'Dr. Who' TV Show: Matt Smith Announces Leave, Everyone Freaks Out

Whovians, the time is now upon us. Matt Smith, the Time Lord himself has that he will be living the classic BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who. Smith has been playing The Doctor since 2010 and is credited with bringing a new energy, life, and bow-tie, into the 50-year-old series. Smith made the announcement this weekend in a statement that he would be leaving his role as the eleventh Doctor during a special Christmas episode. 

Any actor who plays The Doctor almost always has a great level of eccentricity, but Smith was able to play the character in an exciting way that resonated with fans. The shows lead writer and producer, Steven Moffat, commented on Smith’s unique talents as an actor; “The way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry — I just never knew what was coming next.”

To say that fans are upset about this is an understatement. The cult following that the sci-fi series has always enjoyed gained a new legion of devoted fans with Matt Smith. Each Doctor brings with him a persona that is uniquely their own, he will surely be missed. Speaking about the show Smith said, “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.” Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi show and is broadcast in over 200 countries.

Smith also took time to thank fans directly, "Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number Eleven, who I might add is not done yet, I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special!" he said. "t's been an honor to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys."

Fans have already started to respond in the best way fans know how, here’s a look at some of the responses circulating this Sunday morning.