Not Good Enough For Doctor Who

Obviously not everyone is going to like the same things. Personally I had no issues whatsoever with Matt Smith as the Doctor. I came in with Tennant, and was as sad as everyone else was to see him leave, but, unlike many fans, I understood that DT felt it was time to move on to other things.

In what ways do you think Matt Smith has been "incompetent"? I see a Doctor who has put the loss of Gallifrey behind him -- not completely forget, as he noted in The Beast Below, but he's not brooding about it quite as much. I see a man who makes a mis-step here and there, i.e. what he said to Rory at his stag party. I see a Doctor with a young face, but sometimes the weight of his 907 years can be seen clearly in that face (sitting in the Pandorica just before he sends it up into the TARDIS).

To put it simply, I think Steven Moffat made the right decision. I've thoroughly enjoyed each episode of series 5 -- some episodes took a second viewing to before I really liked it, but that has happened in other series as well.

You say Smith needs to concentrate on growing up and get his acting talent up to a "suitable standard." What constitutes a "suitable standard"? You may not think he's much of an actor, but others see it differently. I've seen a couple of his other works and thought he did quite well. It's all subjective.

I think that Matt Smith is a genius Doctor, and I thought that I'd be done w/ the show after DT left (like so many others have said). I watched 'The Eleventh Hour' thinking that it would be my last ep, but Smith hooked me at regeneration :) I think he plays the role with a lot of fun but always with a hint of the gravity of everything his character's seen...

Honestly, I'm thrilled with the Doctor, but a little less than impressed with the writing, which surprises me because Moffat was supposed to be the 'end-all' writer and Davies the devil himself. I loved how the link through the entire season was revealed in the last episode, but I thought that the episodes themselves could have been a bit more exciting. I'm also still not totally sold on the Amy Pond character, but since her hubby's joined the party (really enjoy Rory), I'm more optimistic!

We really should give Smith a chance!

I was wary at first about him but after seeing the episodes I must say that his Doctor has grown up on me. He is kind of fun and enjoyable and I like his companion more than the last ones.

I must confess that I was getting a bit tired of David's Doctor and I think he made the right decission to move on and try new things.

Elena (Spain)

the brightness of the sun does not diminish the enchantment of the moon

He was the first doctor I had seen. My friend introduced me to the show during series 5 so at first, he was the only doctor I knew of and I loved him. I went back and watched all of the series of course and after getting to know the doctor character, I think he's great in the role, he's quirky and strange which makes him good in the part. So, personally, I can't say that I agree with you.

Dammit, Trudy, what about the pineapple?!

Listen, I have read all of your opinions and I have the utmost respect for what all of you have said. It's just that I think David Tennant made the role his during his tenure at Doctor Who and I believe DT brought the series back from the brink after Eccleston left the show after one series (which I also find a bit cowardly on his part as he didn't give the character chance. I also stand by the fact that Eccleston was utter *beep* as John Lennon in Lennon Naked).

I'll keep an open mind when series 6 comes along and see if there's been an improvement in Smith's acting and hopefully the writing which was terrible and going-through-the-motions in certain episodes.

Does anyone know if there is going to be a series 6 and when it's more than likely to air on TV?

Well, I certainly like the show much less now than I did before - but I liked Matt Smith immediately, and I still do.

There are definitely flaws in the show, but I see that as Moffat's fault - the writing in general has gotten worse, I don't like as many of the plots anymore, I don't like the atmosphere as much (the cinematography, the use of music, the acting style, the companions)... the show itself seems more childish now than it did, and I find myself missing Davies' flair for drama - something I never thought I'd miss.

There are also certain things about the characterisation of The Doctor that I don't understand now (whereas I understood the Tenth Doctor extremely well) - the Eleventh can be extremely condescending ("Do everything I tell you"), plain ridiculous (hitting a Dalek?), and unexpectedly dim ("She's a good kisser"). Yet he's still brilliant occasionally... None of it makes much sense. He's not quite together yet.

However, it never occurred to me to blame Matt Smith for any of these things. I think he does wonderfully with what he's given. Yes, he's young, he's perhaps not quite as experienced as Tennant was/is (though he's worked on quite a few projects, and continues to work on other things), but I definitely think he's a very capable and worthwhile actor. I think he has lovely comic timing, he's very intriguing, and is handling this part quite well - as well as anyone would've under the circumstances, with the writing being so all-over-the-place. I enjoy watching him. I'd even say he's the only thing I really like about the show now.

In fact, I was intrigued enough by him to watch his other work - I've seen nearly all of it now - and never found him unbelieveable. (I particularly loved him in Party Animals and in The Street.) That helped me appreciate him as The Doctor even more, because he really is *different* as The Doctor, both from his previous roles and from The Doctor's previous incarnations.

The Tenth Doctor will always be my favourite, and David Tennant in the role will never have an equal, where I'm concerned -- but I do believe in Matt Smith, I believe in his talent, and will continue to watch the show purely for him. If he leaves the show, I'm nearly certain that I'll stop watching it. It's not his fault David Tennant left, and it's not his fault Moffat has changed the show beyond recognition. I'll just keep hoping it'll all even out.

the angels have the phone box

Work has begun on series six this week.

Hi,

As I said in an earlier post, I enjoy Matt as the Doctor; he's doing it very well on his own.

I just wish the scripts were better writen; more catchy.

Elena


the brightness of the sun does not diminish the enchantment of the moon