# New companion for Doctor Who announced **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2012, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390 "2012-03-21T10:46:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/21 "2012-03-21T19:46:06Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > For instance when the Doctor ran in to (was it Donna?) recently, who basically said “You took me to the most wonderus exciting spots in the universe for two years, then dumped me back on Earth where nobody even knows those spots exist. And I’m supposed to just get on with my life now?” In _School Reunion_ the Doctor ran into Sarah Jane. He told her “You were getting on with your life.” to which she replied, heartrendingly “You _were_ my life!” ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/22 "2012-03-21T23:12:42Z")
Eh…a little too cute for my tastes. I’m not familiar with her acting work though. I’m more concerned with the indications that Amy and Rory are going to have a final, unhappy encounter with the Weeping Angels. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/23 "2012-03-21T23:58:57Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Hmm. I kind of like the idea of exploring some of the grown-up issues with the Doctor that earlier series just ignored. For instance when the Doctor ran in to (was it Donna?) recently, who basically said “You took me to the most wonderus exciting spots in the universe for two years, then dumped me back on Earth where nobody even knows those spots exist. And I’m supposed to just get on with my life now?” > > I mean, if it’s realistic enough for [xkcd](http://xkcd.com/693/), Doctor Who should acknowledge it, right? I don’t mind stuff like that. But when Rose gets jealous of Martha and vice versa, it just makes them all look so petty. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/24 "2012-03-22T00:14:42Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Craig: One episode with Eleventh Doctor. [nitpick] Craig has had two episode with Eleven: “The Lodger” and “Closing Time”. I wouldn’t mind seeing him as a regular, except Craig being very much a stay-at-home kind a guy was a huge, major-deal plot point in one episode and an important character trait for him. I hope this turns out the way I felt about Matt Smith: an initial “oh, NO, too much young!” followed by "I don’t give a crap about the actor’s age, this is _good."_ It would, however, be refreshing if she wasn’t human. Wonder what the odds are there will be latex or blue skin involved? ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/25 "2012-03-22T00:51:14Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Great - another young chippie who’ll fall madly in love with the Doctor within two episodes. I miss Catharine Tate. Yes, she got a raw deal. I want her back. She can teach The Doctor a thing or two. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/26 "2012-03-22T01:51:07Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > [nitpick] Craig has had two episode with Eleven: “The Lodger” and “Closing Time”. I wouldn’t mind seeing him as a regular, except Craig being very much a stay-at-home kind a guy was a huge, major-deal plot point in one episode and an important character trait for him. I was going by Wikipedia’s count there, which said ‘Two episodes, one as Companion.’ I could see the argument that in “The Lodger” he’s just a guest star in a Companion-lite episode, but when the Doctor came back specifically to see him in ‘Closing Time’, he’s promoted to Companion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/27 "2012-03-22T02:13:43Z")
How about for once in NuWho we have a Doctor who doesn’t just get younger and more twee? Say, let’s have an Ian McKellan type? How freaking awesome would that be? (IMHO, and nothing against Peter Davison, but they picked the wrong actor from _All Creatures Great and Small_ - imagine a Doctor Siegfried!) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/28 "2012-03-22T05:31:09Z")
Wake me when they announce a new Doctor. And/or when Moffet leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/29 "2012-03-22T11:35:47Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > How about for once in NuWho we have a Doctor who doesn’t just get younger and more twee? Say, let’s have an Ian McKellan type? How freaking awesome would that be? (IMHO, and nothing against Peter Davison, but they picked the wrong actor from _All Creatures Great and Small_ - imagine a Doctor Siegfried!) They _were_ planning to hire a guy in his mid-40’s or older after Tennant but apparently Smith so blew the others out of the water with his audition they went with him instead. Sure, I’d like to see an older guy in the role again, on the other hand, I can’t condone overlooking someone for the role just because he’s on the young side. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/30 "2012-03-22T12:36:34Z")
Yeah, but just because somebody does a good David Tennant impression doesn’t make him a great Doctor. I haven’t seen the most recent season but I have never warmed to Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/31 "2012-03-22T12:43:26Z")
I never got the impression that Smith was simply trying to imitate Tennant. You may not have warmed to Smith, but he does manage interesting “echoes” of prior - by which I mean all the way back to the 1960’s era - regenerations from time to time which I like. Of course, it helps that he has access to the BBC archives and by now has undoubtedly seen every still existing _Doctor Who_ episode. He’s not just a Tennant knock-off. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/32 "2012-03-22T12:50:02Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I never got the impression that Smith was simply trying to imitate Tennant. You may not have warmed to Smith, but he does manage interesting “echoes” of prior - by which I mean all the way back to the 1960’s era - regenerations from time to time which I like. Of course, it helps that he has access to the BBC archives and by now has undoubtedly seen every still existing _Doctor Who_ episode. He’s not just a Tennant knock-off. I haven’t seen the ‘prior’ Doctors yet, but I agree - Smith’s Doctor is great in a very different way than Tennant. David Tennant was the most human of the NuWho Doctors so far, and I’d say that Smith is the most alien - for a young guy, he really does great at conveying the sense of being older than most cathedrals. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/33 "2012-03-22T12:50:17Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > How about for once in NuWho we have a Doctor who doesn’t just get younger and more twee? Say, let’s have an Ian McKellan type? Or a Hugh Laurie type! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/34 "2012-03-22T13:19:44Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Wake me when they announce a new Doctor. And/or when Moffet leaves. Even if they go, someone will bring them back using the power of Love. > [@chrisk](#): > > I haven’t seen the ‘prior’ Doctors yet, but I agree - Smith’s Doctor is great in a very different way than Tennant. David Tennant was the most human of the NuWho Doctors so far, and I’d say that Smith is the most alien - for a young guy, he really does great at conveying the sense of being older than most cathedrals. They way I see it, Smith plays a young man trapped in an old man’s body, trapped in a young man’s body. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/35 "2012-03-22T13:25:35Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Or a Hugh Laurie type! Or Anthony Stewart Head. (Actually, my favorite choice for the next Doctor is a bit radical: [Chiwetel Ejiofor](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252230/). Hey, he’s English). ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/36 "2012-03-22T14:31:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Or Anthony Stewart Head. > > (Actually, my favorite choice for the next Doctor is a bit radical: [Chiwetel Ejiofor](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252230/). Hey, he’s English). …wow: Chiwetel would make an awesome Doctor! Of course that will never happen in my private universe, because I don’t want Matt Smith’s run to end! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/37 "2012-03-22T18:11:44Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Wake me when they announce a new Doctor. Aye. Matt Smith sucks. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/38 "2012-03-22T18:16:40Z")
Matt Smith is made of awesome. So there. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dublin11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dublin11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dublin11)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/39 "2012-03-22T18:37:22Z")
When Billie Piper was announced, there were cries of disgust. Same for Freema Aygeman When Christopher Ecclestone said he was leaving and David Tennant was announced, people complained. When Catherine Tate was announced people went bonkers with WTF???ery and ONOES. When Matt Smith was announced, same as. Now there will be more of it with this lady. What is it about the Dr Who clientele that any sort of change is always met with proclaimations of how doooooooooooooom-laden and all round wrong that the new person will be, I wonder. Whover they bring in to do whichever role always makes it their own, from what I’ve seen. So I’m sure this Jenna Louise Coleman will be the same. I see she’s in Julian Fellowes’ big new Titanic thing, starting this week on British telly. I’ll have to give her the once over in that. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390/40 "2012-03-22T19:17:12Z")
> [@Dublin11](#): > > When Billie Piper was announced, there were cries of disgust. Same for Freema Aygeman > When Christopher Ecclestone said he was leaving and David Tennant was announced, people complained. > When Catherine Tate was announced people went bonkers with WTF???ery and ONOES. > When Matt Smith was announced, same as. > Now there will be more of it with this lady. > > What is it about the Dr Who clientele that any sort of change is always met with proclaimations of how doooooooooooooom-laden and all round wrong that the new person will be, I wonder. > > Whover they bring in to do whichever role always makes it their own, from what I’ve seen. So I’m sure this Jenna Louise Coleman will be the same. > > I see she’s in Julian Fellowes’ big new Titanic thing, starting this week on British telly. I’ll have to give her the once over in that. You are absolutely right. You’d think people would actually give the writers a bit of credit by now. Come back in a year, and everyone will love her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-companion-for-doctor-who-announced/616390.md?page=3)