Matt Smith’s Time Is Up In The Time Of The Doctor: Today In Science & Science Fiction

By David Wharton | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

SmithXmasIt’s all come down to this: Matt Smith’s final hour as the Doctor. After three seasons playing the wandering Time Lord, the Eleventh Doctor’s time has come, and we know one thing for certain: by the time the latest Christmas special is over, the era of Peter Capaldi’s Doctor will have begun. And it the rumors are true, showrunner Steven Moffat will have cleared the deck for the show to carry on through another five decades of life.

We won’t delve into those rumors here, because if you’ve managed to remain unspoiled this long, who are we to ruin the fun? Instead we’ll give you the basics: the official synopsis from the BBC and the trailer. You’ve got Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, the Silence, and that place the Doctor most dreads: Trenzalore. The Time of the Doctor premieres tonight at 9/8c.

Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe’s deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars — and amongst them, the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe.

Today in Television

Doctor Who Marathon (BBC America, 8 a.m. / 7c)
On either side of The Time of the Doctor and the Matt Smith special below, the weeklong Who marathon continues apace. Today’s episodes are burning through the most recent seventh season, leading up to a repeat of “The Day of the Doctor” at 6/5c. Following the big Christmas special, the marathon will repeat it, the Christmas episode, and a few other specials overnight, until pausing for news at 6 a.m./5c.

Doctor Who: Farewell to Matt Smith (BBC America, 8/7c)

Bid the eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, a fond farewell in this hour long retrospective documentary special about Doctor Who Series five, six and seven. Featuring highlights with the man himself, his castmates, writers, producers and celebrity Whovians.

Syfy Winter Marathon (Syfy, 9 a.m./8c)
If you’re craving something mind-numbing to ease the pain of sharing special time with your family, Syfy is here to rescue you! They’ve got a day-long barrage of winter-themed Syfy originals to usher you comfortably into emotional hypothermia. Tune in for a line-up that includes 2012: Ice Age, Ice Spiders, Ice Road Terror, Yeti, Snow Beast, Ice Quake, Snowmageddon, and Ice Twisters.

Today in Comics

WhoSpecial-sDoctor Who Special 2013 (IDW Publishing)

In this special one-shot story celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, a strange force flings the TARDIS and the Doctor into our own universe! Once here, the Doctor encounters a 10-year-old girl who happens to be a huge fan of the Doctor Who TV show. The Doctor grapples with being a fictional character and monsters lurking at the girl’s school on the way to coming face-to-face with the actor who portrays him, Matt Smith!