I don't like Matt Smith as The Doctor

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  • WelshNigeWelshNige Posts: 4,807
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    You are all quite right, and I have been previously wrong in thoughtlessly referring to quirkiness as Alien, just because so many others do.

    I'll try not to do it again! :o:D

    Go and sit on the naughty step for five minutes and think about what you've done....:D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 955
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    WelshNige wrote: »
    Go and sit on the naughty step for five minutes and think about what you've done....:D

    97 minutes surely eh Granny ;):p
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,830
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    Me ma said Matt could play Boris Karloff in a film about the making of the 1931 Frankenstein movie, without makeup, as the monster; all you have to do is add the bolts. It's the square forehead that does it.
  • Granny McSmithGranny McSmith Posts: 19,622
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    WelshNige wrote: »
    Go and sit on the naughty step for five minutes and think about what you've done....:D
    Torry_Z wrote: »
    97 minutes surely eh Granny ;):p

    :o:D.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
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    --Has nothing to do with his acting ability, but I am sick of looking at his scrawny, bow-tie bedecked likeness on my Facebook page. A rabid fan posts a dozen or more pics a day. I don't want to interfere with anyone's fandom, but I do get a bit weary.
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    A classic example of an actor reading his own press, believing the early praise and believing he and only he knows how to play the character.

    Anymore whirling about wielding the sonic from Matt Smith and he'll just be a Tasmanian devil type blur the whole 45 minutes.

    Have done with it and shift it over to CBeebies because that's the level it's operating on these days.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,129
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    With Tennant and Eccelston i believed their emotions believed their fight in what they were doing but with Smith he just cartoons everything in such a stupid way that is just not attractive to watch and engage in!

    RTD made his two Drs in the soap opera very human character mode to ramp up the emotional reponse for the style of Dr Who he wanted to portray: a series that would get the soap operea crowd into watch.

    Smith's/Moffat's Dr is more of the 'alien' Timelord character with a slight disconnection from humanity(as he should have) but with a deep soft-spot for humanity as a species...a much preferable portrayal and far more in keeping with other portrayals of previous Drs.
  • radders2012radders2012 Posts: 1,380
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    I think some of the posts on here have nailed it for me with Matts portrayal being cartoony. having watched for many years I understand that the Doctor is, shall we say eccentric, but this portrayal leaves me a bit cold.

    I still enjoy the program and though I loved the Tennant period I am not married to it. What I feel is missing from Matt is pathos and gravitas which Tennant displayed. Take the end speach to the "god" in the latest episode Rings of Akhaten; I thought that was fantastic and really well delivered with the perfect tone until, for no reason, he twiddles his bow tie - taking me completely out of the moment. Then says "take it all baby" - again ruining the pathos of the moment.

    My point is is that its not enough for the Doctor just to be whackey anymore as we have seen another side to him, he needs more depth.

    I am not sure this is down to Matt or the showrunners/scripwriters - I agree with a previous poster, the stories are very clever but dont seem to have any heart - I enjoy them but dont really care what happens. I also find it a bit annoying that all the groundwork set out by RTD seems to have been totally thrown out of the window - everything redesigned and only cursary mentions to the past.

    All in all I find this incarnation to be less engaging.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 955
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    Straker wrote: »
    A classic example of an actor reading his own press, believing the early praise and believing he and only he knows how to play the character.

    Anymore whirling about wielding the sonic from Matt Smith and he'll just be a Tasmanian devil type blur the whole 45 minutes.

    Have done with it and shift it over to CBeebies because that's the level it's operating on these days.
    I spend a lot of my time watching CBeebies, I can sing all the songs... but to be honest if that channel is left on at the weekend I might go mad but current who really floats my boat... so no I'm not gonna watch Beebies as it's called in my house
  • Benjamin SiskoBenjamin Sisko Posts: 1,921
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    Straker wrote: »
    A classic example of an actor reading his own press, believing the early praise and believing he and only he knows how to play the character.

    Anymore whirling about wielding the sonic from Matt Smith and he'll just be a Tasmanian devil type blur the whole 45 minutes.

    Have done with it and shift it over to CBeebies because that's the level it's operating on these days.

    I recall Matt has a massive appreciation of Patrick Troughton, which even inspired the bow-tie... now if he believed he was the only one who could play the Doctor right, surely he wouldn't pay so much homage to the Classic Doctors both in and outside of the show.

    You could say the exact same sentence about any Doctor after Hartnell. However, that does not, in any case, make it true.
  • johnnysaucepnjohnnysaucepn Posts: 6,775
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    WelshNige wrote: »
    I don't buy the good looking thing at all, people hankered after Tom Baker long after he'd left the role, and with all due respect I don't think you'd call Tom good looking.

    I think you've missed JohnnyForget's point. It's not that being a good-looking action hero is a measure of popularity for all the Doctors, but that it was a significant part of Tenth's popularity for some, and it was not something common to other portrayals. Some people liked it, some didn't.

    Just as Colin Baker's personality was also a significant change - and it's up to you to decide whether you like it or not.
    I still enjoy the program and though I loved the Tennant period I am not married to it. What I feel is missing from Matt is pathos and gravitas which Tennant displayed. Take the end speach to the "god" in the latest episode Rings of Akhaten; I thought that was fantastic and really well delivered with the perfect tone until, for no reason, he twiddles his bow tie - taking me completely out of the moment. Then says "take it all baby" - again ruining the pathos of the moment.
    But isn't that the very essence of the Doctor? That he can be both impossibly old and yet juvenile? One of the criticisms often laid at the Tenth Doctor (and his writer's) door is that some people found his speeches somewhat po-faced and sometimes took himself too seriously. Which worked fine for his incarnation, but now we have a more mercurial and contradictory version - he's that bit more flamboyant and theatrical. I don't feel that it punctures the gravitas, in some ways it puts it into sharp relief - it's a burst of passion and self-assertion.
    To hell with the raggedy. Time to put on a show!
  • Percy HardyPercy Hardy Posts: 199
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    But isn't that the very essence of the Doctor? That he can be both impossibly old and yet juvenile?

    This reminded me of the 4th Doctor quote: "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes".
  • TalmaTalma Posts: 10,520
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    ea91 wrote: »
    Matt's portrayal reminds of William Hartnell's. Problem?
    Muttley76 wrote: »
    Hartnell, Troughton, Tom Baker....a hint of McCoy.

    Interesting that a guy who didn't grow up watching the show actually seems to grasp the vibe of classic series Doctors so well.

    I can honestly say10 is fairly low down on my favourite Doctor list, and one of the reasons is that it was only extremely rarely that I was reminded by what he said and did that he was in fact the latest regeneration of all the others,I don't think I once really believed that 10 was the ancient Time Lord who'd lost his whole world (except maybe in Sound of Drums etc) whereas Matt does that so convincingly he's mesmeric, also changing from old and weary to young and bouncy in a heartbeat.
    Muttley76 wrote: »
    *coughs* Davison *coughs*

    :p

    To be fair, i think it's only a small but vocal minority, lots of people who especially liked Tennant I know also like Matt alot too.

    but for a small hardcore number, they seem to find it hard it conceive of the show actually existing outside of Tennant at all. I've seen some say that Eccleston "doesn't count" for example (lord knows what these peoples awareness of the classic era is).

    Better not go there...us oldies bringing up the Classic series doesn't always go down too well:)
  • ukgnomeukgnome Posts: 541
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    Hartnell - in my youth it was a bit WTF but on reflection I now consider him in high esteem.
    Troughton - A genius
    Pertwee - aside from the kung-fu he was mesmerizing, When he regenerated I didn't think they could fill his shoes.
    T Baker - How wrong was I? Tom was born to be the doctor, a straight man and a comic. He is rightly so considered a genius.
    Davidson - he seemed a bit too "Arthur Dent" to be the doctor, but when he left the show i had started to like him. Just not quirky enough.
    C Baker - I liked his rudeness but didn't like his jacket.
    McCoy - a mix of C Baker and davidson, quirky and rude. just enough of a B'tard to be likeable.
    McGann - He had the looks and the accent, but he seemed a bit wishy washy for my liking.
    Eccleston - awesome choice for a doctor, brooding, funny and witty.
    Tennant - He started so well, but rapidly turned into a gurning lunatic. very watchable but his time was well and truly up.
    Smith - I see all aspects of the foredoctors in Matt, he is emotional, funny, serious and witty. Just a shame a couple of bad stories could ruin his tenure.
  • GilaGoraGilaGora Posts: 1,191
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    So if you don't like Mat then you are anti-Dr Who? :rolleyes:

    Says it all about how blind some are in the obsession with Matt Smith.

    We are in fact real Who fans and want to save the show.

    Save the show? The ratings are great. The show doesn't need saving you moaning twerp.

    Funny how as soon as Tennant's return is announced, the Anti-Smith brigade comes crawling out of the woodwork with their usual 'he's so ugly and annoying, I want DT back!' bollocks.
  • Pink KnightPink Knight Posts: 24,773
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    I don't dislike Matt Smith, but a combination of more often than not average stories and the fact that I don't believe him when he gets angry in the role have dented my initial enthusiasm.
  • Joe_ZelJoe_Zel Posts: 20,832
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    Yeah, I find him less convincing when he tries to be angry.

    I don't have any real problems with Smith as the doctor, what turned me away from the show for a while was the combination of him with Gillan (Amy Pond was extremely annoying) and some really bad stories.

    I've not really minded any of the new Doctors but it takes more than the one character to make the show worth watching and this "era" just hasn't really done it for me.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,129
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    ukgnome wrote: »
    C Baker - I liked his rudeness but didn't like his jacket.
    .

    Colin wanted a black outfit and a very brooding story arc where his regeneration turned out a bit 'wrong'...and when he arrived he had the multicoloured coat that he hated...so you are in good company not liking it.
    ukgnome wrote: »
    Smith - I see all aspects of the foredoctors in Matt, he is emotional, funny, serious and witty. Just a shame a couple of bad stories could ruin his tenure.

    All the Drs have had bad stories...even Baker...
  • Penfolds_placePenfolds_place Posts: 865
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    :eek:
    :eek:

    At last after 40 odd long years two kindred souls:D.

    I've never understood the whole plays it 'more Alien' thing in fandom either. Forgive me 'Penfolds Place' this isn't directed at you or your opinion but more that you raised something that has never quite clicked with me:)

    To me no Doctor has been played as an Alien, or anything remotely alien. Yes we know he is an alien because of his story, yet if we didn't know that then he would seem human, an eccentric human yes but eccentricity IS non an Alien trait, neither is love, compassion, anger, laughing crying, cracking gags..blah blah blah.


    To me all Doctors have been 'Human' Doctors not just Tennants, seeing that he has earned the unfair label of being the 'Human' Doctor. The only difference is Tennant's 'last of his kind' character arc over his 3+ series allowed that Doctor to run the gauntlet of emotions , and personally this is why I feel that eras Doctor is head and shoulders above any other in terms of character development. I think it is one of the greatest character arcs in TV, I really do, it is wonderfully built up over 4 series, (starting with Ecclestone) sometimes it's with a sledgehammer sometimes subtle.
    Being the last of his kind the natural place for him to take refuge would be Earth, the natural species he would turn to would be humans, that is entirely in keeping with the character created all those those years ago.

    It is here that I personally feel Matt Smith has been let down by the showrunner/writers. Three series into Matt Smiths reign and the poor guys arc is STILL faffing about trying to find out why yet again his new companion is soooooo mysterious, just like the one before.:yawn:


    .
    But being bumbling, eccentric and quirky are not alien traits.

    :)

    Maybe "alien" was the wrong word I don't know. It's just a feeling I got with the new doctor but I am not eloquent enough to describe it properly.

    I agree with the bolded paragraph, I think Matt smith has been let down by the writers so far. He would probably be my favourite doctor otherwise.
  • ryanr554ryanr554 Posts: 4,013
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    It is not that I don't like him, it is just that I don't like how Childish he is. The similarities between ten and eleven are extremely easy to see but Tennant is altogether more easy to like. The change between the fourth and fifth series was huge and I for one still pretty much hate the fifth series.

    I have also heard a lot of people mention how Tennants doctor got overly confident near the end but I don't think this is anything compared to Smiths doctor.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,895
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    Wow S4 is the highest rated?
  • Muttley76Muttley76 Posts: 97,888
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    Wow S4 is the highest rated?

    The Stolen Earth and Journey's End both got 91's, the only time Doctor Who to get over 90.

    The next highest being 89 for the following:

    The Parting of the Ways
    Doomsday
    Silence in the Library
    Forest of the Dead
    End of Time part 2
    The Big Bang
    Asylum of the Daleks
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,895
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    Muttley76 wrote: »
    The Stolen Earth and Journey's End both got 91's, the only time Doctor Who to get over 90.

    The next highest being 89 for the following:

    The Parting of the Ways
    Doomsday
    Silence in the Library
    Forest of the Dead
    End of Time part 2
    The Big Bang
    Asylum of the Daleks

    Ah then that makes sense. Can't believe Journey's End got so high. For some reason I always presumed it was considered underwhelming amongst everyone.
  • Muttley76Muttley76 Posts: 97,888
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    Ah then that makes sense. Can't believe Journey's End got so high. For some reason I always presumed it was considered underwhelming amongst everyone.


    I still remember some forum members getting quite cross at the high AI it got, lol! But even on here, it faired well in the episode poll - just over 80% rated it positively. I suspect it would fair a little less well now, just like some episodes would fair better. I guess it's worth remembering that they are just a snap shot in time.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,895
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    Muttley76 wrote: »
    I still remember some forum members getting quite cross at the high AI it got, lol! But even on here, it faired well in the episode poll - just over 80% rated it positively. I suspect it would fair a little less well now, just like some episodes would fair better. I guess it's worth remembering that they are just a snap shot in time.

    Yeah very true. I did however love The Stolen Earth, RTD at his kitchen-sink finest :D I just remember people not enjoying the TARDIS carrying Earth home (Martha's 4th wall moment in particular)
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