Matt Smith Leaves DOCTOR WHO, New Doctor for Series Eight

It's the end...and the moment is being prepared for.

The Telegraph has announced that Matt Smith will be ending his role as the Eleventh Doctor in the 2013 Christmas Special, making four years since his debut at the very end of "The End of Time, Part Two" on January 1, 2010.

"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke," said Smith, "and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show.  I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realize all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience.  Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years."

Smith also commented on his time with showrunner Steven Moffat, whose "varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career.  It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven, he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

"The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before, your dedication is truly remarkable.  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."

It's not know who will replace Smith as the Twelfth Doctor, but Jenna-Louise Coleman, who plays current companion Clara Oswald, will remain with the series.  Rumors of Smith's departure began when he appeared with his hair shaved for Ryan Gosling's film How to Catch a Monster.
Steven Moffat remarked on Smith's departure, "Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: 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.  The Doctor can be clown and hero, often at the same time, and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently.

"And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show,he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing.  Whatever we threw at him -- sometimes literally -- his behavior was always worthy of the Doctor.  But great actors always know when it's time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break, as we say goodbye to number Eleven. Thank you, Matt -- bow ties were never cooler.

"Of course, this isn't the end of the story, because now the search begins.  Somewhere out there right now -- all unknowing, just going about their business -- is someone who's about to become the Doctor.  A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again. After fifty years, that's still so exciting."

Some unconfirmed rumors claim that the new Twelfth Doctor will debut in Series Eight in August 2014 for twelve episodes, leading up to the Series Eight finale that also doubles as the 2014 Christmas Special.