So they’ve announced the new Doctor for Doctor Who: Matt Smith. His main noteworthy quality seems to be his youth, at age 26.
Cue angst, fear, and trembling amongst the TruWhoFen (as would be the case with any casting).
Me? I reserve judgment until I see him actually in the role for a bit (I was cool to David Tennant at first, too). I don’t think his youth is either a qualification or disqualification, any more than the prospects for a black or female time Lord overly-disturbed me.
Certainly the official word is enthusiastic.
Steven Moffat, the programme’s executive producer and new lead writer, said, “The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him. You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe.
“As soon as Matt walked through the door and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man. 2010 is a long time away but rest assured the 11th doctor is coming – and the universe has never been so safe.”
Good enough (provisionally) for me. I’m more worried that — well, it seems that at one point it was determined that Time Lords could only have twelve regenerations and so thirteen incarnations. We’re beginning to run a bit low …
I thought at one time it was 9 incarnations . .. so that’s a little maleable, especially since he’s the last Time Lord.
I was more worried by how goofy the guy was in his interview, but I’m granting actors the right to be goofy in person if they can do good work. *crosses fingers*
I’ve never heard 9 as the limit, but the Master showed how you could move beyond incarnation 13. He could take over another body (for altruistic or heroic purpose, naturally) or he could somehow be granted another by some uber-powerful beings like the dear departed Time Lords.
Anyway, I think I saw a lot of quirky potential in this new guy. Hopefully, it’s not as off-beat as Colin Baker’s Doc. But there’s a bit of scheming madness in him that reminds me of Sylvester McCoy and Tom Baker. I especially love how he talks with his hands and those freakishly long fingers. (Hate the haircut, though.)
The worst thing about the announcement was that it spoiled the Christmas episode a bit. I really didn’t expect “The Next Doctor” to actually be “the next Doctor” but this confirms it, so there’s not even a remote chance of it being so.
I just wish SciFi would announce IF they’re going to show this year’s series of specials, much less WHEN…
I want him to keep the hair- Big Hair for heroes.
Paul McGann does the Radio plays- love to see him more, rather than the one off- nothing stopping it happening- would give the background to Ecclestone and Tennant’s edginess- the time war appears to have happened during ‘8’. It’s apparent with the ‘Rose’ episode Ecclestone has only just regenerated