It depends on what you're looking for. I get really effusive over characters that I love, and I really enjoy their moments on screen, especially intense moments. With these two characters, I seem to enjoy their silence more than their banter (but that's because both of them are really great actors, and Benedict Cumberbatch in particular can often say more with his mouth shut then he can with a whole paragraph.)

I say give it a shot. I loved the first one, thought the second one was ridiculous, enjoyed the third one, and this one I talked about here was the fourth.

Re: Matt Smith, I hear conflicting reports, and it's true, the writing went into the toilet for so much of his seasons. OTOH, I don't feel like he has a huge connection with the other characters for some reason. The whole "Come along, Pond" thing isn't working for me because I don't feel a lot of chemistry between them.