SMITH AND SMITH

Comments are flying on Behind the Sofa (http://www.behindthesofa.org.uk/), Beans on Toast (http://www.doctor-who.fr/) or through the web in general, since the beginning of the evening. The name of the successor of David Tennant as The Doctor, the most popular character of the History of British television, has been announced in a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential (the Doctor Who companion series).

After months of speculations and the usual list of names fans of Who or James Bond must endure when the time for a new face has come, the identity of the 11th Doctor is now known: and the winner is... Matt Smith (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/03/who.shtml).

DOCTOR SMITH IS HERE

Matt Smith is well-known by those who enjoyed The Ruby In The Smoke and The Shadow In The North (two Sally Lockhart stories adapted from Phillip Pullman). He's 26 years old and will get the keys of the TARDIS in 2010 for the fifth season of the show brought back to life by writer-producer extraordinary Russell T. Davies in 2005.

For those who came in late... David Tennant, still in the blue box for a series of specials, declared in October 2008 that he would not return as the Doctor in 2010 (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/10/its-only-movie-ingrid-episode-4.html). Remember that the fact that Tennant, one of the most popular Doctors of the History of the series, played with the Royal Shakespeare Company was one of the reasons invoked for the delay of Season 5.

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, SAID ZEBEDEE

Remember also the infamous botched regeneration at the end of the first half of the finale of a season 4 which left the strange feeling that some of the people involved where already moving on (http://www.doctor-who.fr/d_itw_attard.php - In French) . And the "Next Doctor" played by the excellent David Morrissey in the 2008 Christmas special.

Knowing the talented Mr Davies like we all learned to during these four years, we all had the intuition that Morrissey would not really be this Next Doctor (even if your humble servant hoped vainly that the acteur WAS the New Doctor) but why O why this title then? « I’ll explain later » said the other. A new showrunner (the great Steven Moffat), a new exec, a new Doctor. Matt Smith reminds of Peter Davison (the fifth Doctor), which is certainly a good start because Doctor Who really needs a regeneration.

BILLIE, BILLIE DON'T YOU LOSE MY NUMBER

There were times when appeal to targeted demographics were not amongst parameters for the choice of a new Doctor but Doctor Who is the biggest source of revenues for BBC Worldwide. Anyway Matt Smith is a skilled actor and an interesting choice. His youth will allow him to do 5 seasons.

And, of course, he played with Billie "Rose Tyler" Piper in the two Sally Lockhart and in an episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl. To suppose that Miss Piper will appear in the fifth season of Doctor Who is probably not unreasonable. Romance in the air... again? Fans of Twilight would certainly appreciate.

Welcome to Mr Smith. The Next Doctor had "dickensian" shades. The New one inspires great expectations.

Reactions:

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http://doctorwho.xooit.fr/t812-Matt-Smith-est-le-Doctor-11.htm (In French)

Special thanks to Corinne AUFFRET-NGUYÊN