New Doctor...

[SueA]

To be honest, just the fact that it's not James Nesbitt is a major relief

I'm so glad it not just me then, I was dreading him getting it!
When I first saw Matt on the Dr. Who prog. tonight I said ' hmm, no I don't like him' as I thought he was too young & a bit odd looking but as he spoke more & they showed clips of him in other things he started to grow on me. O.H. said he thought he was too young & looked a bit like Frankenstein's monster! I thought like zazen that he looked a bit 'gothy' & organic (bit of a look of a young Monty Don?)
Like Rhona I quite fancied Paterson Joseph for the job & so did O.H.

[sarraceniac]

No no. You don't understand how the BBC reaches these decisions in 2009 (or even 2008).

They find a very competent young actor who will do the job relatively cheaply (I see Katherine Zeta Jones was a possibility (but they dare not pay a gazzumpillion pounds an episode).

They have to get the young hooked and as most young boys would be quite happy with Godzilla's sister on looks they go for the young girls who mature much quicker. The fact that young Matt hasn't got a 'personality' yet is no problem, he is a good looking lad in a gothic way (the young like that). The BBC spin machine will have him up there with a personality in no time, that is what you pay your licence fee (TV tax) for. It is so easy.

[furball]

Didn't think Tennant would be as good as Eccleston but now i think he is the best Dr Who ever, and this from someone who wouldn't be budged from John Pertwee the Dr Who i grew up with. I will take a lot of convincing, I mean where's the cheeky grin that that Tennant and Eccleston had, I hope Matt Smith proves me wrong, the shows not the same when you don't like the Dr.

[furball]

Oops am i on my own then liking James Nesbitt, it's that cheeky grin thing again.

[blackthumb]

A John Barrowman wasn't supposed to appeal both ways, or what are sidekicks for? Just to get captured and resuced, welcome HE-MAN master of the Universe (god I am showing my age) or is that due to re-runs due to the BBC doing it as cheaply as poss!

[blackthumb]

I'am with you there, the best Doctors (yes pural) were Jon Pertwee and of course the first jelly baby lover Tom Baker

[Glutton4...]

Nothing wrong with a little goth - look at the ongoing success of Rocky Horror. He does look a little wacky, but I think they all have been, so he's probably going to be fine.

I loved David Tennant, but didn't watch any of Christopher Ecclestone's episodes. OH did cos he's an addict. My favourite Doctor was Jon Pertwee. I thought the later ones after him were pretty lame.

[BarleySugar]

I used to watch Dr Who when it first started, hiding behind the settee when the scary bits were on. I went off it when they had a vampire episode and only got back to watching when David Tennant took over. (Must stop thinking about the damn things, I caught the trailer of Demons by mistake earlier, and it's triggered the creeps. I'll be having nightmares if I can't get my mind off them)
DD thinks no one will top David, but does agree she thought that about the last one too, so Matt will be OK. OH has all the episodes that have come out on DVD, although he thinks I don't know he's bought them.

[ChocClare]

Jon Pertwee was my original doctor (actually, it was Patrick Troughton, though I don't remember him very well - do remember Jamie though - in love with him as I recall - I was about three or four at the time), I loved Tom Baker, then stopped watching it, hated Christopher Eccleston (who only ever plays Christopher Eccleston; I've never understood why he's so highly rated) and LOVED and still LOVE David Tennant. Who's this oiky child they're offering us now? I'm horrified! DD doesn't think he looks too bad, but he's not very pretty, is he?!! Still, at least we've still got another year of Davy T before young Matt murders the part...

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Was never much of a Dr Who fan until it was brought back with Christopher Ecclestone and I thought "nothing else on, give it a try" and loved it. No idea who Christopher Ecclestone was. When he left, along came David Tennant and thought you cannot match CE but I was wrong and loved him too. So will give this guy a chance. All the new Docs have been rather quirky looking, this new one is certainly quirky looking. Sorry, if a female was replacing David Tennant it would ruin Dr Who - PC madness.

[where2start]

I think Russel Brand would have made a VERY good Dr

Not sure on this one...

[SarzWix]

Who's this oiky child they're offering us now? I'm horrified! DD doesn't think he looks too bad, but he's not very pretty, is he?!! Still, at least we've still got another year of Davy T before young Matt murders the part...

Why oiky? I thought he came across as a nice bloke And at 26, not really a child - I'd been married 5 years and had 2 kids by that age

I saw him in the Secret Diary of a Call Girl with Billie Piper which wasn't really my bag, but he was good in it. I don't think there's any reason to suppose he'll murder the part, just because he's got a squiffy hairdo

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Who on earth is Matt Smith?

[nelliegemini]

Was never much of a Dr Who fan until it was brought back with Christopher Ecclestone and I thought "nothing else on, give it a try" and loved it. No idea who Christopher Ecclestone was. When he left, along came David Tennant and thought you cannot match CE but I was wrong and loved him too. So will give this guy a chance. All the new Docs have been rather quirky looking, this new one is certainly quirky looking. Sorry, if a female was replacing David Tennant it would ruin Dr Who - PC madness.

Yes, yes and yes. A tad lantern jawed but who says Dr Who should be pretty, DT isn't but has a wonderful geeky charm. And a female wouldn't have worked, except for one episode, perhaps the taster for the new series - a sort of whoops, how did that happen, now back to normal with a Doctor with a feminine side.

[Mcbee]

He's 26 - so what? Is there an age the Dr has to be? Can't he regenerate at any age?

And don't forget that he might play the Dr differently from his own personality - after all he is an A-C-T-O-R!

[andrewo]

I loved Tom Baker as the Doctor, thought Eccleston did a grand job if only for the line when Rose asks him why he has a Northern accent, 'All planets have a north'. Tennant has been good too but think the new guy is a mistake, they are aiming for the kiddy audience (sure Dr Who is a childrens programme) but when kids reactions are, I don't like him (and I've heard this from my nephew who just pulled a face and went NO). Then it's bad. They made a safe choice, there where better actors who could have brought something new to the role, the work I have seen by the new Dr hasn't been that good but I will reserve judgement until he takes the keys of the TARDIS.