im just wondering if anyone else has noticed quite how much better the extras have been in the last couple of series.

the biggest gripe I have about the RTD years is the fact that anyone who wasnt the doctor or the companion seemed like they had stepped out of the nearest amateur dramatic society

I watched gridlock, and these extras are just typical of the RTD years

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJCVgYf8zUw

it just seems cringeworthy :/

But for the last 2 series, mostly ever actor regardless of the amount of lines theyve had has been pretty good and believeable.

What does everyone else think?

Where are the extras in that scene? I can't see any?

An extra, of course is a non-speaking part. Both those actors are quite clearly speaking.

In my opinion, they also fitted the episode fine.

you think they were good?

but they couldnt act,

most of the "bit part players" couldnt act in the RTD years

the difference in quality is huge between the two eras is huge.

That's Lenora Crichlow, hardly an extra

Father Dougal and Annie from being human!
I don't see any problem tbh

I have to disagree, with the examples you have chosen at least.

Lenora Chrichlow is one of my favourite actors, who stars in my second favourite show and is excellent in it.

Offhand I can't remember thinking any of the supporting actors in the RTD era were bad.

they would not be considered extra's, they are guest artists or something like that. An extra is someone who normally is just in the background, with not much chance of a speaking part. They get paid more if there is a speaking part.

My friend was an extra on Dr Who a while ago, didnt get to say anything was just in the crowd of people, the extra's dont get a trailer, or to mix with the main stars.

To be honest, I thought the worst actor in that clip was actually Freema Agyeman.

This.

I think they acted it just fine too.

I wouldn't mind her as extras....

I couldn't see any extras in that scene, but there have been bad ones. Especially in modern global threat scenes. Like the Racnoss or Lazarus. Lazarus was right there and there were some people right next to him looking blank as heck. I know it's CGI and all but David Tennant did a good job with CGI monsters.

I am LOVING "Supporting Artist of the Month" in DWM. Every month, they highlight an extra who doesn't quite get it.

This month's is a woman from the "mass extermination of Paterson Joseph and loads of extras" scene in Bad Wolf. While all the extras around her are screaming and panicking, she's clearly got a grin the size of a banana all over her cheerful face.

One thing that is noticeable is just how many good, natural, not annoying child actors we've had since the Moff took over.

Bad example from the OP since the 2 actors in the clip were major characters in that episode, but I get the general point about minor actors.
The acting from the 2 soldiers in the last episode, talking about the Doctor's exploits with the Atraxi etc was pretty good compared to the characters reverentially talking about the Master in Last of The Timelords, or pretty much any minor actor in Series 1-4.

Or even before. CAL, Daughter of Mine, Tim Lattimer, young Reinette, all excellent.

I'd agree with you if it wasn't for the little kiddo in The Almost People. I cringed, and I hated myself for cringing.

I think you're talking tosh!

To begin with, you clearly don't understand what the term "extra" means - these are non-speaking (or occassionally one or two lines speaking) parts, for instance for crowd scenes or people in the background in a restaurant.

The scene you have chosen does little to illustrate your point - featuring as it does the wonderful Leona Critchlow from Being Human.

To say that apart from the Dr and companions most other actors in the RTD era appeared to have stepped straight out of an am-dram society is absurd - I give you Simon Callow, John Simm, Richard Wilson, Marc Warren, Zoe Wanamaker, Pauline Collins, Anthony Head, Shaun Parkes, Jessica Hynes, Lesley Sharp, Penelope Wilton etc etc etc etc etc etc!

Honestly, some people make the most ludicrous comparisons between the RTD and Moff eras. The acting and standard of guest star has been wonderful these last 2 series yes...exactly as it has from "Rose" onwards. Jeez!!

I know what you're getting at, although I don't think the clip demonstrates the point very well. A lot of the "one-off characters" in the RTD era were acted quite badly - but, as someone else said, the worst acting in that clip is probably Freema's.

I do understand what the OP is saying, the directing is a lot tighter in general. The chromatography is on another level as is the acting. The fact the budget was cut between series 4 and 5 yet it looks so much better is a major plus point to me.

Thought he was very good actually. But I've always thought the calibre of child actors throughout the RTD era was staggering...The Empty Child, for instance, or Family of Blood. Again, there was really never a problem, so this is nothing that has been improved by the Moff era.