Matt Smith IS the Doctor!

[Alex]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7807742.stm

New Doctor Who to be announced

Who will be next to take on the keys to the Tardis? The name of the actor who will replace David Tennant as Doctor Who will be announced on Saturday.

Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009. His replacement - the eleventh Doctor of the TV series - will be revealed in a Doctor Who Confidential programme on BBC One at 1735 on 3 January.

The casting was confirmed over Christmas and filming for the 2010 series begins in the summer. Tennant is due to begin shooting the the first of his four specials this month, just weeks after surgery on his back. The last of these episodes is expected to run in early 2010.

The casting decision has been a priority for the show's new creative team, led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger. The BBC said that in Saturday's Doctor Who special "the actor playing the new Doctor will be giving his or her initial reaction" to becoming TV's most famous time traveller.

Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said: "We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own. I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!"

Shortly after Tennant's announcement, bookmakers were tipping several well-known names as the next actor (or actress) to step into the Tardis. Murphy's Law and Cold Feet star James Nesbitt emerged as one of the favourites, along with Paterson Joseph, John Simm and David Morrissey - who appeared in the 2008 Christmas special.

Paterson Joseph, who recently starred in Survivors and appeared in two Doctor Who episodes in 2005, has said "any actor would love the challenge" of playing the Time Lord. Bookmakers made him an early favourite - offering odds of 3-1 on him becoming the first black Doctor.

Comedian Jennifer Saunders, former Doctor Who assistant Billie Piper and film star Catherine Zeta Jones have also been mentioned in connection with the role. The show's outgoing executive producer Russell T Davies said last month: "Whoever becomes the Doctor has got to take on a whole life. It's not just becoming a part of a TV show."

In October, when Tennant was asked who he thought should replace him, he joked: "Well, I've always been a big supporter of Wee Jimmy Krankie!" Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989. After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the role the same year.

The wait's (almost) finally over!

I know we've already a speculation thread on who it will be, but with just over 24 hours to go, the bookie's favourites seem to be either Chiwetel Ejiofor or Paterson Jospeh. But it could be a complete surprise...Ooh! The excitement!

Edit: I've just looked at the betfair odds - http://www.betfair.com/Index.do?mi=2...&ex=1&rfr=3013 - and interestingly, whilst Paterson has the lowest odds, an actor called Matt Smith is next at 4.6 to 1, with Eijofor next at 6 to 1. Considering I've not heard his name in relation to the show before, it does seem a bit odd...

Edit 2: Just thought I'd point out that Betfair are offering a free ?10 bet (ie if you lose you'll get your money back, anyway), if anyone fancies a bit of a punt...I thought I'd risk it all on Eijofor after Wayne's claim he knows it will definitely be him...though I'm wishing I'd put some of it on Smith now.

[SiHart]

So, any last guesses then people before the big day? We'll see who's right tomorrow!

Si xx

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Is that a real person, or did a cat just walk across your keyboard?

[Rob McCow]

??? Does this mean a return of the McCoy era wooly jumper???



I've seen one photograph of Chiwetel Ejiofor, in drag, in the recent Radio Times.

[Si Hunt]

filming for the 2010 series begins in the summer.

Does that mean old and new Doctors will be filming episodes at the same time?

Jennifer Saunders indeed!

Si.

[MacNimon]

I've never heard of Matt Smith before, but it's strange how his name has came from nowhere at the last minute, isn't it?





I don't think he's done much tv before (The Ruby In The Smoke was his tv debut), most of his work seems to be on stage.

Patterson Joseph's name has been floating around for so long that I don't think that it's going to be him. It's a two-horse race between Chiwetel Ejiofor (another actor I'd never heard of until about a week ago) and Smith, imo.

[Rob McCow]

Is it just me or does Matt Smith share a passing resemblance to Martin Penny?

It's a two horse race in which one horse has already won in secret. And it may not be either of the two horses!

[SiHart]

I wonder where Matt Smith has come from all of a sudden. He seems a bit young for the part to me, but then anyone who's younger than me seems wrong!

I think that the new production team will surprise us by not casting any of the people so far named and instead come up with someone very unexpected and rather brilliant. They're very good at keeping things quiet after all...

Si xx

[Paul Hayes]

Let's hope it's a completely barmy and unexpected name. That would be quite fun.

Whoever it is, I can't wait. I'm very excited. It's like that night back in March 2004, when we knew the announcement was coming, and the excitement finally broke at midnight when Eccleston was confirmed.

[Dino]

Boo to "Doctor Who Confidential"!

This is a one off "Totally Doctor Who" job surely?

[Andrew Curnow]

How very exciting!!!

[WhiteCrow]

Chiwetel Ejiofor, now he is an excellent actor - he was superb in Kinky Boots, and the only good thing in the awful Firefly movie. I'd be really excited if he was announced.

[MacNimon]

This is another 'first' for Doctor Who. Having a half-hour prime-time Saturday evening slot dedicated solely to the unveiling of the new Doctor is a big step up from an announcement being released to the press, like we were previously used to getting...at least there won't be any excuses for them getting it wrong this time round (the name Bill Nighy springs to mind here... )

[Larry]

very suprised this is being announced so quickley but at least it saves us from another 6 months of tedius speculation
one things for sure if the BBC do by some miracle manage to keep this secret untill tomorrow night with out the tomorrows papers getting wind of it then they will of done a bloody brilliant job in keeping this quiet.

[Llordllama]

Likewise suprised they're doing it this saturday, thought I read over on Lying in the Gutters the other day that it was going to be announced this Saturday. And isn't 5.35 old Doctor Who start time?

I'll be glued to the Beeb for once on a Saturday evening (and aside from Who nights I can't generally say that!)

[duncan]

Ooh. And I didn't even know there was a Confidential on tomorrow!

Thanks for the heads up and I'll be watching with intrest. I do think that we may very well see a black actor get the role, but I hope it's not Patterson Joseph. personally I would like to see either Andrew Lincoln or Jason Merrells get the part.

This is Andrew Lincoln. He was in Love Actually.



And this is Jason Merrells. He was in Cutting it and Waterloo Road.

[Si Hunt]

Is it just me or does Matt Smith share a passing resemblance to Martin Penny?

Why don't they just cast Martin Penny then? PENNY FOR DOCTOR WHO!

You heard it hear first. And possibly last.

Si.

[sugartongs]

Is it just me or does Matt Smith share a passing resemblance to Martin Penny?

It's a two horse race in which one horse has already won in secret. And it may not be either of the two horses!

Certainly a one horse face

[Llordllama]

Heavens, just realised I'll need to drag the Doctor WHeasel set out of mothballs for a response tomorrow night...

[WhiteCrow]

It does make sense to announce this now. I'm trying to think - but won't they be starting to film the next series come about April/May time?

I remember when they announced David Tennant, I was like "who???". He's been a good Doctor and stuck with the series, and built up his following. I think with Chris Ecclestone, he was too established a name. I felt a little like someone blown off after a first date when left left after only one series.

[Captain Tancredi]

I find myself surprisingly optimistic about it all at the moment- I think the important thing is that whoever we get, I think we can trust somebody with Steven Moffat's combination of enthusiasm and hard-headed television experience to get it right. There are a few interesting factors at work this time, though- the series' profile is higher than it was when David Tennant was cast, and it probably does need a slightly more familiar name, but at the same time somebody prepared to put the rest of their career on hold for three or four years.

[Larry]

It
I remember when they announced David Tennant, I was like "who???". .

have to say had I not watched Casanova, I would of been asking the same question as I suspect most people who had not seen it or Blackpool probably wouldn't of heard of David Tennent.

[sugartongs]

Can I be the first to say

a) "He's the best Doctor ever!"
b) "When's he going to leave?"

There. That's got that nonsense out of the way.

[Alex]

Matt Smith's down to 1.87 to 1 - Gah, he's too young, I can't cope with having a Doctor who's younger than me!!

[sugartongs]

I can't believe they'd cast someone so bland-looking as The Doctor. Can you imagine a lot of merchandise shifting with that visage on the packaging?