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David Tennant vs. Matt Smith

Which is the better Doctor, David Tennant or Matt Smith?

  • Tennant

    Votes: 7 63.6%
  • Smith

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • Tennant

    Votes: 7 63.6%
  • Smith

    Votes: 4 36.4%

  • Total voters
    11

Doctor Oak

Staff member
Overlord
Needs the chatlog to make sense:

<Rex> Star Trek isn't my thing.
<DoctorOak> no Myth
<DoctorOak> Star Trek was -good-
<DoctorOak> Star Trek: The Next Generation was fantastic
<DoctorOak> there's a very specific order of these things :p
<Shocari> XD
<Myth> I could overlook those freaking lens flares. What was the problem with them>
<Myth> NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
<Myth> DON'T EVEN SAY TNG WAS BETTER.
<DoctorOak> ...
<DoctorOak> wut
<Myth> Do not even say The Next Generation is better than Original Series.
<DoctorOak> it's not even up for debate
<Myth> It will never be.
<DoctorOak> I'm not
<DoctorOak> although it was
<Myth> IT IS.
<DoctorOak> I was saying it's better than the new movie
* Linkachu giggles
<SirRed> lolz
<DoctorOak> seriously
<Myth> The new movie was absolutely perfect. Tough, but PERFECT.
<DoctorOak> don't get into this with me
<Linkachu> Do it
<Rex> Shatner's good bad acting is legendary.
<Linkachu> get into it with him
<DoctorOak> I will beat you down with my encylopaedic Trek knowledge
<Linkachu> He'll rant for hours ;p
<Myth> Tough in the sense that that whole parallel universe thing was hard to understand.
* Linkachu pats Alex and goes for now
<Shocari> ...
<Myth> Look, I love Trek, but I'm no encyclopedia on it.
<DoctorOak> exactly
<Shocari> it's a parallel universe
<DoctorOak> that's why you won't win
<DoctorOak> don't get into it
* Jenova has quit (Quit: bbl)
<Myth> I'll admit you probably know more about it.
<DoctorOak> just accept that I'm right and you're wrong
<DoctorOak> then all will be good
<DoctorOak> :)
<Shocari> do it
<Shocari> for your own good
<Myth> But that doesn't mean that I cannot defend TOS.
<Myth> I have met Mr Shatner
<Myth> He's a nice guy.
<DoctorOak> first of all
<Shocari> he busts through people's walls to get them to get better deals on plane tickets
<Shocari> that's not nice
<Myth> OK, let's hear.
<DoctorOak> you defended it based on a slight I never even made against it
<DoctorOak> second of all
<DoctorOak> you're still wrong that TNG is not better than TOS
<DoctorOak> it's just factually wrong
<DoctorOak> TOS is a great series
<Myth> You said TNG was better. You are wrong.
<DoctorOak> but it's great for different reasons
<Myth> Yes it is.
<Rex> This cannot end well.
<DoctorOak> TNG is the better Star Trek
<Myth> TNG wasn't bad.
<Myth> It was brilliant actually.
<Myth> Just TOS was better.
<DoctorOak> ok
<DoctorOak> let's do this
<DoctorOak> LEEEROYYYYYYYYYYYYYY JEEEEENKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS
<Myth> Fine.
<DoctorOak> first of all
<DoctorOak> most of TOS was written by committee, sadly
<DoctorOak> rather than with a specific vision
<DoctorOak> it was written for the sake of making it onto the air week after week
<DoctorOak> and though it losened up later on
<Myth> I don't care, the characters are much more likeable I think.
<DoctorOak> it didn't do it well
<Myth> Just sayin'
<DoctorOak> the later series of TOS is generally received as the worst of the lot
<DoctorOak> ever
<DoctorOak> including Voyager
<Myth> I will admit "Spock's Brain" was absolutely absymal.
<DoctorOak> second of all
<Myth> But rather hilarious.
<DoctorOak> although Roddenbery's vision was great
<DoctorOak> he sucked at telling it
<DoctorOak> great conceptualist
<DoctorOak> but the stories told with it in the series were poor attempts at really selling this utopian world
<DoctorOak> mostly because they were written in the 60s with very, very 60s sensibilities
<Myth> It was the 60s, there weren't many special effects that COULD sell it.
<Myth> It was totally 60s.
<Rex> Not special effects, 60s mentality.
<Myth> But the characters were so much more... amusing than on TNG.
<Myth> I'll agree with that one.
<DoctorOak> how anyone can watch them today without cringing at Yeoman rand's treatment on the show is beyond me
<Myth> Fans just accept it, I guess. It's wrong but they do.
<DoctorOak> more to the point, the aliens featured in the series were, pretty universally, awful
<DoctorOak> not just because of the special effects
<Myth> Oh yeah.
<DoctorOak> but because they were pretty unimaginative
<DoctorOak> even the Klingons back then were just humans with big eyebrows
<Myth> But come on, none can be worse than Jar Jar Binks.... on the other franchise....
<Myth> Yeah but come on, TOS was fun to watch.
<Shocari> you mean the amazing franchise? :O
<DoctorOak> and that wasn't even a "we couldn't do the makeup then" that was what THEY WERE MEANT TO BE
<Myth> TNG is just plain serious.
<DoctorOak> Klingons, Vulcans, Romulans, all introduced in TOS
<Rex> The Gungans were creative.
<DoctorOak> all made into real, expansive races in TNG
<Myth> And stereotypes.
<DoctorOak> <Myth> But come on, none can be worse than Jar Jar Binks.... on the other franchise....
<DoctorOak> that's just completely irrelevant
<Rex> Personally, I don't see the stereotype.
<Shocari> nor do I
<Myth> ..............
<Myth> OK.
<DoctorOak> <Myth> Yeah but come on, TOS was fun to watch.
<Myth> I absulutely knew I would lose this argument.
<SirRed> So...what the hell is a Doctor Who? ._.
<DoctorOak> no-one is saying that it isn't
<Myth> But I cannot be moved.
<Myth> I hate Doctor Who.
<DoctorOak> I'm telling you, since you asked, why TNG is the better series of star trek
<DoctorOak> oh dear christ
<DoctorOak> I may just have to kick you now so I'm not on here all night
<Shocari> you're lucky Zacky isn't on right now
<Shocari> he'd go ballistic
<SirRed> Who, me?
<Shocari> not you, Myth
<SirRed> Ah~
<Myth> I'll raise my hands and drop the sword now.
<Rex> I haven't seen Doctor Who, I hear it's good.
<Myth> You can give your points but I cannot be moved.
<DoctorOak> <Rex> I haven't seen Doctor Who, I hear it's good.
<DoctorOak> it is
<SirRed> I was just trying to troll Alex XP
<Myth> Doctor Who was good until Tennant left.
<DoctorOak> I believe the whole series since 2005 is on netflix now
<DoctorOak> go watch it on that
<DoctorOak> or buy the DVDs, whatevers
<Myth> The new guy is just awful.
<DoctorOak> wow
<DoctorOak> seriously
<DoctorOak> wow
<DoctorOak> your opinions are just completely and utterly wrong in every single respect
<Rex> I might buy the DVDs, but probably not Netflix.
<Myth> ....I am a different kind of sci-fi fan then.
<Rex> Not old enough to get it without mother.
<Myth> ........
<Rex> Since I don't have a bank account yet.
<Myth> I still prefer TOS, don't mean I don't like TNG.... And Doctor Who... great until Matt Smith.
<DoctorOak> which is madness
<Myth> Star Trek 2009 was fantastic too.
<DoctorOak> Doctor Who series 5 and 6 is the best it's been
<Shocari> Sparta? :O
<DoctorOak> oh god
<DoctorOak> seriously
<DoctorOak> Sho
<DoctorOak> give me a reason to kick you
<DoctorOak> :p
<Sem> ban him
<Sem> do it
<Shocari> eh, just do it for the hell of it
<Shocari> :3
<Myth> I give up.
<Shocari> although
<Shocari> Shiny's corpse looks awfully tempting over there
<DoctorOak> I'm tempted to go upstairs, start up the lappy and log in on that just to genocide your asses
<Shocari> :D
<Myth> .....Nah, it's fine.... jeez....
<DoctorOak> right
<DoctorOak> myth
<DoctorOak> anyone remember the Sem vs... red? topic a while back?
* Shocari does!
<Myth> Are we going to have a duel?
<DoctorOak> we need one of those to show you just how wrong you are
<SirRed> Yes XD
<DoctorOak> someone make it for me
<DoctorOak> 'cos I need to pee
<Myth> ....No way! I'd be flattened like a pancake!
<DoctorOak> post this log and put up a pol
<DoctorOak> *poll
<DoctorOak> first TOS vs TNG
<Myth> Oh, jeez, this is going to be an absolute nightmare.
<DoctorOak> second Matt Smith vs David Tennant
<Myth> My rep will all be down the drain within two seconds.
<DoctorOak> I expect it done by the time I get back
<DoctorOak> brb
<DoctorOak> :p
 
I love Matt Smith, I really do, but ... I prefer David Tennant. It took a little while to get used to Smith, but after that he became a pretty good Doctor. But David Tennant - imho - is just that bit better.

It's not like I'm just like "OMG DAVID TENNANT WAS SOOO MUCH BETTAR BRING HIM BACK I HATE MATT SMITTHHHCFCJCHDtcufyd", I do have my reasons. |D

See, Tennant's Doctor, to me, had a better personality, er, slightly better acting if I may. As I've said, I do enjoy Smith as a Doctor, but yeah. David Tennant as a Doctor was a nice guy, he tried to do his best and whatever and occasionally something would trigger pain and sadness (about (POSSIBLE SPOILER) killing all the other Time Lords) and cause him to have a bit of a breakdown WHICH WAS COOL because really, who wouldn't sometimes go a little crazy if you'd done that?

Whereas Smith's Doctor is usually completely random. I mean, he's completely eccentric (which is fun) and all that stuff but he's just far too random and "well I think - OH LOOK AT THIS - I think I'll just go over here and WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" /enter emotional breakdown followed by tea and biscuits. In some things you can get that sort of thing to work, but it just doesn't. For me, at least.

(also Amy is a bit of a b*tch and Rory almost dies in every single episode. Rory would make a good Nurse Who :|)

teehee, I don't usually rant like this ♥
 
I'm not casting a vote because I don't want to make a decision. Yes, I adored David Tennant as The Doctor, I did. I love David Tennant in general, and his Doctor made the series for me so much more enjoyable. I admit that I shed a tear or two when he regenerated, and I was so adamantly against liking Matt Smith that I had shot him down before I had ever seen him in the show.

However, after watching the last series and what's aired of the current series, I can say that Matt Smith has become The Doctor in my eyes. It didn't take me long to get over the fact that he wasn't David Tennant, even though it freaking sucked that Tennant was gone. I really enjoy Matt Smith's portrayal and I look forward to many more seasons with him as The Doctor. Especially with Moffat as head writer, because I can honestly say that I've enjoyed series 5 and 6 more than the David Tennant ones, but it's a combination of Matt Smith /and/ Steven Moffat that make that possible.

So, yeah, I'm taking the diplomatic approach and just going with I ACTUALLY HONESTLY LIKED/LIKE THEM BOTH. And I don't care how many times you try and get me to choose one over the other, I won't. Each portrayal of the Doctor is different, it's just like what Tennant's Doctor said; once he regenerates, he isn't himself anymore. He's someone else. It's like dying. So, they're both awesome.
 
I believe Matt Smith portrays the Doctor the lion's share of the audience wants the Doctor to be like; Quite litteraly a madman with a box. The first one or two episodes of Matt Smith, I did still prefer David Tennant, but... Let's face it, the new two seasons are too goddamn epic to be called lesser then the previous.

In my opinion, (And Chad's >> ) Tennant and Smith are equally good. Both are amazing actors and seemingly born for the role of the Doctor. I preferred Tennant at first because he's better at playing the more serious emotions, anger and sadness and the like- Again, in my opinion. But Smith is a brilliant blabbermouth and generally goofy, the traits that make the Doctor so likeable. Essentialy, their specific talents are opposite, but equally great.

In other words, I won't be casting a vote either, just for the fact that they're both brilliant. Maybe it's an idea to add a 'both' option?

(I don't really like Amy either, not compared to Sarah or Rose. She's very much like a failed attempt at a bad-ass heroine. Not saying she isn't hawt. And Rory is... Awesome, mostly because of his actor and his hestitant/goofy personality.)

And lastly, because I've been holding it back while typing this; AMFG DR. WHO.
 
IGNORANT HUMAN.

THESE 'MATT SMITH' AND 'DAVID TENNANT' PEOPLE YOU SPEAK OF ARE THE SAME PERSON.

THE DOCTOR.

THOU SHALST BE THROWN INTO THE TIME VORTEX FOR THY IGNORANCE.

Overlooking that, I'd have to say that the tenth incarnation of the Doctor appeals most to me, just for his personality and the fact that he's ACTUALLY SCOTTISH.

Of course, number eleven is cool as well, can't forget him.

NOW OFF TO THE TIME VORTEX.
 

Demelza

Eevee Tamer
Staff member
Moderator
This is quite hard for me as I hadn't watched Doctor Who until the season where Tennant became the Doctor.

I agree with what others have said about David being ably to act out sadness and anger better then Matt, but that said I like the funny/mad/nuts Doctor that Matt plays. Overall I'd say I love both, I loved all the seasons that David was the Doctor and although i wasn't keen on Matt in the first season he did I do really like him now.

To be honest though like the Doctor has said in the show, once he changes he isn't the same person. Therefor each new actor plays the role differently and it's very hard to say; "Well this guy plays the role better then this guy" because it's not like they're trying to play the same guy 100% each actor brings something new.
 
In my opinion, David Tennant is definitely a better actor than Matt Smith. But I much prefer Smith's version of the Doctor to Tennant's. The 10th Doctor never quite felt like a proper Doctor to me. I felt like Tennant made his Doctor a bit too human, so much so that he didn't really seem alien. Smith's Doctor, on the other hand, has brought that across very well, particularly in 'The Lodger'. He also has this distinct old-fashioned-ness to him that fits with the character very well.

Also, Amy and Rory beat every companion the 10th Doctor had hands-down.
 
Toastie said:
Also, Amy and Rory beat every companion the 10th Doctor had hands-down.

OBJECTION!

Donna was the most important woman in the universe, I'm sorry. Plus she's just so freaking epic! I mean come on, she is actually full of timelord knowledge, and had to have mer memories erased because of it. Freaking. Badass.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
 
Re: David Tennant vs. Matt Smith

Blazi said:
Toastie said:
Also, Amy and Rory beat every companion the 10th Doctor had hands-down.

OBJECTION!

Donna was the most important woman in the universe, I'm sorry. Plus she's just so freaking epic! I mean come on, she is actually full of timelord knowledge, and had to have mer memories erased because of it. Freaking. Badass.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Donna was merely a Christmas Special comic relief character that they expanded on. Amy has a backstory and is pretty much the first ever Doctor Who companion to not be completely useless.
And Rory locks Hitler in a cupboard. Your argument is invalid.
 

Doctor Oak

Staff member
Overlord
People are voting the wrong way for this poll.

If you actually read the chatlog, you'll see that the real question isn't which actor you prefer as the Doctor, it's who's the better Doctor in the better show?

The answer to that is quite clearly Matt Smith. David Tennant did a good job with what he had and all, but the 5 years previous to Smith and Moffat's run on Who are all pretty much universally tripe in comparison.
 
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