'Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor' is scheduled to air August 4 at 2 P.M. ET/11 A.M. PT and reveal the replacement of Matt Smith.
- Aug 2, 2013
AceShowbiz - BBC One has set up a Sunday live special to reveal the 12th Doctor of "Doctor Who". To air August 4 at 7 P.M. GMT in the U.K. and 2 P.M. ET/11 A.M. PT on BBC America, "Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor" will unveil which actor is cast to replace Matt Smith.
The half-hour program will feature interviews with the latest Doctor, Smith, his successor and showrunner Steven Moffat as well as previous Doctors and companions. The live special will also highlight moments from the show throughout its 50-year run.
"Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy," Ben Stephenson, controller for BBC Drama Commissioning, says in a news release. "It's the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation."
Moffat chimes in, "The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the TARDIS. For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking 12."
"It's kind of business as usual," Smith recently said of his imminent departure from the show. "It is going to be emotional for me because it's been four years. It's a really transformative experience as an actor. We just kind of make the show though, don't we?" He will make his last appearances as the Doctor in the 50th anniversary special on November 23 and in the Christmas special.
Peter Capaldi, Burn Gorman, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Dominic Cooper, David Harewood and Ben Daniels are some of the names mentioned as the possible new Doctor.
