Eleventh Doctor

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The Doctor The Eleventh Doctor Portrayed by Matt Smith[1] Tenure 2010[1]– First appearance The End of Time[2] Companions Amy Pond[3] Chronology Preceding Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) Series Series 5

The Eleventh Doctor is the announced eleventh incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor, who will appear on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who beginning in 2010. Matt Smith was cast to replace David Tennant, who will depart from Doctor Who.^[4]

Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body but in doing so gains a new physical appearance and with it, a distinct new personality. Smith will portray the eleventh such incarnation.

[edit] Casting

Speculation about the identity of the Eleventh Doctor began on 28 June 2008; the penultimate episode of the fourth series, "The Stolen Earth", ended as the Doctor was regenerating after being shot by a Dalek's death ray.^[5] The lack of a trailer for the second part, "Journey's End", prompted media and public speculation which helped Doctor Who attain the highest position in the weekly ratings (first) in the show's history.^[6] The rumoured replacements included Catherine Tate (then playing the Doctor's companion Donna Noble), Robert Carlyle^[7], Jason Statham, Alan Davies and James Nesbitt.^[8] The Daily Mail also reported the theories that two Doctors could be created—eventually proven to be correct—and that Tennant's announcement that he would leave in 2009 was a bluff to create a shock regeneration.^[9]

Tennant announced at the National Television Awards, on 29 October 2008 that he would be stepping down from portraying the Doctor because he felt that the four years he spent portraying the character was enough and to ease the transition from Russell T Davies' showrunning to Steven Moffat's.^[10] At the time, BBC News published that Paterson Joseph, who appeared in the Doctor Who episodes "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways", was the bookmaker's favourite to succeed Tennant and if chosen would become the first black Doctor,^[11] followed by David Morrissey, who would be appearing in the 2008 Christmas special, "The Next Doctor". Other candidates included Sean Pertwee, son of Third Doctor actor Jon Pertwee^[12]; Russell Tovey, who portrayed Alonzo Frame in the 2007 Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned"^[13]; and James McAvoy.^[14]

At 26 years old, Smith will be the youngest actor to portray the Doctor, three years younger than Peter Davison was at the time he began his role as the fifth Doctor. Smith was one of the first actors to audition for the role, and the production team immediately singled him out based on his performance.^[1] Show producers were cautious about casting him because they felt that a 26-year-old could not play the Doctor adequately; BBC Wales Head of Drama Piers Wenger shared the sentiment, but noted that Smith was capable enough to play the role.^[1][15] Smith's casting in the role was revealed during a special episode of Doctor Who's companion show Doctor Who Confidential, during which he described the role as: "a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on".^[15]

His first companion, Amy Pond, will be played by Karen Gillan.^[16]

[edit] Appearance

Smith's costume consists of a brown tweed jacket, rose shirt, dark brown braces, bow tie, rolled up navy trousers and black boots. ^[17]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikinews has related news: Matt Smith revealed as 11th incarnation of Doctor Who

• Eleventh Doctor on TARDIS Index File, an external wiki