The Energon Pub

[DARKAGEIS]

ok its been revealed as

matt smith

not an actor ive heard of before

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1741002/

bbc show had some clips that could be called dr who esq moments but i guess we'll have to wait to 2010 to see

[Burn]

Matt Smith has been named as the actor who will take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who - making him the youngest actor to take on the role.

At 26, Smith is three years younger than Peter Davison when he signed up to play the fifth Doctor in 1981.

Smith will first appear on TV screens as the 11th Doctor in 2010.

He was cast over Christmas and will begin filming for the fifth series of Doctor Who in the summer. Tennant is filming four specials in 2009.

Smith was named as Tennant's replacement in Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC One.

He said: "I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.

"David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.

"The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait."

Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said that as soon as he had seen Smith's audition he "knew he was the one".

"It was abundantly clear that he had that 'Doctor-ness' about him," he said. "You are either the Doctor or you are not. It's just the beginning of the journey for Matt.

"With Steven Moffat's scripts and the expertise of the production team in Cardiff behind him, there is no one more perfect to be taking the Tardis to exciting new futures when the series returns in 2010."

Wenger said a broad range of people had been auditioned, but they had not set out to cast the youngest Doctor.

Smith's TV debut was in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, which starred former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart.

He has also acted opposite Piper in the follow-up, The Shadow in the North, and in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

In 2007, he had a leading role in BBC Two's political drama Party Animals, in which he played a parliamentary researcher.

Smith's stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as the Royal Court and National Theatre. His West End debut was in Swimming With Sharks opposite Christian Slater.

He was born in Northampton in 1982 and studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

Creative team

Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009.

Tennant is recovering from back surgery ahead of filming in 2009
The star is due to begin shooting the first special this month, just weeks after surgery on his back forced him to pull out of a London run of Hamlet.

The last of these special episodes is expected to run in early 2010.

With a new creative team in place for the 2010 series led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger, the casting of the Doctor was the first job to be completed before scripts could be finalised.

Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.

After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the same year.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7808697.stm

Never heard of him, but then i'd never heard of Christopher Eccelston or David Tennant either, so here's hoping he does good! (But let's face it, he's really going to have a hard time following Tennant)

[Cheetron]

When I saw his age I thought, wow, he's young. Then I realized, I'm 26. Man o man, I feel old. Hope this guys does a good job, I've never seen any of his work before.

[DARKAGEIS]

When I saw his age I thought, wow, he's young. Then I realized, I'm 26. Man o man, I feel old. Hope this guys does a good job, I've never seen any of his work before.

you feel old??

im 28 dr who shouldnt be younger than me!!

[Matrix.]

I really wish we could at least see a *snippet* of him.

Like when we first got Tennant. 'Barcelona!'

Only thing that worries me is that the Docs may be all young and hip from now on, with no room for someone more in line with Eccleston's.

[Editor]

It's a bit hard to see a snippet of him when nothing has been filmed for his doctor yet.

I'm sure we'll see something in the last of Tennent's specials that will have the same feel.

I am also concerned with the youth factor here. Not that he is the youngest to play the character but more that it will be easier to write storys where there could be less thinking involved for more action. which is why I had a small bit of hope that Moffett was going to hire James Nesbit instead to get a bit of age back into the Doc.

[Burn]

Technically, and I have no idea if this ever was official or not, but i've believed it for years.

With each regeneration the Doctor was suppose to get younger. It is after all, a regeneration.

[Matrix.]

Technically, and I have no idea if this ever was official or not, but i've believed it for years.

With each regeneration the Doctor was suppose to get younger. It is after all, a regeneration.

Unofficial: his age is always fluctuating. ¬_¬

[bcm77]

My big problem with casting someone who looks about 16 ( I know he's actually 26 ) is how we are supposed to take him seriously as the kind of authority figure and voice of experience that the Doctor often has to be?

There is a certain air of authority that comes with age and no matter how good an actor Matt Smith may be I can't imagine him being able to look convincing when trying to give an inspirational speech or during a tense scene with a villain without coming across like the sort of mouthy,know it all teenager that in real life would either get ignored,laughed at or even punched.

On the other hand there is some curiosity in me that wonders "what if he's a suprise package?"
I don't think it will require much for him to be more enjoyable than Tennant,just a bit more depth to the character instead of the same hyperactive smartmouth schtick EVERY freakin' week is all that's required but that's as much down to the writers as it is Smith.

Which is where my real concern lies. Despite the popular view I do not think Steven Moffat is a writing God and having seen what an arrogant arsehole he appears to be in numerous interviews I have to question whether he'll be able to put his immense ego aside for the good of the show.

[Editor]

For what it is worth, the people casting Matt Smith said that he is able to project beyond his years, and that was why they kept coming back to him. If he has half this ability than we really don't need to worry about much.

Yes, Moffat has an ego, but to run a series like this than you need a bit of a complex. As far as his ability to put his ego aside, I believe most fans (I understand you don't see it the same way) seem to have liked his episodes and if that carries over the series will continue without issue (from most). Now, If he can project the writing he used in "Jekyll" than we could be in for a ride.

[bcm77]

For what it is worth, the people casting Matt Smith said that he is able to project beyond his years, and that was why they kept coming back to him. If he has half this ability than we really don't need to worry about much.

I sincerely hope that for once the casting people aren't just saying that to get us to watch.
My confidence in the show becoming watchable again has been almost wiped out in the last 2 years so series 5 represents the last chance for the revived show to regain my intrest.

Not that my intrest will make any noticeable difference to the viewing figures either way but with only a certain number of Classic stories to be released on DVD ( I'm only intrested in Jon Pertwee & Tom Baker's eras ) I would still like some new stories to watch.

If Steven Moffat can do more stories like "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" then maybe I'll change my current opinion of him but more "Blink" type stuff and I'm sticking with the Classic era.

[Matrix.]

If Steven Moffat can do more stories like "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" then maybe I'll change my current opinion of him but more "Blink" type stuff and I'm sticking with the Classic era.

I don't get this: no matter how many times you're told, you don't accept that Blink was necessary.

Production works out that way: the timetable denotes that an episode has to be made with less of the Doctor if they're to have a Christmas special. Moffat was doing his *job* by writing it.

What's worse is you always use it as the example: it was easily and by far the best of the three episodes if its type! Why not say 'Love and Monsters'?

There will be a Doctor-Light episode next series. You'd best get back to the re-runs.

[Darth Bombshell]

What's worse is you always use it as the example: it was easily and by far the best of the three episodes if its type! Why not say 'Love and Monsters'?

Indeed. It's not only the worst Doctor-lite episode, it's also the worst New Who episode, period.

[Burn]

Have a laugh, I did.

[bcm77]

If Steven Moffat can do more stories like "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" then maybe I'll change my current opinion of him but more "Blink" type stuff and I'm sticking with the Classic era.

I don't get this: no matter how many times you're told, you don't accept that Blink was necessary.

Production works out that way: the timetable denotes that an episode has to be made with less of the Doctor if they're to have a Christmas special. Moffat was doing his *job* by writing it.

What's worse is you always use it as the example: it was easily and by far the best of the three episodes if its type! Why not say 'Love and Monsters'?

There will be a Doctor-Light episode next series. You'd best get back to the re-runs.

I KNOW Moffat was doing his job,I just think the whole thing is ridiculous. Why not take 1 story out of the regular series and do 12 episodes and a special instead?

If it meant less crap like "Fear Her","The Shakespeare Code","42" or "The Fires of Pompeii" to name but a few then I don't think it would be any great loss having 1 less episode a series.

To me the Doctor-lite episodes are all equally bad. "Blink" just stands out because it's somehow managed to win awards and has elevated it's writer to God-like status in the eyes of some fanboys.

I never really looked at spoilers for the show so didn't know what to expect each week but after "Blink" I always made a point of doing so and any other Doctor-lite episodes that occur I don't bother with,period.

And finally,
Don't try and tell me what I should go back to watching.
I hate the kind of mentality that tries to dictate to others what they should or shouldn't be doing just because they have differing views from the majority.

If I constantly praised RTD,Steven Moffat,David Tennant and Nu-Who in general like a good little sheep would you give me the same kind of hassle?

[Burn]

If I constantly praised RTD,Steven Moffat,David Tennant and Nu-Who in general like a good little sheep would you give me the same kind of hassle?

I take offense to being labelled a sheep by you simply because I happen to like Moffat's writing, Tennant's acting, and the new version of Dr Who in general.

Just because my opinion is shared by the majority of DW fans doesn't make us sheep.

Congratulations, you have a differing opinion, but get off your high horse and acting like you're an individual capable of thinking for himself just because your opinion is different.

[Editor]

In a word, no.

The fact is that as a whole this thread is rather positive about the direction the show, it's specials and spin-offs have taken. Yes, we all have some problems with them, but (at speaking for myself) we are happy that the show is being made.

On the other hand, BCM77, you aren't happy. We know this and yet you persist, and it is to the point we expect almost everything and anything you're going to post to be negative. You don't like RTD, you're not fond of Moffet, Tennent should be better, half the episodes are crap, it will never be as good as the original series, et cetera & et al.

The simple truth of the matter, is that you are being negative in a positive thread. That and that alone is making you a target for such matters. No I am not telling you to be a sheep, as that would paint the rest of us as the same. Which, we are not. We are fans stating our opinions which are just not the same as yours are. I'm not going to accuse you of flame-baiting, because I have no idea if you are posting here to present your views (however, from what you have said, I have no clue as to why you are still watching, and for that matter trying to post in a community that clearly doesn't share you're view) than you have every right, IMHO regardless of what you think you are posting it reads as flame, and return posts will likely be treated equally.

You must be able to realize that by posting what you have, that you are going to keep presenting yourself as a target, and if you are going to do so, don't be so surprised when people post as Matrix has. Now I'm not going to tell you to stick to the classics, but I do really wonder why the hell you persist.

[Matrix.]

I KNOW Moffat was doing his job,I just think the whole thing is ridiculous. Why not take 1 story out of the regular series and do 12 episodes and a special instead?

If it meant less crap like "Fear Her","The Shakespeare Code","42" or "The Fires of Pompeii" to name but a few then I don't think it would be any great loss having 1 less episode a series.

I liked Fires of Pompei. Can't say the same for Fear Her. But I certainly appreciated Turn Left and Blink. I wouldn't want to cut the series down to 12 if it meant I didn't get episodes like that.

"Blink" just stands out because it's somehow managed to win awards

What kind of bizaro logic is this?! It stood out a good six months before it won its awards. The awards were not handed to it arbitrarily and then people decided they would like it. It obviously had merit beforehand: something we all recgonised upon is release (And I bet there's evidence for it if you trduge through the thread).

And finally,
Don't try and tell me what I should go back to watching.

Oh, come on. You know perfectly well you don't want to watch it. You say that you wont watch if there are more Blink-like episodes. It is a *fact* that there will be more in the future. Ergo, you're not going to be watching. I was merely stating the obvious.

I hate the kind of mentality that tries to dictate to others what they should or shouldn't be doing just because they have differing views from the majority.

If I constantly praised RTD,Steven Moffat,David Tennant and Nu-Who in general like a good little sheep would you give me the same kind of hassle?

Well, this is the thing. I am *very* critical about the show around friends, but I don't constantly have to re-iterate my reasons for disliking it. I don't make reference every post I make to how god-awful Love and Monsters was, or how we haven't had a decent series finale since series 2 (debatably one).

Your posting style is just so confrontational in a thread that's relatively laid back. Rather than 'Meh, can't say I liked this episode. Didn't do it for me." you post "This episode was a crap-fest' repeatedly. It's a kind of style that, in the context of the thread, makes for a very provokable response, and when we do call you out you paint us as sheep when we all have differing views.

[bcm77]

OK here goes,

Just about everything from "The Runaway Bride" onwards hasn't really been to my tastes,I don't agree with the reasons for Doctor-lite episodes and David Tennant,RTD & Steven Moffat are all a tad overrated.

Is that more palatable to the Nu-Who fanboys that can't handle their precious show being criticised?

[Matrix.]

OK here goes,

Just about everything from "The Runaway Bride" onwards hasn't really been to my tastes,I don't agree with the reasons for Doctor-lite episodes and David Tennant,RTD & Steven Moffat are all a tad overrated.

Is that more palatable to the Nu-Who fanboys that can't handle their precious show being criticised?

Well, this is the thing. I'm hardly a fanboy, and I have beef with my fair share of episodes. As do many of the posters here: Burn for one.

What I can't tolerate, however, is your attitude. You obviously don't want to play nicely, and you insist on throwing around pompous Outpost-Gallifrey-esque catchphrases designed to beat down on those who do like it.

Imagine this as being a pub: a group of five or six people are drinking their pints, talking about a TV show. You sit down next to them and calmly state: 'It's crap'. They look at you, awkwardly, and continue their conversation, talking about the next episode. You continue to say 'The episode I just said was crap is still crap." and they continue to natter. You say, louder: "The future of the show is crap! If it continues in this crap way, I shall continue to say it's crap, and then stop watching!'.

Don't be surprised when the group turn around and ask why you're sitting next to them.

[bcm77]

OK here goes,

Just about everything from "The Runaway Bride" onwards hasn't really been to my tastes,I don't agree with the reasons for Doctor-lite episodes and David Tennant,RTD & Steven Moffat are all a tad overrated.

Is that more palatable to the Nu-Who fanboys that can't handle their precious show being criticised?

Well, this is the thing. I'm hardly a fanboy, and I have beef with my fair share of episodes. As do many of the posters here: Burn for one.

What I can't tolerate, however, is your attitude. You obviously don't want to play nicely, and you insist on throwing around pompous Outpost-Gallifrey-esque catchphrases designed to beat down on those who do like it.

Imagine this as being a pub: a group of five or six people are drinking their pints, talking about a TV show. You sit down next to them and calmly state: 'It's crap'. They look at you, awkwardly, and continue their conversation, talking about the next episode. You continue to say 'The episode I just said was crap is still crap." and they continue to natter. You say, louder: "The future of the show is crap! If it continues in this crap way, I shall continue to say it's crap, and then stop watching!'.

Don't be surprised when the group turn around and ask why you're sitting next to them.

The OG catchphrase thing doesn't really mean a thing to me as I've never visited the place and people round my way don't tend to talk about TV shows in pubs as they're too busy drinking and getting into fights

The reason I've persisted with the revived show after nearly quitting for good on 3 or 4 occasions over the last 2 series is because I still had a sense of optimism that it could become enjoyable again.

Despite all I've said I would genuinely LOVE to see the show improve to the point where I can get back into it in a big way but my confidence in the BBC's ability has been eroded over the last 2 series and given the choice of the new man in charge I'm not really expecting much of an improvement if indeed any.

One thing I've yet to hear is why I'm so wrong about things.
I've heard the usual lame "it gets good ratings" or "the writer has won awards" kind of stuff but never any real insights into why the last 2 series have been good,Tennant makes a decent Doctor,RTD & Moffat are geniuses or whatever else.

So come on,convince me,you may be suprised to find I'm more open minded than you probably think at the moment.

[Burn]

So come on,convince me,you may be suprised to find I'm more open minded than you probably think at the moment.

Open minded? Yeah, whatever. That's why you label anyone that supports this new version and has an opinion different from yours as "sheep".

You don't like it. I get that.

If you're so open minded then how about you just accept that others do like it? Why should we waste time explaining to you why we like something?

Frankly you're coming off as nothing more than a troll now days.

Because here's the thing, as others have said, we all find fault with some aspect of the show. Nearly every time "Love and Monsters" is brought up DB expresses his dislike for the episode, while I normally say I liked it. We both disagree on the episode but we accept each other's opinion of it and move on.

Perhaps you should try the same thing instead of trying to rile everyone up?

[Blast Cannon]

Lol, I love it.

"One thing I've yet to hear is why I'm so wrong about things.
I've heard the usual lame "it gets good ratings" or "the writer has won awards" kind of stuff but never any real insights into why the last 2 series have been good,Tennant makes a decent Doctor,RTD & Moffat are geniuses or whatever else."

Yeah, let's not let "lame" reasons like facts and statistics get in the way of the bigger picture: despite world wide popularity the show is still CRAP!

You're about as open minded to New Doctor Who as the Khmer Rouge were to capitalism.

[bcm77]

Blast Cannon,
Do you base all your decisions on whether you like something or not on how popular others happen to think it is or do you think for yourself?

If I watch something and don't like it how popular the show may be to the majority or how many awards it may have won doesn't influence my opinion one bit.

Millions watch reality shows and enjoy them so by default does this mean I HAVE to enjoy them too even though I hate them because this is what you seem to be suggesting with this type of thinking.

And if my position on Nu-Who was exactly as you say I certainly wouldn't own the first 2 series on DVD and have spent a considerable amount on figures from ALL 4 series.

[Blast Cannon]

Blast Cannon,
Do you base all your decisions on whether you like something or not on how popular others happen to think it is or do you think for yourself?

If I watch something and don't like it how popular the show may be to the majority or how many awards it may have won doesn't influence my opinion one bit.

Millions watch reality shows and enjoy them so by default does this mean I HAVE to enjoy them too even though I hate them because this is what you seem to be suggesting with this type of thinking.

And if my position on Nu-Who was exactly as you say I certainly wouldn't own the first 2 series on DVD and have spent a considerable amount on figures from ALL 4 series.

Yeah, I forgot how fascist Pol Pot was when it came to his Khmer underlings owning DVDs and toy figurines. That's aggressive communism for you!

But no, I don't base my opinions on things around how popular they are amongst other people. I do, however, have the good sense to make my point regarding something and then let it lie; I do not take every opportunity to regurgitate my opinion, the same opinion expressed countless times before to the exact same people in the exact same thread.

My gripe isn't your opinion, it's the fact that despite us knowing your opinion, you still choose to express that very same opinion not once, but two or three times, perhaps even as often as in the next page of the thread, the only difference being that the word "crap" is in a different place in your sentence.

My previous post was simply pointing out your lack of advocacy for other opinions of the new Doctor Who and using a historical precedent to express my opinion more... colourfully! I hate dire argumentative posts with no suave wit to them.