Category: Doctor Who

‘Skyfall’ actor Rory Kinnear reportedly offered ‘Doctor Who’ role

Kinnear, best known for playing MI6 officer Bill Tanner in the previous two James Bond movies, has reportedly been offered the role of ‘The Doctor’ in Doctor Who.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the 35-year-old actor has been offered the opportunity to play the 12th Doctor when Matt Smith leaves the iconic sci-fi series at the end of this year.

A source told the newspaper: He has been offered the part and we are waiting to hear if he will accept. He is the perfect choice.

Bookies have also suspended taking bets on who the next Doctor will be. A spokesman for Ladbrokes said: “All bets are now off when it comes to the identity of the next Doctor Who. Kinnear had always been a popular punt, but after a flurry of activity which pushed him into favouritism we closed the book.”

However, the BBC has denied the reports, while a show insider told The Mirror: “Rory is known as a very talented actor, but isn’t as ­recognisable as some other candidates.”

The 12th Doctor will be decided by Steven Moffat, Danny Cohen, the BBC’s new head of television, controller of drama commissioning Ben Stephenson, casting director Andy Pryor and the show’s incoming executive producer Brian Minchin. A new series, expected to be 12 episodes long, is due to begin filming in the autumn.

Matt Smith announced he was quitting the long-running sci-fi drama last weekend, saying his experience playing the iconic role for three years had been the “most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke.”

He added: “I’m incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.”

Matt Smith first appeared as the 11th Doctor in the New Year’s Day episode in 2010, replacing David Tennant in the role. He was the youngest ever Doctor and only actor to be nominated for a BAFTA playing the character. The BBC has said Smith’s “spectacular exit” is yet to be revealed but added that it would be “kept tightly under wraps”.

Matt Smith leaving ‘Doctor Who’

Matt Smith is leaving the ‘Doctor Who’ universe after four years.

BBC and BBC America announced the exit on Saturday. In 2010, the 30-year-old actor was the 11th person to assume the iconic role. He willl be appearing in November’s much-anticipated 50th anniversary episode and officially leaving the role (or “regenerating” as the series calls the handoff to a new Doctor) during the annual Christmas special.

Here is his statement:

‘”Doctor Who’ has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I’m incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realize all the elements of the show and deliver ‘Doctor Who’ to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.”

Having Steven Moffat as showrunner write such varied, funny, mind-bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It’s been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he’s a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

The fans of ‘Doctor Who’ around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I’ve never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I’m back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!

It’s been an honor to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with ‘the ginger, the nose and the impossible one’. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt.”

Smith has been heralded as one the most popular Doctors of the franchise. He was the first to be nominated for a BAFTA for the role. He also won the Most Popular Male Drama Performance at Britain’s National Television Awards last year.

Showrunner Steven Moffat released the following statement on Smith’s departure:

“Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next. The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him — sometimes literally — his behavior was always worthy of the Doctor.

But great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you Matt — bow ties were never cooler.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now — all unknowing, just going about their business — is someone who’s about to become the Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that’s still so exciting!”

Under Moffat’s watch, Smith, the youngest actor to play the character, starred alongside three different companions: Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and this past season’s Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman).

‘Doctor Who’ to return on March 30

Are you ready for your weekends to get bigger (on the inside)? BBC America has announced that it will premiere the second half of the current season of the longrunning U.K. time travel Doctor Who on Saturday, March 30. The episodes will be showcased in the network’s “Supernatural Saturday” block of programming alongside Orphan Black — which stars Tatiana Maslany as a woman whose life changes dramatically after witnessing the suicide of someone who looks just like her — and a full season of the Chris Hardwick-hosted, comedy-variety talk show, The Nerdist.

As Who fans will be well aware, the new Doctor Who shows will be the first run of episodes to star the Doctor’s new, mysterious companion played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, who was (sort of) introduced in last year’s Asylum of the Daleks and then (sort of) reintroduced during the special Christmas episode. The upcoming shows have been written by, amongst others, Luther creator Neil Cross, comics legend Neil Gaiman, and Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat.

‘Doctor Who’: 50th anniversary movie will look back at the show’s creation

“Doctor Who” is getting an origin story — but not in the traditional superhero sense.

In honor of the show’s 50th anniversary next year, the BBC has commissioned a movie that will dramatize how “Doctor Who” came into being, BBC News reports. Mark Gatiss, who has written several episodes of the current series (and acted on the show as well, along with playing Mycroft Holmes on “Sherlock”), is writing the script.

The movie will detail the creation of the show, which was originally intended as an educational series aimed at children, and the hiring of William Hartnell, who had previously been known mostly for tough-guy roles, as the first Doctor.

“I’ve wanted to tell this story this for more years than I can remember,” Gatiss tells the BBC. “To make it happen for ‘Doctor Who’s’ 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true.”

“Doctor Who” first aired on the BBC on Nov. 23, 1963. The 50th anniversary movie is set to premiere on BBC Two sometime in 2013.

‘Doctor Who’: is Sophia Myles the new companion?

“Doctor Who” show runner Steven Moffat just tweeted something that set the Whovians all atwitter. He may have just revealed the identity of the newest companion. Fans of “Doctor Who” are still in mourning for the departure of companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) but a fan favorite might be joining the cast.

Now, we’re not sure if this is the way to interpret the tweet from @steven_moffat, but judge for yourself.

Right EVERYBODY who follows me, go and follow @SophiaMyles – spin that fireplace. NOW. I’ll explain later. Or not.

Sophia Myles tweeted back: “Watch this (fire)place,” and “The plot thickens…”

If you recall, Myles played Mme. Pompadour in “The Girl in the Fireplace,” which is widely touted as one of the show’s best episodes. (We’d also add “The Doctor’s Wife” in there.) While we’d love to see her back, we’re not sure the famous character would be a full companion.

Matt Smith says he has no plans to leave ‘Doctor Who’

Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has insisted that he has no plans to leave the BBC One series despite the impending exits of his co-stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

It was reported earlier this month that Gillan and Darvill, who portray the Doctor’s companion Amy Pond and her husband Rory Williams respectively, will leave the sci-fi show during its next series.

But Smith, who has played the Time Lord since 2010, revealed on The Graham Norton Show that he didn’t see himself following in their wake and remained committed to the programme.

When asked by the chat show host if he would also be leaving, Smith replied: No. I am very happy to stay. I love it and love making the show.

He went on to say of Gillan: “I’ll miss her because she’s my best mate. She’s mad as a box of cats but she’s a firecracker.”

Earlier this week, Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat hinted that the show’s 50th anniversary will feature multiple specials. He also rubbished reports that a planned Doctor Who movie will ‘reboot’ the story from its TV origins and start again.

David Yates to Direct DOCTOR WHO Movie

David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter movies, is set to helm a big-screen adaptation of the popular and long-running TV series Doctor Who.

If you are unfamiliar with the series, it follows an alien known as The Doctor who goes around with a human companion on mostly episodic adventures across space and time. The Doctor is a “Time Lord” who travels in the TARDIS (which looks like a 1960s-style London police box), and he can be incarnated in different forms (i.e. new actors) up to twelve times and TV show is currently on the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith). However, Yates says his version will not follow the current TV series and will be a completely fresh approach. It’s a smart move because you don’t risk angering fans of the TV series, or forcing newcomers to catch up with a show that’s been on and off and back on the air from 1963 to 1989 and rebooted in 2005.

Yates tells Variety, “We’re looking at writers now. We’re going to spend two to three years to get it right. It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena.”

Yates and producer Jane Tranter are currently looking at writers in the UK and the US even though Doctor Who has always been a British TV series. However, the “British sensibility” won’t be lost, “but having said that,” notes Yates, “Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too.”

Yates found the material appealing because “the notion of the time-travelling Time Lord is such a strong one, because you can express story and drama in any dimension or time.”

‘Doctor Who’ star Matt Smith: ‘I want to establish a career in Hollywood’ Sci-fi actor admits it may not be long before he leaves the BBC series

Doctor Who star Matt Smith has admitted that he is keen to establish a career in Hollywood.

The actor said that he may try out for acting roles in Los Angeles, once filming on the next series of the BBC sci-fi drama is complete, suggesting that may be his last appearance on the show.

He told VH1: I’ve got another year of Doctor Who, but then I’m certainly going to come and give it a shot. [I’d like to] come and hang out in LA.

The star previously told the Radio Times that he was unsure when he would leave Doctor Who.

“There’s no break from [the show],” he added. “It’s a conveyor belt of things to do but it does get lighter. That said, I’m being creative and challenged and you’ve got pay the bills.”

Last year, Smith reportedly signed a contract to remain with Doctor Who until the show’s 50th anniversary in 2013.

Earlier this year the sci-fi series was broadcast in the US at the same time as the UK to boost ratings in America.

Neil Gaiman To Write ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ For Doctor Who!
Ever since its announcement a few years ago, Whovians have eagerly awaited the upcoming Doctor Who episode written by the award-winning Neil Gaiman (Sandman, The Graveyard Book). Its recently revealed title, ëThe Doctorís Wife,í has further fueled the excitement for this collaboration between Gaiman and ëWhoí writer Steven Moffat. Itís important to remember that Doctor Who episode titles have been misleading in the past. The stories ëThe Doctorís Daughterí and ëThe Next Doctor’ both surprised audiences with unexpected twists and turns.
Adding to the mystery, The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011 hinted that the Doctor will get married not onceÖ but twice. There have been furious rumors about the possibility of River Song being the Doctorís wife since her Season Five return. One of the Doctorís current companions, Amy Pond, specifically asks River if she is married to the Doctor. River neither confirms nor denies, but insinuates that there is much more to the story. Evidence from various episodes suggests that while she and the Doctor could have a future romantic relationship, marriage is not involved. If River isnít the answer, what is ëThe Doctorís Wifeí referring to? A simpler explanation could be that the title alludes to Amyís marriage to Rory, a nurse who could eventually become a doctor.
The internet is buzzing with speculation and anticipation for this episode. Season Six of Doctor Who premieres April 23rd on BBC.