Matt Smith in "Moses Jones"

[StCoop]

So what did people think?

For one of the two main characters he wasn't in it very much and I can't say there was anything overly impressive about the bits he was in. He wasn't awful, though he did manage an ever worse Mockney accent than Tennant's but I'm certainly not seeing whatever it was about him that made Moffat give him the top job.

 

[Starkers]

I've videoed it and will probably watch it tonight. I'll not be too worried if he's not inspiring. He is only a sidekick chracter and obviously limited by the script and the tone of the show.

Funnily enough I had a dream the other night that I was watching the first 11th doctor episode and he had a middle aged man as his companion...I kept thinking the other guy would have made a better Doctor. Obviously I have issues around Smith that I hadn't realised

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

He wasn't awful, though he did manage an ever worse Mockney accent than Tennant's.

Sorry, I don't mean to derail anything, but what's up with that? What's so special, what's so unique about the Cockney accent that nobody can ever pull it off? In my entire life, I have never heard anyone say "wow, this actor's Cockney accent is actually pretty good". It's always "cor blimey! Listen to that terrible Mockney accent! What a barrel of laugh!".

Is there anything genuinely different about the Cockney accent or is it just a case that everybody remembers Dick Van Dyke and "Mockney" is such a clever portemanteau word that people just can't get enough of it?

 

[Starkers]

I dunno, maybe it's just so prevelant in tv and film that even actual cockneys sound fake nowdays.

I really hope Smith uses his own accent as the Doctor, he seems a bit Boris Johnsonish which I think would work brilliantly!

 

[Deckerd]

The show was too patchy to enjoy. I bailed after half of it and the OH got tired of it after another 10 mins.

 

[Starkers]

Well I've seen it now. It was ok but I probably wouldn't have turned in if Matt smith hadn't been in it. I think he's been wrongly billed as one of the two major characters, his name was in the middle of the credits both before and at the end.

It is amusing that he's the token white guy though

There were a few moments where I got a tiny bit of a Doctor vibe, he seems capable of acting quite eccentric, and he certainly looks eccentric as well!

It's possible he may feature more heavily in the rest of the series, and since its only 3 eps long I'll probably watch it now.

 

[Thor Damar]

He wasn't awful, though he did manage an ever worse Mockney accent than Tennant's.

Sorry, I don't mean to derail anything, but what's up with that? What's so special, what's so unique about the Cockney accent that nobody can ever pull it off? In my entire life, I have never heard anyone say "wow, this actor's Cockney accent is actually pretty good". It's always "cor blimey! Listen to that terrible Mockney accent! What a barrel of laugh!".

Is there anything genuinely different about the Cockney accent or is it just a case that everybody remembers Dick Van Dyke and "Mockney" is such a clever portemanteau word that people just can't get enough of it?

There are only a few Cockney's left in the world and Mockney is the word used by people as a description of a London accent that is vaguely similar to an imaged Cockney accent. I think my own accent can be described as Mockney (and yeah, the term IS too cute some bloody journo must have thought it up).

As to why all Cockney accents on TV and film are compered to Dick Van Dykes? Well its a tradition or an old charter or something...