The new Doctor is... Doctor who?!

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Beauty and the Geek

Flash Forward

"The BBC has finally announced the name of the man who will play the eponymous Doctor in the next season of Doctor Who ... but it's unlikely that you'll recognise his name. Though high-profile British actors stars as James Nesbitt, Robert Carlyle and even Catherine Tate were tipped to take on the coveted role, little-known actor Matt Smith will replace David Tennant as the Doctor in 2010. Smith is the 11th actor to play the Doctor - a mysterious, humanoid alien who has the ability to regenerate into a different body every time he dies - and aged just 26, he is also the youngest ever person to score the part. "I'm flabbergasted," Smith said about landing the role. "I haven't slept really because [the role is] an iconic part of our culture. It has the iconic status that Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes [have] and I'm taking that on as my responsibility. It's nerve-racking, exciting." Smith has appeared in several stage productions and a handful of BBC programs, including the series Party Animals currently airing on ABC1 on Tuesdays at 8.35pm. Steven Moffat, who recently succeeded Russell T Davies as Doctor Who 's head writer, said that Smith's "bold and brand new take" on the much-loved character blew him away. But fans have a long wait in front of them before they'll get to judge Smith's skills for themselves: he won't appear as the Doctor until 2010, after Tennant exits the series."