Though Daniel Craig's James Bond may lead the ultimate film preview in this month's Empire, Matt Smith's Doctor Who is charged with fronting our massive TV special – and he does so brilliantly.

Channeling his inner Thin White Duke – "I’m a huge Bowie fan. I loved the Olympic Opening Ceremony because I thought, ‘How amazing, the plethora and heritage of music we have. Incredible! Wonderful!’" – Smith lit up our special Doctor Who photoshoot with infectious enthusiasm to talk about the latest series of the much-loved time-travelling favourite.

Film fans who have skipped the BBC's wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey funtimes of late may be intrigued to hear of his new adventures taking him to Sergio Leone’s old stomping ground of Almeria, Spain, in a Western-themed episode, as well as an Avengers-like New York special.

There, companions Amy and Rory Pond (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill), part company with the good Doctor as recurring villains the Weeping Angels attack.

“It’s terribly exciting because they’re my favourite monster and it’s one of my favourite cities,” says Smith. “If I had my way I’d shoot the whole thing in New York.” 

You can find out more about Matt Smith and his Bowie-esque moves in the latest issue of Empire, but just to tease you a little more, here's Mr. Smith explaining just how much he loves his job – and just why playing the Gallifreyian is such good fun.

“He’s endless, he’s boundless, he’s limitless! He constantly allows you to reinvent him. That’s what’s interesting about this year. It’s about what a new companion (Clara, Emmerdale actress Jenna-Louise Coleman) reveals in him. It’s like a Shakespearian tragedy, Doctor Who. There’s a theatre to it. Because every day you’re either facing the end of the world, or the loss of the person you love most, or the invasion of the most appalling creature or alien that you can ever imagine. But in the face of that tragedy there is also comedy. It’s about adventure.”

The October issue of Empire is out today, August 30 - and for more details on it, be sure to head this away, and if you have the appropriate hardware, download the latest US or UK iPad edition over here.