Matt Smith: The Next Doctor and Heir to a Legacy
Doctor Who, the highly imaginative, often strange and always fun science fiction franchise, began life from 1963 to 1996 and, after a brief lull, enjoyed a revival in 2005 and has been going strong ever since. The Doctor, the titular protagonist, has been played by eleven different actors over the course of the show’s history, each actor bringing a new face and a new attitude to the familiar role.
When news came down the pipe that Matt Smith would be taking on the role of the legendary, time traveling, alien genius, the internet was aghast. People rushed to their computers to find out just who this man was and debates raged across the internet about his qualifications and what he would bring to the revered role.
As the youngest actor to ever portray the enigmatic mastermind known simply as “The Doctor,” Smith had a lot to live up to. Old pros had come and gone with fans firmly planted in their various “favorite Doctor” camps and none of them wanted to see some young hotshot take what they loved about the show and turn it into something radical.
Luckily for everyone, Matt entered the role with both professionalism and practiced humility. He didn’t seek to assimilate the franchise and make it his own but instead became absorbed in the legacy of the greats, evolving the character naturally to fit his needs as an actor. Today, fans all over the world are cheering, mobbing the message boards on their wi-fi computers and firing up their direct tv ipad services; all for Matt Smith who has arguably become one of the best Doctors in the franchise.