Out of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, which regenration do we prefer?

Eccleston's was short and abrupt. It summed up his character and he went out in fantastic (sorry) style.

Tennant's exit was one of spectacle, and he went out in epic fashion.

Two very different exits, which do we prefer????

I think both were fitting for their characters. Nine wasn't phased by it so much because he hadn't been around that long, and the Time War was clearly a much fresher wound for him, his "death" wouldn't have bothered him so much.

The Tenth Doctor had made a lot of friends, had time to become a more complete individual, and its not every clear how long he "lived". With the Ninth, its implied he hadn't long regenerated before he met Rose and could only have travelled with her for a year at most. The Tenth has plenty of "blank spaces" as it were, he could have been around much longer. And of course David Tennant was the Doctor for a long time so it was fitting that he got a bit of a fanfare on his farewell. Christopher Eccleston is one of my favourite Doctors, but a long drawn out send off like Tennants wouldn't have been fitting for a Doctor who had only been around for thirteen episodes.

Tennat's exit was a long, drawn-out, boring and self-satisfied exit. Shmaltzy and immature.

Ecclestone's exit was dignified and more poignant - none of the "little boy" style whimperings or whining.

I pretty much agree....although at that time, the week between Bad Wolf and TPOTW seemed very long....and throughout TPOTW I felt that the Ninth Doctor had it now...or now...or now...

In a way I like TEOT more, because the end of the tenth Doctor was more honest....he didn't need to hide his feelings....he honestly said what he thought....its why I like the second Doctor's demise as well


"no no no no noooooooo!" etc

Six

I actually prefer Nine's regeneration scene but I think as someone said up up thread the style of regeneration they got was probably befitting of the kind of Doctor they were and the state of mind they were in.

I agree with this.

I agree too. Personally I preferred the Ninth Doctor's regeneration though- I didn't feel the Tenth Doctor's final words reflected who he really was. "I don't want to go.".....is just very wimpish and unheroic if you ask me. Sure, he didn't want to go, but David Tennant did, and we deserved something much better, such as "Alonsy" or something.

I prefer 10's. I'm not a massive fan of DT's Doctor however I felt sorry for him regenerating on his own with no one there after doing so much for so many people and building up a "family" around himself. For some reason it reminded me of the movie The Godfather Part 3 at the end when Michael Corleone dies with no one around him. CE's was too short and abrupt as the OP stated. A shame CE didn't stay on for a further series as I prefer his Doctor.

Overall I prefer 10's, emotional and explosive (going out with a bang) regeneration/exit.

i agree with this, i think 'Alon-sy' would have made me cry. where as 'i don't want to go' just felt wrong.

I prefer nine's regeneration-in a way I thought it was sadder.

Nine. Sudden, shocking, brave.

Ten snivelled. He snivelled quite a bit in his later stories, which is the main reason I took against him, but his whining, moaning, complaining, blaming Wilf, sobbing, self-absorbed misery got me extremely annoyed. Still, at least he's gone now.

I have to say i loved his outburst at Wilf...but more so from Wilf's point of view...it just made me want to cry...his little face.

Eccleston's was beautiful, almost everything about his final words was perfect. Brave and heroic yet deeply sad.

Tennant's was for me, and I hate to say this ... tacky. So overblown and undignified and clearly written just for Tennant fans, rather than, imo, Doctor fans. It almost felt like the two episodes were written around the regeneration, rather than the regeneration being a consequence of the actions in the episode.

Well admittedly he was on a downward spiral since he was told he was going to die. He went into a self destruct mode as it were. He didn't want to change but knew the time was coming. So admittedly his change in persona was justified given the circumstances.

I find it hard pushed to pick either.

Eccleston just stood around for 40 minutes building a device he never intended to use, away from all the action going on elsewhere -- while Rose (a kid off a council estate) lectures him on genocide before then going on to commit it herself (with help from the TARDIS who, as a consequence must be female).

Tennant was more Time War, more brushed away Daleks, more "NO NO NO NO NOOO", more gay minor characters, and a 30 minute ending with a round-robin tour of all the assistants RTD wrote for, with as many false finales as Jackson's Lord Of The Rings.

Devil or the deep blue sea.

I thought the Doctor always referred to the TARDIS as "old girl"?

Good point, well made.

Maffmoose, you have scored 10 points!

Jackson could have tidied it up, but really the fault for LOTR ending is JJR Tolkeins'

I would agree. When you've been told your destiny is inescapable, spent a long time trying to avoid it, convince yourself you have the power to reshape it (and have that all come crashing down on you), face up to the event that you think is going to kill you, defeat it with nothing but scratches, rejoice in being free, and THEN get bumped off anyway - I would say a few self-pitying tears at the end are justified.

Agree on both points.

And poor old Tom Bombadil never makes the final cut!

No contest for me, Ecclestone's wins. Tennant's was self indulgent twaddle in the end.

RTD did write the ending different because of Tennant in the role, I'll defend Eccleston because he is one of my favourite actors who got me into watching DW. That being said as a viewer I actually liked the visits Ten made to past companions because the tenth doctor, much like the ninth, came out of the time war almost shell-shocked if you like. The message of the show as Eccleston put it in his interview is to 'Love life' so tens regeneration reflected that message very well. However I do constantly wonder how the show would've been with Chris still in the role, I can't stand the way he is somehow looked down upon when I think of his delivery and his scenes in the series. He's very much a drifter as an actor, he did exactly the same thing with 'Cracker' to keep the audience surprised at how a main character can suddenly not be there anymore. He then went on to play an invisible man so what more proof do you need lol.

thank god for that! Not only was the character annoying as hell, that whole segment of the book did nothing whatsoever to forward the story line along at all. Totally pointless!

If 10 had regenerated immediately after having his rant at Wilf, I'd have been fine with it. I liked the way he acted with anger - he was scared. He thought he'd got away with it and he hadn't. I also like his final line, which I know a lot of people hated. The Doctor has always come across like the same man, but different when he regenerated. This was the first time it has been acknowleged as a change for the man himself. The idea that the man himself died and was reborn as someone new made sense for the character.

But it was completely ruined by the self-indulgant, unnecessary and totally stupid jaunt acorss the cosmos to say goodbye to all his friends. People who are suddenly killed don't get the luxury to wander around for ages, looking up all their long-lost pals and say goodbye. Way to kick the "it's actually like I die" motif in the face. It was also overly schmaltzy and felt way too much like it was more about RTD leaving than David Tennant.

Eccelston's was far more dignified and not drawn out to the nth degree. Personally, I also got the impression he was scared and didn't want to regenerate, but was putting on a brave face for Rose. Ultimately, as he gave his final farewell to her, it seemed as if he did accept that it was time for him and went out accepting of it. But then that was just what I read in it - which is also why I think it was the better regeneration. It didn't drag on and force-feed you the whole situation. It was quick, dignified and left most of the emotion of the Doctor to the viewers persoinal opinion.

I would compare it to someone with a terminal disease, not a sudden death - you want to travel, say goodbye to everyone, make the most of the time you have left, put a brave face on it. But in the end, we all die alone.

Ecclestone's was fine the way it was, it had to be tacked on at the end and done quickly because of the real-life events that triggered it.