Matt Smith to leave Doctor Who at the end of year

[muriel_volestrangler]

Doctor Who star Matt Smith is to leave his role as the Doctor at the end of this year, the BBC has announced.

After four years as the Time Lord on the BBC One show, viewers will see Smith's Doctor regenerate in the 2013 Christmas special.
...
Doctor Who marks its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode, which Smith has already filmed.

The BBC said Smith's "spectacular exit" was yet to be revealed and would be "kept tightly under wraps".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22741493

[pokerfan]

1. At the time, I thought Smith was too young

but he wound up being one of my favorites.

[SwissTony]

2. I grew to like him. Took a while.

Maybe because he was replacing Tennant who was my favourite Doctor of the modern era. Tom Baker was my favourite Doctor from the old days and the Doctors who followed didn't quite measure up.

OK, I know I'm being (and was) a bit childish, but I'm only 62 so cut me a bit of slack, will ya?

[mucifer]

3. Yeah, I had a big crush on Tom Baker when I was in high school.

I watch the new show once in a while. The problem is that the new show doesn't have sets made out of tinfoil and cardboard.
What fun is that?

[Still Blue in PDX]

5. But the Daleks do still have a toilet plunger for an extremity.

Some things just can't be improved upon!

[Still Blue in PDX]

4. It took me a long time to appreciate Matt Smith's portrayal of The Doctor.

I liked Nine and then Ten(nant) and his companions so much that it was hard to understand The Doctor's relationship with Amy Pond. How in all of space and time could he be so fond of someone I found so annoying?

I guess perhaps I'm just jealous. Sad that at 58 I'm a nerdy fangirl, but I had a bit of a crush on Tom Baker back in the day.



I watched some Classic Who with my 5-year-old grandson, and after explaining to him and his taking at face value the fact that all the Doctors are the same guy even though they look and act differently, suddenly Matt Smith and Eleven clicked with me.

[pokerfan]

6. Tom Baker was the best

Then again, I started watching Doctor Who in the seventies and you always remember your first Doctor. I wish he could have had a cameo in the upcoming 50th Anniversary episode but it's not looking likely.



I also found Amy rather annoying (well, she was the Docto's MIL, so...) plus the writers constantly hitting us over the head with her beauty, even turning her into a model. We get it! At least they're downplaying that aspect with the new companion, though Jenna Louise Coleman is quite cute. But they're having some fun with it:

Clara: Do you think I'm pretty?
The Doctor: No, you're too short and bossy and your nose is all funny.
Clara: Good enough.

My guess is that they're going to stay young (another twenty-something) with the next doctor to keep to the formula but I wouldn't mind seeing an older Doctor again. Other than John Hurt, of course.

As long as the music remains, I'm good. I am (not) the Doctor: (snort!)

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. I started New Who by wandering into an Amy marathon, which makes Matt my first Doctor. I am so very

sad to hear that he is going. Thank goodness the show will go on, however, and more adventures await us!