The Eleventh Doctor
A Nice article from the Telegraph
I have a confession to make: I just cried tears of joy while watching a young 26 year old “unknown” actor discuss being cast in a television role. A strange hysterical giggle accompanied my tears. I felt his joy, his anticipation, his excitement, and the overwhelming sense of history that the role carries with it. The program he has been cast in is, of course, Doctor Who. Matt Smith will be the eleventh person to play the role of The Doctor.
I can think of no other television program that would produce and heavily promote a 30 minute special to announce a new lead actor, but this is what the BBC has done. The 30 minute special Doctor Who Confidential devoted the first 20 minutes to the previous actors who have taken on the role of The Doctor. This is a program that was first broadcast in 1963. It is still the longest running science fiction program in history. It isn’t just any television program: It is an icon of British popular culture.
Why my tears of joy? Matt Smith, as others before him have noted, will be playing a character whose iconic status is akin to that of Robin Hood, or Sherlock Holmes. Or James Bond. Smith doesn’t mention Bond, but the role of 007 is probably the film equivalent of that of The Doctor - the casting of the next James Bond is always a greatly anticipated event, one that the media and fans, and the general public discuss and debate with fervor. The one defining distinction between the abovementioned examples and Doctor Who is this: each actor to play Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes or James Bond is playing a version of that character, with little or no acknowledgement of those actors who have gone before. Each film or television series version of these characters is unique, a variation on core ideas, and while certain narrative elements may flow from one film to the other (See for instance James Bond’s Quantum of Solace, which leads on from Casino Royale) each installment can be viewed independently.
Doctor Who is different. The narrative of the program acknowledges explicitly that this is the eleventh Doctor. Not just a new actor’s variation on the role, but the eleventh varation of the program’s central character - his eleventh life. The Doctor, as established in the programs narrative and mythology, renews his body when it becomes old, or ill, or damaged. The program calls this “regeneration”, and each regeneration of The Doctor brings about not only a new face, but a reinterpretation of the character itself. While the core elements of the character remain stable - he is a Time Lord, with two hearts, who travels in time and space, defeats evil, brings down corrupt regimes and rights wrongs - each actor has been expected to bring something different to the character. The narrative of the program acknowledges that even the Doctor himself can never be sure what face or personality he will don next.
And so I cried when Matt Smith wiggled his fingers nervously, and smiled wryly when describing how the responsibility of taking on the role has stopped him sleeping. I cried tears of joy out of anticipation for what sort of Doctor he will be. I cried tears of joy because something in Smith’s interview asked me, for brief moments, to imagine what it would be like if I was in his shoes. Imagine being cast in such a role, not being able to tell your friends or family while your nation’s newspapers speculate on who will be cast (few of which even considered Smith as an option before the announcement). And imagine being 26, relatively new on the acting scene, and being offered probably the most iconic role in British television. To be the youngest person ever cast in the role. To be considered so right for the role that the producers of the program went against their instincts to cast an older actor. To be the eleventh Doctor. To be indelibly the eleventh Doctor.
Matt Smith is already facing criticism from fans in online forums. His somewhat emo, floppy dark haircut marks him as “youth”. His slightly less than articulate interview style contrasts heavily with that of his predecessor, David Tennant’s polished responses. I’ve already seen comments in online forums where people have explicitly stated they “will not be watching” Doctor Who anymore because of his casting.
But you know what? I’d give anything to be him. And for a moment I was him. I was him at the auditions, giving my all. I was him when he was offered the role, I was him when he knew he had the role but couldn’t tell anyone. And I will be him when he blazes onto our screens as The Doctor in 2010. Those tears of Joy? They were his. Best of luck to you Mr Smith.
I have a confession to make: I just cried tears of joy while watching a young 26 year old “unknown” actor discuss being cast in a television role. A strange hysterical giggle accompanied my tears. I felt his joy, his anticipation, his excitement, and the overwhelming sense of history that the role carries with it. The program he has been cast in is, of course, Doctor Who. Matt Smith will be the eleventh person to play the role of The Doctor.
I can think of no other television program that would produce and heavily promote a 30 minute special to announce a new lead actor, but this is what the BBC has done. The 30 minute special Doctor Who Confidential devoted the first 20 minutes to the previous actors who have taken on the role of The Doctor. This is a program that was first broadcast in 1963. It is still the longest running science fiction program in history. It isn’t just any television program: It is an icon of British popular culture.
Why my tears of joy? Matt Smith, as others before him have noted, will be playing a character whose iconic status is akin to that of Robin Hood, or Sherlock Holmes. Or James Bond. Smith doesn’t mention Bond, but the role of 007 is probably the film equivalent of that of The Doctor - the casting of the next James Bond is always a greatly anticipated event, one that the media and fans, and the general public discuss and debate with fervor. The one defining distinction between the abovementioned examples and Doctor Who is this: each actor to play Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes or James Bond is playing a version of that character, with little or no acknowledgement of those actors who have gone before. Each film or television series version of these characters is unique, a variation on core ideas, and while certain narrative elements may flow from one film to the other (See for instance James Bond’s Quantum of Solace, which leads on from Casino Royale) each installment can be viewed independently.
Doctor Who is different. The narrative of the program acknowledges explicitly that this is the eleventh Doctor. Not just a new actor’s variation on the role, but the eleventh varation of the program’s central character - his eleventh life. The Doctor, as established in the programs narrative and mythology, renews his body when it becomes old, or ill, or damaged. The program calls this “regeneration”, and each regeneration of The Doctor brings about not only a new face, but a reinterpretation of the character itself. While the core elements of the character remain stable - he is a Time Lord, with two hearts, who travels in time and space, defeats evil, brings down corrupt regimes and rights wrongs - each actor has been expected to bring something different to the character. The narrative of the program acknowledges that even the Doctor himself can never be sure what face or personality he will don next.
And so I cried when Matt Smith wiggled his fingers nervously, and smiled wryly when describing how the responsibility of taking on the role has stopped him sleeping. I cried tears of joy out of anticipation for what sort of Doctor he will be. I cried tears of joy because something in Smith’s interview asked me, for brief moments, to imagine what it would be like if I was in his shoes. Imagine being cast in such a role, not being able to tell your friends or family while your nation’s newspapers speculate on who will be cast (few of which even considered Smith as an option before the announcement). And imagine being 26, relatively new on the acting scene, and being offered probably the most iconic role in British television. To be the youngest person ever cast in the role. To be considered so right for the role that the producers of the program went against their instincts to cast an older actor. To be the eleventh Doctor. To be indelibly the eleventh Doctor.
Matt Smith is already facing criticism from fans in online forums. His somewhat emo, floppy dark haircut marks him as “youth”. His slightly less than articulate interview style contrasts heavily with that of his predecessor, David Tennant’s polished responses. I’ve already seen comments in online forums where people have explicitly stated they “will not be watching” Doctor Who anymore because of his casting.
But you know what? I’d give anything to be him. And for a moment I was him. I was him at the auditions, giving my all. I was him when he was offered the role, I was him when he knew he had the role but couldn’t tell anyone. And I will be him when he blazes onto our screens as The Doctor in 2010. Those tears of Joy? They were his. Best of luck to you Mr Smith.