Peter is a massive step up from Matt

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  • *Sparkle**Sparkle* Posts: 10,953
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    I'm so relieved to have Capaldi in as the Doctor.

    I really tried to like Matt, but it felt like such an effort. I thought I'd get used to him, but in reality I just got used to being disappointed, and by the last series, I felt I was tuning in out of loyalty. It only took a few scenes for me to relax, and know that we've got a Doctor with a bit of depth to him again.

    A lot will depend on the scripts, but Capaldi, like Tennant, has the ability to transition between emotions with ease.
  • VideoTapirVideoTapir Posts: 646
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    Peter Capaldi isn't going to be a step up, he's just going to be brilliant in a different way.

    Perfectly put.
  • Michael_EveMichael_Eve Posts: 14,413
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    VideoTapir wrote: »
    Perfectly put.

    Agree. I've liked all the Doctors, although obviously some floated my boat more than others. Matt was wonderful IMO, but am very pleased with Capaldi, who is unsurprisingly very different. They all are. Really looking forward to getting to know Twelve over the next few months.
  • RooksRooks Posts: 9,067
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    The character isn't only the product of the actor but a combination of actor and script. Matt Smith was excellent in his first series because he's a good actor and had (mostly) good scripts. The last few series haven't been as strong (imo) and, for me, the 'character' of the 11th Doctor has been the problem, not the actor. The writers had moved increasingly towards the comedy aspect of the show which had made the Doctor a far more comedic character, more juvenile in many ways. To give Steven Moffat his credit, he's on record saying he realised the issue and that was, in part, why he wanted someone like Capaldi.

    Peter Capaldi is a fine actor but is only as good as the scripts he's given. I really hope there's some good ones coming up.
  • rosariofirerosariofire Posts: 343
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    Luner13 wrote: »
    Um no I am stating my opinion so get over it.

    Matt was terrible imo

    Hi everyone, first time I've posted on the Dr Who threads.

    Loved Peter Capaldi's debut.
    I stopped watching at about Matt Smith's 4 th episode, I could never warm to him. IMO he was far too young, and his characterisation of the Doctor just left me cold. I've never warmed to Clara either tbh, or Amy Pond. I loved Rose and Donna though.
    I've been a fan since 1969, and to my mind Peter Capaldi is much more in line with what I expect the Doctor to be.
    I am looking forward to seeing him develop. He is a highly respected, versatile actor whose career I have followed with some interest.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,056
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    Hi everyone, first time I've posted on the Dr Who threads.

    Loved Peter Capaldi's debut.
    I stopped watching at about Matt Smith's 4 th episode, I could never warm to him. IMO he was far too young, and his characterisation of the Doctor just left me cold. I've never warmed to Clara either tbh, or Amy Pond. I loved Rose and Donna though.
    I've been a fan since 1969, and to my mind Peter Capaldi is much more in line with what I expect the Doctor to be.
    I am looking forward to seeing him develop. He is a highly respected, versatile actor whose career I have followed with some interest.

    I liked that he was so young but his face seemed so old. I always felt like Matt Smith played an ancient alien very well, there was depth and age in his eyes.

    It's the assistants I've never liked. Rose, Amy Pond, Martha, all hatefully smart-arsed. I loved Donna though. She was the best ever assistant. Independent without being a pain, intelligent and crafty without being a smart arse. And, she never fell in love with him. Thank ****.
  • KapellmeisterKapellmeister Posts: 41,322
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    Even McCoy was preferable to Smith in his last two series. He just totally over-egged the childish, twirling clown and lost all the lovely detail and subtlety of his first series. If you rewatch something like 'Vincent and the Doctor' and then follow it with 'The Impossible Astronaut', Smith's characterisation is so utterly different that it's like an entirely new Doctor. I hated it. I think one reason I enjoyed 'Deep Breath' even as much as I did was sheerly because Capaldi was in the role and not Smith.
  • james2018james2018 Posts: 1,493
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    Even McCoy was preferable to Smith in his last two series. He just totally over-egged the childish, twirling clown and lost all the lovely detail and subtlety of his first series. If you rewatch something like 'Vincent and the Doctor' and then follow it with 'The Impossible Astronaut', Smith's characterisation is so utterly different that it's like an entirely new Doctor. I hated it. I think one reason I enjoyed 'Deep Breath' even as much as I did was sheerly because Capaldi was in the role and not Smith.

    ...No
  • Michael_EveMichael_Eve Posts: 14,413
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    Even McCoy was preferable to Smith in his last two series. He just totally over-egged the childish, twirling clown and lost all the lovely detail and subtlety of his first series. If you rewatch something like 'Vincent and the Doctor' and then follow it with 'The Impossible Astronaut', Smith's characterisation is so utterly different that it's like an entirely new Doctor. I hated it. I think one reason I enjoyed 'Deep Breath' even as much as I did was sheerly because Capaldi was in the role and not Smith.

    It's an interesting view, and Series 5 is my favourite of C21 so far, but don't agree that Matt's characterisation changed that much. Always felt he gave a nuanced performance. Loved the scene in '..Astronaut' where he seemed positively threatening to River ("Trust you...really?") and there were often glimpses of darkness amidst the Tigger-ish aspects. (Which, in fairness, were there from the start of his reign.) Moments in 'The Girl Who Waited' (THAT look into the camera at the end) 'A Good Man Goes To War' (Colonel Runaway) Yelling at a scared 'Amy' in The Rebel Flesh, Asylum of the Daleks ("You think hatred is beautiful?") , his treatment of Soloman, losing it in 'A Town Called Mercy' and 'The God Complex'....I could go on, thought there were such moments in most of his performances, but don't worry, I wont!

    Personally don't think there was that much inconsistency. It wasn't like, say, comparing Season 13 Tom to Season 17 Tom. Not for me, anyway. (Extreme example and you didn't mention Tom, but I just didn't think the characterisation changed radically.)

    A I said up thread, very pleased with Capaldi so far, mind.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,679
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    Helbore wrote: »
    I loved Matt from his first episode. I'm loving Peter, too.

    I guess I'm just weird.

    Well, I'll be weird with you. :)

    I adore Matt's Doctor (he became my favourite Doctor along my original Jon Pertwee) and his appearance at the end just made me crumble.

    I thought Peter's first episode was great too, so happy all round (once I stopped blubbing at the phone scene).
  • KapellmeisterKapellmeister Posts: 41,322
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    It's an interesting view, and Series 5 is my favourite of C21 so far, but don't agree that Matt's characterisation changed that much. Always felt he gave a nuanced performance. Loved the scene in '..Astronaut' where he seemed positively threatening to River ("Trust you...really?") and there were often glimpses of darkness amidst the Tigger-ish aspects. (Which, in fairness, were there from the start of his reign.) Moments in 'The Girl Who Waited' (THAT look into the camera at the end) 'A Good Man Goes To War' (Colonel Runaway) Yelling at a scared 'Amy' in The Rebel Flesh, Asylum of the Daleks ("You think hatred is beautiful?") , his treatment of Soloman, losing it in 'A Town Called Mercy' and 'The God Complex'....I could go on, thought there were such moments in most of his performances, but don't worry, I wont!

    Personally don't think there was that much inconsistency. It wasn't like, say, comparing Season 13 Tom to Season 17 Tom. Not for me, anyway. (Extreme example and you didn't mention Tom, but I just didn't think the characterisation changed radically.)

    A I said up thread, very pleased with Capaldi so far, mind.

    Oh well. I just thought there was a big shift towards the clowning, babbling, gibbering, twirling fool. He did that very rarely in series 5 and yet from 'The Christmas Carol' onwards it became an increasingly regular fixture in his portrayal.

    In 'The Christmas Carol', when he sits at the control booth and presses buttons and gibbers on about buttons and 'oooh, buttons! I like buttons as buttons as cool I love me a good button' etc, etc. etc. When he springs out of the bathroom in 'The Impossible Astronaut' and starts gibbering and twirling, that kind of thing has little or no precedent in series 5 at all.

    I'm not saying that's all he did in series 6 onwards but the balance definitely shifted. There have been numerous discussions (i.e. fights) on GB as to whether the change was Moffat's idea or Matt's idea.
  • Glenn AGlenn A Posts: 23,758
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    *Sparkle* wrote: »
    I'm so relieved to have Capaldi in as the Doctor.

    I really tried to like Matt, but it felt like such an effort. I thought I'd get used to him, but in reality I just got used to being disappointed, and by the last series, I felt I was tuning in out of loyalty. It only took a few scenes for me to relax, and know that we've got a Doctor with a bit of depth to him again.

    A lot will depend on the scripts, but Capaldi, like Tennant, has the ability to transition between emotions with ease.

    Matt Smith got off to a good start, but the characterisation became too wacky for me, all that jumping around and shouting, and I stopped watching during his third series. Also Amy and Rory were irritating and the whole Riversong story was boring. The boy came good in his last two shows, but it was too late then.
    Anyway nice cameo from him at the end of last night's show and I think Capaldi could be a great as he has potential.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Having now watched the mess that was the series opener, all I can say is: no thanks. I won't be tuning in any more - they had their chance to reel me in and blew it big time.

    Capaldi is worthy of far better than this.

    A series opener, new doctor or not, has to really set the tone for the whole series. This had no story and no hook. Atlantis was a bad show but this is the worst thing the BBC have shown on a Saturday night in this slot in years.

    It's for die hard fans only now, so I've removed it from my recording schedule.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 178
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    Having had a chat with my little girl today, I wish to slightly revise my opion on this thorny issue (and emphasise that it is my opinion and my personal preference). My little girl has made it clear that Matt is her absolute favourite, and I think he entertained children possibly more than any other Doctor. His friendliness made them feel safe from the monsters and his quirkiness is absolutely hilarious to them. I don't feel like any of this is accidental. Matt knew exactly what he was doing with his characterisation, and is a brilliant childrens entertainer. I personally much prefer Capaldi, and more serious Doctors in general, but we shouldn't lose sight of how important Doctor Who is to children, and how important it is that the Doctor appeals to them. As much as I admire Capaldi and think he is a incredibly talented actor, it remains to be seen whether he can capture the hearts of children quite as well as Matt did.
  • lady_xanaxlady_xanax Posts: 5,662
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    I liked the way Eccleston played the character, as a sort of avuncular/paternal character. I think something like that (particularly considering the age gap between Coleman and Capaldi) would work well and would bring the kids on board whilst still making the show appealing to adults.
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