Recently started watching Doctor Who for the first time on BBCA. I came in on Bad Wolf. (I know, a weird place to start, but that’s where they were at.) So I got to see a bit of Eccleston before switching to Tennant. (I’d seen 1 or 2 Baker episodes as a kid, but barely remember them.) Once I got into it a bit, they started playing from the “beginning” (Rose), and I was alternating between them until they stopped showing series* 1 after Wold War Three. (or my tivo stopped catching them). Anyway, so I’ve got a 6 episode gap in series 1, but otherwise, I’m all caught up to The Fires of Pompeii.
That’s a really long way of saying: PLEASE NO SPOILERS PAST S4E2 OTHER THAN WHAT I ASK FOR BELOW!
The point is: I don’t know when it happens, but I know Tennant will be replaced by Smith soon. And I’m scared. I love Tennant. I think he’s absolutely perfect for the role. But that may just be because I’ve had the most time to become attached to him. Eccleston didn’t really work for me. Baker didn’t grab me as a kid (maybe worth a revisit now that I’m hooked.) I saw Time Crash, and the guy with the celery seemed OK (probably because Tennant came right out and said he based his portrayal on his, right in the script. So if I like Tennant, I probably would like him too) but it would be hard work to get past the silly “?” monogrammed collar and lapel celery. All I know about Smith is a few quick shots of him in the commercials, but from that little bit, he just doesn’t seem as “right” as Tennant.
That’s a really long way of saying: Is Matt Smith any good as The Doctor?
Or will I be forever disappointed that he’s not David Tennant? I’ve already got as many issues as the Doctor does with Martha and Donna not being Rose, despite liking them on their own merits, because she was the first companion for me.
Please reassure me, because right now I feel like “John Smith” dreading opening the pocket watch. “Why can’t [The Doctor] be [David Tennant]? Isn’t he a good man? Why can’t [he] stay?”
*whoops, I wrote “Season” there first. Sorry, Brits. As an aside, if Series=Season, what do they call what we call a Series?
He’s fantastic. The key to watching Doctor Who is to not think of it as watching a James Bond movie. Yes, the main character is the same person being played by different actors. But Bond is supposed to still always be Bond, with the same characterstics and mannerisms. The Doctor is not - he is affected by each new body, and each different iteration is a feature, not a bug.
I know how you feel. I loved Eccleston as the Doctor, and it took me probably a full season of David Tennant to really get over it and settle in to the new guy, but once I did, I loved him too. For my money, Tennant still has a slight edge over Smith as far as overall Doctor rankings go, but he’s still amazing in the role. I think you’ll be OK. (Not meant condescendingly.)
Smith does a very good job. He’s not Tennant, but has his own style and it works. You do have to adjust a bit in the beginning, but he very quickly fell into the role.
Matt Smith’s Doctor is a bit too Seusian “Cat in the Hat” for me (sometimes literally: “fezzes are cool”, “Stetsons are cool”) but he is still the doctor and the show still kicks ass, so don’t worry. You get to meet Amelia Pond. And Rory. Poor, poor Rory. Trust me, there is a lot more to see.
My daugther went through this when I turned her on to the new series. Your first Doctor will always be spacial. I explained to her that saying goodbye to your first Doctor is like saying goodbye to your first love. It’s hard but once you find the next one it gets easier.
Smith is fine. It took me most of his first season to warm to him, and I still like him less than 9 and 10, but he is fine. The companions though are head and shoulders above the companions from the series you have watched so far. They really make the show.
I concur with the consensus–once you get used to him (and I think once he tones it down a bit and starts to show some range) you realize he’s a great Doctor. I prefer Tennant all in all, but I have no beef with Smith.
Well, for my personal experience, I think I was about where gonzoron was now in catching up on the David Tennant years when the first Matt Smith episode premiered in Canada. I was a big Tennant fan, but Smith won me over right away, and most days I’d have to squirm for a while before I could pick one of them as my favorite Doctor.
Watched the first few Matt Smith eps, and then realized that I was missing some plot backstory involving a recurring bad’un, so I let Matt Smith accumulate on the DVR until I’d finished with Tennant - mild spoilers follow for anybody interested:
When I got to ‘Victory of the Daleks’, about half-way through it dawned on me that there had to be at least one Dalek episode that I hadn’t seen - turned out to be the two-parter series 4 finale, ‘Stolen Earth/Journey’s End’
So to sum up: don’t dread. Dread isn’t something any companion of the Doctor should feel.
I’m not even through the first series of David Tennant yet, which is why I skimmed the above. I’m going slowly because I’m really busy at the moment, and I’m enjoying savouring each episode.
The thing I love most about Doctor Who is the way in which each actor who plays the role of the Doctor brings out something different about the character, and the writers don’t fight it at all, they in fact run with it. David Tennant’s Doctor is written to play to Tennant’s strengths as an actor, in the same way that the Christopher Eccleston writers had played to his strengths. Truly a delightful television series!!
Smith is fine. Completely different interpretation but every bit as good. The stories are some of the best and very arc-heavy, which I like. Plus Amy and Rory are huge upgrades (IMO) compared to Donna.
I’m worried about the next regeneration. At some point Smith will leave and they will have to cast the twelfth doctor. That’s what I’m worried about. I know they have a good track record as all three NuWho Doctors have been excellent, but I’m still nervous.
I say this because I grew up watching Baker (yeah, that Baker, not the other one) who pretty much defined the role. Think Sean Connery. At the time, I wasn’t even aware that doctors did regenerate. So when the Davison came along, I never really recovered. Until NuWho came along.
So trust me, as someone who has experienced Regeneration Disappointment (RD) himself, Smith is excellent in the role. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Allons-y! Geronimo!
One thing is consistent though and this is why the show is so beloved by geeks and nerds.
It’s all about the triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism.
When I learned just how young Smith was when he took the role, I felt trepidation. Now that I’ve seen him evolve and grow in the rôle, I am impressed with how much maturity he shows when playing The Doctor.
I am currently rewatching the entire reboot (in order). After having seen Tennant and Smith as The Doctor, it seems to me that Eccleston was never quite comfortable in the rôle.
While it’s understandable and quite common for fans to become infatuated with The Doctor, IMO, one needs to realize he is a deeply flawed character and can be emotionally cruel towards his companions. And, while many people make a big deal about his never using weapons (especially lethal weapons), I am uncomfortably amazed by how few fans realize how frequently The Doctor manipulates (or “inspires”) his companions and others to use such weapons.
What I love about this reboot is how many of the companions started out as people who are just going through their lives, and not on a path to achieving anything of importance, until they meet The Doctor. Through their experiences with him, they evolve into heroes. Mickey Smith and Donna Noble are two very good examples.
Tennant 's Doctor CARED. He worried. He was wracked with guilt. He was so, so sorry.
Smith’s Doctor is more ancient and alien. He still cares about people, but there’s much more of a sense of him standing outside of everything. It makes him more whimsical, and also more dangerous.
But they’re both valid takes on the character. Apparently Smith based his interpretation heavily on Patrick Troughton (Doctor #2).
He’s very good at doing the ancient alien in a young body thing. I like Amy anyway (swoon!), but combined with Rory they make a great team. I think Rory might be my favourite companion of the reboot, just edging out Donna.
All Who fans should have that shirt. I have two because I thought I lost the first one in a move so I bought another one. Then I found the old one in the garage.
One of the early reviews I read the author mentioned that the Doctor is old and Smiths Doctor actually feels old. I agree with that. He’s a young actor but he’s plays old well. (Not old as in physically but more as an old weary traveler.)
I didn’t start until NuWho and I loved Eccleston and didn’t like that he was leaving. Then Tenant took over and I loved him. I really didn’t like that he was leaving. Then Smith came on and I love him the most. (I think Amy and Rory add to my love for Smith. The trio is a good balance.)
Give the new guys a chance and I think you’ll be happy in the end.
So if I like Tennant, I probably would like him too) but it would be hard work to get past the silly “?” monogrammed collar and lapel celery. All I know about Smith is a few quick shots of him in the commercials, but from that little bit, he just doesn’t seem as “right” as Tennant.
