To think Matt Smith was a terrible a Doctor?

[HangingBasketCase]

I felt like I'd woken up in a parallel universe this morning and saw all the comments from people bemoaning how much they missed him last night. Seriously, I never liked him as the doctor. I adored David Tennant and watched every single one of his episodes, but I although I gave Smith a chance I just didn't connect or gel with him. I didn't get it and don't know why he was ever cast in the past. Also don't get me started on Amy Pond, I bloody loathed her with a passion!

I drifted away from the series completely during the Smith era, but now Capaldi has taken over I'm coming back. He's already a vast improvement on Smith, I could tell you that after one episode.

Where the fuck has all this Smith love come from?!

The Lucius Wotsit link was well set up last night, I thought "Have you seen this face before?".

As for CE I thought he was very clear here
www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/20897/christopher-eccleston-is-this-why-he-really-quit-doctor-who

At the time he was more diplomatic, too much of a change to his career, high visibility not suiting him, etc. But my 'friend in the know' didn't work on DW but I suspect all crew know everyone else - reports him as having been a lovely bloke who got snarled up in the egos and politics of the people making DW their own. Which makes sense when you think of the big egos involved, Ecclestone and Moffat...!!

It probably wouldn't happen now, everyone is much more secure in their DW nirvana.

I love all the Dr Who's unconditionally.

Gosh - there's some terrible episodes though, real awful stuff making me cringe so deep I could fold up. But hey, lots of good stuff too.

I have also fancied every Dr from Sylvester McCoy onwards, but that's my own problem that I shouldn't burden you all with!

Hmm the first doctor was a cantankerous old git really, not seen that episode for a long long time but you may well be right that the pacifism came later. Each doctor is really a product of their times I guess.

We watched the TV movie last night. Now that was really really dire!

I didn't care for MS at all, but DD blames poor scripts and Moffat.

Nomama I wouldn't have thought CE's decision to leave was anything to do with Moffat, who was only a writer on the show at that stage, more likely it was Russell T Davis that CE had an issue with.

Ye gods you are right, FrankelandFilly

Actually that is a relief. I was starting to sound a little bit too clued up on the whole Dr Who thing

RTD and Ecclestone, would have been a bit more subdued, maybe!

Pedant spot on about Ecclstone! my thoughts exactly.

I loved Matt Smith ( though my DH doesn't and DS like David Tennant)

I got sick of DT one expression face. Wide eyed open mouthed running around (and if you see him in anything else , you see he's far more multi-dimensional )

Matt Smith was a micture of charm. wit and vunerability.

Verdict still out of Peter Capaldi..........

Matt Smith did have something of the 'lead in the 6th form leavers school play' about his performances. All the 'New Who' Doctor's are dealing with shite scripts - the great actors (like Peter) can make them work. I always felt Matt Smith was playing at being the Doctor, with a bit of an ironic side-wink to his Primrose Hill chums. Peter Capaldi was the Doctor before the end of his first episode. That's a first for me - though I am a huge Malcolm Tucker fan, so I've been looking forward to this. I even took a few episodes to warm up to Eccleston's portrayal, and he wasn't really being compared with anyone.

Is anyone else hoping for a Malcolm Tucker meets the Daleks short for the next Comic Relief?

Tennant - some mawkish plots but good Doctor

Smith - awful companions and stupid story lines, but a good Doctor

Capaldi - so far, slightly daft storylines but very good Doctor.

IMHO. None of them have been crap but have had crap orbiting them.

Matt Smith was the worst Doctor to date (including the classic era).

I loved DT but am totally blown away by Peter Capaldi. He seems to have brought a whole new dimension to the role already. Okay, he is gorgeous, but there is so much charisma in his performance.

I always felt Matt Smith was playing at being the Doctor,
Yes. It took me about two years to stop feeling like I was watching [an actor portraying] somebody pretending to be the Doctor rather than the Doctor.

InculKate Yes, even worse than Sylvester McCoy! I just never warmed to him - I know he didn't have the best material to work with but even so...

Although I admit to shedding a tear at the regeneration at Christmas (I have no idea why, considering I didn't like Matt and was so excited at Peter Capaldi's casting!)

Possibly down to lower standards back then!

I admit I haven't seen too many PT episodes (I was too young, and only started watching in 1973 (aged three - my dad is awesome!!) but I quite liked Colin Baker (met him at a convention once) - I watched some of the Sylvester McCoy episodes recently and I wasn't keen. Although I think the general standard of writing etc had gone down the shitter by then(hence why it was taken off the air at the time!)

I didn't research; God, that sounds wanky. I rewatched.

InculKate

Nah, we honestly had lower standards back in the 70s and 80s!

It was seriously cutting edge!

I always thought that Smith was more wooden than Thetford Forest! Apologies to those that love him.
Love Capaldi, loved him anyway and am enjoying him in the role.

PS. Old enough to have been watching since the very first programme!

dawndonna You're right, he was very wooden - You could almost hear him reading the script.

PC's performances to date have been sublime though - he was worth waiting for! I have seen him in lots of things and loved him too, but am struggling to articulate why he is so brilliant in the role. Perhaps its because he becomes Doctor Who (I love that he calls the character that, after many of us have spent years telling non-Whovians "its the DOCTOR")

Allegedly the reason CE left is because senior people were bullying junior crew, and he didn't want to be complicit in it by staying. The production for the first series was utter chaos: the first filming block was a complete disaster in terms of being over-budget and massively over-schedule, with everyone massively stressed out and out of their depth. It seems like the stress got taken out on relatively junior people.