I've been wondering if we'll see a regeneration in the 50th anniversary special. It makes a lot of sense. I hadn't considered the contract length mixing in with it 'til now though. Kinda makes me think this is something we'll see happening.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Well maybe this "fall of the Eleventh" that Moffats dangling now will be this Doctor's exit in 2013. Just working up to it.

how about this for a 50th ann series - 2 eps tom baker, 2 eps PD, 2 eps CB, 2eps SM, 2 eps PM, (CE questionable), 2 eps DT, then a MS story tieing them all together, followed by a regeneration to a new doctor. this allows matt to persue a hollywood career, and a new doctor for s8 :)

What's the surprise? How many have done more than 3 Years?

63-66
66-69
81-84
84-86
87-89
1996
2005
The rest are exceptions and 10 was 3 full seasons and bits!

ahoj

As amazing as it must be to be a young actor with the DW gig, I reckon it is unlikely that he wants to stay more than 3 years. Tennant moved on after 3 seasons. Matt would have opened a lot of doors for himself by doing the show, he must be itching to get out into the world and see what comes of it all.

Damn, I was hoping for at least four seasons. I need at least two to get used to a new guy...

I figured this would happen with all the fall of the 11th stuff and the 50th coming up and his contact ending....

But don't you think he was being an idiot to say that he has one more year on Doctor Who then off to america, not only is it spoilers for us about the regen, but it kinda recks the story for him.

And I don't know if you know this but VH1 is pretty big here in the states, I think he would be a little less dumb if he said that with a tiny interview with no cameras.

But I wonder if he'll get in trouble for saying this when he wasn't supposed to, someone got to talk about this statement soon.

Sad to see him go though....

Sorry to see him go, he's been a terrific doctor but really 3 seasons is quite enough for any doctor. Look what happen to Tom Baker after three seasons!

"Look at what happened to Tom Baker after three seasons"? Er, What? Consistent celebrity while in the part? A devoted fanbase that STILL wants him to return to the role? Consistent poll-winning episodes and STILL the highest rated Doctor Who episode ever? Worldwide identification with the role? (Only Tennant rivals him there.)

If you're suggesting his quality went down, then I guess the writers, production staff and BBC reacting to viewer cares don't get taken into account... and they all should.

Seriously, if we'd have four years of Eccleston or Colin Baker, we might look at them very differently - probably favourably! McCoy was prepared to give us one more season. And I think Matt Smith will end up leaving right as he starts hitting a solid stride....

And seriously, I love the Hinchcliffe years too, but are you REALLY going to rank "Robot", "Revenge of the Cybermen", and "The Android Invasion" over, say, "City of Death", "Horror of Fang Rock", or "Warrior's Gate"? Really?

Gotta say, Combom... that's a BRILLIANT idea for the 50th. Never happen, of course- but it would be great. :) I have a feeling some sort of multi-Doctor event is a done deal, judging by what people like Moffat and Tennant have said over the years. It's clear everyone knows anything else will be regarded as an anti-climax. And let's face it, there's a tradition: 3 Doctors (10 years); 5 Doctors (20); Dimensions in Time (30); Zagreus (40). Breaking it would be bad luck. ;)

Also, I have to wonder if the recent scheduling shake-ups have something to do with Matt leaving- much as Tennant's exit did.

I think Smith's been stellar, but unless we're going to see him under a different showrunner, it's just as well to move on. I don't think Moff has many more tricks up his sleeve, so it's just as well for Matt to move on before things get stale.

They need to shake things up with casting the next Doctor. Ruth Wilson, anyone? ;)

I wish Matt Smith luck. Obviously Matt would do one more series, then at the end of 2012, regenerate and a new Doctor begins in 2013; that would be ideal and hopefully the end of the Moffat era.

Matt isn’t a bad Doctor at all, it’s just that he has been at the mercy of some terrible scripts so he’s searching for the light at the end of a tunnel (I’m sure he would never hint at such a motivation), but who can blame him?

I think Smith is making the same mistake Tennant did in that being Doctor Who may have made them HUGE with Doctor Who fans and made them famous in the UK, America is largely indifferent to them because they have so many more actors from tv here to pick from who are more of a known quality to pick from. Even Tennant being pretty terrific in "Fright Night" probably barely registered with American audiences.

If the Spiderman movie tanks because of all the negative buzz on just on the awful Spidey suit, then Andrew Garfield will get a red-mark in the casting directors books. Matt doesn't even have something like "The Social Network" on his CV for American casting directors. I hope he has a lot of insider friends if he expects to make it in America.

As to the 2013 anniversary year, I really like Combom's idea, but I doubt anything like that will happen outside our imaginations.

Bizarrely I loved the idea of Matt Smith becoming the Doctor but I don't think his performances have been as brilliant as some fans would have you believe. Anyway, apart from pratting about on stage at Glastonbury when has Smith seemed proud to be the Doctor? (He did far more publicity for the Christopher Isherwood drama than "Who" & has never gave an in depth interview to DWM in nearly 3 years.

Personally I say bring on 2013. I have never been a fan of his and his departure can't come quick enough for me!

Well I don!t want Smith to go, but wouldn't be amazing if we get story Twelve Doctors where would be every Doctor and Doctor number 12 from future and on the end story would 11th regenerate to him?

I am gutted. Sounds like he's definitely out of here either at the end of Series 7, even if he's planning to return for the 50th anniversary special (which I'm still hoping is Ten, Eleven, Twelve, and River Song enjoying River's birthday with a nice picnic at Asgard, plus maybe a few Daleks and/or the Master).

I am really shocked that it might be Smith last year, cause I really love his Doctor.
It's actually quite brilliant idea if 11th and 12th Doctor had shared adventure which eventually would be last episode of 11th and at the same time first episode of 12th Doctor.

None of this is hardly surprising. Matt and Karen have been doing a lot of schmoozing in the States this year. I said as much on another site earlier this year and was shouted down. They are both young ambitious actors trying to further their careers - Doctor Who is merely a stepping stone to bigger things.

There's nothing bigger than Doctor Who ...