A few folks seem to be waiting for me to weigh in on the choice of relatively unknwon 26-year-old actor Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor, and I kinda wanted to wait until I’d seen the Doctor Who Confidential episode that introduced him. (By the way, if this episode of DWC doesn’t pull that particular show’s highest rating ever, I’m going to eat the nearest hat.) The interview with him on DWC doesn’t seem to have inspired much confidence in some quarters, but I really don’t think that interview is going to be the best display of what this guy’s bringing to the part. Look at it this way: after going for a dark-horse, one-in-a-zillion audition for one of the most prominent character roles in television, anywhere, you suddenly get the call that you’ve got the part, you get to sign a boatload of contracts (probably including more NDAs than anyone this side of a military covert op), and then you get rushed into a deer-in-the-headlights interview for inclusion in a mini-documentary that’s being slammed together at high speed so the BBC can beat the tabloids at their own game.
I wouldn’t expect to see Matt Smith – or anyone else for that matter – at his best in such a scenario. I do, however, remember seeing him in The Ruby In The Smoke with Billie Piper, and looking back, it may or may not comfort anyone reading this to know that I felt like he “read” older on the screen than he actually was when that was made. The same may also be true with Doctor Who. We just don’t know.
One very significant thing that I took away from the DWC episode is that Steven Moffat (the new showrunner, for whom this is a dream job that I don’t think he’s likely to rush into and screw up) talked at great length about wanting to hire a 40-something actor, and yet he and the other new producer were knocked out by this guy’s audition. If Smith’s audition performance was impressive enough to make an avowed Doctor Who traditionalist like Moffat do an about-face on his casting plans, then isn’t anyone the least bit curious as to what Smith might be bringing to the table? I’m curious to say the least.
It’s a really bold move for the BBC to reveal Smith over a year before we’re going to actually see him in the role; of course, Doctor Who fandom being Doctor Who fandom, this means there are more than 12 months worth of “emo Crispin Glover Doctor” gags to look forward to. Yay? If I had a dime for every time I was uncertain about a new incoming Doctor, or a Doctor I hadn’t seen before…I’d now officially have a dollar.
On a more humorous note, while I was bracing myself for the day when Doctor Who would be younger than me, I wasn’t quite ready for 10 years younger than me – when I was watching The Five Doctors, the eleventh Doctor was in diapers.
Speaking of guys in diapers, Evan spent so much time sleeping today that I was worried. I suppose he’s recovering from the fight his body had to put up against whatever stomach bug bit him on Thursday, but…yeah. I admit, I’d creep into his room and check to make sure he was still breathing. He was sleeping that much. Hopefully it’s all uphill from here; it’s not like him to be lethargic, and he was in a pissy mood all day – I could tell he was bothered by the absence of his own energy.
Unrelated to Dr. Who but along the same lines, at the last NBA game I attended I noticed on the official roster that (A) I am older than every single member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and (B) I am *15* years older than at least two of them. Where’s a time machine when you need one?
I had the same thoughts…15 years ago.
/me mutters about the young whippersnappers…