The Next 'Doctor Who' Will Be Announced Sunday On BBC America In Live Special

BBC announced on Thursday that the next actor to portray the timeless Doctor Who will be announced Sunday on BBC America at 2 p.m. ET.

The BBC teased fans Thursday when it was announced that the network would be making a “time-and-space-shattering announcement” later that evening at 7:01 p.m., causing Doctor Who fans everywhere to think the new Doctor was about to be announced. Alas, the announcement was simply a teaser of the impending announcement that will reveal the identity of the next Doctor.

“Widely regarded as one of the most hotly contested roles in British television, the special’s host Zoe Ball will unveil the Twelfth Doctor in their first-ever interview in front of a live studio audience. The half-hour show will include live special guests, Doctors old and new, as well as companions and celebrity fans. Current Doctor Matt Smith and lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat will both give interviews in the special,” BBC released in a statement.

Sunday’s live announcement will certainly ease fans anxious about current Doctor, Smith, leaving the beloved sci-fi series after four years. Smith, who is set to appear in the special 50th Anniversary episode airing November 23 along with fellow Doctor David Tennant and the Christmas Special, told audiences at the Doctor Who Comic-Con panel in July that he would continue to watch the show after he leaves.

“I absolutely will watch the show. I’m a big fan as well as being in it. And as I said, the show will get bigger and better…and knowing that it carries on is kind of lovely. You’re part of a legacy that doesn’t die…But it keeps going. I’m a little cog in a big wheel, so I’ll be watching,” Smith said.

As for who will replace Smith, rumors in the Who universe have been running wild, but one thing is certain: the casting is sure to please some and upset others.

“If you’re a Doctor Who fan, as I have been all my life, you’ve been doing fantasy casting for this part for as long as you can remember. But when you’re suddenly faced with the reality that you are going to sit there and you are going to make that decision it does feel absolutely chilling. There’s a very big range of people who could play it and different ways you could go with it. We must get this right. One false move and the show’s over,” Moffat told EW about casting the next Doctor.

— Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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