... and it's Paterson Jos-- er, Matt Smith. Yes, the identity of David Tennant's replacement on Doctor Who was revealed during a special episode of Doctor Who: Confidential, focusing on the previous ten incarnations of the Time Lord. "Matt who?" I hear you cry...It's certainly a very unexpected choice. I didn't hear Matt Smith's name mentioned as a possibility anywhere, did you? Remembering Steven Moffatt's comment last autumn that he thinks The Doctor should be in his forties, I wasn't expecting a 26-year-old to get the role, either -- which makes Smith the youngest actor to play the part. And there's something a bit weird about the fact The Doctor will be played by someone younger than me. That's just never happened before. God, I feel old.
So, a good choice? With his deep-set eyes, squashed nose and wavy hair, he doesn't strike me as particularly Doctor-y. But, during the last 10-minutes of this Confidential special, you could tell he's genuinely excited, passionate and committed to doing his absolute best. I could even see some eccentricity in his finger-wiggling gestures, which pleased me.
Interestingly, Smith's already co-starred with former-companion Billie Piper in The Ruby In The Smoke and The Shadow In The North, and some will recognize him from political drama Party Animals and The History Boys (which co-starred Russell Tovey, another contender for the role.) But, for the vast majority of people, Matt Smith's a new face who brings no great expectations. Just mild confusion. But I trust Steven Moffatt's opinion, and if he thinks Smith's the best man to pilot the TARDIS in 2010, so be it.
Your own thoughts and opinions are welcome, nay encouraged, in the comments below. Are you happy with the Eleventh Doctor? Annoyed? Intrigued? Perplexed? Worried? Indifferent?
