Matt Smith Is Leaving Doctor Who

Matt Smith in my favourite episode from his time as the Doctor, 'The Rebel Flesh'.

On Saturday it was announced that Matt Smith will be stepping down from the role of the Doctor, and that his character will regenerate in the 2013 Christmas special. This means that Smith's incarnation of the Time Lord will grace our screens for only another two episodes; alongside his predecessor David Tennant in the upcoming 50th anniversary special, and departing in the Christmas special.

Smith took over the role from Tennant back in 2010 and will have appeared in 44 episodes by the time he leaves. While Smith's Doctor was initially the cause of some backlash from Who fans, replacing Tennant's shoes, who has arguably been the best Doctor since the shows revival, and the fact that he is the youngest actor to play the titular role, a role which is considered by many that needs to be played by an older actor that can express 'experience', didn't do him any favours. Despite this many have grown attached to Smith's youthful, kooky and charming Doctor, his fondness for Fez's and bow ties, as well as his catch phrase, 'Genorimo!'.

I'm both happy and hesitant about this news at the same time. Happy because this past season, and majority of Smith's years, haven't been that good, but the great thing about Doctor Who's longevity is that it is able to bring in fresh blood and try and see if something different works, which the writers have the opportunity to do here.

That being said, I'm hesitant because Doctor Who does change so often it seems the writers have difficulty finding a rhythm between characters before either the Doctor or the assistant(s) are replaced, basically disregarding all the hard work they've done to try and make it work.

I thought the first six episodes of the shows sixth season were great, which I was surprised about because I thought I hated Amy and Rory, but I think the cast and the writers got to a point were everything gelled together really nicely. And then there was the introduction of the ridiculously long mid-season break. And then the flow was lost. And season six finished and it hadn't really come back. And season seven started, and it felt as if the writers stopped caring about it in anticipation for the arrival of the next new assistant Clara. As a character she hasn't really worked for me either, but again, the writers don't need to mind about making her work with Smith's Doctor because now there's going to be a new one.

Overall, since Tennant left, I just find the start/ stop pacing of Doctor Who very frustrating. Let's hope whoever they bring in can recapture the magic, and stay tuned for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, airing November 2013.201iversary i, and , more