It’s official: Matt Smith is leaving Doctor Who
When I saw the end of the last episode, the episode preceding the Christmas Special, my first thought was “Matt Smith is leaving!” My second thought was “No, I can see how this will play out…”
My first thought was correct. Matt Smith is leaving Doctor Who after the Christmas Special. For all my criticisms of Doctor Who under the Moffat regime, Matt Smith’s acting hasn’t been one of them. Matt’s acting has tried so very hard to carry some extraordinarily woeful screen writing and surreal plots that don’t really deserve the nom de plume of “plot” because they’re just mashed together any old how in the hope that fans will watch the SFX, focusing on the central characters rather than the actual stories that just don’t hold together.
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.”
In 2011, Smith became the first actor to be nominated for a Bafta in the role. He won the most popular male drama performance award at the National Television Awards in 2012.
One thing is for sure, the Brits have some excellent actors. Let’s hope the new Doctor is another excellent actor. While we’re at it, can we sack a few script writers and editors to get stories that hold together too?
