Doctor Who News of the Rumormill Kind

[rabid1st]

So, the Sun (hold your giggles) is reporting that Matt Smith will be leaving Doctor Who next year to pursue other roles.

http://www.digitalspy.com/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a244872/matt-smith-to-quit-who-next-year.html

I don't know that this counts as a spoiler, because I don't know that it is a real story. Don't they write a story like this every single year at this time?

But it it does fit in with the recent, very quickly squashed, rumor that the BBC would be looking for Matt Smith's replacement. As I said at that time, Matt isn't the problem. The problem is...well...they need to get the Doctor sorted out, but that ship has probably sailed. They could bring back Billie and David and join the two halves of the Doctor back together, I suppose. But that seems like a long shot.

I see that they have cast a very Billie-esque singer to star in the Christmas Special. I know for sure they will be exploring the love interest for the Doctor before they give up on that idea. It won't save them...because as RTD learned...it wasn't a love interest that was needed on this show. It was emotional dimension. It can be any emotion...friendship, loneliness, rage...but the Doctor needs to make human connections to be interesting to a modern audience.

Given that he won't be a superstar from Who, I can see Matt wanting to try other things. I can also see he and the BBC reaching some amiable agreement that allows them to cast an older actor very quickly. The guy that played Vincent, if they take my advice.

Rae

Comments

[susanb03.livejournal.com]

Why do I have a terrible feeling we've seen the last of Who for a while if they switch everything up again so soon......

[susanb03.livejournal.com]

I started rewatching from Rose the other day and was just blown away by the difference..... from Series 5

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

We have pretty much seen the last of Who, I'm afraid. It's just a matter of how many episodes we have left and how long they let it linger on life support. I hate to be pessimistic about it, but I think the fansites are fooling themselves with charts and numbers and they are not considering the deep ennui that people are experiencing when it comes to the show now. And nobody, of course, is aware of the core of the problem...which was that RTD downer of an ending. It's just a blindspot in our media culture.

Though truly, few shows even try to live on beyond their horrid unraveling. The X-Files would be the best example we have before this time. And again, I must state that I am Old School. I loved the concept of switching Doctors...but they never gave us hope of something new before RTD and Rose and Ten...to offer us refreshment and then knock the cup from our lips and offer us dry toast, is asking for ennui from the audience.

Rae

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

Tony Curan(sp) would be brilliant. Plus--he's ginger :-) That said, we've seen him recently and unless the Doctor and Vincent actually swap bodies in canon, it ain't gonna happen in our lifetime.

I don't know that Who won't survive another switch up. It worked from Nine to Ten, and could do with Eleven to Twelve if done properly and if Amy/Rory are still aboard for that sliver of continuity in the NEW new Whoniverse.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Keeping Rory and Amy would certainly work to the shows advantage, as would dumping River for a time. I really don't feel that switching Doctors will matter one way or the other.

Not because we would all hate the new guy...or be unwilling to change, but because Matt isn't a HUGE part of the problem. I think he lacks gravitas or the experience to deliver lightweight lines with some sense of internal purpose...but he's more handicapped by the material and direction (or lack thereof) he's getting.

As for Tony Curran having played Vincent...if you remember there is a certain measure of control over the regeneration process, exhibited by Romana when she regenerated. More to the point, it could just as easily be explained as an accidental mix up in his mind that caused him to look like VanGogh. I mean...Ten, intent on his own path of seduction, looks remarkably like Casanova. :grin:

Rae

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

We were typing at the same time and writing almost exactly the same kinda thing, lol.

Yeah, I can see the whole chosing to look like Vincent thing working out. And the Casanova thing just made me snorfle. Evil woman! ;-P

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

We both have great minds...that think alike...it is a wonder we ever get anything done.

Rae

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

PS I agree the problem with Moffat's Who isn't Matt per se but the way the Doctor himself is being written. Of course, if it was still Tennant, he'd find a way to imbue his role with at lease some of humanity he had in the RTD era, but we as viewers would be bringing a lot to that table as well.

[kellywiag.livejournal.com]

I just love you icon here !! I have many feelings about new new Who and they are all scattered! I liked some of it, I disliked some of it! I have to say I found the non Moffat ones better. I did however like the last 2 parter. If it could have been like that all series then fab, but they were lacking something, something really important! Oh yes Tennant!! It was ok, it just wasnt Tennant and Co, its lost its spark.... Who knows if they can recover, time will tell I suppose!

It certainly wont help matters in campWho! that the press seem to be promoting Matt's departure only 12 episodes in, yes its the Sun and that's the worst kind of media in the UK but it cant help matters...

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

It will make the faithful Whovians more self-righteous.

"Don't people understand that the show is GREAT? There's nothing wrong with the ratings. Look we've done a chart that shows S3 is the worst one. This is the fault of all those Tennant-Fans." Etc.

I have my doubts about the show recovering because I don't think they really will give us THAT GREAT a Christmas special. And they are already overselling it as "The Christmasy Christmas Special of all time." Which makes me think we will have Santa in it. Which makes me grimace, because it lowers the age demographic mentally...even if the concept is a good one.

Like you, I thought the final 2-parter was the best part of the season. It was rather like Moff did a three part episode with The Eleventh Hour...and then he had to fill in with a bunch of episodes and a crack in the universe. As much as everyone on the Moff-Train mocked RTD, I honestly believe that Moff was even more about simply sticking that crack in everywhere. This is the Bad Wolf treatment...but we have seen it before...and in the end...the crack, while menacing in concept, was given no emotional gravitas, either.

It was simply a plot point to follow. Very much like Mr. Saxon...and yet...even Mr. Saxon had more resonance. Bad Wolf had a sense of menace...but turned out to be a symbol of hope. Torchwood and Saxon both had real menace, but "She is Returning" had a lovely mixture of hope and despair to it. The crack was just...a crack. And it was so easy to solve in the end...all that rushing about and changing hats, seemed like child's play to the Doctor. I wanted him to cry over Amy. I wanted him to feel something about the end of the universe, beyond resignation and a selfishness about it. But then...that would be TEN(NANT).

And thanks for the icon love.

Rae
working on Wild Geese 2, I promise.