Well St Trinian's 2 wouldn't have taken that much effort

I did mean Tom Baker and I agree with you about getting the scripts right.
There's a meanness in some of the posters replies, DT was a fan of the show as well you know. Why the need to be so disrepectful?

Some posters, myself included, were not impressed with gurning Doctor 10.

They are just having some fun at his expense. Nothing wrong with that. All Doctors get it - he'd probably laugh along with it.

A
They are just having some fun at his expense. Nothing wrong with that. All Doctors get it - he'd probably laugh along with it.[/quote]

Actually there is something wrong with that...

what a bizarre comment.

I bet you believe free speech means being allowed to say what you like without anyone taking offence because "it's your right"

Anyway Tennant if filming back to back - a BBC series and a film. And I am sure Matt Smith is doing a tv drama as well..

Haven't seen it so can't comment


but on a serious note the man hasn't stopped working since he left....oh its probably why its taking so long to fill in a form!! that makes sense

Yeah, must be the way you tell 'em because it anin't funny just annoying.

I loved CE, and I was apprehensive of DT. However, he provided me with some excellent Who moments, tragic, emotional, dark, funny and wonderful. However, I think it was time to move on, and DT realised it himself. I think MS will know that he should move on after 3 to 5 years as well, and thank goodness for a programme who provides us with fresh ideas every few years. Do I miss DT? No, but I don't miss CE, TB, SM or CB or any of the other doctors. They all had their time, and so far IMO we had brilliant actors and characterisations. The only time I will be cross again is if they stop it again.

Sorry, I really don't agree that. The way the writing went at the end of DT's era it seems obvious he had to go at the end of the specials, but if it had been written differently there is no reason there couldn't have been more stories and character development for Ten. Obviously DT decided to go but if he hadn't there is no reason IMO he couldn't have done at least one or two more series and still be enjoyed by the wider general audience.

I say the same for MS, even though I'm not personally feeling his Doctor that much. Why should there be some kind of limit on how long he should stay? To me it's the story telling that should keep it fresh not changing the actors.

Obviously in todays climate not many actors are going to stay longer than 3-5 years, because most want to understandably try other things. However if the stories are good there is no reason they couldn't.

The only actor who has ever stayed longer than five years was Tom Baker. He was phenomenally popular, the definitive Doctor for millions, but virtually everyone agrees he stayed just a bit too long. And it ultimately harmed his career as well as the show. I think about three years is probably the maximum.

I love that quote from Peter Davison about meeting Patrick Troughton in the BBC car park. Troughton said to Davison, "Do three years and get out!"

I still stand by original point and always will. Good story telling keeps a show fresh and working, not changing the actor, that is an incidental. Was it Tom Baker or the writing that got stale?

Even Tom admits that by the last couple of years, he had become uncontrollable as he regarded it as 'his' show. Doctor Who is about change. It has been for decades. It is not a static show.

Not being static does not have to automatically have to equal a change in actors. A show can keep fresh in a million and one ways. Too much change and it might as well be a different show.

It's interesting that you are now such a fan of change, given that all you've done over the last five years is bleat on about how RTD ruined Dr Who by changing it so that it didn't match your idea of what Who should be.....

Basically, all this seems to come down to is you not liking the fact that David Tennant is gone. But Doctor Who is always bigger than the lead actor. It always has been. It is not The David Tennant Show.

Now that's just rude. I throughly enjoyed the show with CE as well. I wasn't arguing about DT being gone. I was arguing about the IMO false notion that any Doctor should have a time limit on them or any companion for that matter. I simply don't agree with the notion that in order to keep a show fresh you need to replace the lead actors. I was not saying anything about DT merely the principle in general. DT doesn't even fit into to the debate since he wasn't replaced, he left. I was referring to a hypothetical Doctor who wants to stay longer, than the completely mythical three years.

OK, fair enough. But as I said before-Tom Baker was walking proof that there is such a thing as too long on Doctor Who! And besides, ultimately the lead will always change, so having one person in the role for too long would in all probability harm the show since that actor would become too connected to the series in the eyes of the public, potentially preventing them from accepting the new lead.

I think Tom Baker and Peter Davison are a classic example of what happens if you stay in a show too long or short. As has been mentioned, Tom Baker stayed far too long and I thought his performances reflected that in Season 18. It undoubtedly harmed his career but was glad to see him getting back in TV with BlackAdder/Medics/Randall and Hopkirrk etc.

Peter Davison did himself no harm whatsoever in leaving after three years. Look at how many roles he has had since leaving in 84. Definitely not typecast. David Tennant will be on our screens for a long time to come, it wouldn't surprise me to see him in another role for which he will become famous as well(I.E like Pertwee with Worzel)

I think Matt Smith has a good future ahead of him as well but I don't see him staying longer than four years.

In regards to Ten - didn't like him much in Series 2 or 3 because of the romance angle peddled (strangely I didn't mind him with Madame du Pompadour but loathed the Rose/Martha sidelines), loved him in Series 4 and the Specials up the 'running into Rose's arms' scene (thank God for that Dalek) and his long and winding death where I got throughly sick of him once again.

Personally I liked that scene, mainly because of his facial expression - of pure joy when he saw Rose. Yes it would've been way too corny if that Dalek hadn't been there, but whatever.
I don't agree that he "gurned". He's just a guy with a very animated face - a good quality to have if you're an actor ! Thought he was extraordinary, and no I'm not saying that because I "want his babies"

DT certainly wasn't unpopular with me.I think he was a brilliant Doctor. I loved watching him and yet i rarely followed or read this forum and never felt the urge to post (even though i'm on DS everyday ) or re-watch episodes or check out when the DVD is released.

Matt is a different story though. I think he is an exceptional Doctor. I'm in constant open mouthed awe of him and find myself checking the forum every day to see whats being said and i've watched every episode several times. I think hes phenomenally talented and while i was sad to see DT go it now feels like a blessing that he went so that Matt could take over the part.

I have found myself loving Matt so much that it would be easy to agree with some of the criticisms of DT. Matt personifies the role so well for me that watching DT and even thinking about him in the role is jarring at times . Then i give myself a kick and remember how wonderful he was (in particular when he was with CT).

Maybe others feel the same and are more vocal about it and that is why there appears to be people slagging him?

Anyone who's read my posts will know I'm part of the "vocal minority". I could not bear to watch DT, yet did for his whole stay. My least favourite Doctor.

It's true that regeneration always produces some negative comment from viewers (like any recasting will -- James Bond etc.). I saw every regen from Troughton to Pertwee onwards, and the only two I didn't like were Tennant and (deep breath as he admits this) Tom Baker. Being a big Marx Brothers fan, I just couldn't see past the Harpo Marx similarity (costume and all) and thought he was a joke. However, while I soon warmed to Baker, I just became more and more irritated by DT.

I warmed to Matt Smith instantly and think he's a great doctor yet, perversely, I finally gave up and stopped watching Cardiff Who a few weeks ago.

Chris, I intrigued to know why?

Without raking through all my old criticisms, I hadn't really enjoyed Cardiff Who since it began and felt there were many fundamental narrative/paradigmatic shifts that made it incompatible with Classic Who (Hollyoaks in Time & Wales does nothing for me). I enjoyed some episodes and hoped it would change in a direction I would find more favourable, but overall I kept feeling short-changed.

In response to my criticisms, one person here posted the classic knee-jerk defensive question: "then why do you still watch it?" I took some time to think about this and realised that I did indeed have better uses for my time than let brand loyalty and optimism leave me feeling irritated every Saturday evening. So I stopped watching, happy to have the show start with Hartnell and finish with McGann.

Hope this explains things.