Reaction to announcement of Eleventh Doctor
Spoilers behind the cut...
Right. So that's it. It finally happened. They finally gave the name of the actor who's going to replace David Tennant in 2009.
First thing is, I have to confess that I hate changes of any kind. I really do. They destabilise me, scare me, and I basically loathe them.
When I first discovered Doctor Who, I watched the whole of series one in one week. Adored it. Thought Nine was fantastic. Couldn't see anyone else as the Doctor. And of course in the final episode, they went ahead and regenerated him into that young guy with disarrayed hair, lost the Northern accent etc. I was devastated. It took me almost the entire series 2 to take to Ten (that tells you how difficult it is for me to deal with changes) Then of course I fell in utter and complete love with Ten, and these days he's my Doctor, he really is.
So I thought okay, it's going to be hard. I'd prepared myself somehow. And I thought hey, even if at first I hate Eleven, maybe he'll grow on me. Ten has, after all. Okay, with Ten, there was Rose who helped with the continuity, and RTD was writing the scripts, which probably helped, too. I won't have either of them this time, so it's going to feel like a whole new show, like someone stole the TARDIS and ran away with it.
I was hoping for someone older, someone who'd be so very, very far from Ten there could not be any possible comparison. Heck, or a woman (no, NOT Catherine Zeta-Jones!)
And they went ahead and chose a pretty boy. Or someone who could be considered as such. Personally, he doesn't do anything for me. Too much the rebellious teenager in his looks for me to care. But still, my opinion notwithstanding, he has boyish looks, just like Ten, and that bothers me big time. It's like they're trying to go for the same thing, which is the mistake they shouldn't make. Imho that's exactly what they did when they replaced Billie with Freema: choosing someone of a similar age, who had a crush on the Doctor, made it even harder to take to Martha Jones. On the other hand, with Donna, who looked older than Ten (though I'm not sure Catherine is actually older than David, it's just that David does look very young) and played the part of a best mate, it was fantastic and I had no problem loving her right from the start. So I can't deal with a boyish Eleven.
I don't really have a problem with Matt Smith being 26. Granted, it does feel strange to think he's actually younger than me, and I do wonder about his experience as an actor, but maybe he's really, really good. We shall see, I suppose. I do have a problem with his hair, though. ;) But then, who can have hair that looks as good as Ten's? ;)
No, I have a lot more problems with him fitting with the looks of an omnipotent, semi-God, James-Bond like Doctor that Steven Moffat likes so much. I'm still going to watch the first episode in 2010, don't get me wrong. But I'm not too hopeful. I do fear the idea of a new companion on every episode, or a companion who stays in the background while Eleven falls for every female guest star on the programme. I think what I really couldn't deal with is if Moffat's script made him take swipes at Rose or Donna. That would infuriate me big time.
So not really enthusiastic, no. I guess it also forces me to face the idea that David Tennant can't be the Doctor for ever.
Right. So that's it. It finally happened. They finally gave the name of the actor who's going to replace David Tennant in 2009.
First thing is, I have to confess that I hate changes of any kind. I really do. They destabilise me, scare me, and I basically loathe them.
When I first discovered Doctor Who, I watched the whole of series one in one week. Adored it. Thought Nine was fantastic. Couldn't see anyone else as the Doctor. And of course in the final episode, they went ahead and regenerated him into that young guy with disarrayed hair, lost the Northern accent etc. I was devastated. It took me almost the entire series 2 to take to Ten (that tells you how difficult it is for me to deal with changes) Then of course I fell in utter and complete love with Ten, and these days he's my Doctor, he really is.
So I thought okay, it's going to be hard. I'd prepared myself somehow. And I thought hey, even if at first I hate Eleven, maybe he'll grow on me. Ten has, after all. Okay, with Ten, there was Rose who helped with the continuity, and RTD was writing the scripts, which probably helped, too. I won't have either of them this time, so it's going to feel like a whole new show, like someone stole the TARDIS and ran away with it.
I was hoping for someone older, someone who'd be so very, very far from Ten there could not be any possible comparison. Heck, or a woman (no, NOT Catherine Zeta-Jones!)
And they went ahead and chose a pretty boy. Or someone who could be considered as such. Personally, he doesn't do anything for me. Too much the rebellious teenager in his looks for me to care. But still, my opinion notwithstanding, he has boyish looks, just like Ten, and that bothers me big time. It's like they're trying to go for the same thing, which is the mistake they shouldn't make. Imho that's exactly what they did when they replaced Billie with Freema: choosing someone of a similar age, who had a crush on the Doctor, made it even harder to take to Martha Jones. On the other hand, with Donna, who looked older than Ten (though I'm not sure Catherine is actually older than David, it's just that David does look very young) and played the part of a best mate, it was fantastic and I had no problem loving her right from the start. So I can't deal with a boyish Eleven.
I don't really have a problem with Matt Smith being 26. Granted, it does feel strange to think he's actually younger than me, and I do wonder about his experience as an actor, but maybe he's really, really good. We shall see, I suppose. I do have a problem with his hair, though. ;) But then, who can have hair that looks as good as Ten's? ;)
No, I have a lot more problems with him fitting with the looks of an omnipotent, semi-God, James-Bond like Doctor that Steven Moffat likes so much. I'm still going to watch the first episode in 2010, don't get me wrong. But I'm not too hopeful. I do fear the idea of a new companion on every episode, or a companion who stays in the background while Eleven falls for every female guest star on the programme. I think what I really couldn't deal with is if Moffat's script made him take swipes at Rose or Donna. That would infuriate me big time.
So not really enthusiastic, no. I guess it also forces me to face the idea that David Tennant can't be the Doctor for ever.