Matt Smith doctor.... Meh

TheIrishGrover · 22-11-2010 11:16pm #1

Just recently started watching Dr Who from the Christopher Eccleston reboot and I must say that I really really enjoyed them (It's probably been said time and time again on this thread but Blink is simply amazing). Tennant was just fantastic. I loved the storylines and the overriding arc of each season: Bad Wolf, Saxon etc. I loved the fact that (for me anyway) it was a couple of episodes in before you started spotting clues (Saxon posters, the kid spraying Bad Wolf) and I loved the references to previous series/events even if I had not seen them.

However I am now about 4 episodes into Matt Smith's season. (Just finished the vampire one in Venice) and I'm just not getting into it. The whole crack thing would be interesting if they didn't do a crash-zoom on a crack whenever it appears. The girl is hot as hell and prone to short skirts which is always good but she's just a wee bit plain and when not plain then annoying. I can't even remember her name whereas Donna was brilliant, Rose wasn't bad and OK, never really got Martha either but at least I remember her name.

I also dislike that it seems (so far anyway) to be completely ignoring what happened previously. No fallout from Donna being gone. He went on about Rose for 2 years after.

Basically I miss Tennant, Tate and (Was it Bernard Hill? Donna's dad? Thought he was brill)

Does it pick up? Is there something subtle that I'm missing? Ah, another couple tonight so.

aidan_walsh · 22-11-2010 11:24pm

He went on about Rose for 2 years after.

Relentlessly and pointlessly.

The Classic series rarely mentioned the companions either once they left. The Doctor certainly didn't fawn and pine over them, because at that stage he has moved onto the next person and the next thing. The last thing I want to see is him moaning and groaning and wondering what at least 41 (counting the listed companions on the BBC pages) people are doing at any particular point in their time streams. Not counting the books, radio productions or stage shows.

I also dislike that it seems (so far anyway) to be completely ignoring what happened previously.

Again, its a show with 40 years of history. Much of it is disregarded most of the time because a) we largely know it and b) we can be reintroduced to it when its relevant.

TheIrishGrover · 23-11-2010 12:43am

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Relentlessly and pointlessly.

The Classic series rarely mentioned the companions either once they left. The Doctor certainly didn't fawn and pine over them, because at that stage he has moved onto the next person and the next thing. The last thing I want to see is him moaning and groaning and wondering what at least 41 (counting the listed companions on the BBC pages) people are doing at any particular point in their time streams. Not counting the books, radio productions or stage shows.

Again, its a show with 40 years of history. Much of it is disregarded most of the time because a) we largely know it and b) we can be reintroduced to it when its relevant.

True, I didn't want him to keep going on and on about Donna as he did about Rose (I agree it was endless alright

) but to completely ignore all that has gone before is a bit much.

I suppose I just didn't like the fact that it seems to be a total reset: Bobby-in-the-shower type thing

Ah, I'll continue on anway

ixoy · 23-11-2010 12:53am

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

I suppose I just didn't like the fact that it seems to be a total reset: Bobby-in-the-shower type thing Ah, I'll continue on anway

It's not quite but Moffat is doing his own to mark it as a different era using his Doctor and his companions. It makes sense that he wouldn't reference them too much - after all, as Aidan Walsh very rightly says, he never used to (which is why Sarah Jane got so annoyed!).

This season's arc was, IMO, far better than anything RTD ever did. RTD's arc seemed mostly to consist of repeating phrases over and over and then having a big explosive finale which didn't really shed anything new on to the previous episodes of the season.

I also found RTD's era more disrepesctful to the classic series - not just in its structuring but in its modification on the premise (e.g. last of the Time Lords). I will never forgive his flippant use of the Time Lords to self serve an overblown Christmas finale.

Matt Smith's Doctor seems to successfully channel the spirit of the original series whilst still maintaining a nod to the modern era. He's one of my very favourites (which is saying something given he's only in 13 episodes of the 600+ that I've watched!).

K-9 · 24-11-2010 5:49am

IIRC, waiting on Santa to bring the series DVD for my son, the first 3 are average. It is more about getting an introduction to the new doctor and Amy.

It gets better after 4 or 5 episodes and by the end, he has really settled in.

TheIrishGrover · 24-11-2010 1:18pm

ixoy wrote: »

It's not quite but Moffat is doing his own to mark it as a different era using his Doctor and his companions. It makes sense that he wouldn't reference them too much - after all, as Aidan Walsh very rightly says, he never used to (which is why Sarah Jane got so annoyed!).

This season's arc was, IMO, far better than anything RTD ever did. RTD's arc seemed mostly to consist of repeating phrases over and over and then having a big explosive finale which didn't really shed anything new on to the previous episodes of the season.

I also found RTD's era more disrepesctful to the classic series - not just in its structuring but in its modification on the premise (e.g. last of the Time Lords). I will never forgive his flippant use of the Time Lords to self serve an overblown Christmas finale.

Matt Smith's Doctor seems to successfully channel the spirit of the original series whilst still maintaining a nod to the modern era. He's one of my very favourites (which is saying something given he's only in 13 episodes of the 600+ that I've watched!).

OK, I put my hands up::) I was wrong. Just finished watching Season 5. Fantastic. Wasn't too gone on The Lodger but the others were great I thought. I never had BBC growing up so only briefly caught Dr. Who in mate's gaff and a couple of old videos that never caught my fancy. Really liked the underground ones: Seemed to a newbie like me that it harked back to the older series while not being rediculous. Loved the Vincent Van Gough one too. Thought the actor playing Van Gough was amazing. And the final 3-parter I really liked too.

Really liked the way they returned Rory. Much better character now.

About the doctor himself: While I still prefer Tennant, Smith is growing on me. (Especially the whole running gag of them scaring eachother in Vincent ep) and I like his cheeky sense of humour/excitement.

I completely get your point ioxy about the whole abuse of the Time Lords. Even for someone like myself who is pretty much a novice regarding Dr Who I thought it was a mistake to bring them back in just for a Crimbo special. (It actually reminded me, even as I was watching it, of Star Trek Voyager's use/emasculating of the Borg)

So yeah, update: Still prefer energy of Tennant but am growing to appreciate Smith's humour and quirks and can understand why older school fans really like him. All in all looking forward to the next couple of seasons.

hask1965 · 11-02-2011 11:05pm

matt ok tennant brill who would you have chossen let me no or if matt left who would make a goood dr who:pac:

:eek:

Rubecula · 13-02-2011 12:20pm

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

Just recently started watching Dr Who from the Christopher Eccleston reboot and I must say that I really really enjoyed them (It's probably been said time and time again on this thread but Blink is simply amazing). Tennant was just fantastic. I loved the storylines and the overriding arc of each season: Bad Wolf, Saxon etc. I loved the fact that (for me anyway) it was a couple of episodes in before you started spotting clues (Saxon posters, the kid spraying Bad Wolf) and I loved the references to previous series/events even if I had not seen them.

However I am now about 4 episodes into Matt Smith's season. (Just finished the vampire one in Venice) and I'm just not getting into it. The whole crack thing would be interesting if they didn't do a crash-zoom on a crack whenever it appears. The girl is hot as hell and prone to short skirts which is always good but she's just a wee bit plain and when not plain then annoying. I can't even remember her name whereas Donna was brilliant, Rose wasn't bad and OK, never really got Martha either but at least I remember her name.

I also dislike that it seems (so far anyway) to be completely ignoring what happened previously. No fallout from Donna being gone. He went on about Rose for 2 years after.

Basically I miss Tennant, Tate and (Was it Bernard Hill? Donna's dad? Thought he was brill)

Does it pick up? Is there something subtle that I'm missing? Ah, another couple tonight so.

Well I must admit I didn't see this thread until just now, and I agree with much of what you say. Anyway it was Donna's Grandad and it was played by Bernard Cribbins. Hope that helps.

Nantastic · 13-02-2011 12:25pm

Really like Matt smith, think his Doctor will grow a lot in the new season. I'm enjoying Moffats take on things, he took on a big challenge in creating his own take on things.

Bernard Cribbins was fantastic though.

LAC · 06-03-2011 11:03pm

In fairness to Matt he has a lot to live up considering previous portrayal of the Doctor by Dave Tennant after 5 years the character grows on you. I do however think the writing isn't as good as it just seems to be pulling a clean slate over everything which is a bit annoying but it could probably be for the best.

Sonics2k · 07-03-2011 1:02am

LAC wrote: »

In fairness to Matt he has a lot to live up considering previous portrayal of the Doctor by Dave Tennant after 5 years the character grows on you. I do however think the writing isn't as good as it just seems to be pulling a clean slate over everything which is a bit annoying but it could probably be for the best.

My initial problem with Matt was that I found him trying to be a little bit to much like David, but thankfully he's veered away from that somewhat and is finding his own way of being the Doctor.

The writing has been quite good this season, and as much as I'd love to personally have my evil ways with the new companion, it's just a bit harder to stay focused on each episode overall.

With David's Doctor there was some fantastic story lines running in the back ground, for example the "Vote Saxon" posters around a very very long time before the Master was even introduced as an old man.

Still, I have high hopes for the new season, as long as it's not too American.

ixoy · 07-03-2011 12:35pm

Sonics2k wrote: »

My initial problem with Matt was that I found him trying to be a little bit to much like David, but thankfully he's veered away from that somewhat and is finding his own way of being the Doctor.

I thought he established himself into the role very quickly, managing to reign in the overly eccentric "zaniness" of DT's era that had ended up pissing me off a lot. Now that's also down to a new producer on the show, but Matt's take on it worked a lot for me particularly as it echoed a bit of Troughton's Doctor who I liked a lot.

With David's Doctor there was some fantastic story lines running in the back ground, for example the "Vote Saxon" posters around a very very long time before the Master was even introduced as an old man.

What about the cracks? With how the Doctor showed up to help out Amy? That was far more cleverly planned than RTD's attempts where he just mentions a name repeatedly and that's it. It might have been fun to try and spot it in the background but it didn't have any impact on the finale storyline the way the Doctor trying to get Amy to remember did.

Doctor DooM · 07-03-2011 2:02pm

It really, really stumps me when people say Tennants stories were better written.

Yeah some of them were, the ones written by Moffat

But seriously, the arching plot of series fnarg was seeded so much better than any before- and remember, it's been seeding the next series too, and through the christmas special- when you're alone, silence is all you hear...

Sonics2k · 07-03-2011 6:21pm

ixoy wrote: »

I thought he established himself into the role very quickly, managing to reign in the overly eccentric "zaniness" of DT's era that had ended up pissing me off a lot. Now that's also down to a new producer on the show, but Matt's take on it worked a lot for me particularly as it echoed a bit of Troughton's Doctor who I liked a lot.

My own opinion of MS' Doctor for the first few episodes was that he was too much like DT's Doctor, but yes it did change over time (5-6 episodes I found) to something different.

ixoy wrote: »

What about the cracks? With how the Doctor showed up to help out Amy? That was far more cleverly planned than RTD's attempts where he just mentions a name repeatedly and that's it. It might have been fun to try and spot it in the background but it didn't have any impact on the finale storyline the way the Doctor trying to get Amy to remember did.

The cracks were blatantly obvious part of the future storyline, as was Amy being the little girl from the moment she appeared on screen.

The Vote Saxon posters just happened to be in the background, never mentioned, never highlighted directly but once you got the episode with Saxon as the Prime Minister you suddenly went "oh bloody hell now I remember those posters!" (At least this is what my friends and I did)

Again, it's all subjective really. I personally loved Tennant's Doctor and have found him to be the best version so far.

ixoy · 07-03-2011 7:44pm

Sonics2k wrote: »

The cracks were blatantly obvious part of the future storyline, as was Amy being the little girl from the moment she appeared on screen.

Well it was hardly meant to be a surprise that the little girl was Amy was it? That was only set up within one episode. More impressive is how there's moments dropped throughout the season that weaved into the finale.

The Vote Saxon posters just happened to be in the background, never mentioned, never highlighted directly but once you got the episode with Saxon as the Prime Minister you suddenly went "oh bloody hell now I remember those posters!" (At least this is what my friends and I did)

See I don't count this as impressive in any way. All RTD did was "Oh there'll be someone called Saxon in the end" and put it up everywhere. That shows little sign of what he intended to do with that plot. Then again given the utter crap he came up with using the GoblinDoctor I'm probably glad I didn't see anything foreshadowed.

Again, it's all subjective really. I personally loved Tennant's Doctor and have found him to be the best version so far.

I liked him in moments when he was given some of RTD's good character pieces. Some of his scenes with Wilf and Donna were fantastic, among the best and most human pieces in the show's run. Unfortunately the whole thing is sullied for me by his too many OTT moments and the certain sense of smugness that he portrayed (or RTD did through the scripts).
I reckon it's also that Matt Smith harkens, to my mind, back to old era Who on which I grew up and I never quite warmed to the full make over they gave his character.

TheIrishGrover · 07-03-2011 8:10pm

Just noticed that this thread had been updated recently. And just to reiterate: I put my hands up and I'll admit I was wrong. Still not too gone on the first couple of episodes of Smith's doctor but, as I said afterwards, I really REALLY enjoyed the last few episodes. I said before that I wasn't gone on The Lodger and I gotta confess I said that after only watching the start and not really getting it. Muppet!!!! Was bloody hilarious. The football esp. I must have watched the 2nd half of the season about 3 times at this stage and Smith's monologue to Amelia in her bed was fantastic. That trailer for the next season really got me buzzing: I wear a stetson now, stetsons are cool.

To sum up: I really kind of want to disown this thread now. Ah well

Matt Smith doctor.... Meh

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