In an interesting twist of events, show runner Steven Moffat has given us a new explanation of numbers and explains why, technically speaking, Matt Smith is the 13th Doctor.

In an interview with RadioTimes, Steven Moffat clears up some confusion about whether or not Matt Smith is the Eleventh or Twelfth Doctor, given John Hurt’s appearance this year as the War Doctor.

It is common knowledge that a Time Lord has 12 regenerations, which means he or she can have 13 reincarnations and faces – this was made fact in the 1976 episode “The Deadly Assassin.” However, it seems that Moffat is adamant about leaving his mark on the series and has done some serious thinking about how Doctor Who can continue way past 13 reincarnations of the Doctor.

Moffat explains that John Hurt is officially a Doctor, what with the changes they’ve made to the history of The Last Time War. That, in addition to David Tennant’s Doctor using an extra regeneration to create Ten-Two means that, in theory, Matt Smith is the thirteenth Doctor.

So, technically speaking, the end of the Christmas Special could be the end of the Doctor – period.

Moffat acknowledges the history that Doctor Who has made, saying that “the 12 regenerations limit is a central part of Doctor Who mythology – science fiction is all about rules, you can’t just casually break them.” He continues, “so if the Doctor can never change again, what’s Peter Capaldi doing in the Christmas special?”

Interesting! We’re excited to see what Moffat intends to do this Christmas when Peter Capaldi arrives on screen after Matt Smith’s regeneration – or is it death? RadioTimes also mentions that Smith will briefly touch on the subject of dying in an emotional speech this Christmas.

What do you think of these new ‘Doctor Who’ rules?

Are you intrigued or angry that Steven Moffat has now made Matt Smith, technically speaking, the 13th Doctor?