Matt Smith - How's he been for You.

[Larry]

Like many other people when they announced Matt Smith , was the 11th Doctor, I wasn't the only one scratching my head and thinking who the hell is he. But as the months went by I began to warm to him his age certainly was never a problem and I always had the opinion that his general obscurity with the public would work in his favour.

Since the series started back in 2005 I've always been a person to reserve judgment on people before I've seen them in a few episodes but the moment Matt's head popped out of the crashed TARDIS, in the 11th Hour we had completly won me over. The biggest complement I can give Matt is that not once during that opening episode did I think about David Tennent.

Just like in 2005, this series has been a bit hit and miss but Matt, has been the one constant his performances have all been top quality and he has brought a much needed breath of fresh air to a series that was in danger of going stale.

So for me it's a big thumbs up for Matt, who is fast moving up the league table of my favourite Doctors.

[Andrew Curnow]

Funnily enough, although I'd never heard of him, I was really excited from the moment they announced Matt Smith. There was something about him in that Confidential special, and I guess maybe to be honest part of that was just the sheer Event of his being revealed in such a big way on BBC1.

The only slight wobble I had was when I first saw the costume, back when they started filming nearly a year ago - in a couple of the shots it just looked like short trousers and big braces and just a bit daft. And again, to be honest I think a part of that was the irritation of knowing that we wouldn't get to see what was being filmed for another 9+ months.

But I agree with Larry that the instant he appeared I thought he was awesome, and totally winnable. I hesitate to say this because it might be taken the wrong way by some who aren't that keen on the late 80s Who, but I've found Smith this year very like McCoy in 1987 - in that there's something just so watchable about him, it's always exciting to see how he does stuff. Without wanting to take anything away from David Tennant, Smith has been like a breath of fresh air, new, exciting, unpredictable, lovable.

Can't wait to see more of him next year (and tonight of course)!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Not really worked for me alas, not helped that I don't think the stories this year have been much to write home about.

[Perry Vale]

Funnily enough, although I'd never heard of him, I was really excited from the moment they announced Matt Smith. There was something about him in that Confidential special...!

Likewise for me. Quickly checked him out in the Billie Piper/Ruby In The Smoke, and saw enough hints there that he'd be fine. Great, even. However I really couldn't have predicted just how much better than that he's turned out to be. For me, he's been 'note perfect', not just since he popped his head out of the Tardis asking for an apple, but from the previous minute and a half at the end of TEoT.

He feels just so pefect as the Doctor, and I look forward to each new week to see where & what adventures he'll take us on, something that wasn't there with Tennant for me.

[Dino]

Matt's made the part his own. Again, I've not been sold on the stories this year but what a great actor! He can take the mess and still shine through.
So yeah, Matt Smith 1 Show content 0. Still looking forward to next year.

[Larry]

there was onemoment in The Beast Below when Matt gets angry and says

"'Nobody talk to me. Nobody human has anything to say to me today"

that explosion of anger was at the same time both so unexpected and sent sent shivers down your spine. . you always felt with David, that his anger was much more mennecing when he said it quitely and just gave a hard stare. David's explosions of anger for me never sat quite rioght and always felt forced but with Matt, the anger seems so more natural.

[Jon Masters]

Everything he's been asked to do he's done very well - he just hasn't always been best served by the scripts he's been given. When he's been written in Tennant mode it just doens't work - he's far better when he's clearly been written as a new Doctor.

What's impressed is that he makes every perofrmance interesting, more often than not when he's not speaking - his physical performance nad playing off other characters has been superb.

[Alex]

Heh. Where to start eh? I was probably one of the most vocal of those who was shocked at the announcement of his casting, but I'm so glad that I was very very wrong about it all! I think he's been amazing throughout, and can't wait to see the next season where the writer's can play on all his strengths.

As much as I loved Tennant, I felt he went on for a little bit too long - though that could be due to the dodgy quality of some of the specials - and I always did slightly prefer Ecclestone, and wished he'd done at least two years. But Matt is already my favourite Nu-Who Doctor - sod that, my favourite Doctor full stop.

Both RTD and Moffat have done an amazing job on the casting front - whoever takes over as the next Doctor has an incredibly difficult job ahead of them. But hopefully that won't be for many years to come.

[Wayne]

Best Doctor since Tom.
Let down by Harry Potter writing.

[egdcltd]

My second favourite Doctor after Tom Baker now. And that's after one season; hopefully, he can only improve.

[Rob McCow]

He's given us so many fantastic moments, mostly through his body language. My faves include:
The little twirl he gives when selecting his clothes in the Eleventh Hour.
The 'drunken walk' to the butchers in Amy's Choice.
The marvelous back shot in The Pandorica Opens where he's talking to the massed fleets of spaceships. He looks like a mad conductor at a Jean-Michelle Jarre (sp?) concert.

He's instantly recognisable, even in 'The Big Bang' where he's seen through frosted glass, crouched over and wearing a fez.

Like Tennant, he's been utterly convincing from his first scene, but unlike Tennant he's yet to misjudge a single moment (I'm thinking of the 'You Humans' speech in Impossible Planet!).

'Geronomio' is best used sparingly though.

[duncan]

I don't have a problem with the use of "Geronimo". It's no different to Tom's "Would you like a Jelly Baby" in my opinion.

Matt has done a good job in a somewhat disappointing series. he has given us yet another persona for the DOctor and some of his mannerisms are excellent.

[SiHart]

He's been wonderful. I don't think I've ever liked a Doctor so quickly. He won me over from the first moments of The Eleventh Hour and I haven't looked back. There's something about him- perhaps it's the Tom Baker factor- because he inhabits the role so totally that did it for me.

He's already in my top three Doctors I think and I can't wait to see what he comes up with over the next few years. I said before he might be the Tom to Tennant's Pertwee in the popularity stakes and I hope I'm right.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

He's amazing. I don't think I can recall hardly a single person that hasn't liked him; he makes me laugh, he's cool, he has great hair, he's not like any of the other Doctors and he's instantly likeable with loads of energy. The one thing that everyboy agrees they got spot on.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I think, deep down, I wanted Moffat's wild extravagant claims in that 'The Eleventh Doctor' programme to be proven wrong, and for us to discover the somewhat smug Scot had cocked up and chosen a duffer. But curse him, he was absolutely right. I was thinking today about just how good Smith has been, just one more example being how he played those scenes late in The Big Bang, with the young Amelia. When he's talking to her in her room, he doesn't milk the emotion, he plays it just softly, like an old man falling asleep, or a clock slowly winding-down. Just one of the show's genuinely great performances.

[Darren]

Matt Smith is just so superb. I was hooked on his interpretation from the first frame. You really believe he is ancient, dangerous and ingenious.

[FlyingBeastie]

I love him, I just hate the fact he's been given such crap material.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

It is interesting the way he's taken the role. Both Ecclestone and Tennant had very much more a manic energy to their Doctors. Matt Smith has come across a bit more subdued.

I think I will punch the next fan who says "oooh he's channelling Troughton" though. So you've been warned!

Not that you're not allowed to think it, but I'm just tired to hearing people say it. It's like some big important fan (probably Ian Levine) said it, and you're all trying to copy him to look cool.

[FlyingBeastie]

Hm, gotta disagree with you there, Mike. Eccleston was never manic. He could be very cheery one moment and then immediately sublime into drama, which i thought was amazing. He was more intense than manic, I'd say.

As for Matt, let's face it, no one can compare to Troughton. The closest was Eccleston cos' he had that cheery/serious dynamic, but I felt Troughton channeled it better, especially since he was this little, hobbit of a man <3 Smith is more of a ponderous old soul, like Davison. The only thing Smith and Troughton have in common are the suspenders.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I do get what you mean about Ecclestone. Sounds from some things like his Doctor was more of a jolly person than he was.

Glad to hear you mention Davison. I do find there's a certain something about Smith that reminds me of Davison, kind of the way he comes across as slightly passive in stories sometimes. As Moffat is a huge fan of the Davison era it wouldn't be surprising.

[egdcltd]

I like how he actually does come across as being very old, in a way that David Tennant never did, despite the fact that he's the youngest person to play the Doctor. Old in a good way too.

[Mike Saville]

An absolutely blinding performance from start to finish. He has been near flawless, even when trapped in shoddy writing. A joy to watch. The Raggedy Doctor is my favourite of all (with the tantalising what might have been of McGann on his tails).

I have a question for the gay guys among us though.

Almost all the girls I talk to say he's not as good as Tennant, but when pressed they all come down to Smith's a better actor but they don't think he's as sexy. So where do you guys stand? Any of you that shallow in judging your male leads? Does the eligibility of a timelord in your libido effect how you view his performance? Would it engage you, distract you, or be put aside while you view?

[Rob McCow]

I don't even understand why people find Tennant sexy! I'm with Donna on this, he's just a thin stick thing.

I think that people would find Matt sexier if they gave him more snogging to do. Tennant had snogged loads of people by the end of his first season, but Matt has still to get a decent kiss, barely even a peck. Also, with Rory around the whole 'will they-won't they' thing is in the bin.

[Martin Penny]

I think he's been brilliant, and ranks up amongst my favourite Doctors. He brings a great energy to the role, but it seems very natural.

David Tennant is my least favourite Doctor, I'm afraid. He's a good actor, but I just didn't like his portrayal, and found him to be incredibly annoying most of the time. Though half of that is probably to do with the writing, as most episodes required him to shout his head off and burst into tears.

[Stuart Wallis]

I think I will punch the next fan who says "oooh he's channelling Troughton" though. So you've been warned!

Just to remind you that I mentioned David Troughton in my Beast Below review, so a thumping may just be avoided there. As it happened, during the scene when he was in Amelia's room at the and of The Big Bang, Matt was reminding me very much of Trevor Howard. He's had a patchy run for me this year, but that may be due to recording the middle episodes of the run first. Trevor Howard...