[j22kh]

Which type of side to the Doctor do you prefer?

the dark and mysterious tone to the Doctor?
the light, happy and in-the-lime-light tone to the Doctor?

If other, please state.

[Piipp]

Eleven- basically a meeting in the middle sort of Doctor.

[Sophie ~Oohie~]

Dark and mysterious is closest I guess.

[sandydune]

other, as in well a Doctor has gotta do what a Doctor has gotta do but may it be somewhat worthwhile

[Abomination]

I like the dark and mysterious more, but a quirky zest for adventure is also a great aspect to his character.

For me, Eccleston was the one who hit this firmly on the head. He was a worn-down man, exhausted by war but you never get close enough to know what that exactly entailed for him. At the same time he had the zest for adventure too, amazed at the Slitheen strike of Big Ben, loving the little human intricacies and so on.

Whilst I love Tennant, his "dark and mysterious" is just too melodramatic and I feel like I want to get the violins of sarcasm out. At the same time, his love of human intricacies was far more patronising than Eccleston's was.

Smith defined what Tennant should have been in my opinion. He has the zest for adventure, and it conflicts with his dark and mysterious side meaning we get an often-stroppy and childish character who is also a bit of a defeatist at times, all too familiar with the concept of battle and angry that none of it ever seems to end... longing for the things he has lost or is going to lose.

[TEDR]

I hope this poll isn't meaning to imply that crowds of people applauding as the Doctor flies his magical bus is a bad thing?

[codename_47]

The strength of the character of The Doctor is that he can be both, neither and a whole lot more depending on the situation he is in.

What I'd never like the Doctor to be is boring or predictable, even formulaic.
So long as he's always a surprise to watch, I'll enjoy watching him

[daveyboy7472]

Originally Posted by codename_47

The strength of the character of The Doctor is that he can be both, neither and a whole lot more depending on the situation he is in.

What I'd never like the Doctor to be is boring or predictable, even formulaic.
So long as he's always a surprise to watch, I'll enjoy watching him

This is what I was going to say.

You can't really like just one certain aspects of his character as he has so may different sides that vary from Doctor to Doctor. I like his humourous side best but I also like the way he can change in a heartbeat and become serious too. If anything it's the rapid changing from one thing to the other that is the appeal of the character so that's why it's so difficult to pin it down to one thing.

[wildbill_hicock]

Originally Posted by codename_47

The strength of the character of The Doctor is that he can be both, neither and a whole lot more depending on the situation he is in.

What I'd never like the Doctor to be is boring or predictable, even formulaic.
So long as he's always a surprise to watch, I'll enjoy watching him

Agreed. He's always at his best in those moments when he flits between the two, or when both sides are somehow present at once.

[Shoppy]

Originally Posted by daveyboy7472

You can't really like just one certain aspects of his character as he has so may different sides that vary from Doctor to Doctor. I like his humourous side best but I also like the way he can change in a heartbeat and become serious too. If anything it's the rapid changing from one thing to the other that is the appeal of the character so that's why it's so difficult to pin it down to one thing.

I suppose that's come about over the years because you can never take away what the character has been in the past from who he is now.

He can be authoritative or he can fool around, he can be clumsy or elegant, inexplicably confident or terrified to the point he scares everyone just by being scared himself.

That's the beauty of the 2005 series being a continuation rather than a "reboot",
Any actor who plays the role of Doctor will always have what their predecessors brought to it to draw on as well as what they bring to it themselves.

Matt has some moments where his gestures are so reminiscent of the 2nd Doctor, yet the 11th Doctor has definitely got his own unique persona as did all those before him.

There's so much potential for diversity between Doctors that I can't honestly say I prefer him to be one particular way,

[garbage456]

Dark, remember the Waters Of Mars Episode, that was great I think.

[CoalHillJanitor]

They've both got to be there. If he were always dark and mysterious it'd just be an average modern humourless sci-fi show. If he were always light and happy it'd be a sitcom.

[daveyboy7472]

Originally Posted by Shoppy

I suppose that's come about over the years because you can never take away what the character has been in the past from who he is now.

He can be authoritative or he can fool around, he can be clumsy or elegant, inexplicably confident or terrified to the point he scares everyone just by being scared himself.

That's the beauty of the 2005 series being a continuation rather than a "reboot",
Any actor who plays the role of Doctor will always have what their predecessors brought to it to draw on as well as what they bring to it themselves.

Matt has some moments where his gestures are so reminiscent of the 2nd Doctor, yet the 11th Doctor has definitely got his own unique persona as did all those before him.

There's so much potential for diversity between Doctors that I can't honestly say I prefer him to be one particular way,

I think Troughton was the best Doctor for turning the character on his head. As I've said before, he was like Columbo, he'd amble along, do silly things and his appearance led everyone to underestimate him. That's why when he got serious and really confronted the enemy full on, that change was more effective.

Tennant, Smith and Tom Baker did this quite well also, but to a lesser degree. One of the many reasons I love Davison's Doctor is for his ability to be Mr Nice Guy who people thought they could push around but as with Troughton, he could simply assert himself when it was needed. People have said he was a wimp, totally disagree with that description. Look at Kinda where he faces the Mara, or Captain Striker with the Parasite speech in Enlightenment. There are numerous examples of when he could just suddenly take charge when it was required.

[Jules 1]

Originally Posted by wildbill_hicock

Agreed. He's always at his best in those moments when he flits between the two, or when both sides are somehow present at once.

Agreed a mixture of both is needed.

If push comes to shove, a lighter doctor but with a hint of darkness would be ideal.

[Mulett]

Eight or ten for me - a romantic lead with a hint of tragedy/mystery and darkness.

I don't like it when the Doctor is emotionally vacant.

[Sara_Peplow]

Only have to wait a few more months to see if he will end S7 on a high or a low.

[pajs1000]

Originally Posted by daveyboy7472

This is what I was going to say.

You can't really like just one certain aspects of his character as he has so may different sides that vary from Doctor to Doctor. I like his humourous side best but I also like the way he can change in a heartbeat and become serious too. If anything it's the rapid changing from one thing to the other that is the appeal of the character so that's why it's so difficult to pin it down to one thing.

I agree.

[Granny McSmith]

I like my Doctor to be in torment and anguish, and to show it with tears, sulks and bad temper. "Dark and mysterious" doesn't really go far enough to describe it.

[Helbore]

I like the Doctor when he can be all light-hearted and childlike one minute and a cold-blooded killer the next. It kind of defines him, to me. He's a man who likes ot enjoy life the way a child does. He's now over a thousand years old, but still loves to get caught up in the wonder of new places and people. But he's also a man who will rain judgment down on anyone who is cruel, unkind and irredeemable. Cross a line with him and he will calmly watch someone beg for their life and still he will stand back and let them die.

That's what makes him an interesting character.

[j22kh]

Originally Posted by Helbore

I like the Doctor when he can be all light-hearted and childlike one minute and a cold-blooded killer the next. It kind of defines him, to me. He's a man who likes ot enjoy life the way a child does. He's now over a thousand years old, but still loves to get caught up in the wonder of new places and people. But he's also a man who will rain judgment down on anyone who is cruel, unkind and irredeemable. Cross a line with him and he will calmly watch someone beg for their life and still he will stand back and let them die.

That's what makes him an interesting character.

I agree with this. This is the personality of the Doctor I most love. He can often be happy, but he's often tormented by his past and his previous incarnations and companions. I love the dark Doctors - they are what make the show interesting and entertaining. If I had one thing to say to Steven, I would say: keep the show as dark as possible. The darker, the better, in my honest opinion.