The good doctor...
Posted on 01/03/2009 10:40:45 AM PST by Molnar
The BBC today announced that Matt Smith has been cast in the role of the Doctor in the iconic BBC series Doctor Who. Smith will be the eleventh Time Lord and will take over from David Tennant who leaves the show at the end of 2009. He will be seen in the forthcoming fifth series that will be broadcast in 2010.
The fifth series will also have a new lead writer and Executive Producer in the form of the BAFTA award winning writer Steven Moffat who is taking over from Russell T Davies. Moffat will be joined by Piers Wenger who will be the new Executive Producer for BBC Wales making the show.
Following David Tennant's decision to step down at the end of 2009, the team behind the new series set about casting the new Doctor so that new adventures could be created and scripts written with Matt in mind.
The identity of the new Doctor was revealed on a special edition of Doctor Who Confidential that was broadcast on BBC One on January 3rd at 17.35hrs. In it Smith revealed his initial reaction at taking on such a legendary role and his thoughts on what direction the Doctor might now be going with him playing the part.
Matt Smith said of his new role "I'm just so excited about the journey that is in front of me. It's a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on. I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
I have read, Heinlein, Azimov, Clarke, Bradbury, etc. I have watched Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, etc.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, I have read and viewed so much science fiction fantasy and comic book heros......
....but I dont get nor will I ever understand Dr. Who. It must be a “..its a British thing, you wouldn’t understand” thing.
This is bullcrap, Dr. Who is supposed to be older. He is supposed to be a mentor to the young people he totes about the universes. I don’t watch any of the newer episodes although my 16 year old daughter likes them.
When I was a kid, Dr. Who was good, campy fun. The shows were real kitschy at times and obviously produced on a shoe string budget. But the actors who portrayed Dr. Who back in the day - especially IMHO Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker - and the Companions made the show fun and exciting for kids.
Now, well, the show looks cleaner and sharper than ever, but the writings seems so typically politically correct, preachy, pro-gay (yeah, I’m serious), and it’s lost all its campy fun.
Just my opinion. Others here love the new show.
The good doctor...
The newer series is far, far more watchable than, indeed, the ‘it’s a Brit thing, you wouldn’t understand’ classics. Though, you know, you watch a little Red Dwarf, some Blake 7, you remove some of that mystery to the classics. But no matter, you can certainly enjoy the new Doctor Who series if you feel like giving it another shot.
Youngest Doctor ever. Peter Davidson was 28 when he played the fifth doctor. I was sure the BBC would cast a black man to play Doctor Who in honor of Obama. Apparently that was a head fake by the BBC.
I never really watched Dr. Who but did catch it a few times, and I do believe you are right. Somehow these guys don’t understand a shoe-string budget can be appealing, it makes one feel somehow closer to the guys, like ‘hey, they’re one of us’.
When the money finally hits the showbiz guys, what will happen to this slick new show?
Best part about Dr. Who is the theme, IMHO.
I used to watch the video tape recorded Dr. Who series with Tom baker and Peter Davidson years ago because they were campy and kitschy. Now it's too slick and not even good Sci-Fi.
Of course, there's no good place to view good Sci-Fi now that the Sci-Fi channel has become the Scary Reality and Ghost Chasers Channel. Time to start dusting off the classics. I think I'll start with Niven's Known Space short stories and novels.
Yes,that,s right...
David Tennant should have played a Hobbit. Very expressive face and all that, but too shrimp-like.
At least the Daleks were creepier.
I used to agree with you. I hated Dr. Who. After all, it was never supposed to “be” anything but campy kid’s fun. However, this new series has aspired to something a bit better in its writing and I think it now approaches fairly good sci fi.
ping
I always liked the theme too!
Every few years, when there was a new guy playing the Doctor, they would update the theme without losing the essential quality of it. Neat idea.
He looks more like he’s 17, not 26. How much authority can he command?
Boo! Hiss!
(Not that I care, but I know people who love Dr. Who, and they say, boo, hiss.)
We never watched much after Tom Baker left the series, but when Tennant started playing the Doctor, we started being fans again. I thought they’ve done really well these last few seasons with plots and characters. They did a brilliant finale bringing back old characters, (Sarah Jane, K-9, etc.) and keeping the newer companions (Rose, Martha, Donna) in the same episode.
Somebody mentioned Red Dwarf...we were huge fans of that show, have all the DVD’s...it was quirky but very funny!
The Doctor is centuries old. His physical appearance isn't really tied to that.
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