‘Doctor Who’ season 8: Matt Smith’s Royal duties

Even though Matt Smith will still be leaving “Doctor Who” following the conclusion of the show’s annual Christmas special, the man is still taking on all of the responsibilities that come with playing a character as iconic as The Doctor, including ushering some of Britain’s most-famous fans around the TARDIS along with his trusty companion Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Recently, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were each invited to the show’s famous set in Wales, where they each had the opportunity to let loose a little bit of their inner geek. Charles has been in particular a “Doctor Who” fan for several decades, so he apparently enjoyed the opportunity to step foot on the famous ship, talk about some memorable moments with Smith, and also shout out a few “exterminate” lines that any Whovian will be familiar with. Smith graciously referred to the TARDIS as “our home,” and it seems as though he truly feels that way, even if it is time for him to move on from the part.

There is almost something that is completely earnest that comes out of the “Doctor Who” experience, which enables adults to really open up, share their passion, and expand their imagination. We really do not feel as though there is an equivalent on America television, largely because there is not a prime-time series that we have allowed to last quite this long. (Let’s just thank our lucky stars that there is no cheapened American “Doctor Who” coming on in the near future.)

If you want to see some video of the Prince’s visit to the set, you can do so over at the link here. Meanwhile, head to this link if you want to see some of the very-nice things that executive producer Steven Moffat had to say about Smith recently.

Photo: BBC One