Matt Smith - the new Doctor

Matt Smith has been announced as the 11th Doctor.

The Party Animals and Ruby in the Smoke star (set to appear in upcoming BBC2 crime drama Moses Jones) was an outside chance with all pundits, until earlier today, when his name suddenly propelled itself through the ranks of potential Time Lords. 

So how did Doctor Who Confidential announce the casting? Slowly…

It was like the old days, really. We had to sit through the football results and the news (Peter Sissons on the Who situation: “The nation awaits…”; Lizo Mzimba: “David Tennant is the 10th of several actors to portray the Doctor” – erm).  Then it began, but  the teasing continued. 

“When I heard who they cast as the 11th Doctor my absolute intial reaction was jealousy” – Russell T Davies.

“He was just spot on, right from the beginning, the way he looked, the way he said his lines. His hair” – Steven Moffat

FInally, the first real hint, from David Tennant: “And now there’s the youngest Doctor ever.” Moffat went on to describe him as: “Brilliant but not famous”, before revealing the new man was 26. Wikipedia’s Matt Smith page must have buckled. But there it was, confirmed.

There then followed a teeth-gnashingly drawn-out appraisal of all the former incarnations (featuring Lis Sladen punditing while dressed as a Victorian marm) – meaning it wasn’t until 25 minutes into the show we cut to “Matt Smith: The 11th Doctor”!
 

“I’m flabbergasted – I haven’t slept… It’s an iconic part of our culture,” said the man himself. “I had to be brave enough to make my own choices, choices based on me and my life” he continued, describing the audition process. 

Keeping his new job secret was tough for Smith: “What I did when I got the role was I paced around the room for three days… because I just didn’t know what to do.” He also revealed he’d received a letter with advice from David Tennant – although we weren’t made privy to its contents.

So what’s your response to the news? Post below!

…Other than who do you think it’s going to be? I’m sticking with Paterson Joseph. Although, if I’m allowed to hedge, I did pass Michael Sheen on the way to the Doctor Who Christmas episode press launch in December.

Michael Sheen

Paterson Joseph

Record numbers are surely predicted for Doctor Who Confidential, though. Right?