The Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode, The Day of the Doctor, finally came on November 23, and Google even redid their page to celebrate. What’s remarkable is that after five decades the show is still growing by leaps and bounds all over the world.
As Chris Chibnall, one of the show’s writers, told the Hollywood Reporter, “It’s like writing seven shows at once, it’s so extraordinarily demanding. Douglas Adams [also the author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy] said the show had to be complicated enough for children and simple enough for adults.”
Another show writer, Toby Whithouse, also made it clear that Doctor Who is not just a typical sci-fi show. Writing for it takes a lot of versatility. “There’s always going to be twists and turns and it’s never going to be the same show week to week.” Both writers grew up with the show, then grew up to write for it.
At the same time, Chibnall said, “You can’t let your inner fan take you prisoner. You can be delighted that you’re getting to write ‘Interior: TARDIS,’ but it’s about the craft really.”
Matt Smith also talked to the Reporter, and as he reached his 31st birthday, he said he’s fine with leaving the show. “It’s a very intense process to play the Doctor,” Smith said. “I love the show, and it wasn’t an easy choice to come to, but it’s the right time…”
As Doctor Who has proven over the decades, the show is bigger than anyone who plays the lead character. It will certainly survive Smith leaving, and it should only continue to grow bigger. As Smith said, every time he’d come back from a shoot, “the show has an even bigger presence.”
