Matt Smith (1982- )

The Eleventh Doctor ("Geronimo!") featured in several seasons of the revival of the show for television and a number of BBC hardback novels.

• Madman with a box by Andy Hughes

Madman with a box by Andy Hughes 11/8/10

So. As of this writing, Matt Smith's first season is at a close, and although it's still too early to tell what his Doctor's legacy will be, I figured it was as good a time as any to start looking closely at all the Doctors, one by one. Let's begin here and work our way backwards.

Each Doctor is in many ways a direct reaction to his predecessor as well as a continuation. With David Tennant's Doctor gone, it is all the easier for us to see how insecure and ingratiating he was, and the more you think about it, it's actually kind of creepy: a 900+ being prattling on about Back to the Future and snogging princesses? It's enough to make one shout "Good God, man, act your age!"

Thus Doctor Eleven. From the start, we have a man far less comprehensible: his reaction to the TARDIS catching fire is to spit at the console and scream in delight. His awkward bark of a laugh, passion for tweeds, and a general absent-mindedness all point towards his undeniable alien-ness, as do his gawky, uncomfortable movements. This is not a Doctor you would see flirting with girls at a Housemartins concert.

And that's another interesting change: with the loss of his Tenth incarnation has come the loss of his social skills. He is easily distracted and thinks little of his appearance, unaware of how ridiculous he may look in a given situation. As a result, his attempt to smooth things over with Rory, for example, doesn't go the way he planned (I'm still surprised he didn't get pummeled after popping out of that stag party cake). There's an almost aristocratic air about his actions, as if something has separated him from truly seeing the world and he's just now getting his first real glimpse.

And, like all the Doctors, with the oddities come interesting skills and helpful traits: this Doctor is clearly resourceful, constructing generators and scanners out of household items. He's also more tech savvy and keen to rely on some of the junk he's got kicking around in the TARDIS back rooms (which we will hopefully some day get to see). We're also seeing a resurgence of the Doctor's psychic abilities, which were strongest during his second incarnation, and along with them a touching sense of tenderness and intimacy towards Amy, something that goes beyond romantic love into a deep respect for her as a human being (though there are some implications that he might secretly wish otherwise).

Again, I feel there are many dimensions yet to be explored, and I eagerly await to explore them. Smith's Doctor is both refreshingly traditional (there's a paradox for you) and utterly individual, and while there are aspects of his acting that still feel a little amateurish, he's doing a great job making the part his own. I imagine he will be a tough act to follow.