new ‘Doctor Who’ star announcement to come on Saturday

For "early 2010", read New Year's day. Probably.

Anyway, this is smart, making a televisual event out of the announcement. Certainly beats their approach last time around...

I'm really hoping for a more sedate, intellectual Doctor (a Stephen Fry type, if you will) but I know I won't get it, even if this new Doctor will "bring something new" it's still another Doctor of running and shouting.

Not that I'm complaining or anything.

Yeah, the BBC Eleventh Doctor announcement refers to "New Year 2010" for the end of the run of Tennant specials.

There was a rumor, I think, that the Christmas 2009 and New Year 2010 specials would be a tight-knit two-parter type of story.

I'm glad the speculation is finally going to end thou I'm still bummed we only have 4 more specials with DT in it. As for his finael, I'm also happy the regeneration won't happen during the Christmas special but afterwards (it would make for a lousy holiday to see my fave Doctor go). My only wish for these 4 specials, focus on story and not for 'big and epic'.

My only wish for these 4 specials, focus on story and not for 'big and epic'.

The Confidential for Christmas had RTD saying the would focus on the Doctor as a character, exploring him and his nature more - which suits me down to the ground as I think he's an endlessly fascinating character. I can't wait to see what Tennant can bring to these last four hours (boo!)

MaryAnn said:

I guess they weren’t kidding: David Tennant really is leaving Doctor Who after this year, and someone else really is replacing him.

Oh, MaryAnn. I, too, feel the horrible finality in this announcement. There was a part of me, too, that clung desperately to the forlorn hope that they were kidding, he'd change his mind...something. *sigh*

Guess it's time to face reality. Yuck. I always hate doing that. :-P

New Doctor: Craig Charles.

I was wondering if I was the only one who had mixed feelings about this announcement. I suppose I'm glad all the speculation will come to an end, but it does make David Tennant leaving very final, doesn't it?

I am hoping that with that speculation over, more attention and due respect will be paid to David Tennant's final 4 episodes instead of all the talk just being about who's next. But I think it's wishful thinking, they're just going to speculate about what the new guy is going to be like, aren't they?

I hope they get another Doctor Who fanboy in the role. I think I'll almost miss David in the Confidentials, commentary, and behind the scenes stuff more than I'll miss him as the actual Doctor! His enthusiasm and knowledge - both of the past series and details about the current series - were a joy to listen to. And I loved how it seemed he really conversed with the guest cast and crew and came up with all sorts of details about them during commentaries. Made the commentaries more interesting to listen to, and only cemented the impression of him as a genuinely nice and enthusiastic man.

Never mind who the new Doctor is. I want to know if Alex Kingston will be in any of Tennant's remaining episodes.

Wouldn't it be interesting to have her in all of them, in separate encounters, and feature a different companion mid-journey with the Doctor in each as well, so we *know* that there's tons of missing adventures with each of the other companions (and by necessity, Tennant's Doctor)?

It really speaks volumes for how enormous Dr Who has become that an announcement like this takes up it's own special during peak viewing hours and have loads of media programmes devoting slots to its discussion.

Surviving the circus by muttering "still have a year of DT" and rocking back and forth.

What I also find interesting is that the special is on BBC1 and not on its normal BBC station. Now that is also saying a lot. The timeslot may be early but it's gonna be huge because of the fact we learn who number 11 will be (curiosity factor). I also hope it will be another 'fanboy' as Teenes mentioned. All three (DT, RTD, and the Phil Collinson) were all fanboys - just take a look at the behind the scenes of Time Crash. I think it just made for a better sense of working together and it showed onscreen. Now 11 can be asked to death also when he's leaving.

Various forums are, not surprisingly, already melting with posters claiming that either this is the dawn of a new golden age or the End of All Things. Then there are the simply bitter...

I'm looking forward to it, but I also came to DW as an adult, so I went through different Doctors in a rapid succession -- and only became a serious fan years after I started watching Tennant.

Btw, David Tennant is apparently well enough to be back in rehearsals for Hamlet and there's a (slim) possibility he may even go on tonight. There's a bigger possibility that he'll be able to perform January 10, which is when I have my tickets.

I'm watching it now.

They're saying he's someone very young - twenty six, in fact, which takes out pretty much everyone they've been speculating about.

And now they're just faffing about talking about all the previous Doctors.

Matt Smith... hmm.

And the winner is...Matt Smith, who played Jim in Ruby in the Smoke.

I just haven't seen him in enough stuff to really know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Smith_(British_actor)

Haven't seen him in anything but I like the look of him. They're right, he has an oldness to him.

Well... my first impression was that he didn't have any eyebrows.

Spring?

SPRING???

I can't wait that long!!!

He looks a bit scary in the promo pic of him next the Tardis:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7808697.stm

Not sure about this one. Why go younger instead of younger that is my only complaint.

I don't think he's Scottish enough.

I'm being unkind. I'm still a bit miffed about David Tennant leaving. I've not seen Matt Smith in anything... I've read Ruby in the Smoke, but never watched the BBC adaption.

First impressions, based totally on his interview, aren't overwhelming. Not good, but not bad. Neutral, I guess (whereas with DT it was just bam! Immediate oh he'll be amazing gut reaction.)

Although I hope it was just nerves ruining his eloquence rather than a total lack of.

I'm still mourning the loss of David, because besides being a terrific actor, I am madly in love with him. Do you know that this kind fellow signed and returned 7 photos I sent to him, even during his Hamlet run? Even returned my int'l postage slip I had enclosed.

However I don't begrudge him anything, as he is brilliant in any role, so we won't be disappointed by him in the future.

Can't wait to see Matt Smith. As the announcement put it, he has the look of a Doctor. And I agree.
The King is Dead, Long live the King.

Just read who it is, and I know you are writing your article about it right now . . . probably.

Matt...who ?

So many feelings:

1. Who the heck is this guy?
2. I guess he looks like a Doctor.
3. I want David back!
4. Since I live in the U.S., I won't see the new guy in action for quite a while, so maybe I will have gotten over DT's leaving by then.
5. Matt Smith seems a little weird.
6. A quote from my 10 year old daughter: "He's not fit to be the doctor." I told her we have to give him a chance.
7. I really want to see what MaryAnn has to say.

The Doctor's become Benjamin Button.

I was unsure at the beginning of the Confidential when they teased about the youngest ever Doctor, but I really warmed to Matt in his interview. He seems intelligent, and, (I thought so, anyway!) articulate and a nice bloke.

It is encouraging that Moffat knew Matt was *the one* almost immediately, too.

I'm actually fairly happy about this choice and keen to see what Matt brings to the role (but only after DT has wowed us with his specials!!)

Piers Wenger already looks exhausted!!

"It is encouraging that Moffat knew Matt was *the one* almost immediately, too."

That's what I thought. Moffat knows his stuff...hopefully.

Gonna have to download that Confidential and check out the interview with Smith...

He's a bit inarticulate, but I'm hoping that was just nerves.

While you're checking the torrents, you might want to search for "Demons" too, with Phillip Glenster.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bhmWRjo7gKI

Here's an extended interview with 11 and it cuts out all the preceding gushing Moff and RTD do about how the last 10 Doctors were awesome (like we didn't know that already).

And I didn't think too highly of Demons, thought it was a bit of a Buffy ripoff without the Whedon-ness that Joss Whedon brings to the table.

And Glenister's American accent is really grating for me.