Whovians rejoice: this weekend, the world will finally discover who will be the twelfth Time Lord. This Sunday, the BBC will air a special program to reveal who will be the new incarnation of Dr. Who. CarterMatt reports that the special will be called "Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor," and will reveal the hotly anticipated announcement of who will be taking the demanding role of the twelfth Doctor. The reveal special will be a live show hosted by Zoe Ball, and will feature appearances by Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat.
Moffat commented on the big reveal when the BBC special was announced. "The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the TARDIS. For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve," Moffat said.
The new Doctor will be taking over the role from Matt Smith, who has assumed the title role for three years. Smith will bequeath the sonic screwdriver to the next Doctor when he makes his exit after the 50th anniversary and Christmas specials.
According to hypable, the eighth season will air later in 2014, although the exact dates have not yet been announced. There is usually a nine to 12 month gap between when the episodes are filmed and their air dates.
Since Smith announced his exit from the show in June, fans have been speculating about who could take over the main role of the cult science fiction favorite. Some fans have speculated that 55-year-old "Torchwood" actor Peter Capaldi could be the next Doctor, which would be a very new direction for a role that has always been played by fairly young men. Other names that have been thrown around are Ben Daniels from "House of Cards," and actor Daniel Rigby. Some have even hoped for a drastically new direction-- a female Doctor.
Whoever it may be will be filling some very large, iconic shoes. The show originally premiered in November 1963, technically making the upcoming season its 34th season. The Doctor is a "Time Lord," an alien manifested in human form. Instead of facing a mortal death, the Doctor regenerates into another body with a different personality, which is a clever way to have many different actors play the part.
The reveal special will air this Sunday, Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. EST on BBC America.