Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time?
- Publication: Sunday Express
- Date: 2010-06-27
- Author: David Stephenson
- Page: 24
- Language: English
THE TARDIS has known some peculiar residents in its time but none of them has made their mark quite so definitively and successfully as the latest incumbent, Matt Smith. The youngest Doctor Who, and potentially the richest, this young actor has delighted critics, writers, directors, the show's producers and audiences around the world in just three months.
Within weeks of appearing on BBC1, this largely unknown 27-year-old stage actor was winning plaudits as "the best Doctor Who", while his co-star, Karen Gillan, was dubbed "the emphatically successful was the launch of the new Doctor that one BBC insider said of Smith's arrival on the scene: "It's been like the crowning of a new James Bond and it's been treated like that in the USA too."
Within weeks of appearing on BBC1, this largely unknown 27-year-old stage actor was winning plaudits as "the best Doctor Who", while his co-star, Karen Gillan, was dubbed "the Sexiest Assistant". So emphatically successful was the launch of the new Doctor that one BBC insider said of Smith's arrival on the scene: "It's been like the crowning of a new James Bond and it's been treated like that in the USA too."
American fans queued around the block in New York's SoHo for a special screening of the first episode, prompting "hysterical scenes" when Smith appeared on stage.
The new Time Lord made such an impact with his American debut that the new series smashed BBC America's ratings record last week when it was watched by more than 1.2 million people, a huge figure by the channel's standards. In terms of BBC global branding it is second only to Top Gear.
The previous record was held by the last Time Lord, David Tennant. Remember him? Smith is piling success on success, The previous record was held by the last Time Lord, David Tennant. Remember him? Smith is piling success on success, having also wowed Australia. One critic there said: "Any fear there might be teething problems or some lingering affection for Tennant, whom many consider the best actor to inhabit the role in four decades, failed to materialise."
However, it's only the homegrown verdict that really matters. You know a star is born when British fans decide to give someone the pop star treatment. At a Bafta screening two weeks ago, I watched as dozens of dedicated fans chased Smith and Gillan's car down the middle of Piccadilly.
AT ONE point, the driver got stuck in traffic and the two actors were besieged by Whovians, as the devotees are known. To his credit, Smith calmly wound down the window to talk to them and sign autographs. The 11th Doctor never disappoints, it seems.
Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat believes Smith's talent in the role was immediately obvious. "I said to everybody else that it would be a minimum of six weeks before he broke through in the role, maybe the vampires' episode, but it was instant for him, right from the debut episode," he says. "It was extraordinary. It was like that from the very first reading of the lines.
"Matt's such a fantastically engaging actor and you don't often get that. He's a ready-made star who pops on to your screen. There's something special that his look brings to Doctor Who too. He's a cool, young guy and old fogey at the same time. He's simultaneously your younger brother and your granddad. He can also seem cool and a geek all at once."
Critical reception and record ratings will soon translate into cash for the young star. As the 11th Doctor, he reportedly signed a three-year deal with the BBC amounting to £680,000, allowing him to buy a £900,000 converted church in North London.
However, this is only the beginning. The "brand" is fast becoming one of the important properties for BBC Worldwide, which markets the show around the world.
Depending on the fine print in his contract, the Northampton star could reap thousands of pounds in so-called "residuals" from the sale of the series globally and through the sale of other merchandise. The list of Doctor Who spin-offs is mindboggling.
The first three episodes of the current series were released on DVD recently, selling more than 13,000 copies in the first week. All three Doctor Who novels, which were published by Ebury in April after only two episodes were aired, went into the top 10 for hardback fiction in the same week and "are still going strong".
A BBC source says: "Asda took them as Book of the Month for teens, which has never been done before, and was such a success they're planning the same for the next release." The "Matt Smith effect" has impacted the magazine market, too. Doctor Who Adventures Magazines relaunched with the new series, plus a website, leading to a doubling in circulation.
A console video game by Nintendo is being planned for a Christmas launch, while Character Options, which licences the toys, has launched Doctor Who action figures and Matt's new Sonic Screwdriver (becoming the sixth biggest selling toy in May).
THE STORY goes on. There's the first Doctor Who arena tour, which begins in October and is selling "phenomenally well" and will play to nine cities, and an interactive PC and Mac game has had half a million downloads on the BBC website. Oh, and don't forget the Penguin books and the possibility of a part-work series.
One source said: "If Doctor Who were sold tomorrow, it would be worth about £100million and as the earnings continue to grow, Matt will make more and more money." It might not be long before he can be called Millionaire Matt.
So is it too early to say Smith is the best Doctor? "I think it's always too early to say that," says Moffat. "What should be the case, and what I want to be the case, is that the best Doctor is always the current Doctor. He's the now Doctor, he's the one that fits this moment."
GRAPHIC: ATLANTIC CROSSING: Matt and co-star Karen Gillan had US fans queueing to see them
PLAUDITS: Matt and Karen have won rave reviews from tV critics
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- APA 6th ed.: Stephenson, David (2010-06-27). Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time?. Sunday Express p. 24.
- MLA 7th ed.: Stephenson, David. "Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time?." Sunday Express [add city] 2010-06-27, 24. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Stephenson, David. "Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time?." Sunday Express, edition, sec., 2010-06-27
- Turabian: Stephenson, David. "Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time?." Sunday Express, 2010-06-27, section, 24 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Will_Matt_be_the_richest_Dr_of_all_time%3F | work=Sunday Express | pages=24 | date=2010-06-27 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 November 2024 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Will Matt be the richest Dr of all time? | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Will_Matt_be_the_richest_Dr_of_all_time%3F | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 November 2024}}</ref>
