Did anyone like Martha?

[Starkers]

That would've helped, but she's still not a great actress and still not a forceful screen presense, which might work in some circumstances (I hear she's good in L&O) but working a two hander with a forceful screen presense like Tennant meant that too often she was practically invisible.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Found the character more strong-willed, ressourceful, and independent than Rose, and not as annoying as Donna.

(As a sidenote, she is also tied with Amy as hottest nuWho companion IMO. )

Probably my second-favorite long-term nuWho companion overall.

 

[Steve67]

Could one of the "Freema was a bad actress" people provide specific scenes in which she's actually being a bad actress? I honestly don't see what was so "bad" about her performances.

 

[Starkers]

Oh come on, she had about two facial expressions. Either 'indignent', or 'on the verge of tears'.

As for examples of bad acting, can you give examples of good acting?

Anyway; point one, standing on stage in the globe looking uncomfortable and so out of her depth its untrue. point two. "I'm Marfa Jones, and I'm calling you back to Earth."

Her best acting was as an emotionless clone of herself in the Sontaran 2 parter

 

[Steve67]

Oh come on, she had about two facial expressions. Either 'indignent', or 'on the verge of tears'.

With that oversimplification, I could say that Rose had two facial expressions: the mischievous "I-Love-the-Doctor" face and the "I'm-smearing-my-makeup-to-show-that-I'm-not-just-a-teenybop-ex-"singer."

As for examples of bad acting, can you give examples of good acting?

She was consistently good and the character was a delight, despite being underwritten and being given an ill-conceived, wannabe romance with The Doctor.

Anyway; point one, standing on stage in the globe looking uncomfortable and so out of her depth its untrue. point two. "I'm Marfa Jones, and I'm calling you back to Earth."

If an assistant is supposed to represent the average Joe or Jane, just how in their depth was she supposed to be? She was a medical student, not Wonder Woman.

Rose was the one who pronounced th as an f, so you're wrong again.

Her best acting was as an emotionless clone of herself in the Sontaran 2 parter

Yes, it was pretty damned good.

 

[Starkers]

I think you're mistaking me for a Rose fan Billie is a stronger actress then Freema though IMO (and lets face it, acting is a subjective thing- there are as many people on here who think she was a good actress as those who thought she was wooden as an old oak)

I still stick to my own personal conspiracy theory that says they gave her a 2 year deal, then realised she wasn't good enough, which explains all the odd appearences in Who series 4 and Torchwood; contractual obligations. Yes her presence made sense in the Sontaran 2 parter, but in the Doctor's Daughter she was essentially pointless, they had to create a B story just to give her something to do. Same with Torchwood, her first episode did involve her a lot, but in the second one she just hung around in the background (apart from one memorable scene where she was outacted by a glove...) And then there's Journey's End, again she just wandered along in her own little story that contributed nothing to the overall story (but then you could say the same for the Jackie/Rose/Mickey/ Sarah Jane cameos...)

 

[Steve67]

I still stick to my own personal conspiracy theory that says they gave her a 2 year deal, then realised she wasn't good enough, which explains all the odd appearences in Who series 4 and Torchwood; contractual obligations. Yes her presence made sense in the Sontaran 2 parter, but in the Doctor's Daughter she was essentially pointless, they had to create a B story just to give her something to do. Same with Torchwood, her first episode did involve her a lot, but in the second one she just hung around in the background (apart from one memorable scene where she was outacted by a glove...) And then there's Journey's End, again she just wandered along in her own little story that contributed nothing to the overall story (but then you could say the same for the Jackie/Rose/Mickey/ Sarah Jane cameos...)

I think having all those secondhand characters and former assistants around was supposed to make the stories appear "epic." The fault lies with the writers and producers. I'm of the belief that "if it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage."

As for Freema's seeming incompetence, I doubt she would've been considered for a "grown up" and serious show like Law and Order: UK if she were a crap actress; she's much better than the Great Internet Unwashed would lead us to believe.

 

[Starkers]

Nah she's only in L&O because she has compromising photos of Chris Chibnall...

Lord know who Chibnall has compromising photos of (everyone judging by the amount of work he gets)

And there are plenty of poor actors who continute to get work, and frankly there are a lot who keep working, worse than her. It'll be interesting to see how her career progresses.

 

[Steve67]

Nah she's only in L&O because she has compromising photos of Chris Chibnall...

Lord know who Chibnall has compromising photos of (everyone judging by the amount of work he gets)

And there are plenty of poor actors who continute to get work, and frankly there are a lot who keep working, worse than her. It'll be interesting to see how her career progresses.

Slightly OT: Blame it on my twisted sense of what's good, but IMO it's Ben Daniels who's the "weakest link" on L&O...

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

As for Freema's seeming incompetence, I doubt she would've been considered for a "grown up" and serious show like Law and Order: UK if she were a crap actress; she's much better than the Great Internet Unwashed would lead us to believe.

I don't think she's a crap actress, although she has had crap moments, but let's face it: she's gorgeous. The camera loves her. That's not completely unimportant.

 

[saturn5]

Yes she was great, nice to have a professional person aboard the Tardis who could actually challenge the Doctor on some subjects

Oh, did I mention she was GORGEOUS?

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I liked Freema a great deal, and she's predictably gone on to other good things. Loathed Martha, who was doomed as a character by conception: she was to moon over Ten as hopelessly as a schoolgirl - hopeless, because the producers obviously decided that for Ten to return her interest in any way would make him appear fickle and superficial after his emotional involvement with Rose.

 

[Trubinator]

She was OK ... not as good as Rose, and nowhere near as good as Amy. But she seemed FAR less annoying than Donna Noble to me.

 

[nightwind1]

I liked her better than Rose or Donna, but not as much as Amy.

 

[captcalhoun]

she's my fourth, no fifth favourite nuWho companion. wait. sixth.

Amy
Rory
Donna
Jack
Mickey
Martha
Rose

 

[Starkers]

I'd put her above and below Rose personally. Above Rose circa Tennant, below Rose circa Eccleston.

 

[Pauln6]

Martha was fine; she was just replacing a tough act to follow and some of her dialogue was terribly false. Some of her occasional appearances seemed a bit forced but I would have been happy to see her transfer to Torchwood.

It was a mistake to bring in another companion who fancied the Doctor but thankfully they wiped the slate clean with Donna. Interestingly, after her Xmas special Catherine Tate was asked why she didn't return as the full time companion and she replied, 'They didn't ask.' I guess somebody got on the phone pretty sharpish to rectify that.

 

[Chuckles]

She was ok, not a great companion but ok. I like Donna and Rory the best of the new companions. The trend of having companions that swoon over the Doctor has gotten old real fast.

 

[Aldo]

Not perusing a lot of Who forums, I'm actually quite surprised that a lot of fans dislike Rose. I can see them not warming up to Martha though, she had a tough act to follow.

I did like her though (and still do...since I'm going through Series 4 she seems to still be around). Not sure about Donna though, she's different than Rose and Martha.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Not perusing a lot of Who forums, I'm actually quite surprised that a lot of fans dislike Rose.

Rose is my favorite, hands down.