A day has passed since the powers-that-be at the BBC declared Matt Smith, an actor with a brief resume and emo locks that would instantly qualify him for honorary membership with Panic at the Disco, the Eleventh Doctor. What has the reaction been so far from fellow TV bloggers and devotees of the Doc-tah? Mixed, to say the least. I’ve decided that I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt until his first episode as the Doctor.
Annie Wu at CliqueClack seems to agree with me to a certain point, although she is “worried” they didn’t go with someone “older and rougher looking”, citing Bill Nighy as an example. Ducky at Ducky Does TV wasn’t expecting the new Doctor to be so young, and says it “might take some getting use to”. Jace at Televisionary was surprised as well, but remarked that “it’s perhaps a blessing to cast a relative unknown in the iconic role.”
From what I’ve seen of fan reaction so far, some think he’s too young, others think his brief resume will be a detriment. Some think Smith is cute, while others are still mourning the loss of their beloved David Tennant. I’ve noticed the common thread that there are a significant number of people who are going to wait until they’ve seen Smith in action. An observation made by Televixen reader Sheryl (and mirrored in several other blogs I’ve read) is the whole “Benjamin Button” effect – The Doctor gets younger with each regeneration.
Honestly, I am going to reserve my opinion until I see his debut. With Steven Moffat at the helm, I have no doubt that Smith is in good hands. And keep in mind, hair can always be cut.
In case you missed Matt Smith’s reaction, you can watch the clip HERE.
Melissa, aka The Televixen, is a Toronto-based TV blogger and podcaster with a weakness for vampires and viper pilots. After freelancing with print and online magazines for several years, she founded 