Who Is Matt Smith | Macon Telegraph

Across the pond, the biggest entertainment news of the new year took place Saturday when Matt Smith was announced as David Tennant's replacement as Doctor Who.

The move was something of a surprise, since the oddsmakers had listed virtually every other English actor alive to replace Tennant except Smith.

If you haven't heard of Smith, don't feel bad: he's a virtual unknown, though interestingly, he's done three different productions with ex-Who companion Billie Piper.

Smith becomes officially the 11th Doctor (though technically, including non-canon stuff, he'll be the 13th actor to play the role) and the youngest at 26 to take on the part.

Here's an interview with Smith about getting the role (let's hope he gets a haircut before he takes on the role): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7808697.stm

For all of the Tennant fans out there, don't worry: He's still committed to do three more TV movies as the Doctor, and the Christmas special "The Next Doctor" just aired in the UK a couple of weeks ago. (No word on when it will come to the US).

There was a lot of speculation that the new Doctor would be black, with actors Paterson Joseph and Colin Salmon drawing attention, or a woman, with Catherine Zeta-Jones mentioned as a possibility.

Personally, I was hoping for James Nesbitt, known to US audiences for his roles in "Murphy's Law," "Jekyll" and the UK version of "Touching Evil." I thought the producers would go for an older actor rather than a younger one, but shows you what I know.

Still, new "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat is one of the top TV writers in the world, and I trust his pick. Even though Smith has some big shoes to fill, he deserves a chance to make the role his own.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "The Bachelor" (ABC, 8 p.m.) kicks off a new season with the first-ever single dad in the role, the same guy who was dumped on last year's "Bachelorette." Here's hoping he has better luck this time.

The Fiesta Bowl (Fox, 8 p.m.) between Texas and Ohio State airs tonight.

Finally, the CW is all new with new episodes of "Gossip Girl" and "One Tree Hill," beginning at 8 p.m.