Who is the New DR. WHO?
January 3, 2009 by Kath Skerry
There’s a mad frenzy today as DR. WHO fans around the world wait to find out just who will replace David Tennant and step in as the 11th manifestation of Dr. Who.
Just who will the new WHO be? Every who down in Whoville is just dying to find out.
Well it’s just been announced, and the new Dr. Who is …MATT SMITH.
Smith will first appear on TV screens as the 11th Doctor in 2010.
Matt Smith is the new Dr. Who
Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said that as soon as he had seen Smith’s audition he “knew he was the one”.
“It was abundantly clear that he had that ‘Doctor-ness’ about him,” he said. “You are either the Doctor or you are not.”
For more on today’s BBC announcement, click here.
Be sure to check out what Dan from DuckyDoesTV.com and Jace from Televisionaryblog.com have to say about it. Both are big DR. WHO fans and will surely have an interesting take on the new Dr.
In the interest of full disclosure, I don’t watch DR. WHO. I haven’t seen the show since I was a child and it scarred me for life. All I remember is that I was genuinely frightened. But from what I’ve heard and read, the series has evolved into something quite wonderful. It might have been quite wonderful back in the day too, but all I remember were the weird monsters and strange music.
So what do you think about Matt Smith as the new Doctor? Was he the right choice? Was there someone else you thought better suited for the role? Sound off below.
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WOW! Dr. Who news on GMMR. I never thought this day would come. Thanks for sharing. I was kind of hoping that the new Dr. Who would be a hot chick. Not sure what to make of this new guy. I guess I will find out next year.
I’m so sad that David Tennant is leaving! He was so amazing on that show, not like any other character on TV.
I really hope this Smith guy is okay. I guess I’ll give him a chance…
But “Doctor Who” really is an AWESOME show.
I think I might be checking this show out more often this year!
I think he looks a bit like Bill from ‘True Blood’ – Stephen Moyer.
I am a huge doctor who fan, and I am quite pleased with this selection. I think all of us “whovians” have fallen in love with David Tennant, and it will be hard to let him go, but this Matt Smith looks interesting ( and well..cute) so hopefully he will be alright, he is also going to be the youngest doctor since he is only 26, so that should be interesting as well. 🙂
Gah! He looks like a young Emo punk, not the Doctor!
The Doctor should be an old soul, commanding type of actor – but watching the interview with Matt Smith, it seems like he’s a very naive, deer-in-the-headlights type of guy. Which is understandable, because he’s so young – but that is exactly why a more experienced actor should be the Doctor, IMO. Man, I was always going to miss David Tennant terribly when he left, but now I think I’m going to miss him even more. Have very uneasy feelings about this.
What was the reaction to David Tennant when he first arrived? Was everyone on board? Did anyone watch back then? I’m intrigued.
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As a huge (and young) Doctor Who fan, I was freaking out the entire day! Especially because I wasn’t near a computer for the announcement (thank you twitter).
I’m excited and afraid for the new blood, liking and not liking that he is younger. It will be different, for sure, but I’m not judging until he is actually on the show and we see what he can do. But, I’m still going to cry for a week when David leaves.
Wow, thanks for posting Doctor Who news on here. I know you don’t normally do that.
I’m still in shock from months ago when David Tennant announced his departure, so today’s news was… Wow. I don’t know anything about Matt Smith, but I have learned over the past couple of years of the new Who series to trust those connected with the show. Russell T. Davies and Stephen Moffett have always known what they’re doing and have done a wonderful job, so I’m sure Smith will be a good Doctor. But I have to say that Tennant will always be MY Doctor…
Lala – I actually think this new, young, ‘Emo punk’ could work in the Who lineage. Given the devastation of ‘Journey’s End’ – losing Rose, erasing everything Donna had done from her consciousness, facing the bitter truth of Davros’s assessment of him – why wouldn’t the Doctor’s newest regeneration be a regression? Faced with all that loneliness and unhappiness, it’d make sense if the deepest, truest part of him wanted to retreat a little. This younger Who might be a defense mechanism.
Though all my love and allegiance is with David Tennant, and it truly hurts to lose him, I have a lot of faith in Steven Moffat and his plans for the Doctor. Better to have someone miles in difference from Tennant and avoid the feeling he has been replaced with a poor copy.
There is just a new Doctor is all. Or so I tell myself before I got to sleep.
GMMR – As far as I know, when Tennant was first announced as the new Doctor, there were some initial doubters, for sure – some people thought he would be too goofy, and preferred Christopher Eccleston’s gravity. But these concerns were largely mild, as far as I know, and were soon erased when Tennant had his first couple of episodes. Now Tennant is widely considered to be the most popular Doctor of all time (example: ever since he’s been the Doctor, he wins several “Most Popular Actor” awards in Britain ever year).
This kid is a different situation, though, because he doesn’t have any where close to the acting experience and pedigree of Tennant and Eccleston. Also, he’s a young kid, as opposed to a man. So there are a lot of shocked people right now, like me, who wonder if this kid really has the depth and gravitas to play the Doctor, a powerful 906 year old alien. Honestly, I saw him in this one miniseries a couple of years ago, and he was just… a kid. And it’s not just his age, because James MacAvoy is only a couple years older than Matt Smith and has tons more power and strength in his acting.
Kath Too – I get what you’re saying, and people have commented on other boards that they seem to be going for a Benjamin Button type theme here. I just wished they hadn’t gone Emo, and/or had picked a young actor with more strength. Emo is such a boring trait, and so opposite of the good-natured Doctor. If Moffat et all order this kid to get rid of the Emo look, than maybe… maybe I’ll feel better.
BTW, when you all finally get to see the Christmas Special “The Next Doctor” (as I recently did), you’ll see that Tennant’s Doctor doesn’t go around hanging his head in depression and heartbreak after the events of “Journey’s End”. He is still chipper and up for adventure…. just more leery of taking on any new companions and getting attached (and then heartbroken) again.
LaLa – You say that he’s a kid, but it’s not like he’s 18. He’s 26 years old. Young yes, not not a kid. And as for the ’emo’ stuff – we haven’t seen him act in a single scene yet, how do we know that’s what he’s bringing to the role. Fans might be surprised.
I loved Christopher Eccleston and couldn’t believe he was leaving and someone would have to take his place. David Tennant turned out to be fantastic. I have very high hopes that the new Doctor will be the same. It can’t be easy to take on this role. Nothing like PRESSURE 🙂
Kath, you really should watch. It’s an amazing show. 🙂
GMMR – Compared to the previous Doctors, who were mostly in their 40s and 50s, Matt Smith is a kid. Also, the British Press has been calling him a kid too, so I’m just following suit. And he definitely has Emo hair, and one does not wear Emo hair unless one is Emo (otherwise, why would you want to give that impression?) And taking into account that Stephen Moffat has said that he wants the show to be darker, and loves Matt’s hair, all signs point to Emo.
As for his acting, here he is acting alongside Rose Tyler herself (aka Billie Piper) in “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8gJvf2a23Q
I’m sorry, but I just don’t think he has much screen presence or charisma, which are essential for the Doctor. I do hope I’m proved wrong, but right now all signs point to fail.
LaLa,
I have to disagree, as I do not think that you can tell anything about his acting ability in that clip. I thought that he was fab in Party Animals, and again, opposite Billie in The Ruby and the Smoke. I also don’t see the hair as emo, more like dirty hipster, which can easily be changed. Dark does not have to be emo.
It’s EMO now. So absolutely terrible. I though David Tennant was brilliant and he is THE Doctor of the new series, but this emo, scared, brooding vampire-type fellow just isn’t cutting it. I’ll watch the first few with him, if I don’t like it, I won’t push it.
Tennant should come back!!!
He looks like a Johnny Depp wanna-be. Very Sweeny Todd, or let’s-all-write-Poe-style-poetry-and-serenade-our-dead-dogs. His outfit is ridiculous, his new companion looks like that emo girl from Twilight too! What is with out emo world? Can anybody be happy and NOT cut themselves?!
…Doctor Who used to be humourous, now it’s going to be ridiculous.