Doctor Who – Matt Smith announces he’s leaving
In case you missed it, the news broke on Saturday that Matt Smith will be stepping down as The Doctor at the end of this year. It was announced at the end of the season that Steven Moffat would return as showrunner, so the hope was that Smith would return for one more season as well. But clearly that isn’t in the cards.
Obviously, this really shakes things up heading into the 50th anniversary special and this year’s Christmas special. It appears that the Christmas special will be Smith’s last outing as The Doctor and that his fall on Trenzalore will indeed be a literal one. Though Moffat probably has a twist or two up his sleeve before its all said and done.
I’ve always really enjoyed Smith’s take on The Doctor. He was put in the really tough position of having to follow David Tennant, who absolutely defined the role in the modern era. But I thought Smith acquitted himself well and I thought his take on The Doctor – which always had a great blend of physical humor, playfulness and pathos – worked. He will be missed, though I’m sure he’s headed off to bigger and better things. (Perhaps he can now go and star as Inspector Spacetime in Dan Harmon’s fifth season of Community.)
The BBC’s official press release included statements from Smith and Moffat, which you can read below …
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 realize 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 showrunner 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 honor 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 behavior 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!