DOCTOR WHO INTERVIEW - Matt Smith Reveals How The Doctor Would Spend A Night Out In NYC

In part two of my selections from Saturday's roundtable interview with Matt Smith that preceded the U.S. Premiere screening of Asylum of the Daleks, the actor revealed what he thought The Doctor might do on a night of fun in New York City.

It seemed appropriate to me to maintain a line of NYC questioning given Smith's enthusiastic love for the Big Apple, and I thought it would be fun to hear about the possible things the 900 year-old Time Lord would do with a few hours to burn.

I asked that this was provided that the Weeping Angels, the eerie popular villains in the upcoming The Angels Take Manhattan, were not hot on his tail to spoil all of the Doctor's fun.

"His ideal night in New York?" Smith contemplated about the iconic character for a moment with a grin, before coming up with a bunch of ideas.

"I think maybe go and play some jazz with Woody Allen for a bit," he speculated, and assumed the Doctor might love to partake in an impromptu slow jam with one of New York City's most prominent film directors at a small time club.

"Perhaps grab a steak at Balthazar," having the insight that the Time Lord's palette has now moved beyond fish sticks and custard.

"Maybe go and stand on the top of the Statue of Liberty somehow."

"Take the TARDIS to the bottom of the Hudson see what's down there."

"I think he'd go back to the '40s or the '20s maybe, hang in Brooklyn and play baseball on the street."

But if there was one thing he was certain of regarding the Doctor's big night out, "He'd do it in a brilliant way," he said.

Doctor Who's seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, is set to air this Saturday at 9pm on BBC America. The Angels Take Manhattan, which took the cast and crew to shoot in NYC for the very first time in the show's near 50-year history, is the fifth episode and final episode of the first half of the season, and will air on September 29th. the Doctor Who Christmas Special picks up the story from there.

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DOCTOR WHO INTERVIEW - Matt Smith: "I Want To Shoot Every Episode of 'Doctor Who' In NYC"

Shortly before last Saturday's New York City screening of Doctor Who's fantastic seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, I was among the lucky select group invited to have an audience with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan for roundtable interviews at the headquarters of BBC America.

Since the Doctor makes few house calls in NYC, it was without question an incredibly exciting opportunity for a Who fan who also happens to run a website like this.

In a roundtable interview, journalists are grouped at a table and take turns asking questions. My group was polite and cordial, and we each managed to get in a question or two in both the time slots we had with Smith and Gillan, who were extremely down to earth and forthcoming.

As a native New Yorker, I was very interested to know what Matt's impressions were of finally getting to shoot Britain's iconic Doctor Who in the Big Apple last April, which was the first time the show did so in its near 50 year history. So appropriately, that was the first question I asked him.

"First and foremost, I want to shoot every episode of Doctor Who in New York,' he said altogether with sincerity, enthusiasm, a big smile.

Shooting the episode. The Angels Take Manhattan, left a lasting impression on the actor. "I love this city. I love filming here. Everywhere you point the camera there is something brilliant to look at. I love this city, I just love it."

He also agreed when it was brought up that NYC can be considered a universe unto itself, "It really is."

Smith's answer on Saturday was a satisfying two years in the making response. I attended the event held at the Paley Center For Media in April of 2010, where Matt's debut episode as the Doctor was screened. Taking the stage in front of press and fans alike in a Q&A following that screening, he was at the time in awe of his very first NYC experience.

"I could live here. I love it here. What a city! You’ve got everything here man. So cool.”

Of course that response lead to the follow up of whether he would want to ever shoot across the pond. "I would love to do an episode here," he hoped. It should be noted that Executive Producer and Who showrunner Steven Moffat (on stage seated next to Smith and Gillan), had a simple more economic solution that night.

"It’s very easy to set us in New York. You know what will happen, you’ll be standing in front of a green cloth," he responded.

Thankfully the phenomenal success of Matt's run as the Doctor allowed them to finally do it, sans dreaded green cloth and all.

It was quite exciting to hear the rumors earlier this year (on the internet of course, where else do people like me get my hot geek gossip from?) that Doctor Who might be bringing production to New York City. Sure they have already been to the States, having filmed some of the sixth season premiere in Utah's Monument Valley, but The Doctor in NYC?  That was a whole 'nother thing altogether.

I heard my first real solid confirmation of this at an event in April that 'Alex Kingston's double had arrived in town,' so all the rumors seemed to be coming together. Sure enough, behind-the-scenes pictures surfaced online of the cast and crew shooting in Central Park and Times Square. In this day and age, it's impossible to shoot on location in New York City, or any exterior location for that matter, and not have pics turn up online.

But to see the Doctor actually standing in Times Square was quite exciting. Many additional images of Amy (Gillan), Rory (Arthur Darvill), and the Doctor in Central Park turned up online fairly quickly as well. They revealed very little conveying anything to do with the plot, but it didn't take long before the Weeping Angels had already been rumored/and or leaked as a the villains for the episode.

What also sets the NYC episode apart, scheduled to air in a few weeks, is that it marks the final appearance of the Ponds, the extremely popular husband and wife companions of the Doctor played by Gillan and Darvill. Their departure, from all accounts promises to be a true tear jerker of an episode, will make room for a new companion played by Jenna Louise Coleman, and introduced on the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

And after wishing us a good time at the screening at the Ziegfeld, Matt's thoughts on the season premiere set to air on Saturday at 9pm on BBC America?

"I think its a belter, I really do," he said.

Having seen it, don't miss it.

And to complete my Whovian experience, I was thrilled to shake the Doctor's hand on the way out of the room.

Check back here for what Matt had to say when I asked him what the Doctor would do on an ideal night of fun in New York City, in addition to Karen Gillan's Big Apple memories.  Plus I asked her to take us back to her final moments on the set of Doctor Who, shooting the last ever scene with the Doctor, Amy, and Rory in the TARDIS...

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Matt Smith and Karen Gillan Hit 'Doctor Who' NYC Ziegfeld Premiere

New York City Whovians came out in full force yesterday, welcoming The Doctor himself Matt Smith to a standing room only screening at the Ziegfeld Theater.

BBC America hosted the special Doctor Who event for fans lucky enough to secure tickets made available last Thursday in an online frenzy, which cost eleven cents a head in honor of the current Doctor's 11th incarnation. The first two in line outside the theater had been camped out since midnight to secure prime seats to see Asylum of The Daleks, the upcoming seventh season premiere set to air on September 1st. Costumes were not in short supply, with many getting into their favorite characters for the occasion.

Smith and his Who co-star Karen Gillan arrived in DeLoreans, and were joined by executive producer Caroline Skinner, and Nerdist host Chris Hardwick, who moderated a Q&A following the screening. After pulling up to the premiere in the rival time machine made famous in Back To The Future, the TARDIS-less sci-fi stars posed for pictures and signed autographs for fans outside the legendary New York City theater.

In addition to attending the show, I also had the opportunity to participate in roundtable interviews with Smith and Gillan held prior to their arrival. Stay tuned, more on that to come.

Shortly before the screening was set to begin at 6pm, many of the anxious fans took out their sonic screwdrivers, and a sea of blue and green lights lit up the theater, in addition to clapping the rhythm a Time Lord's heartbeat to maintain an atmosphere of excitement.

Hardwick appeared first and made a note to honor Neil Armstrong, who had passed away earlier in the day. He then introduced the stars front and center to a rock star worthy reception. Before the lights dimmed, Matt Smith made a heartfelt request to the audience that spoilers regarding the episode be kept to themselves, until fans worldwide can enjoy all the revelations on September 1st when the episode airs. So while I will write up a review, I will not be doing so now. But I will say if the season premiere is any indication of the ride we are in for, it is going to be a stellar story arc. Cheers and a standing ovation ensued when the credits rolled. It was also a real treat to see it not only on the big screen, but at the Ziegfeld.

The iconic British show, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, has seen a huge resurgence in popularity since a big budget makeover in 2005. Since taking on the role, Matt Smith has made appearances in the Big Apple at screenings for each of his three season premieres. At the event for Smith's official debut as the eleventh Doctor at the Paley Center in April 2010, he made it known to that audience he hoped the show would shoot here at some point.

This past April, production indeed came to New York City for the first time to shoot the fifth episode of this upcoming season, and pictures swiftly surfaced online from scenes shot in Times Square and Central Park. The episode will not only see the return of the eerie villains The Weeping Angles, but mark the departure of The Doctor's popular companions, Gillan's Amy Pond and on-screen husband played by Arthur Darvill.

Check back here later this week for excerpts from the rountable interviews where I asked Matt about filming in New York City and Karen about the final moments shooting her last scene on the set of Doctor Who.

The Doctor Who seventh season premiere, Asylum of the Daleks, airs worldwide on September 1st.  Here in the States tune in to BBC America at 9pm.

 

 

 

 

PHOTOS: BBC America, NerdyRottenScoundrel

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First Official Image of The Doctor & His New Companion Revealed

The BBC has released the first official image of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman together on set as the Doctor and his new companion Clara.

The Doctor's new time-traveling partner will make her debut in the Doctor Who Christmas Special set to air later this year following the departure of current companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams (played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darville) in episode 5 of the upcoming new season.

SOURCES: BBC America

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