For the better part of a year now, there have been rumors to suggest that Matt Smtih would leave the Doctor Who franchise shortly after the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who this coming November. Apparently if he leaves, he’ll have his mum to answer to.

Matt Smith has at several junctures reiterated that he is not tired of playing the Doctor. He will be the longest running Doctor in the reboot era. On the other hand, he’s also stated that he doesn’t know if he’ll break the record of Tom Baker’s seven-year run in the show. In an interview with the Radio Times, Matt Smith stated that, “All good things come to an end, but my mum is aghast at the thought of me ever not being the Doctor. The show is the star and will continue without me, I’m committed to it next year and will sit down with Steven Moffatt and see where we go from there. I’ve no immediate plans to leave. I’m around for a whole year and that’s a long time.”

If Smith does leave after the 2013 Christmas Special, the larger question is will new companion, Jenna Louise-Coleman leave as well? The only companion to bridge the transition between two Doctors in a regeneration episode in the reboot era has been Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. Changing the Doctor while keeping the companion was quite common in the classic era. Notably Sarah Jane Smith, Tegan Jovanka, and Peri Brown all transitioned from one Doctor to another. In fact, Tegan had barely met the fourth before traveling extensively with the fifth.

When further asked about the inspiration behind his take on the Doctor, Smith replied:

When I started as the Doctor, I watched loads of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, loads of Peter Sellers and loads of Blackadder – and somewhere betwixt the three lies my Doctor.

I love how grumpy but brilliant Blackadder can be. Frank Spencer is slightly unaware of how ridiculous he is and I think the Doctor is too.

Clouseau and Blackadder have massive egos and the Doctor has a massive ego. Frank Spencer is kinder and gentler.

Can you see parts of those characters in Matt Smith’s Doctor? What side of his character do you like the best? What about Jenna-Louise Coleman? Should she stay beyond the time of Matt Smith’s Doctor?