The big science fiction news of the week is of course the announcement that the role of the 11th Doctor will be played by relative unknown Matt Smith.
Matt Smith, publicity photo
He has an interesting look about him, and I look forward to seeing what he does with the role. I loved Christopher Eccleston (Doctor 9) in the role, but never warmed up to David Tennant (10). He just didn’t have that look of danger that Eccleston did. Smith seems to have that potential.
Christopher Eccleston, from the Doctor Who website
There will be four specials this year featuring Tennant, and Smith will take over in 2010.
While I am sure that Smith’s debut in the role will be much anticipated by Who fans, I doubt that any scifi series in recent memory has been as been as anticipated, and for as long a time, as the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Maybe the Farscape wrap-up movie Peacekeeper Wars few years ago…
Battlestar returns January 16th, and to whet our appetites, the producers have offered up a 10-part webiseries called The Face of the Enemy starring Grace Park (8) and Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta). This series is far more interesting than the somewhat depressing one that preceded season three, but the story does drag in places. I suspect they could have told the story in 6 or 8 pieces, but wanted to run out an extra week or two to build the anticipation.
From the Battlestar Galactica website
Worth watching for the character exposition of Gaeta; he has been put forward as a candidate for the final Cylon yet we have had very little information about him.