Goodbye, Number 11

Figures, the day I'm out of town, and there's a big announcement.

Matt Smith, Doctor Number Eleven, will be leaving "Doctor Who" following the Christmas Special later this year.

It's a real shame, because things have really seemed to pick up for the new series.  I liked the Doctor's new outfit, new companion, new TARDIS interior, and even the new opening with the first floating Doctor-head-thingy since 1989.

Matt Smith was the star of the Series 7.2. He brought all of the scripts, good and bad, to life.  He was especially delightful when he talked to himself in "Nightmare in Silver." He and new co-star Jenna Louise Coleman have great chemistry, and it's sad that they won't be able to build on it.

I don't know if it's the scripts or the new companion, but Matt's Doctor came off really effortlessly, and there was little to no usage of the catchphrases forced upon him in his first stories.  I will miss the bow ties, of course, and the new Doctor will probably stay far from it to distinguish himself from Matt.

That leaves only the 50th Anniversary Special in November and the Christmas Special in December.  I assume that both are written by Moffat whose two scripts in Series 7.2 were not the best for Matt.

Sigh, now on with the endless speculation on who will be Doctor # 12. (Please don't be some twenty-something skinny, white kid. Oops, sorry, Matt.)