Matt Smith exit from Doctor Who confirmed

[Dartzap]

Beeb

The BBC is today announcing that Matt Smith is to leave Doctor Who after four incredible years on the hit BBC One show. Matt first stepped into the TARDIS in 2010 and will leave the role at the end of this year after starring in the unmissable 50th Anniversary in November and regenerating in the Christmas special. During his time as the Doctor, Matt has reached over 30 million unique UK viewers and his incarnation has seen the show go truly global. He was also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.

Matt quickly won over fans to be voted Best Actor by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine for the 2010 season. He also received a nod for his first series at the National Television Awards, before winning the Most Popular Male Drama Performance award in 2012.

Matt has played one of the biggest roles in TV with over 77 million fans in the UK, USA and Australia alone!

Matt Smith says: "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.

Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. 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!

It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, says : "Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. 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!"

Having starred alongside three different companions, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Matt's Doctor has fought Daleks and Cybermen, as well as Weeping Angels in New York. Regularly heard shouting 'run' and 'Geronimo', through Matt's Doctor fans have been introduced to a new culinary combination - fish fingers and custard!

Matt's spectacular exit is yet to be revealed and will be kept tightly under wraps. He will return to BBC One screens in the unmissable 50th anniversary episode on Saturday 23rd November 2013 - TUNE IN!

We’ll have exclusive quotes from Jenna on this site tomorrow and a special video from Matt - coming soon!

He's had a good run, and like his colleagues, he's been noticed on the other side of the pond so it was going to happen sooner rather than later.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Cue endless speculation about his successor. At any rate I'll be sad to see him leave, I like his take on the Doctor.

[Crazedwraith]

Tell me when Moffat goes. I like Matt Smith and his portrayal of The Doctor. But I've hated his story arcs.

[The Romulan Republic]

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I haven't cared for the Doctor lately, but on the other hand, that's more the writers' fault than Smith's fault, and it's sad that he won't have a chance to shine again under better writers.

[Enigma]

So this means we'll get the "final" regeneration (obviously not but we'll get some pretty interesting stories out of this.) and get some sort of Valeyard Doctor?

[Stark]

I think you mean 'plot contrivances' and 'ham fisted mishandling of fanservice'.

[Parallax]

So this means we'll get the "final" regeneration (obviously not but we'll get some pretty interesting stories out of this.) and get some sort of Valeyard Doctor?

A season of Evil Doctor/Valeyard stories could be interesting...

And I'm thinking Degaldo type Master evil here, one with class and style. Not campy jumpy jumpy shouting evil.

[Vaporous]

He was good and the writing mostly wasn't. When he did have good material to work with he was fun to watch.

[Gandalf]

As much as I'd like to see Idris Elba in the role, I anticipate another guy that's suspiciously like the marketable Tennant.

[Broomstick]

Sure, I'd like Idris Elba as the Doctor. Hell, I'm happy to see him in anything (or possibly nothing...>snerk< )

[Lord Relvenous]

So out of curiosity, has there been anything said about how they're going to handle running out of regenerations? It always seemed somewhat to me for them to pick a finite number that was so small. Of course, when they first picked it I doubt they thought they would need 13 (right?) versions.

And Idris Elba as the doctor would probably be what made me decide to pick up DW.

[Gandalf]

So out of curiosity, has there been anything said about how they're going to handle running out of regenerations? It always seemed somewhat to me for them to pick a finite number that was so small. Of course, when they first picked it I doubt they thought they would need 13 (right?) versions.

"Oh, look it's the [name of device]. [Device backstory]."
"What does it do?"
"It just granted me a billion new regenerations."

[Broomstick]

"Let's Kill Hitler" had River Song give the Doctor all her remaining regenerations, see, problem solved.

[The Romulan Republic]

I thought that was because it took all those regenerations to cure him. In which case aren't they already used?

Not that they can't use that (continuity doesn't mean much in Doctor Who).

[Sharp-kun]

They don't need to do anything. They can just have him regenerate and be surprised that he did.

A mystery they can come back to or leave alone.

[Crazedwraith]

So this means we'll get the "final" regeneration (obviously not but we'll get some pretty interesting stories out of this.) and get some sort of Valeyard Doctor?

Ahh. Help I hope we're not going to get another 'boo hoo! I'm going to die arc again'. We've have two of those already with Tennant and Smith and they never stopped being incredibly fucking stupid.

[Lord Revan]

Isn't the 12 regerations a timelord law and not a restriction of gallifreyan biology, after all we know that time lords can refuse to regenerate if they wish (dying permanently in the process (or at least permanently if you don't have a convinient "bring me back to life" potion avaible)).

[InsaneTD]

Anyone think they'll just use the "new" 9th?

[The Romulan Republic]

Isn't he supposed to be from the Time War? Or is that just a rumour?

Edit: then again, it seems that continuity does not matter very much for this show.

[mr friendly guy]

Isn't the 12 regerations a timelord law and not a restriction of gallifreyan biology, after all we know that time lords can refuse to regenerate if they wish (dying permanently in the process (or at least permanently if you don't have a convinient "bring me back to life" potion avaible)).

The regeneration ability is likely an artificially derived one from genetic modification. I believe the EU notes it, but its also indirectly supported in the classic series because they can give regenerations to the Master and also they gave the technology to the Minyans, who regenerated many more times than the TL usually do. Thus they most probably built in this limitation into their technology.

[Stark]

I think internal system wide physical change is a bit different from a Couch of Youth.

[Broomstick]

Edit: then again, it seems that continuity does not matter very much for this show.

^ This is probably one of the most important points to remember in discussions like this.

[Flagg]

Guys, I'm sure the BBC would kill its cash cow for creative integrity. Positive.

[mr friendly guy]

Isn't he supposed to be from the Time War? Or is that just a rumour?

Edit: then again, it seems that continuity does not matter very much for this show.

Its easy away to explain away continuity changes in DW. Either a) much time has passed or b) time travel has altered things.

[Havok]

The Time Lords gave The Master more regenerations. It seems like it is a rule more than a naturally occurring "biological" mandate, as Revan said.