Eleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor | |
---|---|
Doctor Who character | |
First regular appearance | "The Eleventh Hour" (2010) |
Last regular appearance | "The Time of the Doctor" (2013) |
Introduced by | Steven Moffat |
Portrayed by | Matt Smith |
Preceded by | David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) |
Succeeded by | Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor) |
Information | |
Tenure | 3 April 2010 – 25 December 2013 |
No of series | 3 |
Appearances | 39 stories (44 episodes) |
Companions |
|
Chronology |
The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As with previous incarnations of the Doctor, the character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old
This incarnation's main companions included
Casting
The Doctor is a very special part, and it takes a very special actor to play him. You need to be old and young at the same time, a boffin and an action hero, a cheeky schoolboy and the wise old man of the universe. As soon as Matt walked through the door, and blew us away with a bold and brand new take on the Time Lord, we knew we had our man.
Executive producer and head writer Steven Moffat on Smith's casting.[3]
David Tennant announced at the National Television Awards on 29 October 2008 that he would be stepping down from portraying the Doctor because he felt that the four years he spent portraying the character was enough.[4] At the time, BBC News published that Paterson Joseph, who appeared in the Doctor Who episodes "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways", was the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Tennant,[5] followed by David Morrissey, who would be appearing in the 2008 Christmas special, "The Next Doctor". Other candidates included Sean Pertwee, son of Third Doctor actor Jon Pertwee;[6] Russell Tovey, who portrayed Alonso Frame in the 2007 Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned";[7] and James McAvoy.[8]
Although Steven Moffat anticipated choosing a middle-aged actor for the new Doctor,[9] Smith was aged 26 when cast, making him the youngest actor to portray the Doctor, three years younger than Peter Davison was at the time he began his role as the Fifth Doctor. Show producers were cautious about casting Smith because they felt that a 26-year-old could not play the Doctor adequately; BBC Wales Head of Drama Piers Wenger shared the sentiment, but noted that Smith was capable enough to play the role.[10][3][11] Smith's casting in the role was revealed during an episode of Doctor Who's companion show Doctor Who Confidential, during which he described the role as "a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on".[3]
Prior to auditioning for the role, Smith had never seen Doctor Who.[12] He prepared for the role by writing his own stories featuring The Doctor, and took special inspiration from Patrick Troughton's portrayal of the Second Doctor.[13][14][15]
Character
Costume
The Eleventh Doctor spends most of his first full episode, "The Eleventh Hour", in the tattered remains of the Tenth Doctor's clothing, leading young Amelia Pond to nickname him "the Raggedy Doctor."
The Doctor's initial outfit, chosen within the narrative of "The Eleventh Hour" from an array of clothes found in a hospital, is a brown
The original tweed jacket is lost in the episode "
After appearing in Victorian period clothing throughout "
In "
In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Steven Moffat revealed that the Eleventh Doctor had an entirely different costume until close to the start of filming. The original look had a swashbuckling feel which Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury described as "a little like something Captain Jack Sparrow wears in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies". However, Matt Smith was unhappy with the costume as he felt it reflected how someone else would dress the Doctor, rather than how the Doctor would dress himself. Smith also mentioned in a 2012 interview that his Doctor was going to have a "very long black leather jacket, but it was too Matrix-style".[16] The eventual costume, in particular the bow-tie, was influenced by Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor, after Matt Smith fell in love with the Troughton story The Tomb of the Cybermen.[17]
Personality
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2013) |
Steven Moffat describes the Eleventh Doctor as an "old man trapped in a young man's body" and Matt Smith characterizes him as someone with "a lot of blood on his hands" who copes via constant travelling and thrill-seeking.[18][19]
The depictions of the personalities of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors shared certain similarities
Appearances
Television
The Eleventh Doctor first appears in the final scene of "
In the Christmas special "
In the show's 50th anniversary special, while investigating a strange occurrence beneath London's National Gallery, the Doctor encounters his past incarnation who fought in the Time War (John Hurt) as well as his immediate previous incarnation (David Tennant). Though the older Doctors berate the 'War Doctor' for his killing both Time Lords and Daleks with a sentient weapon known as the Moment, they ultimately choose to support his decision and forgive themselves for this past atrocity. Led by the Moment into the midst of the Time War, the Doctors realize they have the potential to change its outcome and enlist the aid of their previous incarnations in an uncertain bid to save Gallifrey from destruction. They place the planet in stasis and transport it to a pocket universe, making it appear to be destroyed. As an effect of time travel, only the Eleventh Doctor will remember saving Gallifrey; he learns from a cryptic curator (played by Tom Baker) that his plan worked.[28] In "The Time of the Doctor," the Doctor is lured to what he learns is the planet Trenzalore to decode what he discovers is a message from the displaced Time Lords through the last remaining crack in the universe: the oldest question in the universe, "Doctor who?". Learning that the verification of his identity would allow the Time Lords to return, the Doctor finds out that the signal caught the attention of an assortment of his enemies, who wish to prevent Gallifrey's return, and the powerful Church of the Papal Mainframe, who wish to destroy the planet and avoid the possibility of a new Time War. After attempting to send Clara back to her time, the Doctor spends centuries defending the planet from alien incursions. During this time, a faction of the Church led by the Silence breaks away and attempts to avert these events by destroying the Doctor earlier in his timeline, as seen in series 5 and 6. The Doctor also reveals to Clara he has no regenerations remaining and will likely die in the siege. The siege escalates into all-out war and after centuries pass, only the Daleks remain. Though the heavily aged Doctor anticipates his predestined death on the battlefields of Trenzalore, Clara convinces the Time Lords to give the Doctor a new regeneration cycle as he uses a fiery blast of regenerative energy to destroy the Dalek mothership. The Doctor regains his youth before retiring to the TARDIS to complete the process. He hallucinates a final farewell to Amy Pond and delivers a eulogy to his present incarnation, before abruptly completing his transition into the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi). He made a reappearance in "Deep Breath" (2014). While adjusting to the new Doctor, Clara receives a phone call from the Eleventh Doctor made moments prior to their final meeting. He asks her to help his new self and not to be afraid of him.
Literature
Like the Tenth Doctor, the Eleventh and Amy (and later Rory) appear in
Audio
The Eleventh Doctor also appears in a
To tie into the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013, Big Finish and AudioGO produced The Time Machine, an audiobook story starring the Eleventh Doctor and narrated by Jenna Coleman. The Eleventh Doctor made his next audio appearance in 2016 for The Churchill Years - starring Ian McNeice narrating in-character as Winston Churchill - and its second series in 2018. He also appeared alongside the Tenth Doctor in The Jago and Litefoot Revival in 2017, narrated by Trevor Baxter and Christopher Benjamin.
In the absence of Matt Smith, voice actor and impressionist Jacob Dudman has voiced the Eleventh Doctor in multiple Big Finish productions, including the ongoing range The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles, which debuted in August 2018. In the first volume, Dudman voices the Doctor and serves as narrator; the second volume, released in September 2021, featured Dudman as the Doctor in full-cast dramas with no narrator. Dudman also voices the Eleventh Doctor for a cameo appearance opposite the Fifth Doctor in Thin Time and a pair of Short Trips in which the Doctor reunites with Jo Grant and meets his next incarnation, also voiced by Dudman.
In 2022, The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles underwent a format change for its third volume - Geronimo! - launching a twelve-part story across four volumes, set between the events of The Snowmen and The Bells of Saint John. Dudman returned as the Doctor and Safiyya Ingar was cast as the Doctor's new companion, Valarie Lockwood. The conclusion of this series in February 2024 also marked Dudman's retirement from the role of the Eleventh Doctor.[30][31]
Video games
The Eleventh Doctor is the first of the Doctors to appear in full-on action adventure games.
Critical reception
Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor was met with critical acclaim. Following the broadcast of "The Eleventh Hour", The Daily Telegraph reviewer Benji Wilson opined that "the Doctor is meant to be a mad alien, and Smith looks like one before he even opens his mouth", stating "it was ridiculous but it felt right: mad, alien, brand new but very old. A+ to the casting director. A+ to Smith".[33] In The Guardian, Daniel Martin concurred, stating that "Smith inhabits the role from the moment he pops up...[he] carries off the youthful vigour of a new body and the ancient professorial wisdom with easy panache".[34]
Martin Anderson of Shadowlocked claimed him to be the best Doctor since "Tom Baker practically redefined the character in the 1970s".[35] Smith's performance in "Flesh and Stone" was acclaimed by Gavin Fuller of The Daily Telegraph, who noted that "Matt Smith's 'quick-paced delivery' is 'a major facet' of the success of the current series."[36] In his review of "The Big Bang", Fuller once again praised Smith's acting. "Matt Smith was superb in his scenes where the Doctor sacrifices himself in the Pandorica to rescue the multiverse".[37] Kyle Anderson of Nerdist wrote "I don't know about you all, but the Eleventh Doctor was MY Doctor."[38] Dan Martin of The Guardian also claimed Smith as "my ultimate Doctor."[39]
References
- ^ Doctor Who: Best of the Companions! (Television production). BBC America. 28 August 2011.
- ^ Gareth Roberts (24 September 2011). "Open All Hours". Doctor Who Confidential. Series 6. Episode 12. 4:52 minutes in. BBC.
The Doctor allows Craig to come along and play the part of his companion [...]
- ^ a b c "Matt Smith is the New Doctor". Press Office. UK: BBC. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ "David Tennant quits as Doctor Who". News. BBC. 29 October 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ Masters, Tim (20 November 2008), "Who favourite talks Time Lords", News, UK: The BBC
- ^ Sean Pertwee keen on 'Doctor Who' role Ben Rawson-Jones. Digital Spy. 2 December 2007
- ^ Cockroft, Lucy (16 September 2008), "Stage actor Russell Tovey tipped as the eleventh Doctor Who", The Daily Telegraph, London, archived from the original on 18 September 2008
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Doctor Who: The runners and the riders". News. UK: BBC. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ Lewinski, John Scott (3 January 2009). "Announces Matt Smith as Next Doctor Who". Wired. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ "New Doctor actor is youngest ever". BBC News. UK. 4 January 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ "The Eleventh Doctor". Doctor Who Confidential. Series 4. Episode 15. 3 January 2009. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ Hayward, Catherine (11 August 2022). "Mr Smith Goes to Westeros". Esquire. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Mirror.co.uk (28 March 2010). "New Doctor Who Matt Smith wrote stories to help him understand Timelord's character". The Mirror. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ D'Arminio, Aubry (16 April 2010). "Matt Smith, the New Doctor Who, Answers Your Questions". Vulture. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Dan (2 October 2013). "How Patrick Troughton saved Dr Who". Metro. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Matt Smith – One Plus One Interview" (Interview). YouTube.com. Retrieved 29 June 2014.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Doctor Who Magazine issue 418, 3 February 2010
- ^ Eames, Tom (4 August 2013). "'Doctor Who' casting: You want to shock people, says Steven Moffat". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ Annaliza Savage (24 March 2010). "Exclusive: New Time Lord's Take on Doctor Who". Wired. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ James T. Cornish (1 August 2014). "Doctor Who Series 8: Everything We Know So Far " Page 9 of 15". Whatculture.com. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- TheGuardian.com. 16 August 2014.
- ^ William Martin (4 August 2014). "'Doctor Who' news summary: Everything we know so far about Peter Capaldi's Doctor". CultBox. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^ "Doctor Who series 8: Mark Gatiss on Peter Capaldi's Doctor". Den of Geek. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^ "'Doctor Who': Steven Moffat Teases 'Doctor Rude'; New Season 8 Images". Screenrant.com. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^ "The Doctor and Jo Grant join CBBC's The Sarah Jane Adventures in special episodes written by Russell T Davies". BBC Press Office. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- ^ "Out of Time". Doctor Who Confidential. 26 June 2010. 42 minutes in.
The Doctor: Something drew the TARDIS to this particular date and blew it up. Why? And why now? The Silence, whatever it is, is still out there.
Steven Moffat: The whole point of the silence is next series. Also, who is River Song? - ^ Steven Moffat, Saul Metzstein, Denise Paul, Marcus Wilson (18 May 2013). "The Name of the Doctor". Doctor Who. BBC.
- ^ Steven Moffat, Nick Hurran, Marcus Wilson (23 November 2013). "The Day of the Doctor". Doctor Who. BBC.
- ^ "Doctor Who travels to Titan Comics". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ^ "Doctor Who - The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles: Geronimo!". 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "The Doctors say Goodbye..." 6 February 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Doctor Who: The Adventure Games". Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- ^ Wilson, Benji (3 April 2010). "Doctor Who, BBC One, review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ Martin, Daniel (3 April 2010). "Doctor Who: Matt Smith's debut in The Eleventh Hour — the verdict". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ "Doctor Who: Matt Smith the best doctor since Tom Baker", Opinion, Shadowlocked, archived from the original on 18 October 2011
- ^ Fuller, Gavin (30 April 2010), "Doctor Who review: Flesh & Stone", Culture, London: The Daily Telegraph
- ^ Fuller, Gavin (26 June 2010), "Doctor Who: The Big Bang series finale review", Culture, London: The Daily Telegraph
- ^ Anderson, Kyle (25 December 2013). "DOCTOR WHO Review: The Time of the Doctor (SPOILERS!)". Nerdist. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
External links
- "Eleventh Doctor", BBC Doctor Who, BBC.
- Eleventh Doctor on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki