As was on the news yesterday, Matt Smith will be leaving Doctor Who during the Christmas Special at the end of the year. The hunt will now be on for the next Doctor. However, thoughts on the 11th.

Though the 10th was my first, in reality, the 11th was, and may likely remain, my Doctor. Though I liked the 10th, I love the 11th. He had less of a messianic complex than 10, and in addition is funner for me to watch. I will miss him a lot.

However what about the future? Here are some of the names being heavily discussed. For the sake of length, I will go with the names that are not real high-end:

Russell Tovey

Best known for: Being a George Sands (a Werewolf) in “Being Human.”

Born in 1981, he has been acting since 1994. He is also known for being in the BBC3 series, Him and Her, about a couple of lazy 20-somethings. In addition, he is also known for theatre acting, like Tennant. He is most known in Theatre circles for being in History Boys, a play about Grammar School history pupils studying for entrance exams into Oxford and Cambridge. Tovey was also the narrator for the since discontinued Doctor Who Confidential from 2010 to said cancellation in 2011. Not eccentric.

Rupert Grint

Best Known For: Being Ronald Weasley in Harry Potter

Born in 1988, he has been acting since 2001, which unsurprisingly was the Harry Potter Series started filming. Unlike his other two castmates in the trio, he has kept relatively quiet since the end of the movie series in 2011, having taken parts in a handful of movies, notably Into the White, an anti-war movie released last year. This year, he will be starring in two movies, one of which he will be alongside David Tennant. Has an eccentric side, known for owning an ice cream truck, and going around selling ice cream in it. He also narrated We Are Aliens, a 25 minute Planetarium film about the possibility of other intelligent life in our Universe.

Ben Whishaw

Best Known For: Q in Skyfall

Born in 1980, he has been in acting since 1999. A rising star, he has also appeared on stage as Hamlet, and in Cloud Atlas as well. Not known is much about him on a personal level, saying:

As an actor, you have total rights to privacy and mystery, whatever your sexuality, whatever you do. I don’t see why that has to be something you discuss openly because you do something in the public eye. I have no understanding of why we turn actors into celebrities.

It is unknown how he would be able to deal with the quite-literal army of Whovians.

Rory Kinnear

Best Known From: Bill Tanner in Quantum of Solace and Skyfall

Born in 1978, he has been acting since 2000. He is well known in England for being a Shakespearean Actor. He has had a number of parts in the James Bond/007 franchise. In addition, he has worked with Mark Gatiss, one of the writers for Doctor Who right now, in the past. Gatiss has been talked about as the next showrunner.

A Possible Factor: The Companion is Staying

Jenna Louise Coleman-Playing the Current Companion (and her numerous echo lives)

One thing to consider will be the fact that the new actor and the current actress will have to have the sort of chemistry the Doctor and the companion always have. This is especially true in this case, as we have a rather odd companion this time. One who knows literally everything about the Doctor.

Of course, aside from the above possibilities, we may have to consider that the next Doctor will be a relative unknown.

A Series with an End

Though not directly related, I do have a need to mention the fact that, with the season finale 2 weeks ago, Doctor Who is now finite. We have seen his grave, even his “body,” so to speak. For a time-travel related show to do this has implications namely, again, there will be an ending.

And, as for who I favor? I want Grint for the 12th.