Doctor Who - News and Spoilers

[tammyy2j]

.

[tammyy2j]

Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who.

The actor - who has played The Doctor since 2010 - will leave the show after this year's Christmas special, the BBC has confirmed.

Smith, 30, said that it has been "an honour" to be a part of the long running series.

He said: "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 realise 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."

He continued to thank Steven Moffat for the "varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts" that have given him the "greatest and most rewarding challenges" of his career.

He said: "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."

Moffat praised Smith for consistently "surprising" him whilst playing the eleventh incarnation of the Time Lord.

The executive producer added: "Whatever we threw at him - sometimes literally - his behaviour 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."

Matt Smith will appear alongside David Tennant in the 50th anniversary special before his final episode at Christmas.

Companion Jenna Louise Coleman is to continue to appear alongside the new Doctor when the show returns in 2014.

[tammyy2j]

The new Doctor Who will be unveiled live on television on Sunday.

The identity of the latest timelord has been a closely-guarded secret and BBC boss Ben Stephenson revealed executives at the corporation have been using the codeword "Houdini" to stop it getting out.

Viewers will see Matt Smith, who has played the role since 2010, bow out in the Christmas special and be replaced by the latest doctor.

This Sunday's half-hour show, which goes out on BBC1 at 7pm, will be presented by Zoe Ball and feature interviews with Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat as well as guests including celebrity fans and some previous incarnations of the science-fiction hero.

Mr Moffat said: "The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis. For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking 12."

BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson said: "We can't wait to unveil the next Doctor with everyone live on BBC1 on Sunday night. Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy.

"It's the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation."

[tammyy2j]

.

[Perdita]

It's only Malcolm f**king Tucker!

The bookies took a surge of bets early in the week on Peter Capaldi being named the 12th Doctor, but despite the pile of cash being waged on him and the well-known fact that he's a lifelong Who fanatic, we still never believed at Digital Spy that he was seriously in the running.


Doctor Who Live - Peter Capaldi
© BBC
Peter Capaldi on Doctor Who Live


We knew he had commitments to new BBC One project The Musketeers, where he has been cast as Cardinal Richlieu, and despite Moffat's claims that older candidates were being considered for the part, we've generally learned to disregard Moffat's comments when it comes to Doctor Who spoilers. He cheekily admitted at Comic-Con recently that he spends most of the time "lying out of his ****".

So all of this considered, it was a briliant and exciting moment when Capaldi walked on to the BBC studio stage this evening, unveiled as the new owner of the TARDIS.

Steven Moffat has described the casting as an "incendiary combination", pairing "one of the most talented actors of his generation" with "the best part on television". We're used to hyperbole from Moffat when it comes to Doctor Who, but he's probably not too far off the mark with this assertion.

Capaldi is one of the greatest actors working in television. To land him for a role that is so time-consuming and career-defining is quite the coup.

Perhaps for someone who is currently always associated with playing a screaming, foul-mouthed Scottish enforcer, entering the world of Doctor Who and everything that comes with it doesn't seem so daunting or concerning.

Because of his Tucker connections and those brilliantly menacing eyes, the immediate presumption is that Capaldi's Doctor will be a darker, edgier version of the Time Lord than we've seen in recent years.

However, Capaldi isn't a one-trick pony. He's shown on the stage, TV and radio on many occasions that there's much more to him than Malcolm. He's also one of the nicest gents you're ever likely to meet. Softly spoken, a joy to interview and a man who always has time for everyone - he couldn't be any further from the angry loudmouth that he's most famous for playing.


Peter Capaldi ~~ Official BBC 'Doctor Who' portrait by Rankin
© Rankin
Peter Capaldi portrait by Rankin


Capaldi's age, 55, is one of the most pleasantly surprising parts of the casting. It's the same age as William Hartnell when he first started way back in 1963, and hopefully it will refresh the dynamic between between Doctor and companion and also the Doctor and the viewer.

Since the show's return with Eccleston, the Doctors have gradually been getting more dashing and more youthful, which isn't in itself a bad thing. However, going any further down that path and we may find ourselves with a Disney-esque Doctor. All lovely skin, chiselled cheekbones, Harry Styles hair and the personality of a paper bag.

Capaldi couldn't be any further away from that path, and his casting isn't just exciting for Doctor Who fans, it's exciting full stop.

Matt Smith's final hour will no doubt be a sad one (someone pass us the tissues), but at least we now know that we're in very, very safe hands moving forward into year 51.

[tammyy2j]

BBC One has released a second extended trailer for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, which is set to premiere on Saturday November 23rd at 7:50pm

[tammyy2j]

.

[Kim]

No idea what just happened...

[moonstorm]

Oh I loved it

[crystalsea]

Did anyone see this?

http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/27/what-y...cture-4204126/

I didn't and even when you scroll down it took a while to spot it - clever