Update 2: The BBC has now confirmed Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor! Congratulations to the BBC on keeping this quiet. The decision was made over Christmas. Smith takes over in 2010, most likely in a debut on Easter. Matt Smith at 26 is the youngest actor to ever play the Doctor.
Update 1: Rich Johnston of the gossip column “Lying in the Gutters” claims he has been told the 11th Doctor is actor Matt Smith. A relative unknown, Smith starred in the BBC series “Party Animals” to some critical acclaim. The show focused on the young people working to support Parlaiment. Of Johnston is correct, this will be the youngest Doctor yet. Current Doctor David Tennant was 34 when he took on the role but the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, was the youngest at 30. Matt Smith is only 25. We’ll have confirmation within the hour.
The BBC has announced that it will reveal which actor they have hired to take on the role of the Doctor on “Doctor Who” once David Tennant steps down at the end of 2009.
The announcement will be made on Doctor Who Confidential, which will air on BBC One at 5:35pm on January 3rd (Saturday). That means that the announcement will hit the newswires shortly after noon East Coast time here in the States. We’ll update this post as soon as the announcement is made.
photo credit: Great Beyond
According to the BBC, the new actor will give “his or her initial reaction” to becoming the 11th Doctor on the special. Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, which produces Doctor Who, said: “We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own.”
Stephen Moffat, who will take over as showrunner for the program in 2010, for its fifth season, will have a hand in selecting the actor. Some of the most popular predictions, according to betting sites, include Paterson Joseph, James Nesbitt, David Walliams, Chiwetell Eijofor, and Sean Pertwee. Feel free to reply with your predictions or hopes. We’ll know in less than 24 hours!
photo credit: hayley.bailey
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The more I think about it the more I think Chiwetell Eijofor would be really good as The Doctor. He was class in Serenity and in Kinky Boots. James Nesbitt or Stephen Fry would be my first choice.
Comment by Prest — January 2, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
I would love someone with a comedic bent like Stephen Fry. Chiwetel would also be very strong. I doubt he’d want it, but I would love an older Doctor again if they could get Jim Broadbent. He’d be so amazing.
Comment by chrispiers — January 2, 2009 @ 3:33 pm
Never thought about Jim Broadbent before, he would be good. Yeah it time for an older Doctor but I expect the beeb want another younger one after Tennents success.
Comment by Prest — January 2, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
What’d you think of the Christmas special, Prest? We’ll be talking about it on the next show we record (we’ve seen it).
Comment by chrispiers — January 2, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
it was ok. not great. seemed like a really long winded way to point out again that the Doctor is lonely. Repeating the big villians is getting a bit tired now. I hope they don’t use the daleks or cybermen again for a while. I did like the other Doctor idea and loved his be about the sonic screwdriver…when he bangs it against wood to make a noise to make it “sonic”. It didn’t really feel christmasy. It wasn’t bad just not as good as usualy.
Comment by Prest — January 2, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Matt Smith ahh, never heard of him. First thought what the hell are they playing at but after they showed the clips of him in other things he looks like he may be good. Just have to trust in Moffatt. He’s got the right surname.
Comment by Prest — January 3, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
what do you guess think of the decision?
Comment by Prest — January 3, 2009 @ 5:09 pm
I’m hopeful. I’ll have to get ahold of some of the stuff he’s been in to make any sort of informed opinion, but I’m glad it wasn’t Paterson Joseph. I just rewatched series one of Doctor Who this past week (Christmas gift) and he was really annoying in the finale. Couldn’t picture him as the Doctor.
Comment by chrispiers — January 3, 2009 @ 6:08 pm