Doctor Who? A New Face Behind the British Icon

Doctor Who once again changes bodies -- and changes actors -- in the all-new season slated for 2010. Actor Matt Smith, who appeared in the popular "Ruby in the Smoke" adaptation will take the place of current doctor David Tennant, who's rumored to have a landed a role in the popular detective drama "Taggart".

Smith isn't the first transition the Doctor has made, nor will he be the last. The evolution of the Doctor is the subject of fan online searches and Wikipedia articles on the chronology and sci-fi lore behind the Doctor's occasional transformations, known as "regeneration". The transition has marked the end of the line for many beloved doctors in the show's history, including fan favorite Tom Baker. Modern-day fans curious about the "Doctors" of old view online video clips on Yahoo! Video and Youtube to see clips of past performances.

David Tennant took over as the Doctor for a total of three seasons of the new series, replacing Christopher Eccleston. Eccleston was cast as the doctor for the first season of the series revival in 1998, picking up the adventures of the Doctor in the first regular series produced since the eighties.

Fans will no doubt be eager for new episodes slated for Smith's takeover -- and will no doubt take this change in the series in stride as part of the Doctor's lore. As Tennant joins the list of popular Doctors of the past, Smith enters a new and beloved realm of British television that has kept viewers entertained (and children safely ensconsed behind their sofas) for decades.