I agree. Unfortunately, I have been a bit disappointed in some of the stories this series, but Matt Smith has rarely been other than excellent in the role, from TEH onwards.

I really wasnt sure, as David Tennant was "my" Doctor and I couldnt imagine the show without him.

I didnt know Matt at all before he was announced as 11, but I decided to give him a fair shot anyway as to be truthful I wasnt all that aware of Ten-Inch before he started as 10.

It took me longer to get used to Matt than it did David - David had me at "Barcelona" but my moment finally came during "Vampires Of Venice" and I have adored Matt ever since.

He truly is an excellent Doctor, and it feels weird now watching a Ten-sode.

The post you were replying to there is the one that made me (briefly) quit this forum.

Thats a shame.

I can never understand why people over-react to things in such a nasty way, it's baffling. The situation when Tate was cast was worse though, tbh.

I'm not sure what I expected, but I now see why Moffat & the team thought he was perfect for the role as soon as he auditioned. He's brilliant!

Well...about the time he was to be announced I had gotten bored with Doctor Who(Terrible...I know) The show was just getting predictible by the end of series four. And it was the specials that topped it off. I was just getting bored with the same formulas, the same enemies, and the same doctor. I though my love for the show had dissapaited. So I wasn't particuarally intrested when Matt Smith was comfirmed as the next doctor.
I just shrugged my shoulders and thought I would see how things went. By the end of the last special when I first saw Matt as the doctor...well...Lets just say I wasn't immidiatly fond of his acting, however I believed that this was just down to him trying to appear like tennent's doctor, not his own.
As the beggining of series five grew closer, my interest started to peak again. Especially after I heard that Steven Moffat would be taking over. I watched the trailers...but I still didn't see any flare to the way Matt Smith acted as the doctor.
Once the anticipated day came and I sat down, watched the credits roll and watched the first three minutes. Well...Lets just say I loved him! I thought he was great!

So yeah, I guess he did end up being better than I originally assumed.

Even better than I thought he'd be, I love him as the Dr . I still love David Tennant's Dr and also Chris Ecclestone's Dr as well though.

Lots lots better .

Matt Smith is an actor being paid to do a job just like any other acting job - he has exceled at this persona of The Doctor, in my opinion, and hopefully will continue to exercise his considerable talents in bringing us new facets to what is, a very old character...but he is still just an actor being paid to do a job.

I wanted to keep an open mind but did wonder if someone of only 26 could carry off the whole Time Lord thing. When I saw Matt's first interview, I thought that he just might be able to do it. I loved the way he moved his hands but thought he might be too like DT - tall, dark and reasonably good looking (neither of them is handsome in the conventional sense). Not dressing him in loose fitting clothes and choosing a tall companion helped to make the physical distinction.

I'm sure I've said it elsewhere, but I was won over at fish custardgate. Since them, he's gone from strength to strength. The Eleventh Doctor seems to have elements of Two, Three and Four with a quirkiness of his own thrown in.

I think we all realise that, don't we?

Matt's a breath of fresh air. The right guy to come along at the right time.

Hope the finale lives up to its billing. Got a feeling it will this time around

I was very sceptical, something about the photoshoots when he was announced I thought made him look very sort of 'emo' (and yes I know I'm abusing the phrase but you know what I mean) and I wondered if they were trying to make Dr Who all 'cool'... I was dubious. But I had never really been a fan at that stage, watched it occasionally when it was on and enjoyed it but was never properly into it.

The whole casting race thing kind of pricked my interest though so I watched some of the old series borrowed off a friend and discovered a brilliant show I never knew I loved!(I, like Matt, was one of the 'lost' generation). So I decided to watch the eleventh hour to see what it was like and figured it would be the best way to get into it, being a fresh start for the show. It surpassed my expectations. I thought TEH was just magical for many reasons, but by far the biggest reason was running around in a mangled blue shirt. He absolutely had me at 'can I have an apple?' and I never looked back.

I think he's fantastic, and very versatile. I also like his physicality. He moves in a very fluid and interesting way, and he has a touch of comic genius- but I think if I ever saw him cry on screen I would just want to jump into the tv and hug him. I think he's very engaging, and long may he reign.

The Doctor is dead; long live the Doctor!

Plus he's cute

I wasn't a fan of Chris, but loved DT's Doctor and was very opened minded about Matt who I had never seen or heard of.
I like to give someone a fair go and I wasn't disappointed Matt is The Doctor no.11 I am thoroughly enjoying his interpretation of the role he seems to have fallen into it like a second skin.


piper

When Matt was first announced as the new Doctor I don't think I had any great expectations. Apart from anything else I was feeling a bit upset that Tennant was leaving. However I didn't particularly enjoy the specials last year and so by Christmas I was ready for a new Doctor. I enjoyed the regeneration into Matt Smith ans was excited abot the new series. From the beginning of The Eleventh Hour Matt Smith totally exceeded all my expectations and I now really look forward to Saturday night. It will feel very strange when the series ends and we don't get to watch him and Amy every week.

MY thoughts exactly!

Book, judge, cover & all that

has anyone said he was worse than they expected yet, or is this the ultimate Doctor Who forum love-in!

Shocking, isn't it

I know.. surely someone's got to come and be a party pooper soon?! That never doesn't happen online...

*disclaimer: I in no way genuinely insinuate that people who disagree with the majority are not entitled...etc...

Best Doctor of the new era. He's got the perfect mix of aloofness, wisdom, eccentricity, sense of humour and charm. David Tennant may have a stronger presence on screen, a more forceful personality perhaps, but overall I would say, and pardon the cliché, Matt Smith was born to play the Doctor.

He is "Fantastic!", "Brilliant!", "Molto Bene!", "Fab!" and "Extremely Very Good!"
In all seriousness, I wasn't sure about him when I first saw him, but I knew he'd be excellent as soon as I watched his first scene in TEOT, and I still wasn't disappointed whenever I watched the Series 5 trailer shortly after. I didn't like his clothes when I first saw them, however, but I'm starting to like them. They suit his Doctor. "Bow ties are cool!" (apparently...still not sure myself...)

I would assume that those FMs who vote AWFUL in the polls may well think he is worse

As for me I am very pleasantly surprised at the ease and deftness with which he has assumed the mantle/swishy coat/tweed jacket
I was one of those who was aiting to see his performance before I judged him and I judge him to be very good

Awww, I like the Matt love in this thread. One of my best friends watched the 2 minutes of him in the End of Time and just from that hasn't watched any of the new series. I feel bad for them and what they're missing out on

I loved his scene in TEOT....the knee kissing especially.