This is why I find the news of Matt Smiths departure a little surprising. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt have been shocked if the Eleventh Doctor had regenerated at the end of series 8, but in the context of Steven Moffats era, it seems a little too soon. Everything has gone through a bit of a facelift already. The new title sequence. (I love the Doctors face as a throwback to Classic Who) The redesign of the Tardis. Not to mention a new companion. For a series about change, the first two are pretty big. Changes you would usually get with a new Doctor. (This last happened when Matt Smith came onboard) Perhaps Moffat was expecting Matt Smith to stay longer when these changes were implemented. Perhaps Matt Smith himself hadnt decided. But either waythats a lot of change coming our way in a relatively short space of time.