Matt Smith Staying with DOCTOR WHO Through 2014

Geronimo!  Five years of the Eleventh Doctor...at least.

The BBC World News is reporting that Doctor Who star Matt Smith has been persuaded to stay with the series through 2014.  As long as there is no series hiatus, this will give Smith a total of five seasons in the role and squashes rumors that his Doctor was going to regenerate in the 50th anniversary episode next year.

Smith commented on plans for 2013, which showrunner Steven Moffat is already working on.  "His first episode sounds great," remarked Smith.  "It hasn’t been written yet but the idea is as brilliant and as mental as you’d expect from Steven.  So there’s a lot to look forward to.  When Steven was going to pitch the next season to me not long ago, he said, 'Are you ready to cry?'"

Concerning the show's 50th anniversary on November 23, 2013, Smith added, "We want to do fifty years — and everyone that’s been associated with the show — justice.  We want to go, 'Look, world, here is Doctor Who.  It’s fifty years old, a science-fiction show, still going and going from strength to strength.'"

For those wondering how Smith's extension as the Eleventh Doctor will stack up against previous Doctors, here's how they rank from longest to shortest run:

     Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor, 1974-1981) -- 7 Seasons

     Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor, 1970-1974) -- 5 Seasons

     Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor, 2010-2014) -- 5 Seasons

     David Tennant (Tenth Doctor, 2005-2010) -- 3 Seasons + 5 Specials

     William Hartnell (First Doctor, 1963-1966) -- 3 Seasons + 2 Stories

     Patrick Troughton (Second Doctor, 1966-1969) -- 3 Seasons

     Peter Davison (Fifth Doctor, 1981-1984) -- 3 Seasons

     Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor, 1987-1989) -- 3 Seasons

     Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor, 1984-1986) -- 2 Seasons + 1 Story

     Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor, 2005) -- 1 Season

     Paul McGann (Eighth Doctor, 1996) -- 1 TV Movie