The New Doctor Who

So, David Tennant ended his run on Doctor Who in a rather epic way, and I am unashamed to say that I got a bit choked. After all, he reinvented the character after Eccleston’s great performance, and brought the sci-fi genre back to prime time TV where it belongs. Suffice to say then, Matt Smith has some rather large shoes to fill. After his brief, yet entertaining entrance as the Doctor regenerated, we now have had the chance to see him taking up the sonic screwdriver and dishing out alien justice. This blog is my musings and reflections on Matt Smith, and his performance as the Doctor. (Also, I don’t name aliens etc, and I try to avoid spoilers, just in case you missed it...)


















The new Doctor; Matt Smith.

His first episode, The Eleventh Hour, started with a glorious beginning, as we witnessed the TARDIS plummeting to Earth, all smoke and fire, with the Doctor clinging on for dear life. We also witnessed the greatest of TV staples, the narrow avoidance of groin injury. Cliché though it may be, it raised a smile. Following this however, we were treated to a rather epic introduction. Gone was the normal music, and instead the iconic tune was replaced by a juddering, broken version – magnificently reflecting the broken nature of the Tardis.

Then we get a brief intro to a young girl, who is obviously the young version of the new companion, and then the real fun begins...

Entering by clambering from his crashed TARDIS, the Doctor soon regales us with some quick fire banter, whilst in the midst of regenerating and demolishing a kitchens worth of food ...
“You’re Scottish, fry something.”
Already I like him, he’s a bit rubbery with his antics and his deadpan delivery brings a good chuckle. Just what you want.

Moving on, after meeting the ‘bad guy’ (guy in the loosest sense of the word), the most predictable part of the episode occurs: the time travel mishap, in which 5 minutes becomes 12 years (just enough time to age the co-star...). Indeed, upon arrival, the Doctor enters the house and is dealt with by a female occupant who is, clearly to all but the Doctor, the young Amelia Pond, but all grow’d up (and ‘too sexy’ according to the Daily Mail...). Anyways, after ignoring the Doctor, as all good sidekicks must, we are set – the baddie is loose, the world in danger...

So, now the Doctor has a test – how will he cope? Admirably I must say. Following the fast talking Tennant, Matt Smith keeps up the lively pace, portraying a knowledgeable Doctor, with the right doses of sarcasm and wit. And then we meet a gimmick. The idea of a photographic memory, that was hinted to before, as the camera flashes over everything, allowing the Doctor to figure out a plan. Well managed and clever, this could be quite a neat little trick (almost like Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s new imagining...) Then, gimmick number two. Breaking from Tennant’s iconic speech will be hard to do, but must be done to establish Matt Smith as a great Doctor... and he nails it. After giving a request, only to be blanked, he repeats with gusto:
“Man and dog. Why? Tell me now.”
Abbreviating the question while sounding almost perturbed that he has to repeat himself, and with a pinch of resigned condescension at having to do so, Matt Smith perfectly hits the role of hero with no time to waste. He repeats this little quirk later too, suggesting a recurring theme, and one that neatly slots into the idea of a Timelord who knows more than anyone around him, and has to constantly slow his mind down to get points across to mere humans. Brilliant.

Moving on again, trying to avoid too many spoilers (just in case), we come to a point where the Doctor has to set in motion a plan to stop the bad guy... Enter a brilliant little sequence of sarcasm and genius, as the Doctor proves himself to NASA etc, and the legend that is Sir Patrick Moore. Indeed, his little cameo had me giggling, and was a nice little refresher – as we have come to expect from Doctor Who. And, after asserting a nice little genius touch, we reach another highlight; the commandeering of a Fire Engine as a rescue vehicle. The joy on Matt Smith’s face as he zooms around was brilliant, and echoed Tennant’s exuberant Doctor, which is not a bad thing.

Then we have the showdown (which I won’t spoil), but it does have the Doctor on great form. Parading as a conquering general, his self-assurance oozes from Matt Smith, who carried off the idea of a triumphant Doctor with aplomb. But he’s not done. Using the phone of Amy’s ‘boyfriend’ (sort of...) he gets in a quick one liner (“Sorry about the bill”) before calling back the alien police who were chasing the bad guy, determined that they will be reprimanded for their actions on Earth. Raiding the cloakroom, the Doctor requisitions himself some new attire before heading to the roof.

The next instance is Matt Smith’s finest moment, and only the video does it justice...

Basically, run.

Epic.

The episode then concludes, leaving a few neat little touches. Firstly, the new Sonic Screwdriver. Unlike the old one, Matt Smith’s is green – a nice little hint at the changes to the show with the departures of Tennant and Russell T. Davies. Also, the nerd in me couldn’t help but smile at the fact that a new doctor gets a green screwdriver; my mind instantly compared it to Luke Skywalker getting his new green lightsaber after losing his (father’s) original blue one...but maybe that’s just how my mind works...
Anyways, the Doctor then jumps in his newly revamped TARDIS, taking it for a spin, before returning to pick up Amy. Surprise surprise, he’s late again, this time only by two years (enough to make her 21...the cynic in me reels...) and he tries to persuade her to come with him – a request to which she eventually agrees after making the Doctor promise she can return before tomorrow, before stepping into the new TARDIS, letting us all look into the newly designed interior – again another way of stepping away from the Tennant era. (I won’t spoil it with a picture, you’ll have to watch it to see it). The last thing we see is the inside of Amy’s room, past the Doctor toys and pictures she drew, up to (predictably) a wedding dress. Clearly, all the women in the Doctor’s life have to have some kind of man situation – good to see some traditions carried on...

So, overall then, it was an epic episode. Well written and directed, with all the expected Doctor Who familiarities, yet Matt Smith delvered us a new Doctor, fresh and eager, that manages to seamlessly transition away from Tennant. Indeed, the highest compliment I can pay him is that whilst watching it, I stopped comparing him to Tennant, and enjoyed him for who he was. Well done Matt, now we get to see what else happens, and after the juicy teasers at the end, I am officially psyched...

Still. One last time to say goodbye and for old time’s sake...

Allons-y!