Current Events > C/D: Chris Eccleston's series of Dr Who was the perfect reboot for the franchise

(+) Yeah! (+)

The first revival series of Doctor Who was a perfect distillation of the Doctor Who mythos for a new audience. In one season, the show re-introduced the Doctor, time travel, companions, the Sonic Screwdriver, classic monsters - and on top of all that, it even showed off regeneration at the end of the season. It was a microcosm of the Doctor Who experience confined to a single season of the show.

The Ninth Doctor's single season was the perfect reboot, and it paved the way for David Tennant's excellent run and the ungodly popularity of Matt Smith's run - and every subsequent Doctor after them. Every element that needed to be reintroduced was reintroduced, and it brought in a bunch of new elements that continue to inform the mythos to this day.
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I think any one of them coulda pulled off the reboot just as well if not better
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He had a ton of interesting Time War stuff added. That amounted to shit in the end. He was pretty good. He hammed up the smiling to much though. I think he should of been more 12th like in attitude.

Eccleston was easily the best. Tennant was great too. Stopped watching midseason with Smith cause he bored me

You missed the fish sticks and custard storyline
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That first episode made me realize I'm terrified of mannequins.

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Abiz_ posted...

He had a ton of interesting Time War stuff added. That amounted to shit in the end. He was pretty good.

I mean yeah, the Time War stuff really went to shit during the later Moffat seasons imo. And it started to shit the bed during the last two Tennant specials, unfortunately. It was a pretty good run up until The End of Time though.

Eccleston was pivotal in selling the Time War drama, imo. Tennant is still seething, frightened and tired in regards to the Time War, which is all well and good, but Eccleston portrayed it as very fresh and I think he did a perfect job.

He hammed up the smiling to much though. I think he should of been more 12th like in attitude.

I wouldn't have liked the show as much if the Doctor wasn't as friendly as he was, though. I wouldn't have liked the show as much if he was a seething, cranky asshole, and I don't think I would have liked him being all wispy and snarky all the time either. There was a real earnestness to The Doctor during this period of time that I really loved, and it was pivotal to my attachment to it during its first season. He was a perfect Doctor for newcomers.

Axiom posted...

Eccleston was easily the best. Tennant was great too. Stopped watching midseason with Smith cause he bored me

The thing about Smith is that his last season has some of his best episodes, easily, but it also has a bunch of clunkers. Season 7 was my favorite season of his, but it's his most inconsistent one.

It's still my favorite because I like it over the choppy 6th series and the wanky, overblown 5th season myth arc.

Personally I think Tennant was the best. I enjoyed his era consistently, especially in regards to Donna Noble. Matt Smith was a hard pill to swallow, where he's drooling the same fucking ego speeches every second episode, and Peter Capaldi was pretty inconsistent and disappointing at the end of it all - which was devastating, because I was hoping his run would be better than Matt Smith's run, if only in its tone.

The one thing I particularly liked about Peter Capaldi's run was the reveal of his Sonic Screwdriver. And then it barely got used. I hate that I feel this way.
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I loved Eccleston and when he regenerated so soon I was so upset I thought I was going to drop the series, but Tennant was so fantastic I did a complete turnaround almost instantly

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The Doctor works best as either a complete ass or large ham.
Eccleston was a hammy ass

R1masher posted...

You missed the fish sticks and custard storyline

That was the point that I realised this Doctor was going to be polarising for me. The show's shot in this flat, cinematic fashion instead of the more kinetic way RTD's seasons were shot, and he's chittering away to an 8 year old for 5 minutes while he eats fish fingers and custard.

The show didn't feel grounded after that episode - and I know that sounds stupid considering the show, but the tone that I had come to really enjoy was totally obliterated in favor of a living cartoon. In the end he does a big, important name declaration and the monster-of-the-week gets scared and runs away. It perfectly sets the tone for Moffat's run, and it's just as uncomfortable to watch as it was the first time. The Doctor asserts how important he is, and the world is saved because he's the most important man in the universe and everyone should love, admire or be scared of him. Rinse and repeat for 4 years. Blech.
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Chris' 'Doctor' was just coming off the Time War, his psychology in that series made perfect sense.
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This was one my kids happiest days (so far) when she got to meet Matt and David... Chris wasnt invited




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Aw, that's sweet!
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Good taste, guys
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Who
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I prefer Matt Smith's first season to RTD's full run tbh. The story arc was pretty good. They had yet to go overboard with the Weeping Angels and River Song. And I'm a sucker for creative use of time travel which made the finale a lot of fun.

To be frank, RTD was bad at season finales. He had no idea how to resolve the situations he set up so every single one he had was a deus ex machina.
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NewWho was alright.

The companions constantly pinning over the Doctor and complaining he doesnt love them got old fast. Martha Jones character began and ended with "Why doesnt the doctor love me?".
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Tennant was my favorite. Matt Smith was pretty good too most of the time.

Eccleston was great for all the reasons listed in the topic post.

I only watched the first season of Peter Capaldi's run and kinda fell off the show then. I just didn't like it or got bored of the show a bit.
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