Matt Smith

Remember that movie Doctor Who star Matt Smith was making, right as his time in the TARDIS was winding down? And it’s why he shaved his head and had to wear a wig in his final Christmas special, and all that jazz?

Well, buckle up, gang. That movie has arrived. And it’s probably not anything like what you expected.

Called Lost River, the film is something of a fantasy tale, and marks the directorial debut of the Internet’s Original Boyfriend Ryan Gosling. Smith stars opposite Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, as well as Iain De Caestecker, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes and Ben Mendelson.

Smith’s character is apparently named Bully, who may or may not inhabit some sort of dreamscape, and there are an awful lot of explosions and fire and destruction.

It’s been a bit over a week since Doctor Who Christmas special The Time of the Doctor aired – the episode in which we bid a fond farewell to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, said hello to Peter Capaldi’s Twelve, and were basically left flailing in anticipation for Series 8, which is a tremendously long eight months away, at best. Yikes.

While opinions about Smith’s swan song are decidedly mixed – for me, The Time of the Doctor hit several really nice emotional beats, almost all of which were derailed in various places by a draggy plot that was alternately dull and confusing – most everyone can agree that the actor did some truly wonderful work in the episode. And it’s going to be weird having a new face driving the TARDIS after all this time, no matter how accomplished an actor is picking up the sonic screwdriver. So it’s okay if you’re still in a little bit of mourning at the moment.

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more Doctor Who-related goodness after the magical 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, well, guess what, the BBC seems bound and determined to spoil us all, with a continued flood of video goodies sure to make all Whovians pretty happy.

Even after we got a whale of an episode for the 50th already, the fun doesn’t stop there. There’s a new behind-the-scenes clip and a deleted scene from the anniversary special itself, as well as our first (incredibly brief) look at the upcoming 2013 Christmas special – also known as the episode where Matt Smith hangs up his sonic screwdriver and we say goodbye to the Eleventh Doctor.

Basically, this is a really good week to be a Doctor Who fan.

The BBC has released the first trailer for the rabidly highly anticipated Doctor Who 50th anniversary special – or at least the first trailer that actually features footage from the episode rather than stock imagery and a voiceover – and, get ready to get excited, because it looks amazing. The Day of the Doctor combines Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith with Tenth Doctor David Tennant, brings back Billie Piper alongside current companion Jenna Coleman, and finally solves the mystery of whoever John Hurt’s apparent “Doctor” happens to be.

Interestingly enough, this is still not the anniversary trailer that was shown during the Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic Con last July. It’d be a shame if that never saw the light of day, so here’s hoping another trailer is in our future before November 23.

Anyway, sit back, relax and enjoy. The Day of the Doctor looks pretty amazing. ETA: Would you believe that while writing this post, a second, extended 50th anniversary trailer was released, which includes almost another minute of new footage. Click through and enjoy.

Doctor Who fans around the globe are counting down the minutes until November 23 and The Day of the Doctor – the official broadcast of the iconic sci-fi series’ special 50th anniversary episode.

With just over a month to go until transmission, we’ve still seen no trailer for the special and we have only the sketchiest details about its plot. However, we finally do get a glimpse of what the episode has in store for us – the BBC has released a handful of pictures from The Day of the Doctor which, while not as good as a trailer, are plenty enough to start getting fans exciting and start whipping up speculation about what we can expect to see in this highly anticipated installment.

The new photographs feature current Doctor Matt Smith, former Doctor David Tennant and nebulous, as-yet-unidentified-how-he-quite-fits-in-yet Doctor John Hurt. While none of the new pictures reveal anything in the way of plot, they at least show all three Doctors together, as well as several other current and returning characters.

And, of course, it’s always fun to see what we can deduce from these seemingly harmless images. Let the speculation (and wild excitement) begin!

It’s official: filming wrapped on the 2013 Doctor Who Christmas special this week, which means that Matt Smith has officially hung up his sonic screwdriver as the Eleventh Doctor. Though we’ll see his Eleven in two more episodes before Smith officially departs, the next time filming on the iconic sci-fi series kicks off, Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi will have taken over the role. So, it’s a bittersweet time for Whovians everywhere as one era ends and another begins.

But, all is not lost – with Smith exiting the TARDIS, that means he’ll have plenty of time for new projects. Who’s grueling filming schedule generally meant that its star didn’t do very much outside of play the Doctor, but now he seems poised to take advantage of his new found stardom. Smith already filmed the movie How to Catch a Monster during the break between the 50th anniversary and Christmas specials, and has now turned to the stage for his next project. He’ll be starring in the upcoming musical (yes, musical) production of American Psycho, which is set to begin in London this December.

Fans the world over are basically counting the minutes (seconds? milliseconds?) until November 23, when iconic science fiction series Doctor Who officially turns 50. And now, finally, with the big day looming just over two months away, we finally have a few concrete details about what the anniversary special will look like.

The episode’s title has been revealed – it will be called The Day of the Doctor, which seems fitting given that there are at least three versions of the character running around in this installment. The episode will be 75 minutes long, and will feature Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor somehow coming into contact with David Tennant’s Tenth incarnation, as well as the return of former companion Billie Piper as Rose. Oh, and theoretically we’re going to get some answers to that whole “and John Hurt is also a Doctor” cliffhanger from Series 7 as well.

The official poster for the episode has also been released online by BBC America, and if this isn’t enough to push your anniversary excitement levels into truly dangerous territory, well. Despite the fact that Tennant’s Ten is sporting a much, much less fluffy hairdo than we may remember, this poster is awesome

Doctor Who fans around the world are going to have to synchronize their sonic screwdrivers to make sure they catch the iconic series’ highly-anticipated 50th anniversary special this November. In an unprecedented move (at least for anything that isn’t Prince William’s wedding), the BBC has decided that the Who anniversary episode will be simulcast around the world, in an effort to avoid spoilers and online leaks ruining the special event for fans following its initial UK broadcast. This event is set to be the biggest drama simulcast in history. So, get excited, Whovians!

According to a statement released by BBC Worldwide in the Radio Times, the commercial entity responsible for the global distribution of Doctor Who and other series, “It's always been our ambition to work with our broadcast partners so that international Doctor Who fans can enjoy the 50th Anniversary special at the same time as the UK. We'll have more details soon about our very exciting global plans for November."

Doctor Who fans around the world are still reeling from the recent announcement that Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith will be leaving the show following its 2013 Christmas special.

Smith, who is clearly aware of the emotional devastation this news has wrought, has decided to make a public statement on the topic for the first time since the news broke.

Looking strikingly different since he shaved all his hair off for his role in Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut How to Catch a Monster, Smith recorded a special video message for Who fans while shooting his new movie in Detroit. If you can get past the fact that Smith now bears an uncanny resemblance to former Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston thanks to his new hairdo, the video is quite sweet and a lovely gesture to all the fans who are already mourning his absence.

Well, Whovians, it looks like we’re getting a regeneration for Christmas.

The BBC announced today that Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith will hang up his sonic screwdriver following Doctor Who’s 2013 Christmas special.

Rumors about the possibility of Smith’s departure have been swirling for some time, but now it’s all properly official, it almost feels a bit unreal.

Smith, who has been playing the Doctor since 2010, shared some thoughts about his time on the show in a statement. “Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show,” he said. “I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realize all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.”

More after the jump.