do with his ability to act!
He may well be a great actor – but he’ll still come across as a gangly schoolboy playing the part of Dr Who in his school Christmas play however hard he tries.
To many of us who were there from the 60s, this is a step too far. Go back to my Harry Potter analogy then. Would you cast the actors who play Harry or Ron as James Bond? No you would not – and they are both great actors.
It has everything to do with how he can act. You say he’ll come across as a gangly schoolboy playing the part of Dr Who in the Christmas Play… and that would be true if he were trying to act like an old man, like various schoolboys find themselves having to do when taking on the role of Joseph in the Nativity Play, or Fagin in Oliver.
But this guy is in a real production and the roles is being written for him, he’ll play it as himself. David Tennant never played the role, bent double with a walking stick and fake beard, trying to convince everyone he was 900 years old, he took the character and made it his own, like every single other Doctor has done before him. That’s the beauty of Dr Who, he can be played by anyone in any fashion they see fit.
The role has been taken by any number of older actors. I really don’t see why people wouldn’t at least give a young guy a chance.
Hey, why doesn’t everyone give this guy 3 or 4 episodes and THEN debate his merits or lack thereof?
Vic
Look…Matt Smith doesn’t start filming his first series until June, and it won’t be shown on TV until Easter next year. Hell, he was only cast 2 weeks ago! YOU COULD AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL HE’S FILMED A FEW BLOODY SECONDS OF FOOTAGE BEFORE YOU TEAR HIM A NEW ONE!
Honestly, some people are never satisfied.
Im quite disappointed at the choice of actor. I was hoping for someone more on the lines of DT in age. Why dont they just choose a 19yr old and make the show officially for children?
@marie that would be called Sarah Jane Adventures =p
Exactly, Joshi – he’ll play it as himself…. and he is too young!
Charlie Higson’s (children’s) novels of the young James Bond are totally separate from the main canon. I’m sure they are brilliant – but I’d have no interest in reading them.
Young Sherlock Holmes was a totally different series from it’s adult counterpart. As was the Young Indiana Jones Series. Again, they were fine in their own right – but I didn’t watch.
“Son of Dr Who” with Matt Smith in the title role would not have offended me in the slightest – but I wouldn’t have watched it.
I’ve never eaten Christmas cake – but I wouldn’t like it. I know it contains things I find unpalatable.
I won’t be watching Matt Smith as Dr Who for similar reasons. That’s my choice. I think you’ll find an awful lot of fans from way back are of a similar mind.
I saw him in Ruby in the Smoke – I wasn’t over-struck with his acting ability. By contrast I saw David Tennant in Cassanova before he’d been announced as the Doctor and thought he was brilliant.
I just think Moffat is taking the show in a direction that will sadly alienate a lot of older fans. Nothing against Matt Smith, but if that’s how Moffat intends to guide the direction of the show then he ought to move it to CBBC, like Sarah Jane.
I honestly don’t see many grown ups tuning in, just as they didn’t for Merlin.
I notice you still didn’t comment on casting Harry Potter or Ron Weasley as James Bond. Mind you, it would be fair to consider either of them for a film based on the young Bond depicted in Higson’s novels. Funny that…..
I have watched Doctor Who since I was a kid and have loved it no matter who the doctor was playted by. I have my favourites just as most everyone has. I loved Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy for their zany portrayel of him. When the new series sneak peeks and interviews were released before the show started again I was hopeful after having waited since the eighties for the show to return but at the same time very anxious.
Then when the show started I loved it.
The sting came at the end of the “first” season when Christopher Eccleston regenerated into David Tennant. I hated him, the look the voice everythging about him felt wrong and I thought that it would spell the end of my interest but then came the Christmas special and I realised that David Tennant was the best Doctor I had ever seen.
As many others I was appalled at the thought that Tennant was going to leave and when I heard about this young lad taking over my initial reaction was utter revulsion but to be honest my knee jerk reaction towards the best Doctor ever, Tennant of course, was unsubstantiated as soon as he started so I think the best thing to do for myself and every other Doctor Who fan would be to wait and see.
I hope Matt Smith is up to the task and I wish him all the luck in the world.
>>Exactly, Joshi – he’ll play it as himself…. and he is too young!<>I won’t be watching Matt Smith as Dr Who for similar reasons. That’s my choice.<<
You won’t be missed. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.
People said the same BS about Catherine Tate. “Oh my god, it’s horrible. I’ll never watch Doctor Who as long as she’s there.”
Guess what? They lost out on a wonderful season. And so will you. Enjoy your Celebrity Big Brother or some such garbage.
@TheWasp
That’s your prerogative if you so wish, I’m only saying, I don’t see the logic in there being so much hate around this casting choice when no one’s seen him in the role yet. And I didn’t say he’d play it as himself, I’d say he’d make it his own. Young people are perfectly capable of acting older. They may not have the “life experience”, but then that’s the point of acting, being able to put yourself in the shoes of people far beyond what you’ve experienced before. People are able to act perfectly in period dramas, or as mentally challenged people, why not a young person acting as if he has the wisdom of ages? Is it really a stretch?
I’m not saying he’s going to be the greatest Dr Who in the world, or even that he’s going to be that good, if it turns out he’s really bad I’ll be more than happy to stand up and say “yes, he is bad” but my point now isn’t that he’s going to be good, all I’m saying is we literally don’t know yet and jumping to the conclusion that he’ll automatically make the show bad because of his age is somewhat of a premature assessment to make. Perhaps his acting didn’t wow you in Ruby in the Smoke, but then maybe the role didn’t call for him to be that great. Maybe Dr Who is the break he needs to show people what how well he can or cannot act.
And your Christmas cake analogy doesn’t hold much sway either because there are dozens of dishes I thought I’d “never like” and then tried and found them to be quite palatable. But maybe that’s just me.
“I notice you still didn’t comment on casting Harry Potter or Ron Weasley as James Bond. Mind you, it would be fair to consider either of them for a film based on the young Bond depicted in Higson’s novels. Funny that…..”
I kind of considered it a moot point, I felt you were making a point and you made it, and then I made my point, no need to get too much into the different analogies, but if we must:
Bond and Dr Who are two totally different franchises who use different criteria for their changes in actors. Who actually has a reason behind the changes in looks, age and character, Bond… not so much, so they need to stay within a small niche… and even still, they changed him drastically for Casino Royale, and look how that turned out. Yes, Daniel Radcliffe in the role would be a stretch and I’m sure I’d react in the same way you are now, but the thing is, this is Dr Who, in the realm of Sci fi, I can suspend my disbelief enough to believe that a 900 year old Time Lord can be played by a 26 year old. Bond strives for a little more realism and thus, it would be more difficult to believe Radcliffe as a hardened spy… but that still would say nothing about what I thought of his performance in the role.
my 9 year old nephew sumed it up as soon as they anounced it on tv. he said. thats not the doctor. hes too young. with a look of horror on his face. i am 36 and been a dr who fanatic all my life but never have i been so discusted with the casting of the doctor as this one. it doesnt matter wether he can act or not. the fact is that this pale faced poncey haird student is not the doctor. not no way not no haw. i dont care what steven moffat says. it looks to me that they have cast him because he is in ther little gang of lovey darling frends. so ther you have it both the young and old fans of the show know that this casting is wrong. in 2010 both me and my nephew will not be watching.
I’d just like to say that I don’t hate anybody…
Because I have expressed my extreme disappointment at this casting, both on this and other forums / chat rooms, I have been accused of “hatred” and subjected to extremely venemous responses.
So what have we learned here then? As Dr Who fans we are totally open-minded on who plays the Doctor, but can turn very nasty on the heretic who says no, actually I don’t agree with this…
To Stormy I’d like to say why do you think I’d care whether I’m missed or not? However, if as many people as I’ve seen suggested don’t tune in, I think you’ll find we will be missed as a group and the show won’t survive low ratings in this cash conscious climate.
Why on earth would you presume that by deciding to not watch Matt Smith I’d watch Celebrity Big Brother? What a bizarre suggestion. I can’t stand any of that awful reality / talent / celebrity dross. I’ve simply decided not to watch a child playing at being Dr Who – I haven’t had a lobotomy!
To Joshi – who is someone that CAN hold an intelligent discussion – I have to say that I am right about Christmas cake. Dried fruit makes me barf!
Goodnight all
>>Why on earth would you presume that by deciding to not watch Matt Smith I’d watch Celebrity Big Brother? What a bizarre suggestion. I can’t stand any of that awful reality / talent / celebrity dross. I’ve simply decided not to watch a child playing at being Dr Who – I haven’t had a lobotomy!<<
I base it on the fact that you are going to judge a show based not on actual talent, but based off something so shallow as a person’s physical appearance. You’re going to ignore the writing, the direction, the acting ability, the artistry, and simply judge it based on the man’s young appearance and chronological age.
In other words, you’re looking for style over substance, which makes you the perfect audience for Big Brother.
Have you ever just tried dried fruit on its own, they come in little packets, like sweet packets (I’m not going for an analogy here, I’m done arguing, I’m really just asking out of curiosity). I’ll agree, Christmas cake is terrible (not only is the fruit dried, but so is the actual cake), but just eating dried fruit is actually quite nice (though I draw the line at prunes).
No, Stormy – not based on his physical appearance – but yes, based on his chronological age, agreed. Not because he is too young to be a good actor, just becuase his age is in contrast to the standards of such an iconic role
Because this is casting in the same league as asking Johnny Vegas to play Tarzan. You just wouldn’t do it, would you – because every fibre of your being knows it’s wrong!
Or MacKenzie Crook to play Batman, or Brian Sewel to play Worzel Gummidge, or Lassie to play Black Beauty…
That’s not style over substance, that’s common sense.
Now I really am signing off….
The comparison between James Bond and the Doctor is a ridiculous one. There is no comparison. One is a man that doesn’t really change. You have one set of qualities that Bond is supposed to have, and that’s it. The Doctor, on the other hand, is constantly in a state of flux from life to life. He can be an old grump or a young cricket-loving gentleman. He can be a wild beatnik or a stylish fop. He can be a wide-eyed adventurer or a tortured survivor.
He can be almost anything. Bond can’t.
haw is captain jack or sahra jane going to look being in awe of this skinny student. it just can not work. i can not explane just haw depressed i have been since i found out about this missmatch casting. steven mofat will be brillient. the suporting actors will be brillient. the music will be brillient. but matt smith will spoil it. even if he does a good rendision of the doctor it will still just be an impression of him. if you look at him you can see that it is out of his legue to be a 900 year old time lord. its inposible for him. he looks daft stood outside the tardis, it just doesnt look right. i would not have even cast him as one of the doctors companions. ther is an old saying. never send a boy to do a mans job.
Hey gang, so what I’m hearing is that it’s more important who plays the Doctor as opposed to who the creative team is?
The creative team puts out the substance and the actor then translates.
I had the same knee jerk reaction to Tennant and was wrong, so I’m capping myself until the jury is out. I’ve eaten enough shoe in my day. that’s for sure.
-Bruce
i have just watched the matt smith interview again for the second time. last week i did not know who he was. but naw. i dispise him. i know its wrong of me to hate somone i dont know. but come on… haw can he be so blindingly stupid to think that he can play the doctor. i hate him. he is going to defecate all over this fantastic program. haw dare he even consider going for an interview for the part let alone exsept it. the worst thing is that us, the true fans cant do a bloody thing about it. if you are reading this matt please please please pull out before you destroy somthing very preciouse to a lot of people.